Red dunes at Sossusvlei, desert elephants in Damaraland and Etosha's waterholes: a classic self-drive, or flown in by light aircraft.
Namibia is more than twice the size of Germany with only around three million people, and it feels it. The Namib Desert runs the length of the Atlantic coast, with the tallest dunes at Sossusvlei, and inland are the granite mountains of Damaraland and the salt pan of Etosha, where game gathers at waterholes in the dry season.
It is made for self-driving, with good gravel roads and well-run lodges a day's drive apart. For less driving and more time on the ground, we fly between areas by light aircraft, which also shows you the desert from above.
The trade-offs: distances are long, the desert is hot in summer and bitterly cold at night in winter, and Etosha's game viewing is less intimate than a private Botswana concession.
The experiences we plan most often, with the months they are at their best.
UNESCO lists the Namib Sand Sea as the only coastal desert in the world with extensive dune fields shaped by fog. Enter the park at first light, climb Big Daddy or Dune 45, then walk into Dead Vlei, where dead camelthorn trees stand on a white clay pan. Be out of the heat by late morning.
Etosha is built around a vast white salt pan. In the dry months, elephants, lions, black rhino and huge herds of springbok and zebra come to the waterholes, and floodlit waterholes at the rest camps allow night viewing. Private reserves on the park boundary add night drives and quieter viewing.
Damaraland's red-rock valleys and dry riverbeds support elephants and black rhino that have adapted to life with little water. Tracking them with a conservancy guide is slow, dusty and well worth it. Nearby Twyfelfontein, listed by UNESCO, has one of Africa's largest concentrations of rock engravings.
Swakopmund, with its German colonial buildings and cool sea fogs, is a welcome break from the desert heat. Kayak with Cape fur seals at Pelican Point, take a catamaran for dolphins in Walvis Bay, or drive a 4x4 through the dunes to Sandwich Harbour where the desert meets the sea.
The Skeleton Coast is one of the loneliest shorelines on Earth, strewn with shipwrecks, seal colonies and fog-bound dunes. We prefer to see it on a fly-in safari to a remote camp in the far north-west, with scenic flights along the beach and drives through the dune fields.
Clear skies, dry air and almost no light pollution give Namibia some of the darkest night skies you will see. Several desert lodges have observatories or star beds on the roof. Plan your trip around a new moon, when the Milky Way is brightest.
Stay inside or right beside the park at Sossusvlei, so you reach the dunes at first light. In Damaraland and around Etosha, conservancy camps and private reserves give better guiding than public rest camps. Self-drivers need lodges a comfortable day apart; fly-in trips can reach remoter camps.
We match each trip in Namibia to hotels, lodges and villas chosen for the way you travel. Tell us what matters and a specialist will suggest two or three that fit.
Ask for hotel suggestionsNamibia's summer, from October to April, is hot and brings most of the rain, as storms in the north and east. The coast, cooled by the Benguela current, stays dry and often foggy. Winter, from May to September, is dry and sunny, with warm days and near-freezing nights in the desert.
For game in Etosha, the dry months from June to October are best, when animals depend on the waterholes. For photography, April and May are our favourites: the air is clear after the rains and the desert is tinged green.
Sossusvlei, the Atlantic coast, Damaraland and Etosha, by self-drive on good gravel roads or linked by light aircraft. 10 nights.
Connect in Johannesburg or Frankfurt and spend a first night on a farm outside Windhoek to rest and collect your vehicle.
Drive south-west over the Spreetshoogte Pass to the Namib. Climb the dunes at sunrise and walk Dead Vlei and Sesriem Canyon.
Cross the desert to the coast for a kayak with seals, a dolphin cruise and fresh oysters in Walvis Bay.
Head north into the red mountains to track desert-adapted elephants and see the Twyfelfontein engravings.
Finish with two nights on the edge of Etosha for waterhole viewing, then drive or fly back to Windhoek on day 11.
Practical notes checked against their sources. For entry and safety, the FCDO advice for Namibia (opens in a new tab) is always the authority.
There are no direct flights from the UK. Connect in Johannesburg or Cape Town for Windhoek, or in Frankfurt, which has direct flights to Windhoek of about 10 hours.
Since April 2025, UK passport holders need a visa for Namibia, available on arrival or as an e-visa before travel. Read the FCDO entry requirements (opens in a new tab) before you book and again before you fly.
Read the FCDO entry requirements for Namibia (opens in a new tab)
The far north carries malaria risk, all year in the Zambezi and Kavango regions and seasonally in areas including Etosha's surroundings. Check TravelHealthPro (opens in a new tab) before you go. Desert sun and dry air call for high-factor sun cream and plenty of water.
The Namibian dollar is fixed at par with the South African rand. Cards are accepted in most lodges and towns but not everywhere, so carry some cash, especially for fuel in remote areas.
MTC is the main mobile network and its SIM cards are sold in Windhoek. Coverage drops away quickly between towns, so download offline maps. Most lodges have wifi.
Tipping in cash is customary for guides and lodge staff, and fuel attendants who clean your windscreen are usually given a small tip. We include current guidance with your documents.
Self-driving is the classic way: roads are good, signage is clear and you set your own pace. Expect long days on gravel, often four to six hours. A fly-in safari costs more but saves days on the road, reaches remote camps on the Skeleton Coast and shows you the desert from the air. Many people combine the two.
Yes, especially with older children who enjoy a road trip. Dunes to climb, seals to kayak with and Etosha's waterholes are all big hits. Southern and central Namibia are outside the main malaria areas, which helps with younger children. Allow shorter driving days and plenty of pool time.
Allow 10 to 14 nights to see the dunes, the coast, Damaraland and Etosha without rushing. With a week, focus on two areas, or fly between them. Namibia also pairs well with the Okavango or Victoria Falls, via the Zambezi region in the north-east.
From June to August, desert nights can drop to freezing, while days are warm and sunny. Early morning game drives and dune climbs call for a hat, gloves and a proper fleece. Lodges usually provide hot water bottles and blankets for open vehicles.
Tell us a little and a specialist will reply with ideas, dates that work and a price. Best months: May to September.
Small camps, private concessions and a flood that arrives in the dry season: the Okavango is safari at its quietest.
Cape Town, the Winelands and a private Kruger reserve in one trip, with direct flights and barely any jet lag.
Walking safaris in South Luangwa, canoes on the Lower Zambezi and Victoria Falls: bush country at walking pace.
