Itinerary
- Day 1
Windhoek
After arriving at Hosea Kutako International Airport, you'll get picked up and driven to Chameleon Backpackers in the heart of Windhoek. Once you've settled into your room, the rest of the day is yours to fill however you like. Walking around the city centre is a good option if you want to get oriented, or you can just relax at the backpackers. The staff can tell you about their nightly meal and pizza options if you'd prefer eating there rather than going out.
Optional Activities
- Walk to Windhoek city centre
- Dinner or pizza at Chameleon Backpackers
- Day 2
Okahandja - Mt. Etjo
Your pickup happens at 07:15 for a pre-departure meeting back at Chameleon Headquarters. From there, you'll head north to Okahandja's wood carving market where you can support local craftspeople and pick up some handmade pieces. The drive continues to Mt. Etjo campsite near the Okonjati Game Reserve, and after setting up camp and getting settled, you'll have time to check out the lodge grounds and take a swim. Your first game drive runs about three hours with a local guide, and you'll be watching for elephants, rhinos, giraffe, and smaller animals across the 36,000-hectare reserve. Back at camp after sunset refreshments, dinner gets cooked over an open fire, then you'll head to a secure hide to watch lions feed before calling it a night under canvas.
- Meals
- Lunch, Dinner (Cooked by guide over an open fire)
Included Activities
- Visit Okahandja wood carving market
- Game drive on Mount Etjo Game Reserve (approximately three hours)
- Lion feeding observation from secure hide at lodge
Optional Activities
- Purchase wood carvings from local artisans
Landmarks/POIs Okonjati Game Reserve - Day 3
Etosha National Park
Breakfast comes first, then you'll head back to the main road and continue north toward Etosha National Park. There's a quick supply stop in Otjwarongo, and then it's on to Okaukuejo main camp. A short game drive between Anderson Gate and the camp gets you spotting big game right away. After setting up your campsite, you'll head out for an afternoon game drive hunting for elephants, rhinos, giraffe, and big cats. As the sun sets, you'll walk over to the famous floodlit waterhole where wildlife shows up throughout the evening, giving you your best shot at seeing critically endangered black rhinos in the dark.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Game drive from Anderson Gate to Okaukuejo Camp
- Afternoon game drive in Etosha National Park
- Visit to Okaukuejo floodlit waterhole
Landmarks/POIs Etosha National Park Okaukuejo Waterhole - Day 4
Etosha National Park
This is a full day exploring Etosha, so you'll leave right after sunrise with a quick coffee and snack, hoping to catch big cats coming back from their night hunt. The route takes you to several waterholes where animals gather, and there's a designated picnic area for breakfast along the way. You'll drive over to Halali camp for lunch and can spend time swimming in the pool or checking out the waterhole there. The afternoon includes a look at the Etosha Pan itself, over 4,700 square kilometres of white mineral pan that's visible from space. Heading back to Okaukuejo just before sunset gets you there for the best hour at the floodlit waterhole.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Quick cup of coffee and snack before departure), Lunch (At Halali camp)
Included Activities
- Full day game drives in Etosha National Park
- Visit to Halali camp
Optional Activities
- Swim in pool at Halali camp
- Visit Halali camp waterhole
Landmarks/POIs Etosha Pan Halali Camp Waterhole - Day 5
Palmwag
Another early start means catching a spectacular sunrise breakfast followed by a short game drive back to the park gate. Then you're heading west into the Kunene Region to visit the Otjikandero Himba Village for a guided tour where you'll learn about their ancient culture and traditions. After a brief stop in Kamanjab, you'll reach Palmwag Campsite on the edge of the Palmwag Concession. Setting up camp and settling in for a leisurely afternoon watching the sunset from the deck precedes dinner that your guide prepares over an open fire.
- Meals
- Breakfast (With spectacular sunrise), Dinner (Prepared by guide over an open fire)
Included Activities
- Game drive back to park gate
- Himba Village visit with guided tour
Landmarks/POIs Otjikandero Himba Village - Day 6
Cape Cross
You'll head west to the Atlantic Ocean and then follow the coastline south toward Cape Cross. The scenery is beautiful, and you'll spot Namibia's endemic Welwitschia Mirabilis plants along the way. Entering Skeleton Coast National Park through Springbokwasser Gate brings you face to face with the chilly Atlantic. There are stops to see remnants from failed oil drilling and diamond mining ventures from the 1960s, including a collapsed drilling rig at Toscanini. The highlight is Cape Cross, where one of the world's largest seal colonies lives, home to over 100,000 Cape fur seals. You'll also see the stone crosses that were erected to honor Portuguese mariner Diego Cao's 1485 voyage. Arriving in late afternoon leaves time for a sunset walk on the beach.
Included Activities
- Visit to Cape Cross Seal Colony
Optional Activities
- Stop to view collapsed oil drilling rig at Toscanini
- Sunset walk on beach
Landmarks/POIs Skeleton Coast National Park Cape Cross Seal Colony Ugab River crossing - Day 7
Swakopmund
Start with a leisurely cooked breakfast, then head south along the coast toward Swakopmund. About 15km south of Henties Bay, you'll stop to see The Zeila, a fishing trawler that washed up on shore in 2008. Continuing south, you'll explore the macro-lichen fields unique to the Skeleton Coast, which holds a world-record concentration of this rare composite organism. Your guide will show you where it's safe to walk without damaging this delicate ecosystem. Once you reach Swakopmund, a town bounded by sand dunes and the Atlantic with colonial German architecture, you'll be dropped at Salty Jackal Backpackers. Dinner is on you at one of the local restaurants.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Cooked breakfast)
Included Activities
- Visit to lichen fields
Optional Activities
- Stop to view The Zeila shipwreck
Landmarks/POIs The Zeila Shipwreck - Days 8 - 14
Swakopmund
You have 7 days in Swakopmund mixing surfing and adventure activities. Each morning starts with an early breakfast before heading to the beach for a surf session with an ISA qualified coach or guide, though conditions vary and dangerous days mean skipping a session or doubling up on good days. Afternoons are free for optional activities like quad-biking, paragliding, windsurfing, scenic flights, or angling. An optional dolphin cruise in nearby Walvis Bay puts you around jackals, seals, and often dolphins, whales, or penguins. Between activities you can grab coffee at local cafes, join yoga classes, explore nature, or just relax by the ocean. Evenings offer BBQ fires, beer gardens with live music, wine bars, and pizzerias.
Included Activities
- Surfing Experience (daily with ISA qualified coach or guide)
Optional Activities
- Quad-biking
- Paragliding
- Windsurfing
- Scenic flights over Namib Desert
- Angling
- Dolphin cruise in Walvis Bay
- Yoga classes
- Exploring town and nearby nature
Landmarks/POIs Namib Desert Walvis Bay - Day 15
Windhoek
After a week of surfing, you'll head back to Windhoek using a shared shuttle service. Arriving in the capital late afternoon, you'll check into your accommodation for your final night in Namibia. Dinner is at your own expense at one of Windhoek's many restaurants.
- Day 16
Windhoek
Your adventure wraps up after breakfast. If your flight leaves in the afternoon, you can stay busy with a free city walking tour or a City and Township Tour at your own expense before heading to the airport.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Free city walking tour
- City & Township Tour (at own expense)
