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Namibia Safari Tour: Etosha + Kalahari + Fish River Canyon + Karoo + Namib Desert

Grand Namibia Tour: Fish River Canyon + Namib + Etosha

14 NIGHTS FROM:

$3,705

Per person sharing

Scheduled flights quoted separately

NYC14W

• Namibia Safari Tour

• Windhoek

• Kalahari

• Luderitz & Kolmanskop

• Fish River Canyon

• Succulent Karoo

• Namib Desert

• Swakopmund

• Twyfelfontein Rock Art

• Safari Tour, Etosha National Park

This wonderful Grand Namibia safari tour visits the wildlife of Etosha National Park, the red sands of the Kalahari, majestic Fish River Canyon, the Succulent Karoo, diamond town of Luderitz, ghost town of Kolmanskop & the gigantic sand dunes of the Namib Desert. Regular scheduled departures. Group size 2-16 (or upgrade to Superior: 2-6). No children < 12.

Detailed itinerary ▶

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Day 1

You will be met at Windhoek Airport and transferred 1-hour to your hotel in this small capital city.

Check in and relax under warm blue Namibian skies.

Note: Please be aware that many roads in Namibia are rough gravel with corrugated surfaces, resulting in a tougher and slower drive that can be very bumpy.

Day 2

This morning you will be collected from your Windhoek hotel for your small group tour of Namibia.

We travel southwards for 3-hours towards the scrub vegetation and red sands of the vast Kalahari, the largest sand mass on earth. The migratory Bushman people call it the “Soul of the World” and its endless grass plains interspersed with acacia trees provide the only form of survival for a vast amount of wildlife that has survived in this semi-desert environment for thousands of years. After good rains (end November/early December - although this can vary greatly) you can see hundreds of different wildflowers here.

On arrival you can participate in an optional nature drive to experience the red dunes, wildlife and plants of this desert environment.

Note: Most tours are dual language with a bilingual guide (English / German), although some tours have English-only departure dates. On escorted group tours please note that for operational reasons it is sometimes necessary to substitute one hotel with another of similar quality.

Luggage should be packed in soft side bags (sports bags are ideal) not exceeding 15 kg and 65 x 46 cm, as there is limited space in the vehicle.

Day 3

A full day on the road today as we drive 6.5-hours southwards to the great Fish River Canyon, the second largest on earth.

As we travel through these expansive rocky plains, notice the unique Quiver Trees that bloom in June and July and nestle between huge dolerite boulders, some of which are stacked in such mysterious ways that it seems impossible they were formed by natural forces.

We continue to our lodge situated close to the Fish River Canyon. Explore the area on foot or enjoy an optional guided nature drive in the late afternoon.

Day 4

Our morning starts on the edge of the Fish River Canyon, where we gaze down 550 meters into this magnificent canyon. The Nama Karoo desert has dramatic geological formations, which take on stupendous proportions in this canyon. The vegetation is characterized by dwarf shrubs & scattered grasslands and the slopes of the plateau mountains and vast plains are home to Hartmann’s mountain zebra, springbok, gemsbok, kudu & ostrich.

We continue to Naute Kristall Cellar and Distillery for an optional tasting of their unique liquors.

We then drive 5-hours to Lüderitz stopping at Garub, keep an eye out for the wild desert horses that are sometimes observed here. Arriving in Lüderitz we head towards the coastline and take a scenic drive along the “Große Bucht”, enjoying the fresh sea breeze whilst stopping for a quick picnic.

Returning to the small diamond town of Lüderitz on the Atlantic Coast, where you may see colonies of aquatic birds, seals and penguins. We check into our hotel and have the rest of the day at leisure.

Day 5

After an early breakfast, we leave Lüderitz and ascend the great escarpment to the ghost town of Kolmanskop, where the first diamond was found in 1908. Now standing barren and abandoned to the harsh winds and sands of the unforgiving desert, it is a great reminder of the opulence and decadence of the diamond rush days.

We then travel 3.5-hours northwards towards the fascinating landscapes of the spectacular Namib Desert. The Namib is the oldest desert on earth, where some of the highest sand dunes in the world tower over the white desert plains. These great mountains of sand are a monument to the extreme forces of nature, with fog supplying life giving moisture for the survival of its plants and animals.

Check into your lodge and the afternoon can be spent relaxing by the swimming pool or participating in one of the optional activities at your lodge.

Day 6

Set out early this morning on a 4x4 tour into the famous sand dunes at Sossusvlei, as this is the coolest part of the day and the best for photography.

This clay pan is surrounded by some of the highest dunes in the world – an endless sea of reddish sand stretching all the way to the distant horizon. These monumental star shaped dunes, some as high as 1,000 ft (325 m), were formed by strong multi-directional winds. The warm tints of sand range in colour from apricot to orange, red and maroon - and contrast vividly with the stark white clay pans at their base. You will be astonished by surreal Deadvlei, surrounded by some of the highest dunes and Sossusvlei, where the mostly dry Tsauchab River abruptly ends. Take the opportunity to climb one of these dunes, which afford endless vistas across the desert landscape and the sea of sand.

Also visit the narrow gorge of the impressive Sesriem Canyon, with its rock pools fed by the Tsauchab River during the rainy season. The name is derived from the six “rieme” (leather thongs) that early pioneers used to draw water from these pools.

This evening enjoy dinner under the open starlit sky.

Day 7

Today we drive for 6-hours through the small settlement of Solitare and the starkly beautiful Kuiseb Moon Valley to the harbour town of Walvis Bay. This shallow lagoon is home to hundreds of thousands of African flamingos and is one of the most important wetlands in Namibia. It is a RAMSAR World Heritage birding site.

We continue to the beach resort of Swakopmund with its old lighthouse. Swakopmund is situated on the Atlantic Coast where the cold Benguela Current sweeps up from Antarctica, releasing no moisture into the prevailingly onshore winds – hence the very low rainfall and desert conditions. Fog is common along the coast in the early mornings and late afternoons and this is what gives life to the desert-adapted flora and fauna of the region. The cold current is also highly oxygenated, causing it to teem with marine life.

Check into your hotel and relax on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

Day 8

At leisure to relax at the beach resort of Swakopmund.

As this is Namibia’s playground, a wide variety of optional activities are on offer - including a marine cruise to view dolphins, seals and other sea life, a 4x4 excursion across the desert to Sandwich Harbour and various adventure activities, such as sandboarding down the sand dunes.

Day 9

A full day on the road today as travel 7-hours towards Twyfelfontein, driving across timeless Damaraland.

Leaving Swakopmund, we head to the Brandberg Mountain, the highest in Namibia, into Damaraland which is one of the least populated and most geologically diverse areas in Africa. This harsh, rocky environment is home to the rare desert elephant, the endangered black rhino and free-roaming antelope, with the remaining day at leisure.

There are many fascinating rock formations on these vast uninhabited plains, where magnificent semi-desert flowers can grow after good rains.

Day 10

This morning we head out early for a scenic nature drive through the untouched wilderness area of the Otjimboyo Concession towards the Brandberg, Namibia’s highest mountain. This is the best time to capture the perfect light of sunrise and catch the last mist engulfing the mountain.

We continue down into the dry Ugab riverbed, which we follow back towards camp and stopping along the way under one of the majestic camelthorn trees. If we are fortunate, on our drive we may encounter the elusive desert elephants that roam along the meandering dry riverbeds of Damaraland, feeding on the nutritious pods of the trees lining the riverbank.

After arriving back at camp, the rest of the day is at leisure.

Day 11

This morning we visit the World Heritage site at Twyfelfontein, which means "Doubtful Spring". Over 6,000 years ago, San communities engraved and painted over 2,500 pictures here. These ancient Bushman Paintings have been well preserved in this dry environment and the hills are strewn with rock art - making this an open-air museum.

After a visit to the Living Museum of the Damara, we proceed to the Petrified Forest. - a geological phenomenon where wood has metamorphosised into stone, on one of the oldest land masses on earth. Here we also see the welwitschia mirabilis plant – the world's oldest living desert plant.

We then drive 5-hours to our lodge situated near the southern gate of the world famous Etosha National Park, one of the largest and greatest game parks in Africa. Etosha owes its unique landscape to a vast shallow depression – the Etosha Pan – with its open pans offering magnificent game viewing. Etosha is home to over a hundred different species of mammals, including cheetah, leopard, lion, elephant, rhino, giraffe, zebra and wildebeest.

Day 12

Today is devoted to game viewing in our touring vehicle in the famous Etosha National Park, which surrounds an enormous salt pan that is the size of the Netherlands.

We rise early to take advantage of the best game viewing conditions, as the vast Etosha Pan offers magnificent game viewing opportunities - including springbok, oryx, black-faced impala, roan, cheetah and the Damara dik-dik, Namibia’s smallest antelope. A series of waterholes throughout the park guarantees rewarding game viewing, with Etosha being renowned for its vast array of plains game and its 'great cats' which are more easily seen on the open pans.

With over 100 different species of mammals and reptiles in this park, you can hope to see lion, elephant, rhino, leopard, cheetah, giraffe, kudu, sable antelope, warthogs, baboons and many other interesting animals. Etosha is also a bird watchers paradise, with hundreds of recorded bird species and many migrants during the summer months.

After a beautiful African sunset, enjoy the balmy evening and pristine stars of the Milky Way as you have never seen them before – as well as the spectacular Southern Cross.

Note: Vehicles are not allowed to drive off-road in any national park in Namibia.

Day 13

Today enjoy a full day of game viewing as we traverse Etosha National Park.

During drier seasons it becomes an expanse of white cracked mud, shimmering with mirages and spiralling dust devils. Waterholes along the southern edge frequently offer a rewarding game viewing experience, including several rare species such as black and white rhino.

This park is home to four of the Big 5, elephant, lion, leopard and rhino (as the terrain does not support buffalo) and its waterholes support a rich diversity of other mammals and birds, including species such as the black-faced impala, roan, cheetah and Namibia’s smallest antelope, the Damara dik-dik.

We enter the reserve at the southern gate and travel across Etosha National Park all day, exiting in the late afternoon at the eastern gate, before continuing to our lodge.

Day 14

Today we drive 5-hours southwards through central Nambia to Windhoek, travelling via Otjiwarongo and time permitting we will stop at the local handicraft market at Okahandja.

Your tour ends in Windhoek, where you will be dropped at your hotel in the late afternoon.

Day 15

Transfer 1-hour to Windhoek Airport for your flight home.

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