Classic Namibia

Fly overnight from the UK to Windhoek via Johannesburg, maximising your holiday time.

After arriving in Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, transfer to Am Weinberg, your boutique hotel for the night. The rest of your day is at leisure. Relax and rejuvenate ahead of tomorrow’s adventure. 

This morning, transfer to Eros Airport for flight to Sossusvlei. This southern area of the Namib Desert is a surreal, otherworldly landscape of salt pans, skeletal acacia trees and miles of undulating orange dunes. Your base here is Kwessi Dunes. This afternoon, you have the option of a guided excursion around the lodge’s reserve, venturing along one of the nature trails for an introduction to the region’s striking ecology.

Rise early for a guided excursion into the Namib-Naukluft National Park, entering at sunrise when the light is soft, and shadows accentuate the dunes’ towering shapes and curves. This area boasts some of the world’s highest free-standing sand dunes. Your guide provides insight into the formation of the Namib Desert and the fascinating flora and fauna that has adapted to its harsh environs. After, enjoy a picnic breakfast under the shade of a camelthorn tree. Return to your lodge in time for a late lunch, stopping en route to see the Sesriem Canyon (time permitting). The rest of your day is at leisure.

This morning’s flight over the dunes en route to Swakopmund is an incredible scenic flight. Swakupmund is a delightful seaside town. Enjoy a dolphin and seal cruise on board a catamaran this morning in the beautiful Walvis Bay. You’ll also encounter pelicans and turtles if you’re lucky, but you’ll be sure to enjoy fresh oysters and sparkling wine on board. Today will be full of excitement and adventure, but you can enjoy a leisurely dinner at one of your hotel’s three restaurants in the evening.

After an early breakfast, travel north along the picturesque Marienfluss Valley. Your journey takes you past the Holy Mountain of the Himba as well as the towering peaks of Mount Ojiunaune and Mount Otjiomuhana. Arrive at Okahirongo Elephant Lodge in the late afternoon, with time to enjoy its comforts and for an entertaining evening reminiscing about the past few days.

Explore with your guide for the next two days, discovering the beauty of the stark desert. Head along the Hoarusib and Khumib Rivers in search of desert-adapted wildlife including elephant and giraffe; or west through the vast and silent plains. After a scenic picnic lunch under the cooling shade of camelthorn and ana trees, you descend the river with further chances to spot desert-adapted wildlife, including lion and elephant. Later, enjoy a romantic sundowner drive or an atmospheric after-dinner night walk.

Journey to Ongava, a 30,000-hectare wildlife reserve situated on the southern border of Etosha National Park. These sun-bleached wilds are home to rhino, giraffe, leopard, lion, zebra and many more iconic African animals. You arrive in time for a shared afternoon safari drive in a specially adapted vehicle, helmed by an expert ranger. After your four-wheel introduction to this untamed habitat, enjoy dinner under the stars (weather permitting) and an early night ahead of tomorrow’s adventures.

Begin the day with a morning safari drive into Etosha – one of Africa’s largest national parks – seeking out more of Namibia’s diverse wildlife alongside your guide. After a relaxing break back at your lodge, head out into Etosha again for an afternoon safari drive, leaving the park before sunset. Alternatively, spend the entire day exploring the park, breaking for a picnic lunch in sight of a waterhole popular with roaming wildlife. After returning to your lodge this evening, you may spot more wildlife gathering at the camp’s floodlit waterhole.

Board your scheduled charter at Ongava airstrip. Arrive at Windhoek International Airport ahead of your homeward flight via Johannesburg, arriving in the UK the following morning.