7 Day Customized Dunes of Namibia
This 8-day safari will take you to three of Namibia’s must-see natural wonders. We will visit the Namib Desert and Sossusvlei, which is home to some of the highest dunes in the world. Then we move on to Swakopmund, where the desert and the coast come together. We will then make our way up along the Skeleton Coast and turn inland into the dramatic and scenic Damaraland. Last but not least, we will move on to Etosha, which is one of Africa’s best game-viewing destinations.
Day 1
Sossusvlei and the Namib Desert
Met on arrival or after breakfast, you will depart for Sossusvlei. We will drive through the Khomas Hochland and down the escarpment via one of the scenic mountain passes into the Namib Desert. This journey will take about 4 hours, including stops for photographs. After lunch and settling in at the lodge, we will depart for a late afternoon scenic nature drive.
The Namib is the oldest desert and boasts the highest dunes in the world. This region is one of the most spectacular areas in Africa. The name Sossusvlei refers to the vlei, or pan, into which the seasonal Tsauchab River flows in years of exceptional rainfall. The neighboring Dead Vlei with the ancient dead camel thorn trees is one of the most photogenic sites in good early morning light. The Sesriem Canyon is a narrow gorge about 1 km long and is well worth a visit. Several desert-adapted wildlife, like oryx, springbok, black-backed jackals, sociable weavers, and plenty of reptiles and small mammals, call this place home.
Main Destination: Sossusvlei (Sand Dunes)
Accommodation: Namib Desert Lodge
Day 2
Sossusvlei and Swakopmund
After an early breakfast and coffee, we will depart for a morning excursion to Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei. We will stop at the scenic Dune 45 along the way and spend a couple of hours at both Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei. Some of the dunes in the area are a few hundred meters high, but the view from the top for those that dare is one you will never forget. After lunch we will depart for Swakopmund via the Namib Naukluft National Park. We will spend the night at a guesthouse and enjoy dinner at a restaurant in Swakopmund. Please note that dinner tonight is not included and is for your account.
Swakopmund has plenty of great restaurants and bars, good shopping opportunities, and fascinating architecture. For the adventurous, there’s quad biking, sandboarding, skydiving, beach angling, and scenic flights over the coastline and Sossusvlei, to name a few.
Main Destination: Swakopmund (City)
Accommodation: Swakopmund Sands
Day 3
Living Desert Adventure, quad-biking, and the Walvis Bay lagoon
After breakfast, we will depart for a living desert adventure where we will encounter and learn more about the fascinating wildlife of the Namib Desert. We will look for forgeckoss, scorpions, sidewinder snakes, lizards, and beetles, as well as the incredible plant life that survives in this harsh environment.
Once we are back in Swakopmund, we enjoy lunch and then have the afternoon available to explore the town or perhaps finish the day with an optional quad-biking and dune-boarding adventure. Other optional activities that could be arranged include scenic flights over the coast and dunes.
Main Destination: Walvis Bay (City)
Accommodation: Swakopmund Sands
Day 4
Skeleton Coast and Damaraland
This morning, after breakfast, we continue our safari northwards along the Skeleton Coast. After visiting a shipwreck, we will turn inland towards Damaraland. We will drive past the Brandberg, Namibia’s highest mountain, with the highest peak at 2573 meters. We will visit the Twyfelfontein rock engravings (Namibia’s only world heritage site), the Burnt Mountain, and the Organ Pipes rock formation.
Main Destination: Damaraland
Day 5
Etosha National Park
After breakfast, we will depart for Etosha National Park, where we will spend the next 3 nights. We will spend the first two nights at Etosha Safari Camp. We will do an afternoon game drive on arrival and, the following day, an early morning and late afternoon drive, visiting various waterholes famous for huge numbers of animals drinking here.
Main Destination: Etosha National Park
Accommodation: Etosha Safari Lodge
Day 6
Eastern Etosha National Park
From Etosha Safari Lodge, we will spend a full day travelling through the park, game viewing en route, to Mushara Lodge. The lodge is situated just outside the eastern section of the park on its small game reserve. This section of Etosha with the more lush vegetation offers fantastic game viewing. We will spend our final evening relaxing at the beautiful Mushara Lodge.
Main Destination: Eastern Etosha National Park
Accommodation: Mushara Lodge
Day 7
Departure to Windhoek
After an early morning game drive or a relaxing breakfast, we will depart for Windhoek, where you will have lunch and later be dropped at the airport to catch your connecting flight. Optional We can also organize an extension to visit the San Bushmen and perhaps spend the night at Okonjima Lodge, home of the African Foundation. Many of our clients prefer to spend an additional night at Mushara to fully explore and appreciate the game-rich eastern section of Etosha.
Main Destination: Windhoek (City)
Accommodation:
No accommodation (End of tour)
Rates include
Full board accommodation on safari as per specified camp (vegetarian also available)
Transport in a comfortable 4×4 Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof
- Park fees (for non-residents)
- All activities
- All accommodation
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation
- All Taxes/VAT
- Round-trip airport transfer
- Meals
- Drinking water (on all days)
Excluded
- International flights (from/to home)
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- Tips
Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
