The classic circuit: Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Damaraland and Etosha, in eight days from Windhoek.
This is the route most visitors imagine when they plan a first trip to Namibia. It runs from the red dunes of Sossusvlei to the coast at Swakopmund, up to the rocky country of Damaraland, and ends at Etosha, with a night in Windhoek at each end.
It is a road trip, with some long drives, but each stop is different, and the guides make the days easy.
Namibia
Luxury safari
Handpicked luxury lodges and camps, chosen for their setting, service and guiding.
Private safari
Your own vehicle and guide for the whole journey, never shared with other travellers.
Made to measure
Change the pace, a lodge or an activity and we rebuild the itinerary around you.
Start any day
Travel on the dates that suit you, subject to lodge and permit availability.
Solo travellers welcome
Priced for one on request, with the single supplement shown under Rates.
Pace and fitness
Active, fitness: moderate.
Meet your driver at Windhoek airport and transfer to The Olive Exclusive, a small boutique hotel. The evening is for a briefing and a quiet dinner.
Overnight
A small boutique hotel on a hill above Windhoek.
Drive south-west across the desert to &Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge, arriving in time for a sundowner and a night under a very dark sky.
Overnight
&Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Stone and glass villas in a private reserve, with skylights for stargazing from bed.
Visit the dunes of Sossusvlei and Deadvlei at sunrise, when the colour is deepest, and spend the afternoon at the lodge.
Overnight
&Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Stone and glass villas in a private reserve, with skylights for stargazing from bed.
Drive north to the coast and The Strand Hotel, on the beach at Swakopmund, with a stop at Walvis Bay for the flamingos.
Overnight
The Strand Hotel Swakopmund (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
A sea-facing hotel on the Mole, a short walk from the old town.
Take a boat trip at Walvis Bay, with seals and dolphins, and spend the afternoon among the dunes outside town.
Overnight
The Strand Hotel Swakopmund (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
A sea-facing hotel on the Mole, a short walk from the old town.
Drive north past the Cape Cross seal colony to Damaraland and Damaraland Camp, arriving in the afternoon, with a first look for the desert-adapted elephants.
Overnight
Damaraland Camp (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Community-owned camp in the Huab valley, known for desert elephants.
Visit the rock engravings at Twyfelfontein in the morning, then drive to Etosha and Onguma The Fort, in time for an evening at the waterhole.
Overnight
Onguma The Fort (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
A Moorish-style hideaway overlooking a waterhole on Etosha's eastern edge.
Take a last early game drive, then breakfast and the drive back to Windhoek, arriving in the afternoon.
&Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Stone and glass villas in a private reserve, with skylights for stargazing from bed.
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
The Strand Hotel Swakopmund (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
A sea-facing hotel on the Mole, a short walk from the old town.
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Damaraland Camp (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Community-owned camp in the Huab valley, known for desert elephants.
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Onguma The Fort (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
A Moorish-style hideaway overlooking a waterhole on Etosha's eastern edge.
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Important to know
Rates per person
| Season | Solo | 2 people | 3 people | 4 people | 5 people | 6 people | 7+ people |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High season (Jun to Oct) | US$7,000 | US$5,930 | US$5,574 | US$5,574 | US$5,574 | US$5,574 | Get quote |
| Low season (Nov to May) | US$6,140 | US$5,200 | US$4,888 | US$4,888 | US$4,888 | US$4,888 | Get quote |
Prices are per person, in US dollars, and depend on the number of travellers sharing the vehicle and guide. They are sample rates for planning and will be confirmed when you enquire, as lodge and permit prices change each year. Elephant sightings in Damaraland cannot be guaranteed.
Best time for this trip Apr to Nov
Pack light, neutral colours for game drives, a warm fleece for early mornings, a sun hat, good sunscreen and insect repellent. Binoculars are provided in the vehicle, but bring your own if you are a keen birder or photographer.
Made to measure
Every Uwera safari is private. Slow the pace, add a night by a lake, swap a lodge or bring the children: tell us in your request and we will rebuild the itinerary around you.
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