Grand Namibia
13 days, 12 nights
Price Range:
$15,116 – $24,076
(all-inclusive price per person, depending on dates & camps selected)
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This epic Namibia adventure is a comprehensive safari through one of Africa’s most dramatic countries. See all of Namibia’s riveting landscapes and top wildlife reserves on game drives and nature walks through Etosha National Park, Okonjima Reserve, Sossusvlei and Damaraland. Explore the austere Hartmann Valley, one of the most remote places on earth, where ocean mists drift inland to moisten the stark desert, drawing surprising numbers of wildlife. Namibia’s capital, Windhoek, provides an urbane contrast to the wilderness.
Our Expert Says
In a country of stunning diversity, this itinerary reveals all the best of Namibia: towering sand dunes, differing desert ecosystems, fantastic wildlife and absolutely stunning scenery. There is no place in Africa that offers a comparable set of varied landscapes and adventures.
– Greg Courter
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Day 1: Windhoek
Windhoek is Namibia’s capital and largest city. Surrounded by rolling mountains, Windhoek was the former colonial capital of German South-West Africa. While its population today is a diverse and cosmopolitan blend of cultures, Windhoek still retains much of its German heritage evidenced in language, architecture and cuisine. The city center has a European café-culture feel, relaxed and eclectic, with a pedestrian precinct, bustling shops and market stalls.
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Days 2-3: Sossusvlei
A vast clay pan surrounded by the world's tallest sand dunes, Sossusvlei is one of the most striking vistas in all Africa. The dunes soar a thousand feet high in the lonely Namib Desert, shape-shifting mountains of golden sand framed by intense blue skies. Sunrise and sunset are magical, when the dunes appear burnt orange and deep carnelian red. Surprisingly, Sossusvlei is home to a variety of desert-adapted wildlife.
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Days 4-5: Damaraland
Huge, harsh and entrancingly beautiful, Damaraland contains some of the most amazing landscapes on earth. Brooding granite mountains and deep gorges, sun-baked wastes of sand and ancient petrified forest define this arid terrain. Yet remarkably, it is home to both people and animals who have adapted to these daunting environs. Scout for desert-adapted elephant, track black rhino in the Palmwag Concession, and wonder at some of the darkest, starriest skies on the planet.
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Days 6-7: Etosha Nat'l Park
One of Africa’s premier wildlife sanctuaries, the Etosha salt pan is the remnant of an enormous prehistoric lake. Bare and dry today except for seasonal springs, the depression offers Namibia’s best animal viewing. Elephant, black and white rhino, lion, leopard, cheetah, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, hartebeest, springbok, oryx, kudu and dik-dik are drawn to its life-sustaining waterholes during the dry season. Birdlife is abundant, with ostrich and raptors frequently observed.
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Days 8-10: Hartmann Valley
Stunningly remote, the Hartmann Valley is a desolate yet entrancing moonscape of sand and rock. Located in the extreme northwest of Namibia, the region offers a profound sense of wilderness and unusual juxtaposition of habitats, as the Kunene River nurtures a band of lush vegetation amidst one of the driest deserts on earth, while sea mists creep in from the coast. The valley is home to the Himba, one of the last true nomads in Africa.
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Days 11-12: Okonjima Reserve
Okonjima is a 55,000-acre sanctuary for research and rehabilitation of Namibia’s large carnivores, especially cheetah and leopard. It is home to the AfriCat Foundation, which rescues felines that are casualties of human-wildlife conflict on Namibia’s farmlands, returning more than 85% to the wild. Get close to big cats on nature drives and walks to track radio-collared leopards and monitor rehabilitated cheetah, and learn about San tribal culture.
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Day 13: Windhoek/Home
Your safari adventure ends today in Windhoek, Namibia.