13 Days Highlights of Namibia Small Group Tour



13 Day / 12 Night Guided Lodge Safari through Namibia  

Namibia is certainly one of the most fascinating countries in Southern Africa. When on safari through its unique landscapes, you experience the vastness and solitude of Namibia. In addition to the picturesque Kalahari, Namib Desert, Swakopmund and Etosha National Park, Namibia offers great hospitality, very good value for money and excellent cuisine. It is an interesting and varied travel destination combining the country’s German colonial history with wildlife, spectacular landscapes and friendly people. A guided safari is certainly the perfect alternative to a self-drive tour in Namibia. 

 

Day 1 | Windhoek

Distance approx. 50 km; driving time approx. 1 hour

Arrival at Windhoek International Airport no later than midday. You will be picked up by a driver and taken to the Elegant Guesthouse. After check-in you will have some time to freshen up before meeting your guide and leaving on a short city tour through Windhoek. There is plenty to see and explore such as the Christ Church and Tintenpalast (House of Parliament). In the evening, you will go for dinner at Joe’s Beerhouse (own expense) before returning to the Elegant Guesthouse where you will spend the night.

Day 2 | Windhoek – Kalahari

Distance approx. 300 km; driving time approx. 4-5 hours

After a quick safari briefing and after your luggage has been stored safely in the vehicle, you will leave Windhoek and travel southwards via Rehoboth in the direction of Mariental. The destination for the day is Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch, a farm situated in the imposing red sand dunes of the southern Kalahari. Enjoy the peace of the desert, relax and take in the endless views of the dunes. We encourage you to start the next morning with a "Bushmen Walk" with the San, the original inhabitants of Namibia, where you can learn more about the area's flora and fauna and their traditional way of life (optional and not included in the tour price).

Breakfast | Dinner

Day 3 | Kalahari – Namib Desert

Distance approx. 450 km; driving time approx. 5-6 hours

After a leisurely breakfast you head in the direction of Sesriem via Mariental and Maltahöhe. Sesriem is the gateway to see the shifting sand dunes of the Namib Desert at Sossusvlei. In the afternoon you will have time to relax at the Elegant Desert Lodge or to explore the property on foot. There is the option of booking a scenic drive. Dinner is a 3-course affair…

Breakfast | Dinner

Day 4 | Namib Desert – Rostock Ritz

Distance approx. 250 km; driving time approx. 3-4 hours

At sunrise the gates of the Namib Naukluft Park open and you make your way into the Sossusvlei area. If you are early and fit enough you can even climb one of the dunes and enjoy the impressive view of the entire landscape. You will drive with the 4x4 vehicle to the Sossusvlei, which is a dry clay pan that only fills with water in years with a lot of rain. Thereafter you will continue to the Sesriem Canyon, formed by the Tsauchab River over millions of years. The destination of the day is Rostock Ritz Desert Lodge. Relax at the lodge, enjoy the endless views across the Namib Desert or explore the walking trails of Rostock Ritz (optional).

Breakfast | Dinner

Day 5 | Rostock Ritz – Swakopmund

Distance approx. 250 km; driving time approx. 3 hours

Today’s journey takes you to Swakopmund. This town is still home to many descendants of the late colonists and state officials of the German colonial era. Beautiful old German colonial buildings, cafés where you can enjoy not only the German hospitality, but also famous German cakes are found in the town centre. In the evening you will try one of the many restaurants Swakopmund has to offer (own expense) – do not miss the seafood! You will stay for two nights at Organic Square Guesthouse, just five minutes’ walk from the Atlantic Ocean.

Breakfast

Day 6 | Swakopmund – Cape Cross – Swakopmund

Distance approx. 250 km; driving time approx. 3 hours

After breakfast you have the morning free. Take a stroll through town, book a quad bike tour, a catamaran trip or a desert safari to follow the footsteps of the "Little Five" (all optional). In the afternoon you meet up with your guide and drive to the seal colony at Cape Cross. After a visit to the CĂŁo Cross you will drive back to Swakopmund where you will enjoy dinner at one of the restaurants (own expense).

Breakfast

Day 7 | Swakopmund – Erongo Mountains

Distance approx. 250 km; driving time approx. 3 hours

Today you leave the Atlantic seaboard and travel inland. You will visit the 700 million years old Spitzkoppe; its granite dome-like peaks (1,730 metres) can be seen from a distance. From here you continue to the Erongo Mountains. Your destination is the Otjohotozu Guestfarm. On a guided sundowner drive you will enjoy the beautiful scenery and learn more about Namibia’s fauna and ecosystem. Enjoy a delicious dinner and spend the night at the guestfarm.

Breakfast | Dinner

Day 8 | Erongo Mountains – Grootberg

Distance approx. 500 km; driving time approx. 6-7 hours

A long day is ahead of you, so getting an early start is needed. You travel past the Brandberg Mountain, Namibia’s highest mountain with a height of 2580 metres, to the Petrified Forest. Here you will stop to explore the 260 million year old fossilized tree trunks. Afterwards you visit the famous rock engravings and paintings of Twyfelfontein. You continue your journey to the Grootberg Lodge which is situated at the top of a plateau and offers spectacular views over the Klip River Valley. Dinner and overnight at Grootberg Lodge.

Breakfast | Dinner

Day 9 | Grootberg, Elephant Tracking

After an early morning breakfast you will leave the lodge with a guide and tracker in search of the rare desert elephants, which are known to be slightly smaller in comparison to the elephants found in Etosha. During the drive you will enjoy the unique landscape of Damaraland and learn more about the local people and their living conditions. With a bit of luck, you might see desert-adapted elephant and even black rhinos. In the afternoon you will return to Grootberg Lodge where you will have dinner and spend another night.

Breakfast | Dinner

Day 10 | Grootberg – Etosha National Park

Distance approx. 350 km; driving time approx. 4-5 hours

Today’s journey takes you to the Etosha National Park, which was founded in 1907 and is one of the most famous national parks in Southern Africa. You will spend most of your time game viewing around the waterholes where elephants, rhinos, giraffes and different species of antelope come to drink. With a bit of luck you might even be able to spot lions and leopards. To experience nocturnal animals, join a night game drive with a park ranger (optional) or wait for animals that come to drink at the camp’s floodlit waterhole. Dinner will be for your account at the camp’s restaurant. You will overnight in a chalet at Okaukuejo Camp.

Breakfast

Day 11 | Etosha National Park

After sunrise and a hearty breakfast you get ready for more game viewing. You drive along the vast salt pan that covers almost a quarter of the entire park and is Etosha’s most distinctive and dramatic feature. You will be able to spot herds of impalas, gnus, oryx and zebras that traverse the Etosha National Park. In the evening you exit the park at the Von Lindequist Gate and make your way to the Mushara Bush Camp where you will overnight in a permanent luxury tent with en-suite bathroom.

Breakfast | Dinner

Day 12 | Etosha Area – Waterberg

Distance approx. 400 km; driving time approx. 5-6 hours

After a leisurely breakfast you leave the camp and drive to Otjiwarongo. On your way you will pass the deep Lake Otjikoto, where German soldiers sank their weapons during the First World War. Close to Grootfontein you will see the Hoba meteorite, the largest known intact meteorite in the world. In the afternoon, you will arrive at the private nature reserve Waterberg Wilderness where you will spend the night at Waterberg Plateau Lodge. Take a walk along one of the well-marked trails and explore the surroundings, join a rhino drive (optional) or enjoy the breathtaking view over the endless bush savannah below.

Breakfast | Dinner

Day 13 | Waterberg – Windhoek

Distance approx. 300 km; driving time approx. 4 hours

Today’s journey takes you back to the starting point of your tour, Windhoek, where you will arrive between 2pm and 3pm. On the way there you can stop in Okahandja to buy some hand-carved souvenirs, baskets and jewellery at the big handcraft market. You will be dropped off at the airport or at a lodge of your choice in Windhoek.

Breakfast

Tour end.

Note: These guided safaris depart with a minimum of two and a maximum of 8 guests. A window seat for each guest is guaranteed. In order to design your own tailor-made safari through Namibia please contact us under info@gondwanatoursandsafaris.com.

 

Includes: 

  • Guided lodge safari as per the itinerary
  • Transport in a 4x4 safari vehicle
  • Professional English speaking guide
  • 12 nights’ accommodation in guesthouses, chalets, bungalows and lodges as indicated in the itinerary (depending on availability, accommodation of a similar standard will be booked)
  • Meals & Activities as indicated in the itinerary
  • All national park fees

Excludes: 

  • Flights (international & domestic)
  • Meals not indicated in the itinerary
  • Beverages (alcohol and soft drinks)
  • Optional activities
  • Visa, tips, personal expenses, travel insurance

 

Prices & Departure Dates 

This tour departs Sundays as per the dates below (Exclusively English speaking guide. Please refer to our german site for departures and prices with German speaking guides):

Departures 2025:

19 Jan, 09 Feb, 09 Mar, 23 Mar, 06 Apr, 20 Apr, 04 May, 18 May, 01 Jun, 15 Jun

US$ 4045 per person sharing   US$ 4605 Single 

29 Jun, 13 Jul, 27 Jul, 10 Aug, 24 Aug, 07 Sep, 21 Sep, 05 Oct, 19 Oct, 02 Nov, 16 Nov, 30 Nov, 14 Dec

US$ 4190 per person sharing   US$ 4750 Singl5

 


Country : Namibia

From : From US$ 4045 per person sharing & US$ 4605Single (2024) & US$ 3825 per person sharing & US$ 4355 Single (2025) - prices vary slightly according to season - please refer to detailed information.

Duration : 13 days / 12 nights

Valid for Travel: 19 Jan 2024 - 14 Dec 2025 (departs every second Sunday)

Featured Benefits: Explore Namibias North in the comfort of a guided tour