2024
Trip One – 12th Oct to 27th Oct
Trip Two – 1st Nov to 16th Nov
Trip Three – 18th Nov to 3rd Dec2025
Trip One – 3rd Nov to 18th Nov
Trip Two – 20th Nov to 5th Dec
Trip One – 3rd Nov to 18th Nov
Trip Two – 20th Nov to 5th Dec
»ITINERARY »BOOKING INFO & COST »GALLERY »FAQ’s
ABOUT
Home to the highest sand dunes in the world and the world’s oldest driest desert Namibia also contains the deepest canyon in Africa. With a stable democratic government and one of the lowest crime rates in Africa, coupled with one of the world’s lowest densities of population plus an abundance of wildlife it is a perfect location for a motoring adventure and a fantastic holiday destination. Come with us and self drive Namibia.
Classic Namibia is our biggest trip but do not be put off by the high mileages. Distances in Namibia are easier to cover than almost any other country we’ve been to, mainly due to the good roads and lack of traffic. During the trip we will be driving Toyota 4×4 Hi Lux pick ups and visiting almost all of Namibia’s highlights.
ITINERARY
Please note the tour dates refer to the departure date from the UK and departure from Namibia. Arrival back in the UK would normally be a day later.
Day 1 – Flight to Windhoek
For UK residents this will typically involve an overnight flight from Heathrow to Johannesburg arriving in SA sometime in the morning and connecting for the short flight to Windhoek.
Day 2 – Arrival in Windhoek
The airport is about 40kms from the city. We are staying on the outskirts of town in a smart hotel and with Namibia more or less on the same time as the UK you should not suffer from jet lag.
Day 3 – Windhoek to Kalahari – 153 miles
There will be no early start. After collecting the vehicles the route takes us past a large hypermarket where you can load up on drinks, snacks and perhaps a picnic lunch. We will depart Windhoek about 11.00 am. Our destination is a property in a private game reserve and in the evening there will be various opportunities for game viewing either on a safari drive or perhaps on a quad bike. If you’re feeling lazy you could always just enjoy a beer and watch the game from your balcony.
Day 4 – Kalahari to Fish River – 298 miles
Great driving heading south with a couple of interesting stops on the way. In the evening we will take a visit to the Fish River Canyon, claimed to be the second largest canyon in the world. A truly fantastic sight.
Day 5 – Fish River to Luderitz – 311 miles
On the recce trip, during today’s route we travelled for two hours without seeing another human being. A lovely drive, good lunch venue, along with a couple of interesting stops, possibly seeing wild desert horses before arriving at the coastal town of Luderitz.
Day 6 – Luderitz to Sossusvlei – 298 miles
First thing we take a tour of the old mining town of Kolmanskoop where the sand dunes have blown into the old buildings. Then it’s back the way we came for 45 miles before heading north to Sossusvlei.
Day 7 – Sossusvlei to Namib Desert – 114 miles
This is a really easy driving day. We’ll be up early to explore the largest sand dunes in the world. For the energetic there’s a walk up Big Daddy – the tallest. From there it’s a really short run to the next hotel. We should be there by about 2.00pm giving you the whole afternoon to relax by the pool.
Day 8 – Namib Desert to Swakopmund – 183 miles
Not a massive day but great driving to the second biggest (and coastal) town in Namibia. Known as the ‘playground’ you won’t be short of things to do. You should arrive mid afternoon. In the evening you will be able to walk out and eat at one of Swakopmund’s many great restaurants.
Day 9 – Day off Swakopmund
Just a small sample
Parascending – it’s mad, scary and fun.
Quad biking – hacking up and down the desert dunes on a quad – brilliant.
Living desert tour – travelling out in the desert in a Unimog type vehicle to be shown sidewinders, scorpions, lizards etc.
Dolphin cruise – half day boat excursion to see dolphins and seals while enjoying oysters and champagne.
Flights in 5 seaters- circa £150 – very impressive as you fly along the Skeleton Coast and get a chance to see ship wrecks and the remains of old mining towns.
Snake museum – pretty wild place where the owner opens up the cages and lets you touch the specimens.
Day 10 – Swakopmund to Palmwag – 274 miles
This is a big day, heading north along the Skeleton Coast. There is a lot to see including the Cape Cross seal colony, one of the largest colonies of cape fur seals in the world. We’ll also be calling in at the World Heritage site of Twyfelfontien where there are thousands of examples of early rock art.
Day 11 – Palmwag to Western Etosha – 145 miles
After such a big day yesterday today is a low mileage day with a late start. In the afternoon we enter Etosha National Park, one of Africa’s greatest game parks. We are staying overnight in the park in an unfenced property where you are permitted to walk to your room during daylight hours but in the evening, after dinner, you have to catch a buggy to return to your room in case you get eaten by a lion!
Day 12 – Western Etosha to Central Etosha – 125 miles
For the next two days we will be traversing Etosha. Instead of a route book you will have a good map showing the location of every water hole. You take your time and decide your own route visiting as many or as few as you want. Our overnight stop is just outside the southern entrance to the park and the view from the bar….. wait and see.
Day 13 – Central Etosha to Eastern Etosha – 111 miles
More of the same although by this time you will be in a completely different area of the park with different scenery. Our overnight stop is just outside the eastern park entrance.
Day 14 – Eastern Etosha to Africat – 196 miles
It’s now time to head south to complete the loop. After an interesting stop in Tsumeb we will arrive at a leopard sanctuary. There will be the opportunity to go out leopard spotting in the evening.
Day 15 – Africat to Windhoek – 152 miles
With just 152 miles of good tar road to drive you should be in Windhoek by lunchtime giving you time to explore in the afternoon perhaps visiting one of the many markets or the railway museum. In the evening we’ll be having our farewell dinner at the hotel.
Day 16 – Depart Windhoek for homeward flight.
BOOKING INFO & COST
2024 – £46802025 – £4995
Costs above are per person based on two people sharing a vehicle and accommodation. The cost excludes flights.
Includes:
• Use of a 4×4 Double Cab pick up
• Fully comprehensive insurance (both drivers) and breakdown cover
• Breakfast each day and all evening meals bar 2 nights
• Airport transfers both ways in Namibia
• Accommodation – based on two people sharing a room
• All necessary route books and maps
• The Great Road Journeys team doing their utmost to ensure you have one of the most unforgettable experiences of your life
Not Included:
• Lunches
• Fuel
• Drinks
• Innoculations
• Travel Insurance
• Flights
• Optional Game Drives
What happens next?
Send an email to us at info@greatroadjourneys.com with your contact details. After that we will be in touch. A deposit of £1000 per person will be required upon booking. The balance is payable one month before departure. In the meantime you’ll receive regular updates from us guiding you through everything you need to know.
FAQ’s
Where do we go? Click on this link and you will see a map of the route. Most tours of Namibia do not cover the sort of ground we will meaning you will end up seeing more of the country than most other visitors. Instead they tend to visit either the north, the middle or the south. Why then are they 14 days? The reason is they spend two nights at many of their locations. Are you missing out by not spending more time at the locations we visit? Not in our opinion. On most days, despite some of the mileages being fairly high you will still reach the hotel in plenty of time to explore.
How difficult is the navigation? As usual you will have a detailed Great Road Journeys route book for the trip backed up by an excellent map. In addition all vehicles will be equipped with a Garmin sat nav.
What is the standard of accommodation? Really excellent. Some quirky but all really good quality and immaculate. The feedback from the previous trips is that the accommodation was way above what people were expecting. They were not disappointed with a single hotel. It’s fair to point out that at one or two of the locations we will be staying in rooms of different standards however the difference is absolutely minimal and not enough to be an issue.
What vehicles do we use? We have a choice of vehicles. For couples we use Ford or Toyota double cab pick ups. If you want to travel with friends as a foursome we have some Toyota Fortuners which are large SUV type vehicles. We use 4×4’s because they are extremely tough and good over rough ground (although there is not much of that). The vehicles will have full insurance coverage with no excess and it will include puncture repairs and windscreen damage. There are some items not covered namely, tyres damaged beyond repair, underbody damage, damage caused while speeding and damage caused by negligence.
Travelling as a foursome? If you did decide to travel as a four in a vehicle it would reduce the cost per person below by £250.
How far do we travel? The total final trip mileage is 2370miles. Don’t be put off by these high mileages. When driving in the UK think about how much time you spend going slowly while you negotiate overtaking trucks, traffic lights, roundabouts, T junctions, caravans etc. In Namibia there is almost a complete absence of traffic, people, trucks and road junctions meaning it is very easy to maintain a respectable moving average. The net result is that a 400km day in Namibia seems to fly by.
Are meals included? Dinner is included every night of the trip except for the two nights in Swakopmund. Lunches are not included.
Will you see game? We are spending two full days in Etosha which is ranked as one of the world’s best wildlife viewing venues so yes you will definitely see game. At one waterhole we have seen over 200 animals. I cannot guarantee you will spot lion or rhino but on last year’s trip 98% saw lion and most saw rhino. If I recall correctly I think everyone saw elephants.
What about game drives? In effect you will be on one long game drive as you drive through Etosha. However we are also spending an evening at a leopard reserve where you’ll have the choice of whether to tracking leopards and cheetahs on foot or by vehicle.
What about other sights? We will be visiting nearly all the highlights of Namibia. If you google Namibia highlights you can pretty well say that we’re doing them all.
Will there be much off road? About half our travelling will be on gravel roads but they are in excellent condition. There is no extreme 4×4 driving.
What about personal security? Namibia is ranked as the second safest country in Africa after Botswana. Everyone is friendly and welcoming.
Why self drive Namibia?
The scenery in Namibia is quite out of this world and while flying from place to place gets some boxes ticked the true beauty and feel of the country really only comes from being right out in the wilderness. This is easily reached in a car which is why to self drive Namibia is in our minds the best way to see the country.
How do you get there? From the UK you fly to Johannesburg and then catch a connection to Windhoek (Namibia’s capital) which is about an hour away. KLM fly direct to Windhoek from Amsterdam and Namibia Airlines fly to Windhoek from Frankfurt.
What is the food like? Excellent. Naturally game features on the menu and most dishes contain no spices.
What is the weather like? In November it’s warm – OK hot. However there is almost nil humidity. Amazingly you don’t find yourself dripping and unlike Asia, when you get to the hotel each evening you don’t feel the need to rush under the shower.
What is the availability of alcohol? Very good value with quality local beer and very acceptable wine from SA.
Why come with us? It is true that, unlike Asia where it is virtually impossible to organise your own driving adventure, Namibia is a destination where you could easily organise your own trip. So why come with us? Here are some reasons. Namibia is a beautiful destination but it can also be a large, lonely country, especially if you are broken down miles from anywhere. During the tour we sweep the route meaning if you do have a problem we will find you and help you. Even if you just have something as simple as a puncture, how nice it is to sit in the shade while the tyre gets changed for you. We provide you with a local sim card but there are several areas of the tour where there is no phone signal. However, we are carrying a satellite phone meaning we can summon help from any location. I mentioned above that the accommodation is excellent. Before we ran our first tour in Namibia we looked at over sixty five properties before finally selecting the dozen we use on the tour. Each hotel has been chosen because it is the best around. Yes we provide a map, detailed route book and Sat Nav, but how about the little known places of interest? Are they worth visiting? How far are they off the road? What if I visited and got stuck? Where’s a good place to have lunch? Where can I get a decent morning coffee? Is this a day when I need to purchase a picnic? Where is the next fuel stop? We will answer all these questions, and more. Even though we accompany the tour, you are free to do your own thing and travel at your own pace but, if anything goes wrong or you need help, we are there to provide it. On every tour we will deliver the best holiday we can – that’s why over 90% of participants travel with us more than once.
