Itinerary
The following itinerary is a sample. To customize this itinerary to your wishes and preferences, please contact one of our Adventure Specialists at 800-543-8917.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Windhoek, a mountain-ringed capital with German roots
See German colonial influences in the city’s architecture, language and cuisine
Stroll the lively pedestrian center past cafés, shops and market stalls
Arrive in Namibia's capital of Windhoek, where you are greeted and transferred to your hotel. Surrounded by rolling mountains, Namibia’s largest city was the former colonial capital of German South-West Africa. While its population today encompasses a cosmopolitan blend of cultures, Windhoek still retains much of its German heritage evidenced in language, architecture and cuisine. The city center has a European café-culture feel, relaxed and eclectic, with a lively pedestrian precinct featuring busy shops and market stalls.
Days 2 to 3: Watch sunrise ignite the towering dunes of Sossusvlei
Fly across the Namib Desert to a vast clay pan surrounded by some of the world’s tallest dunes
See golden sand formations rise nearly 1,000 feet above the desert floor
Search with your guide for wildlife adapted to this arid landscape
Reach the wondrous landscape of Sossusvlei by air this morning. A vast clay pan surrounded by the world's tallest sand dunes, Sossusvlei offers one of the most striking vistas in all Africa. The dunes tower a thousand feet above the lonely Namib Desert, shape-shifting mountains of golden sand framed by intense blue skies. Sunrise and sunset are magical hours, when the dunes appear burnt orange and deep carnelian red in the glow of the low rays. Surprisingly, Sossusvlei is home to a variety of desert-adapted wildlife, which your guide will help reveal.
Days 4 to 6: Track desert-adapted elephants between the mountains and Skeleton Coast
Search for elephants, giraffes, springbok and gemsbok among granite peaks and dry riverbeds
Explore a fog-bound coast of shipwrecks, whale remains and noisy seal colonies
Gaze into exceptionally dark night skies above the desert
Fly northward to the Palmwag Concession, with access to the Skeleton Coast. Huge, harsh and entrancingly beautiful, this region contains some of the most amazing landscapes on Earth. Brooding granite mountains and deep, shadowed gorges, sun-baked wastes of sand and ancient petrified forest define this arid terrain. Yet remarkably, it is home to both people and animals that have adapted to these daunting environs. On forays into this rocky tableau, scout for desert-adapted elephant, giraffe, springbok and gemsbok, and wonder at some of the darkest, starriest skies on the planet. A full-day excursion to the notorious Skeleton Coast, littered with shipwrecks and whale carcasses, reveals noisy seal colonies and unique forms of plant and insect life that thrive on the dense ocean fog that cloaks the desert each dawn.
Days 7 to 9: Watch elephants, lions and rhinos gather at Etosha’s waterholes
Fly by light aircraft to the edge of the vast Etosha salt pan
Search for black and white rhinos, giraffes, zebras and antelope around dry-season water sources
Scan the open pan and surrounding plains for ostriches, raptors and other birdlife
Continue by light aircraft to the edge of Etosha National Park. One of Africa’s premier wildlife sanctuaries, the Etosha salt pan is the remnant of an enormous prehistoric lake. Bare and dry today except for seasonal springs, the depression offers Namibia’s best animal viewing. Elephant, black and white rhino, lion, leopard, cheetah, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, hartebeest, springbok, oryx, kudu and dik-dik are drawn to its life-sustaining waterholes during the dry season. Birdlife is abundant, with ostrich and raptors frequently on view. Optional activities within Ongava Private Game Reserve may also be possible and can be arranged and paid for while in camp.
Day 10: Return to Windhoek after your family Namibia safari
Fly back to Namibia’s capital and connect with onward flights home
Fly back to Windhoek today, where your safari ends.
