Itinerary
- Day 1
Departure
Your journey to Namibia starts today as you depart, heading toward a landscape known for its wide open spaces and raw natural beauty.
- Day 2
Kalahari
After landing in Namibia, you'll drive into the Kalahari semi-desert where red dunes stretch out and acacias dot the terrain. Check into your lodge and settle in for the afternoon. You can relax by the pool if you prefer, or join an optional drive through the dunes before dinner. That evening, dinner overlooks a floodlit waterhole where you might spot wildlife coming to drink.
- Meals
- Dinner (Served al fresco, overlooking the floodlit waterhole frequented by various antelope)
Included Activities
- Arrival transfer to lodge
- Pool time at lodge
Optional Activities
- Dune drive in the Kalahari
Landmarks/POIs Intu Afrika Kalahari Game Reserve Kalahari - Day 3
San Culture & Game Drive
Start early with a guided experience alongside the San people, learning how they traditionally hunt, find water, and identify edible plants. Later in the day, you'll walk through the Kalahari dunes and watch for birds building their nests along the way. By sunset, take a walk with your guide and enjoy sundowner drinks while watching the light fade across the landscape.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Bush walk with San guide through the Kalahari
- Guided dune exploration
- Sunset walk with guide
- Sundowner drinks
Landmarks/POIs Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park Auob River - Day 4
Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park
Drive to Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park, a shared reserve between South Africa and Botswana. Spend the day looking for the park's well-known lion prides and other wildlife as they move along natural routes. The Kalahari lions here have distinctive dark manes, sometimes nearly black, and they're quite impressive to see in person.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Full day game viewing in Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park
- Wildlife viewing along Auob and Nossob dry rivers
Landmarks/POIs Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park Auob River Nossob River - Day 5
Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park
Another full day searching for wildlife throughout Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park. Keep watch for meerkats standing upright on their hind legs in front of burrows, their eyes constantly scanning for danger. You'll also have chances to spot lions and other animals throughout the day.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Full day game viewing in Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park
- Wildlife viewing including meerkat observation
Landmarks/POIs Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park - Day 6
Upington
Leave the park and head toward Upington, a town on the Orange River known for agriculture and wine production. At the Kalahari Cheesemaking Company, you'll have a multi-course cheese tasting paired with South African wines. Later that evening, dinner features a traditional South African barbecue.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Cheese tasting and wine tasting at Kalahari Cheesemaking Company), Dinner (Typical South African barbecue evening with best ingredients from the region)
Included Activities
- Cheese tasting and wine pairing at Kalahari Cheesemaking Company
- Traditional South African barbecue dinner
Landmarks/POIs Orange River Kalahari Cheesemaking Company Augrabies Waterfall - Day 7
Augrabies Falls National Park
Head to Augrabies Falls National Park to see where the Orange River drops 60 meters into a gorge between steep rock walls. Walk out to the waterfall itself, then hike the Gorges Trail to discover unusual desert features. Along the way, hear stories from African folklore about the tree of life and the rock hyraxes living in this arid region.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Walk to Augrabies Falls
- Gorges Trail hike (approximately 1 hour, 2 kilometres)
Landmarks/POIs Augrabies Falls Augrabies Falls National Park Orange River - Day 8
Fish River Canyon
You'll stand before Fish River Canyon, one of Africa's most notable natural features and the world's second largest canyon. The canyon stretches about 160 kilometers with depths reaching 549 meters in places. Walk along the eastern edge and look out over Hell's Bend, where the canyon winds dramatically through the landscape.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Fish River Canyon viewpoint visit
- Walking along eastern edge of canyon
Landmarks/POIs Fish River Canyon Hell's Bend Fish River National Park - Day 9
Lüderitz
Travel to Lüderitz, a coastal town with significant maritime history. Take a bay cruise and see the Diaz Cross, marking where Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Diaz passed through. You'll learn how German merchants settled here, establishing a colony while seeking minerals and taking advantage of the natural harbor.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Bay cruise in Lüderitz
- Diaz Cross visit
Optional Activities
- Dinner featuring Lüderitz oysters and seasonal langoustines
Landmarks/POIs Diaz Cross Lüderitz Bay Lüderitz - Day 10
Halifax Island & Kolmanskop
Board a catamaran for roughly 2 hours to Halifax Island, where spectacled penguins breed and gather. From there, explore Petrel Bay and its dark whaling past, then visit Kolmanskop, an abandoned Art Nouveau diamond town where sand fills the buildings and leaves traces of its former life. The day ends with a one-hour walking tour through Lüderitz's historic center.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Catamaran cruise to Halifax Island (approximately 2 hours)
- Halifax Island visit with penguin viewing
- Petrel Bay exploration
- Kolmanskop ghost town visit
- One-hour guided city walk of Lüderitz
- Rock Church visit
- Goerke House visit
- Old city quarter exploration
- Waterfront exploration
Landmarks/POIs Halifax Island Petrel Bay Kolmanskop Rock Church Goerke House - Day 11
Desert Horses & Namib-Naukluft National Park
See the unusual desert horses of Garub that roam the Tiras Plain and NamibRand, among southern Africa's most beautiful desert areas. You'll learn that Namibia takes its name from the Namib Desert, one of the world's oldest deserts. Back at the lodge, you can swim in the pool or take a self-guided walk, and at sunset, listen to the clicking sounds of geckos calling in the dark.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Desert horse viewing at Garub
- Pool time at lodge
- Gecko listening at sunset
Optional Activities
- Self-guided walk
Landmarks/POIs Namib-Naukluft National Park Tiras Plain NamibRand Garub Namib Desert - Day 12
Sossusvlei
Leave before sunrise and head to Sossusvlei, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A four-wheel-drive shuttle takes you the last 5 kilometers through massive sand dunes, some reaching 350 meters high. You'll walk through Dead Vlei to see acacia trees dead for about 500 years, and that night, experience the desert sky full of stars and the sounds of the landscape at night.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast package to enjoy in the middle of Sossusvlei), Dinner
Included Activities
- Pre-sunrise departure to Sossusvlei
- Four-wheel-drive shuttle to vlei (final 5 kilometers)
- Dune walking and climbing
- Dead Vlei exploration
- Starry sky viewing
Optional Activities
- 2-hour sunset drive on Elegant Desert Lodge grounds
Landmarks/POIs Sossusvlei Dead Vlei - Day 13
Windhoek
Drive out of the desert and through the Auas Mountains toward Windhoek, passing the bare rock landscape. You'll go through Rehoboth, home to the Baster people who are descendants of the Khoikhoi and white settlers. Reach Windhoek in the afternoon and have a farewell dinner at the Stellenbosch Restaurant.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Farewell dinner at Stellenbosch Restaurant with Mediterranean-style ambience, one of Windhoek's best restaurants)
Included Activities
- Transit through Rehoboth
- Arrival in Windhoek
- Farewell dinner at Stellenbosch Restaurant
Landmarks/POIs Windhoek Rehoboth Auas Mountains - Day 14
Windhoek City Tour & Departure
Explore Windhoek's historic center around Christ Church and the Ink Palace with its unusual green garden. Visit Katutura township to see local cuca stores where people buy cold drinks, food, and other goods. Spend time with the women of the Penduka initiative to see how they make tablecloths and bedspreads. Then head to the airport for your flight home.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Windhoek city tour
- Christ Church visit
- Ink Palace visit
- Katutura township visit
- Cuca stores exploration
- Penduka women's initiative visit
Landmarks/POIs Christ Church Ink Palace Katutura Penduka - Day 15
Arrival Home
You arrive home carrying memories from your Namibian journey and a suitcase full of impressions from the places you've visited.
