🇳🇦Namibia·Africa
Namibia
The world's oldest desert, untouched
dest.flightsFrom
£749
dest.hotelsFrom
£65/per night
dest.budgetPerDay
£110
dest.avgTemp
20°C
dest.bestTime
May to October
dest.safety
8/10
dest.about Namibia
Namibia is Africa's most dramatic and otherworldly destination — a vast, sparsely populated country of ancient deserts, towering sand dunes, and extraordinary wildlife. The Namib Desert is the world's oldest desert, Sossusvlei's dunes are the world's tallest, and Etosha National Park offers some of Africa's best wildlife viewing.
dest.topHighlights
Sossusvlei Dunes
The world's tallest sand dunes — Dune 45 and Big Daddy rise 300m above the white clay pan of Deadvlei
Deadvlei
A surreal white clay pan with 900-year-old dead camel thorn trees — one of the world's most photographed landscapes
Etosha National Park
One of Africa's great game reserves — a vast salt pan surrounded by waterholes where wildlife congregates
Fish River Canyon
The world's second-largest canyon after the Grand Canyon — 160km long, 27km wide, and 550m deep
Skeleton Coast
A hauntingly beautiful coastline of shipwrecks, seal colonies, and desert meeting the Atlantic Ocean
Himba People
Encounter the Himba — one of Africa's last semi-nomadic peoples, with a culture and appearance unchanged for centuries
dest.thingsToDo Namibia
- Climb Dune 45 at Sossusvlei for sunrise views
- Walk among the ancient dead trees of Deadvlei
- Game drive in Etosha National Park at a floodlit waterhole at night
- Drive the Skeleton Coast for shipwrecks and seal colonies
- Hike the Fish River Canyon — one of Africa's great hikes
- Visit a Himba village in the Kunene region
- Quad bike or sandboard on the Namib Desert dunes
- Spot desert-adapted elephants in Damaraland
dest.weather Namibia
dest.bestMonthsToVisit May to October
5-dest.day Namibia dest.itinerary
Windhoek Arrival
- ·Arrive at Hosea Kutako International Airport
- ·Explore Windhoek's German colonial architecture
- ·Dinner at Joe's Beerhouse for game meat
- ·Collect rental car for self-drive
Drive to Sossusvlei
- ·Drive to Sossusvlei (5h through desert)
- ·Arrive at lodge in time for sunset dune walk
- ·Dinner under the Namibian stars
- ·Early night for 4am dune climb
Sossusvlei & Deadvlei
- ·Pre-dawn drive to Dune 45 for sunrise
- ·Climb Big Daddy dune
- ·Walk through Deadvlei clay pan
- ·Drive to Swakopmund (4h)
Swakopmund & Skeleton Coast
- ·Sandboarding or quad biking on the dunes
- ·Drive the Skeleton Coast
- ·Seal colony at Cape Cross
- ·Overnight in Swakopmund
Etosha National Park
- ·Drive to Etosha (4h)
- ·Afternoon game drive
- ·Sundowner at the waterhole
- ·Night game viewing at floodlit waterhole
dest.whereToEat Namibia
Joe's Beerhouse
Namibian Game · Windhoek · $$
The Stellenbosch Wine Bar
International · Windhoek · $$$
Sossusvlei Lodge Restaurant
African · Sossusvlei · $$$
Etosha Safari Lodge Restaurant
International · Etosha · $$
dest.practicalInformation
dest.visaRequirements
Visa-free for UK, US, EU, and Australian passport holders for up to 90 days. No visa required on arrival.
dest.gettingAround
Self-drive is the best way to explore Namibia — roads are excellent and well-signposted. A 4WD is recommended for Sossusvlei and Damaraland. Domestic flights save time on long distances. Guided tours available.
dest.currency
NAD (Namibian Dollar)
dest.timezoneLanguage
GMT+2 · English, Afrikaans, German
dest.frequentlyAskedQuestions
Is Namibia good for a self-drive safari?
Namibia is one of the world's best self-drive destinations — roads are excellent, distances are manageable, and the country is very safe. A 4WD is recommended for Sossusvlei and off-road areas. Etosha is easily self-driven. Book accommodation well in advance.
How long do I need in Namibia?
Two weeks is ideal for a comprehensive Namibia trip — Windhoek, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Damaraland, and Etosha. One week is possible but rushed. The distances are vast — plan your route carefully.
When is the best time to visit Namibia?
May to October (dry season) is the best time — excellent game viewing in Etosha, comfortable temperatures, and no rain. The dunes at Sossusvlei are spectacular year-round. January to April is the green season with dramatic thunderstorms.
What wildlife can I see in Etosha?
Etosha has excellent populations of lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, rhino (both black and white), giraffe, zebra, and oryx. The salt pan waterholes are extraordinary — animals come to drink throughout the day and night. The floodlit waterhole at Okaukuejo camp is world-famous.
