What to expect
This Namibia and South Africa self-drive is made for travellers who understand that the best journeys take time. You begin in Windhoek, then steer up to Waterberg, where red sandstone cliffs rise above the bushveld, and walking trails allow a slower pace on foot.
From there, it’s further north to Etosha and Ongava, with waterholes becoming the meeting point and game viewing unfolding in patient, dust-lit scenes. Navigate south-west into Erongo and on to Swakopmund’s granite domes and Atlantic air that shift the mood entirely.
The road then slips into the Namib-Naukluft, all towering dunes and desert light, before bending south to the vast chasm of Fish River Canyon. Cross over to South Africa’s West Coast for Namaqualand’s seasonal bloom, linger by the sea in Paternoster, and end with a final stretch in Cape Town, where the journey settles between mountain and sea.
Quick Overview
Countries: Namibia, South Africa
Highlights: Waterberg’s red cliffs, Etosha and Ongava’s waterhole wildlife, Swakopmund’s coastal shift, Namib Desert dunes, Fish River Canyon, Namaqualand blooms, Paternoster’s seaside calm, Cape Town’s city-meets-ocean finish
Best for: Travellers with time to enjoy long roads, big landscapes and the freedom to see Namibia and South Africa, one stop at a time
Ideal duration: 22 Days
From $7,177 per person
Best time to go:
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
Your adventure begins
1 Night in Windhoek
Gateway capital to treasures of Namibia
Windhoek is the only proclaimed city in Namibia and acts as the administrative and legislative centre and a gateway to the country. Chances are, those visiting Namibia will begin and end their journey in Windhoek. Apart from being the capit...
2 Nights in Waterberg
The Waterberg wonderland - be sure to explore it
The Waterberg region is often passed over for other more popular attractions in Namibia. With a country brimming with so many natural wonders, it can be hard to choose what to include on your itinerary. The Waterberg region should undoubted...
2 Nights in Mushara
Family-run luxury lodge on Etosha's doorstep
In 1996 the Pampe family took the decision to alter their game farm and transform it into a haven for wildlife lovers and safari-goers. On the eastern boundary of Etosha National Park and a mere 8km from the Von Lindequist Gate entrance, Mu...
1 Night in Ongava Game Reserve
The home of luxury safaris in Namibia
Touted as being ‘one of the most exclusive destinations in Namibia', the 30,000ha Ongava Game Reserve holds true to this statement and strives endlessly, through fierce conservation efforts, to do good by this beautiful wilderness it occupi...
2 Nights in Erongo
Home to the Herero & Erongo Mountains
Namibia’s Erongo region is home to two of Namibia’s best-loved towns: the holiday destination and beach resort of Swakopmund and the fishing community of Walvis Bay. The stunning Mount Erongo range is enclosed in the Erongo Moun...
2 Nights in Swakopmund Area
Adventure-lovers playground by land & sea
In the area around Swakopmund visitors will find a profusion of activities and excursions on offer in the town itself and nearby attractions such as Walvis Bay and the West Coast Recreational Area. This region is an adventure lovers paradis...
2 Nights in Namib-Naukluft National Park
Namib-Naukluft National Park: contrasts & extremes
Encompassing part of the Namib Desert, the Naukluft mountain range and the marine sanctuary of Sandwich Harbour, the Namib-Naukluft National Park in Namibia covers an area of almost 50 000km² and is the largest game park in Africa and ...
1 Night in Aus
See the desert adapted horses from Aus
In the middle of southern Namibia lies a little town called Aus. Following German surrender to South African forces at Otavi in 1915, the once unassuming village of Aus became an internment camp for German military personnel. By 1919 the ca...
2 Nights in Fish River Canyon
Hike the 2nd largest canyon in the world
Shifts and changes in the earth’s crust some 500 million years ago resulted in severe water erosion and collapsing valleys that left plunging ravines and looming rock faces in its wake. This area is today known as the Fish River Canyon, one...
2 Nights in Namaqualand
A biodiversity hotspot in a carpet of wildflowers
Extending from the vast Atlantic Ocean on the West Coast all the way to the tiny town of Pofadder in the east and the Orange River in the north, Namaqualand is a dry and barren place for most of the year. But it also happens to be part of t...
2 Nights in Paternoster
Fishing village charm along the West Coast
Paternoster, one of South Africa’s oldest fishing villages, is just two hours from Cape Town along the West Coast. Here, life is intrinsically connected to the sea: fishermen brave icy waters to catch snoek and crayfish while strands of sea...
3 Nights in Cape Town
South Africa’s Mother City
Cape Town balances wilderness with a cosmopolitan edge in a way that is difficult to understand until you experience it for yourself. Framed by Table Mountain and the Atlantic Ocean, the city packs an extraordinary amount into one corner of...
You've reached the end of your adventure
Your journey mapped out:
Ready to pack your bags for Africa? With just a few details from you, we'll put together your dream holiday!
1 Night: Windhoek
Namibia
2 Nights: Waterberg
Namibia
2 Nights: Mushara
Namibia
1 Night: Ongava Game Reserve
Namibia
2 Nights: Erongo
Namibia
2 Nights: Swakopmund Area
Namibia
2 Nights: Namib-Naukluft National Park
Namibia
1 Night: Aus
Namibia
2 Nights: Fish River Canyon
Namibia
2 Nights: Namaqualand
South Africa
2 Nights: Paternoster
South Africa
3 Nights: Cape Town
South Africa
22 Nights in total
$7,177 per person
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