10-Day Namibia Guided Safari – Etosha, Swakopmund & Sossusvlei
- 10 days
- Fully guided
Quick answer
This guided 10-day Namibia safari starts in Windhoek and visits Etosha National Park, a Himba village, Damaraland, Swakopmund and Sossusvlei. It includes three days of game viewing in Etosha, a Sandwich Harbour 4x4 trip from Walvis Bay and sunrise on the Sossusvlei dunes.
This 10-day Namibia tour focuses on special highlights in Namibia. On this tour, you will enjoy cultural visits and go to the famous Etosha National Park. A quick visit to Damaraland may give you a chance to see desert-adapted animals.
Swakopmund, the center for adventure on land and sea, is another highlight. Your last stop will be Sossusvlei, home to the highest dunes in the world. Join us to enjoy the highlights of Namibia.
Day 1: Windhoek
Welcome to Namibia. After arriving at Hosea Kutako International Airport near Windhoek, a representative will meet you with a sign showing your name.
You will load your luggage into the vehicle and transfer to your guesthouse in Windhoek to settle in and rest for the journey starting tomorrow.
You can book a city tour in advance if you want to explore the city before dinner at an extra cost.
Day 2: Windhoek to Etosha National Park
After breakfast, you will do a short city tour with your guide before heading north on your adventure. The drive to Etosha will take about 4 to 5 hours and is a good way to see the country.
You will pass through Okahandja, near Okonjima Nature Reserve and Waterberg Plateau National Park, and then Otjiwarongo, a fast-growing town with many German-speaking people.
Lunch will be on the way. You will reach your lodge near the Etosha gate in the afternoon. If time allows, you will do a short game drive inside the park.
Day 3: Etosha National Park
Today you will spend the full day in Etosha, slowly moving to the southwestern side of the park for your overnight stay. You will stop for lunch at Halali Camp in the middle of the park.
Etosha is great for photography, with strong contrasts in light, color, and texture. Many guests take their best wildlife and bird photos here. The sunrises and sunsets are also very beautiful, so keep your camera ready.
After a day of game viewing, you will reach your camp to freshen up. You will stay in a camp inside or just outside the park and enjoy dinner before resting.
Camps inside Etosha have floodlit waterholes where you can watch animals coming to drink, creating special memories.
Day 4: Etosha National Park
Today you will explore the southwestern part of Etosha. You will go for a morning game drive after breakfast and return to your lodge for lunch and a break during the heat of the day.
During the dry months, animals gather around the waterholes, followed by predators. You can wait at these waterholes to watch the action, which makes Etosha different from other parks in southern or eastern Africa.
After your afternoon game drive, you will return to the lodge for dinner. Before bed, look up at the clear African night sky, which is very bright here.
Day 5: Etosha National Park via Himba Village to Damaraland
After breakfast, you will travel to Damaraland for a one-night stay. On the way, you will stop at a Himba Village to learn about their way of life.
This mountain area is home to desert-adapted wildlife like elephants, black rhinos, and lions, which live in this dry land. We hope you will see some of them.
After a picnic lunch on the way, you will visit the “petrified forest” rock formation, over 200 million years old. You will also look for the Welwitschia plant, the world’s longest-living plant.
Before reaching your lodge, you will visit the “organ pipes” rock formations and the “burnt mountain”.
Like this route? Dates, pace and stops can all be changed to suit you.
Check availabilityDay 6: Damaraland to Swakopmund
This morning you will stop at Uis before heading to the Atlantic Coast. You will cross the gravel plains of the Namib Desert before reaching the Skeleton Coast.
After a lunch stop on the way, you will reach the ocean and drive north to Cape Cross to see the Cape Fur Seal colony.
You will have time to watch and photograph the seals before driving south to Swakopmund.
After checking in at your hotel, you will explore Swakopmund for a short time before dinner and rest.
Day 7: Swakopmund
After breakfast, your guide will take you to Walvis Bay for a half-day activity. You will meet your Sandwich Harbour guide at 7:30 am for a 4×4 ride along the Walvis Bay Lagoon and salt mines in the Sandwich Harbour area.
After this, you will return to meet your guide and drive back to Swakopmund. Lunch can be in Walvis Bay or Swakopmund, depending on your decision with your guide.
The afternoon is free for you to relax or explore Swakopmund on foot. You will return to freshen up before dinner at one of the local restaurants.
Day 8: Swakopmund to Sossusvlei
Today you will drive to Sossusvlei, turning inland and driving through Namib-Naukluft Park. You will drive through the Namib Sand Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with dune fields and gravel plains influenced by fog. The drive will take about 4 hours.
If there is time, you will stop for the famous apple pie in Solitaire, a small desert town.
You will reach your accommodation at sunset, with the dunes turning red. You will enjoy dinner and go to bed early to prepare for tomorrow’s early start.
Day 9: Sossusvlei
Today you will wake up before sunrise and head to the dunes to catch the first light. From the Sesriem gate, you will drive in the dry bed of the Tsauchab River, stopping at famous spots and climbing dunes before reaching Dead Vlei. You will have a picnic lunch nearby while enjoying the views.
Your last visit will be to Sesriem Canyon, a narrow gorge about 1 km long and up to 30 meters deep, created by the Tsauchab River millions of years ago.
You will spend most of the day exploring before returning to your lodge in the afternoon for your last dinner after this Namibian adventure.
Day 10: Departure
After breakfast, you will drive back to Windhoek, which will take about 4 to 5 hours. You will drive through the Namib Desert one last time and then up to the Khomas Highland.
Look out for wildlife like ostrich, gemsbok, goshawks, weavers, and kudu.
You will have lunch on the way and arrive in Windhoek in the afternoon. You can join a city tour if you did not do one on the first day.
Your guide will drop you at the airport for your departure flight or at your accommodation if you are staying longer. This will be your time to say goodbye to your guide.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the 10-day safari start?
In Windhoek. You are met at Hosea Kutako International Airport and taken to your guesthouse.
Does the tour include a Himba village?
Yes. On day 5 you stop at a Himba village on the way from Etosha to Damaraland.
How long is the drive from Windhoek to Etosha?
About 4 to 5 hours, with a lunch stop on the way.
Which activities are included at the coast?
A half-day Sandwich Harbour 4x4 trip from Walvis Bay and a visit to the Cape Cross seal colony.
