Highlights
Join our much-loved tour leaders to discover the best of Namibia
Spend two full days on safari in Etosha National Park
Climb the highest dunes in the world in the early morning light
Track rhinos with the help of an expert local guide
Hike to the ancient White Lady rock painting, created by San people
Watch over water holes and stargaze from our welcoming lodges
Watch over water holes and stargaze from our welcoming lodges
Itinerary
Namibia’s vast horizons and wildlife spectacles take center stage on the Discover Namibia – Lodges tour. Over 13 days, this moderately active small group adventure—designed for seniors—guides you from Etosha’s safari magic to the towering dunes of Sesriem, the quirky charm of Swakopmund, and ancient rock art in Damaraland. Enjoy stargazing in remote lodges and rhino tracking on the Waterberg Plateau. The USP? Expert guides who bring Namibia’s natural wonders and rich traditions to life—making every moment both educational and awe-inspiring.
day 1 - Adventure starts in Windhoek
Begin your adventure at Arebbusch Lodge in Windhoek. Spend the afternoon exploring or relaxing, perhaps taking a dip in the pool or watching the many native birds that swoop overhead.
Around 6pm, say hello to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead.
Your tour leader then ensures a big Namibian welcome by arranging a group dinner.
Accommodation: Arebbusch Lodge (or similar)
Want more time in Windhoek? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.
day 2 - Drive through Namib Nuakluft to Sesriem
Today we head southwest through the spectacular scenery of the Namib-Naukluft Park towards the Sesriem/Solitaire area.
This national park, one of the largest in the world, is home to one of the driest and oldest deserts on Earth. It also has towering, jagged rock formations and an incredible lunar landscape, so be prepared for great photo stops.
Driving: 186mi-217mi (300km-350km); seven hours
day 3 - Climb the world’s tallest dunes • See cheetahs at the Namib Carnivore Conservation Centre
Today we spend much of our time in the Namib Desert. Rising early, we visit the tallest dunes in the world and climb one of them in the early morning light for spectacular views.
We can then either walk to Hiddenvlei as a group (a round journey of 1hr 45min) or catch a 4×4 transfer (optional extra) to Deadvlei, where ancient acacia trees form an eerie desert scene. If we’re lucky, we may see gemsbok or ostrich among the dunes. In the afternoon, join a guide to see the cheetahs at the Namib Carnivore Conservation Centre; depending on time, we may go tomorrow morning.
Driving: 124mi (200km); three hours
day 4 - To Swakopmund via the flamingos at Walvis Bay
We take a long but very scenic drive through the Namib-Naukluft Park to Swakopmund. En route, we visit Walvis Bay for lunch and to see flamingos. Swakopmund is a small German colonial resort town with quaint cake shops and coffee houses and a centre for adrenaline activities.
Driving: 186mi (300km); 5hr 30min
day 5 - Free day for optional activities
Today is free to enjoy one of the many optional activities here. On the water, go deep-sea fishing; in the desert, try sandboarding and quad-biking; and in the sky, fly over the Skeleton Coast. Or spend the day enjoying the fantastic local Viennese-style cakes, walk along the beach or nearby dunes, or just watch the world pass in this town which seems strangely out of place in Africa.
day 6 - To Brandberg mountain in Damaraland
After a relaxing start, we leave the cool breeze of the Atlantic Ocean behind and head inland towards Brandberg, the highest mountain in Namibia, in Damaraland. The Damaraland area is best-known as being home to desert elephants that roam in the Ugab River. Depending on our arrival time, there may be the option of a 4x4 game drive looking for desert elephants.
In the evening, we can normally enjoy spectacular stargazing.
Driving: 149mi (240km); 3hr 30min
day 7 - Walk through Valley 45 to the ancient White Lady rock painting
We begin our day with a short drive to Brandberg, where we enjoy a walk through Valley 45 for approximately 90 minutes. Along the way, we view beautiful, granite formations and a variety of birdlife. The valley takes us to the White Lady rock painting which, along with several other small paintings and engravings, are thought to have been left by San hunter-gatherers at least 2,000 years ago (please note that if elephants walk into this area then it might be too dangerous to do the walk - in this case we will typically go on a game drive looking for elephants). After, we drive towards the Khorixas area, where we should pass various Himba and Herero women selling crafts from the roadside. We may also spot desert elephants and meerkats on the way.
Driving: 155mi (250km); 4hr 30min
day 8 - To Etosha National Park • Late afternoon safari game drive
We begin with a short drive to Etosha, a huge national park of mixed forest and grassland centred around a large salt pan. We should arrive in time for a late afternoon game drive before reaching our accommodation for the night. The itinerary allows plenty of time to really enjoy this fabulous game park.
Driving: 125mi (200km); three hours
day 9 - 10 - Spend two days spotting elephants, lions, giraffes and more in Etosha
Etosha is home to a great variety of species, which are generally easy to find as the animals congregate at different times around the waterholes. Wildebeest, zebras, impalas, springbucks, kudus, elephants, giraffes, lions and even rhinos are all common sights here. Bring plenty of camera memory and patience and you will be rewarded by one of the greatest game spectacles in southern Africa. Etosha is also a good place to spot birds, with plenty of water birds on the lakes (when filled with water), and weaverbirds and hornbills in the trees. In Etosha, we typically stay within the park on some or all the nights (subject to availability) and the camps are next to waterholes. These accommodations also offer optional night drives, which you can book and pay for on arrival.
Accommodation: Camps in/near Etosha (or similar)
Meals included: Breakfast (x2), Lunch (x1)
day 11 - To the Waterberg Plateau • Optional 4x4 game drive
Leaving Etosha behind, we head towards the Waterberg Plateau. This 656ft (200m) high plateau topped by bushveld is one of the most fertile areas in Namibia. There are several walking trails, including one leading to a spectacular viewpoint near the top of the plateau. You can also take an optional 4×4 game drive.
Driving: 186mi (300km); five hours
day 12 - Rhino tracking led by an expert guide • To Windhoek
Start early today to see rhinos up close! We drive around 1hr 30min from Waterberg to Otijwa where we’re led by a well-trained guide who tracks the rhinos by vehicle; once they’re spotted, we carefully get closer to the rhinos on foot. This is an incredible experience, allowing the group to admire rhinos from a safe distance. Later, we head back to Windhoek, stopping at a crafts market on the way.
Driving: 199mi (320km); 4hr 30min
day 13 - Adventure ends in Windhoek
You’ve camped under the Namibian sky, spotted iconic safari animals and seen the largest dunes in the world; but today, the trip ends after breakfast. Spend any free time before your flight relaxing at the accommodation or exploring Windhoek, where there are museums and shops. Alternatively, arrange a township tour of Windhoek or visit the nearby Daan Viljoen game reserve (see Optional Excursions section).
If you’d like to extend your adventure, speak to your sales representative about booking additional nights.
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Customer Reviews
Read what other travelers have to say about Discover Namibia - Lodges
Best trip ever!
I really enjoyed getting to see all the animals you usually only see in books or Disney movies: Lions, meerkats, elephants, mongoose... the list goes forever. As if this wasn't enough, the Namibian landscape is varied and impressive with sand dunes, mountains and the ocean. This trip takes you to all of these, and offers unforgettable adventures, such as tracking rhinos on foot or flying over the desert in a helicopter! The pace of this trip is gentle enough that you will get some R&R in besides all the action, but is never boring - how could it be when there's so much to see and do?
A country of stunning diverse landscapes
We booked this trip to celebrate my 70th birthday, aware that it included some long days on rough bumpy roads and a couple of challenging walks. I am very fit for my age but did find the itinerary very intense, with numerous early morning starts (a 6:15 alarm felt like a lie in for us!) and little time for relaxation or recovery (apart from the free day in Swakopmund, when we declined all the optional activities). The walk in Brandberg was difficult underfoot, with lots of rocks to negotiate and boulders to scramble over, with the potential to twist an ankle with each step; we were rewarded by the sight of cave paintings dating over 2,000 years, which fascinated me but may not be to everyone’s interest. The walking trail at Waterberg is even more challenging, and nobody in our group completed it (one couple went part of the way up); most opted for a game drive that took us onto the plateau, and we were fortunate to come upon a group of giraffes at a waterhole / salt lick at close quarters, but otherwise there was little to see on the drive. I would have liked to have experienced and learned more about the history and culture of the country. Waterberg is a place of great significance in the Herero genocide and I think time could have been better spent exploring its historical aspects (there is a German cemetery there but we had no time to visit it), instead of the walking trail or the optional game drive. And the brief encounter with Himba and Herero people on day 7 was merely a photo and shopping opportunity (you had to pay to take photos - I declined - and nobody in our group bothered with the market stalls); I would have preferred to have spent time seeing their village and learning about their culture and history. That’s the negative aspects of the trip dealt with. On the positive side, Namibia is a country of contrasting landscapes, each of them impressive in its own way: red ochre sand dunes, lunar landscapes, vast open plains and grasslands, strange granite outcrops, desolate mountains, limitless horizons … and the grandeur of the Waterberg Plateau, a table top mountain fringed with bare granite and best appreciated from below and a short distance away. We saw a variety of wildlife along the way, and a good deal in Etosha, although the recent rains after a three year drought meant that game was hard to spot in the tall grass and vegetation that had sprung up; we saw no leopards, briefly glimpsed a few cheetahs (although we got up close to a group in the cheetah conservatory early in the trip), and spotted the head of a lone male lion resting in the long grass and watching us for a short moment. But we had some amazing encounters with elephants, giraffes, wildebeest and zebra, and saw many different antelopes and other fauna. Unfortunately the flamingos had left Walvis Bay, and the desert elephants were no longer in the valley at Brandberg, which was disappointing. Wildlife watching is mostly a matter of luck, and nothing is guaranteed.The best wildlife encounter was the rhino safari at the end of the trip, when we walked to within 20 feet of three white rhino at Eagle’s Rest; an unforgettable experience. There were many other interesting sights and experiences along the way: countless giant ground crickets, almost everywhere we went; walking through the Sesriem Canyon ; old German colonial architecture in Swakopmund; eating apple strudel and ice cream at Anton’s Cafe; the Zeila wreck on the Skeleton Coast; pet meerkats in Brandberg White Lady Lodge.
Great trip to a fascinating country
From sand dunes to rock piles to boat trips to game safaris, there is so much to see in Namibia, albeit separated by several hours of less interesting drives through desert scrub. But this trip managed to make it all interesting, splitting the longer drives up with short stops. The converted truck/bus ("Gogga") was comfortable enough, even though the AC had problems coping with the 35°C + heat. Accommodations were good, and vegetarians were accommodated well enough.
Stunning scenery and Amazing Wildlife
A packed and varied itinerary with desert landscapes, mountain walks and a chance to see a huge range of wildlife (we got to see the Big 5). Accommodation was good: big rooms, mosquito nets when needed, always a fridge and kettle, tea, coffee. Pretty good for vegetarians. Breath-taking skies and vast plains and mountains.
Amazing Holiday
Fantastic trip, saw such a range of wildlife. Really great to go to so many different locations on this trip. Great guide, comfortable and spacious vehicle and some very nice lodges and hotels. Would highly reccomend this trip.
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