10-Day Namibia Highlights Tour with Sossusvlei and Etosha

• Guests are picked up from their accommodation in Windhoek for the first leg of their journey.
• Just before Mariental, a small town located approximately 250 km south of Windhoek, we veer eastwards into the Kalahari Desert to overnight at one of the many lodges located in the area, imbued with the spirit of the Kalahari and its burnished sand.

Accommodation: Kalahari Lodge or Similar

Meals: Dinner

Optional extra activities: Sundowner drives

• After a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast, it's time to experience the Namib Desert. The route takes you past the majestic Namib Naukluft Mountains before reaching the Namib, with its combination of spectacular desert scenery and majestic mountains.
• Today, we either stay at Namib Desert Lodge or one of the many lodges in the area. Namib Desert Lodge is set below an impressive ridge of fossilized dunes, formed 20 million years ago. The afternoon's highlight is either a sundowner drive or simply relaxing at the lodge, sipping on a cocktail and watching the sun set over the apricot-coloured dunes.

Accommodation: Namib Desert Lodge or Similar

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Optional extra activities: Sundowner Dune Drive

• It's an early start today for the drive towards Sesriem and Sossusvlei, home to the highest dunes in the world and magnificent otherworldly landscapes. The 'Dead Vlei', or seasonal pan, is a large white clay depression that fills with water only once a year after good rainfall, when the Tsauchab River rushes through Sesriem Canyon into the desert. The river flow is curtailed by the belt of apricot-coloured dunes at Sossusvlei, where it eventually sinks sleepily into the sand.
• The pan is dry for most of the year and encircled by mighty dunes. The best view is from above, and it is worth climbing the adjacent Big Daddy dune to marvel at the desert vista.

Accommodation: Namib Desert Lodge or Similar

Meals: Brunch & Dinner

• Enjoy a scrumptious breakfast at the lodge before we head through the fascinating desert landscape to the Namibian coast.
• Our first stop is the small settlement of Solitaire, famous for its apple pie.
• The route crosses the Tropic of Capricorn, marking the sun's turning point at 23 degrees south on its annual journey through heaven.
• After a quick photo stop, we meander through the Gaub and Kuiseb Passes, heading northbound to the coast. The cool and sometimes misty coastline welcomes us after a journey of approximately 320 km.
• We reach Walvis Bay, Namibia's port town, from where we make our way to Swakopmund, which lies between the crushing cold Atlantic Ocean and the Namib Desert, balancing the day's journey perfectly. Old German architecture, wide streets, and a plethora of restaurants, curio shops, and coffee shops make this coastal town a joy to explore.

Accommodation: The Delight or Similar

Meals: Breakfast

Optional extra activities: Swakopmund is the activity hub of Namibia. Your guide will gladly assist you in choosing an activity of your liking.

• After a delicious breakfast at your hotel, get ready for the day to be transported to your chosen activity or to explore the beauty of Swakopmund and its mesmerizing German architecture dating back to the German imperial era.
• Alternatively, spend the day at the beach, taking in the beautiful Namibian coast. Swakopmund is known as the adventure capital of Namibia because it has so much to offer.

Accommodation: The Delight or Similar

Meals: Breakfast

Optional Activities: Living Desert Tours, Kayaking, Dolphin cruises, Sandboarding, quad-biking, Skydiving

• After a day of relaxation and exploration on the Namibian coast, we continue north towards Henties Bay along the shoreline.
• Just before reaching Henties Bay, we make a quick photo stop at one of Namibia's youngest shipwrecks, the Zeila.
• We then veer inland towards Uis, a small old mining town.
• Nestled next to the impressive Brandberg Massif, this area is home to Namibia's highest mountain, with its highest peak reaching 2,780 m.
• Thereafter, we make our way towards Twyfelfontein.
• If time permits, your guide will use their discretion to decide whether you are able to do some of the activities offered at Twyfelfontein or proceed directly to the lodge.

Accommodation: Damara Mopane Lodge or Similar

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

• After an early breakfast, we make our way towards Twyfelfontein, home to a treasure trove of ancient rock engravings. This area was once visited by groups of hunter-gatherers who gathered at the rock pools during the dry season. Their shamans beseeched the gods for rain, healing for their people, and good luck for the hunt. They then hammered these prayers into the sandstone rock. The desert environment has preserved these engravings for thousands of years.
• If time permits, you can choose to visit the Damara Living Museum as an optional activity to experience the way the Damara tribe has been living for hundreds of years.
• Upon our return to the lodge, you can join the locals for a sundowner on the deck and enjoy the exceptional view of the landscape.

Accommodation: Damara Mopane Lodge or Similar

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Activities: Organ Pipe visit, Burnt Mountain, Petrified Forest and Twyfelfontein Rock Engravings

• Today we travel into the heart of the country, Etosha National Park, via the town of Outjo, arriving in time for an afternoon game drive in the park.
• Experience the bounty of this wildlife haven before returning to the lodge, which could either be Etosha Safari Camp or one of the many beautiful lodges in the surrounding area, for dinner.
• At Etosha Safari Camp, you can experience a relaxed and down-to-earth camp with a quirky restaurant based on the shebeens (taverns) of old. The ambience is created in the courtyard, where musicians sing local tunes and strum guitars. You can relish the good vibes, tap your toes, and sing along at this lively, fun venue.
• During dinner, you can discuss with your guide whether you would like to use the tour vehicle or a private game-viewer vehicle for your next day's full game drive experience in Etosha before returning to your room and the peace of the Etosha night.

Accommodation: Etosha Safari Camp or Similar

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Activities: Game drive

• Explore Etosha and the many waterholes where Namibian wildlife slake their thirst. Every season offers its own beauty in this special conservation area. The full-day drive gives you the opportunity to view an array of sleek African wildlife in their natural surroundings.
• Return to the lodge for a relaxed and reminiscing final night on your tour.

Accommodation: Etosha Safari Camp or Similar

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Activities: Full Day Game Drive

• After enjoying a filling breakfast, we make our way southward back to Windhoek via Okahandja's woodcarvers market.
• Your guide will drop you off at your chosen accommodation in the capital city or at Hosea Kutako International Airport to catch your scheduled flight.

Meals: Breakfast