Discover the heart of Namibia

On this 12-day rental car tour you will explore the center of this wonderful and diverse country. You will first head south and explore the Kalahari with unforgettable sunsets. The next leg of your tour will take you to the Sossusvlei region, where you can drive to the Namib-Naukluft National Park to visit the famous Dune 45, for example. From the desert, however, you will now head to the sea – to Namibia’s most German coastal town, Swakopmund. Enjoy the hospitality, visit local markets or just relax on the beach. Afterwards, you will travel through the scenic Damaraland to Etosha National Park, where you can spot 4 of the Big 5 and many more species of animals.

Specification: Discover the heart of Namibia

Country	Namibia
Duration	12 Days
Departure	Daily Departure
Group Size	Private Tour
Tour Type	Animals, Self-Drive
Inclusions	Car Rental
Hotel	3 – 4 Star Hotels

Day 1: Windhoek – Kalahari Region

Welcome to Africa! You arrive at the airport in Windhoek and pick up your rental car. The diverse Namibian capital is the largest city in the country with a population of about 250,000 and is picturesquely situated at an altitude of 1650 meters in a valley basin, lined by the Eros Mountains in the north and the Auas Mountains in the south. To the west, the Khomas Highlands extend toward the Namib and the coast. As the political and economic center of the country, Windhoek has much to offer. Explore the city and see among others the Christ Church, the Boulevard, the Equestrian Monument and the district of Klein Windhoek, and as a contrast the district of the Bantu-speaking community Katatura. However, your journey today already continues in a southernly direction and you drive through the Auas Mountains to Rehoboth. From there you will continue to your lodge on the edge of the Kalahari Desert. The Kalahari Desert forms a large part of eastern Namibia and stretches for about 500 km from north to south. Characteristic is its fine powdery red sand. Huge herds of antelope and other animals graze on its sparsely vegetated grassy plains. Accommodation: Kalahari Anib (Standard Room)

Day 2: Kalahari Region

Today you can organize your day according to your own wishes. Relax and enjoy the amenities of your lodge or book an optional activity offered at your accommodation. In the afternoon, for example, you can set off on a sundowner drive in an open jeep and enjoy a magnificent view over the Kalahari at sunset. Accommodation: Kalahari Anib (Standard Room)

Day 3: Kalahari Region - Sossusvlei Region

After a hearty breakfast, your journey continues to Sossusvlei, part of a more than 300 km long and 140 km wide dune landscape of the Namib Desert. Enjoy the drive through this unique nature and collect unforgettable impressions and memories of the scenic desert state.
Accommodation: Namib Desert Lodge (Standard Room)

Day 4: Sossusvlei Region

This day is at your own disposal. For example, undertake a Dune Drive: Early in the morning you will drive into the Namib-Naukluft National Park. Let yourself be enchanted by the play of shadows of the dunes, the wide view and the wonderful silence. By off-road vehicle you will explore the highest sand dunes in the world, which strong winds have accumulated here over millions of years. A sea of huge dunes, up to 350 meters high, spreads out before you in the Namib Naukluft National Park – an unforgettable experience! Take the opportunity to climb the famous Dune 45 in Sossusvlei. Afterwards you can drive on and visit the Sesriem Canyon. The viewing platform offers you a breathtaking view. Admire the deep, 3 kilometer long canyon that the Tsauchab River has carved into the rock over millions of years. Lodging: Namib Desert Lodge (Standard Room).

Day 5: Sossusvlei Region - Swakopmund

Your journey takes you to Swakopmund. This small town was founded in 1892 and was once the most important port of German Southwest Africa. It developed over time into the most popular seaside resort in Namibia with about 18,000 inhabitants. Even today, the town is often referred to as the most German town in Namibia.
Accommodation: The Delight (Standard Room)

Day 6: Swakopmund

Today your time is at leisure. Swakopmund is comfortable for anyone to explore on their own, as the interesting urban area is essentially concentrated in four blocks. This small, pretty coastal town has many beautiful buildings from the German colonial period. At first glance, you’d think you were lost in a small German town. Bay windows and stucco, half-timbering and bull’s-eye windows create an atmosphere all their own, still reminiscent of the German provinces. However, the turn-of-the-century Imperial German architecture in Swakopmund seems surreal against the massive sand dunes of the nearby Namib Desert. Accommodations: The Delight (Standard Room)

Day 7: Swakopmund - Damaraland

Today you head into the Damaraland. In the arid northwest of Namibia, parts of the mosaic of ethnically diverse regions that make Namibia so varied and interesting. Until recently, Damaraland was a remote region where the lives of the people who live here have changed little over the centuries. It is an area of stark contrasts: high mountains, grasslands and steppe. In the afternoon you will arrive at your lodge in Palmwag, where you will stay for the next 2 nights. Enjoy the afternoon by the pool. Accommodation: Palmwag Lodge (Standard Room)

Day 8: Damaraland

Palmwag is beautifully situated on a palm-lined tributary of the Uniab River. Water is scarce in this area, so the presence of the river often attracts elephants closer to the camps. You will have the opportunity to participate in a game drive in an open jeep through the reserve. Maybe you will be lucky enough to see the magnificent desert elephants or black rhinos. In any case, the drive goes through beautiful terrain. Visit Twyfelfontein, which is famous for its rock formations with thousands of years old engravings. Also worth a visit is the Petrified Forest, a forest with gigantic trees that have been turned to stone by the environment after many years. Accommodation: Palmwag Lodge (Standard Room)

Day 9: Damaraland - Etosha Region

From Damaraland today we continue to Etosha National Park. The park is one of the most important game reserves in southern Africa. With about 22,270 km², Etosha Park is about the size of Hesse and the largest game reserve in Namibia. More than 144 different animal species are at home here. There are not the famous Big Five, but you can find four of them here as well: Elephants, rhinos, lions and leopards. Also giraffes, wildebeests, jackals, hyenas as well as all antelope species, from the stately eland to the tiny Damara dik-dik, find their habitat in Etosha National Park. Thus, some of the most common but also some of the rarest animal species present themselves in the park. The main feature of the park is a salt pan, which is visible even from space. Accommodation: Etosha Safari Camp (Standard Room)

Day 10: Etosha Region

On this day, undertake a safari in Etosha. Early in the morning you will start your tour in your comfortable rental car, which will take the whole day. Enjoy the beautiful scenery and with a little luck you will see giraffes, elephants and lions. Keep your camera handy for stunning photos.
Accommodation: Etosha Safari Camp (Standard Room)

Day 11: Etosha Southern Region - Waterberg

Today you will head south to the Waterberg Plateau Park. The Waterberg Plateau Park is a nature reserve in Namibia established in 1972. It has an area of 405 square kilometers and occupies large parts of the Waterberg in central northeastern Namibia. The Waterberg Plateau National Park is a great place to hike and relax. The park offers daily game drives to the plateau. (Self-drivers are not allowed to drive up to the plateau, as the driveway is extremely soft sandy and only passable by 4×4). Today you can go on an excursion to the plateau and afterwards do an easy hike where you can enjoy the nature again.
Accommodation: Waterberg Wilderness Lodge (Standard Room)

Day 12: Waterberg - Windhoek Airport

After breakfast you will go to the international airport, where you will drop off your rental car. From here you will start your journey home. We wish you a pleasant flight home!

What´s included

11 x nights in standard/comfort hotels/lodges (hotels/lodges mentioned in the itinerary are examples and can be substituted with equivalent accommodations)
11 x breakfast and 1 x dinner
12 days rental car Toyota Fortuner 4x4 or similar
Unlimited km, fully comprehensive insurance, additional driver, GPS
24 hour emergency service

Excluded

Flights, airport taxes and visas (if applicable) and not specifically mentioned as included.
Conservation fees / entrance fees not mentioned as included
Meals not mentioned and all beverages
Porterage and gratuity fees
Optional activities
Additional car rental costs (e.g. fuel)
Items of a personal nature, e.g. laundry, minibar, etc. Other expenses not specifically listed in the quote

Additional Information

All prices exclude airfares (unless specified), visa fees, travel insurance and any additional personal expenses.

Prices are per person sharing a double room. Single and triple rooms rates are available upon request.

Dates, itineraries and prices are indicative and subject to change based on the season.

Hotels mentioned in the itinerary may change due to availability, but will always be of equivalent or higher category.

Some countries charge additional destination taxes per person or per night that can only be paid directly at the location.

All displayed tour maps are originated from Google Maps and are only indicative. They are not representative of the exact travel routes of the itinerary.

For more details please visit our booking conditions page.

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SKU IJDB-CTR-13-2023 / 2024 Categories Animals & Birds, Namibia, Wilderness & Nature Tags 12-Days, Animals, Colibri Travel, Namibia, Private Journey, Self-Drive Tour, Wilderness

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