What Makes it Special?
- Track leopard and cheetah with the AfriCat Foundation.
- Spot wildlife on safari across Etosha’s vast salt pans.
- Watch elephants and zebra gather at Etosha’s waterholes.
- Meet the Himba and learn about their unique way of life.
- Track rare black rhino on foot in rugged Damaraland.
- Hike Erongo’s granite peaks and ancient rock art sites.
Your tailor-made holiday will be as unique as you are. These itineraries are just a starting point, a bit of inspiration to show what’s possible. Your own trip all starts with a conversation with one of our Namibia experts, who’ll take the time to understand what matters most to you and design the perfect holiday to match.
Northern Namibia is home to very different landscapes and wildlife phenomena from those in the south. The towering red dunes of Sossusvlei are nowhere to be seen, and instead, you’ll explore ancient mountains, rocky valleys, shimmering salt pans and enjoy some of the best wildlife viewing in the country.
This self-drive adventure takes you north from Windhoek through the wild plains of Etosha, the dramatic desert scenery of Damaraland, and the sculpted granite outcrops of the Erongo Mountains. Along the way, you’ll spend time at conservation-led lodges, track rare rhino, visit ancient rock art sites, and enjoy a front-row seat to wildlife encounters at Etosha’s waterholes. If you're looking for an itinerary that’s big on wildlife, conservation and contrasting landscapes, without the long journeys required in the south, this could be the Namibia holiday for you.
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14 hours from London
When to go
- All year round
Average temperature
- 20-32°C
Average rainfall
- 0-100mm/month (seasonal)
Itinerary at a Glance
Day by Day
Here's a summary of what you might get up to day-to-day on this Namibia holiday. As always, this is just an idea. Every single day of your trip will be tailored to suit you.
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Your northern Namibia adventure begins with an overnight flight from the UK to Johannesburg, ready to hop on a connecting flight to Windhoek in the morning.
After your short onward flight to Windhoek this morning, you’ll be met and transferred to your guesthouse in the suburbs. This afternoon, your 4WD hire car will be delivered and you’ll be briefed on the car, your route and given plenty of driving tips for your time on the Namibian roads. For dinner, try the laid-back local institution that is Joe’s Beerhouse or the Olive Restaurant if you’re after something a little fancier.
After breakfast, you’ll drive north to Okonjima, home of the AfriCat Foundation and an unforgettable experience. You’ll stay here for two nights with the chance to join guided activities focused on big cat conservation, from tracking leopard to visiting cheetah rehabilitation centres.
You’ll spend the day discovering more of the 200km² reserve today, home to leopard, giraffe, honey badger and more. We also really recommend paying a visit to the night hide to spot porcupines after dark, it's a quirky and memorable end to the day!
Today, you’ll drive north to the eastern edge of Etosha National Park. Your lodge for the next two nights is just outside the gate, giving you easy access to explore the park’s eastern sector and all of its wonderful wildlife at your own pace.
Etosha National Park is famous for its wide-open salt pans, natural springs and wildlife-packed waterholes. Spend the day exploring by car, keeping your eyes peeled for elephant, lion, giraffe, kudu, zebra and a wide range of birdlife as you go.
Today, you’ll drive west through the national park, enjoying a full day's game viewing as you go. Tonight you’ll stay at a comfortable camp near Etosha’s southern gate. Check in, order a drink and settle in for an hour or so by the waterhole. Just sitting at your lodge with your feet up can be a fantastic game viewing experience here, especially in the dry season when masses of animals come to drink.
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It’s time to leave the park this morning and drive southwest into Damaraland, arriving in the rugged Grootberg area for a one-night stay. There are plenty of optional excursions to enjoy, including rhino tracking on foot or a cultural visit to a local nomadic Himba community. These are both standout experiences in their own right. Chat to us and we’ll make sure we tailor the day to be perfect for you.
Today, you’ll hop in the car and continue south through striking desert scenery to Twyfelfontein, where you’ll stay for two nights. The drive today is a highlight in itself, with wide valleys and endless views at every turn.
You’ll spend the day exploring the Twyfelfontein area today. Don’t miss the UNESCO-listed rock engravings, some of which date back more than 6,000 years. You can also join a guided excursion to track desert-adapted elephant through the dry riverbeds, it's a wild Namibia experience not to be missed.
Today, you'll drive east to the Erongo Mountains, where you'll stay in a peaceful lodge tucked away within the granite outcrops. The Erongo Mountains are great walking territory, with plenty of dramatic scenery and interesting flora and fauna to uncover as you go.Â
For your final day in Namibia today, head off on a guided or self-guided walk through the surrounding wilderness. You could also choose to visit nearby rock art sites or book a nature drive through the Erongo Conservancy. It’s a relaxed but rewarding final stop.
After breakfast this morning, you'll drive south to Windhoek Airport, a journey of around three and a half hours. Drop off your vehicle and check in for your flight to Johannesburg, followed by an overnight journey home.
Places you'll visit
We have hundreds of partner hotels across the world, with our tailor made trips you can pick from our range of beautiful hotels
What You're Saying
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We have just returned from an amazing 3 weeks in Namibia. What a beautiful country - the scenery is breathtaking and so varied. Wildlife truly amazing, the people so friendly and the food and wine far too good !! Kirsty gave us such good ideas based on her personal experience. From the first iteration she took us through different options (very patiently !) until we came to one that matched our wishes perfectly. Her suggestions of where do stay were spot on and we enjoyed some fantastic locations. The organisation of cars, outings and the brilliant detailed itinerary made the whole trip so relaxed. When (not if !) we return to Namibia we will be back in touch with Kirsty. A very big thank you to her and all the support team in Namibia for making this our best ever holiday.
Chris Wilson
Trustpilot
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This was our first time using Holiday Architects and I really can't recommend them highly enough! We had an amazing trip to Namibia which felt like it had been tailor-made for us. Kirsty was so helpful in listening to our outline plans and set up a wonderful intinerary for us. The coordination between HA and their local agents felt like it was seamless, we had so much local information and support if needed while we were away. The whole experience was just fabulous, Namibia is just so beautiful and each place we stayed seemed to have unique qualities. I really can't thank HA (and particularly Kirsty) enough for their attention to detail and customer care.
Diane R
Trustpilot
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We have recently returned from our 3rd trip to Namibia organised by Holiday Architects, this time visiting the Zambezi region. Yet again an incredible holiday, thoughtfully organised by the very knowledgeable Kirsty. Can’t recommend Holiday Architects, Kirsty and Namibia highly enough. Now to find the bits we have missed to justify a 4th visit!
HB
Trustpilot
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We have just returned from an incredible trip to Namibia. What an experience! Kirsty was amazing and put together the perfect itinerary, we couldn’t have wished for more. I thoroughly recommend kirsty and the whole holiday architects team if you are looking for a truly special adventure.
Stuart Evans
Trustpilot
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We have just returned from a two week holiday in Namibia booked through Holiday Architects. The holiday was absolutely fantastic, too many highlights to mention. The organisation and planning by H.A. was flawless- everything went like clockwork. Kirsty Leggate was excellent providing a very high quality personalised level of service. The agents HA worked with on the ground in Namibia were also excellent. Superb experience very highly recommended.
Andy Gash
Trustpilot
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We have just returned from 2 weeks in Namibia organised by Kirsty at Holiday Architects. Kirsty was very knowledgable and put together the perfect itinerary for us. We were self-driving which was quite an adventure (some roads in Namibia are interesting), however we felt really well supported throughout with excellent local contacts. We gave Kirsty quite a difficult brief as we had to arrange this holiday at short notice on specific dates but Kirsty was able to include all we wanted to do including the Swakopmund parkrun. The organisation was seamless and the communication excellent. Altogether superb. Definitely recommend.
Fran
Trustpilot
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Holiday Gallery
Meet our Namibia expert
We offer tailor-made holidays to suit a wide range of tastes. Our expert Kirsty is dedicated to all things Namibia and is here to help you plan your perfect trip.
Kirsty Leggate
Destination Manager
Kirsty’s travelled all over Southern Africa for more than 20 years, and Namibia remains one of her favourite spots. She’s your go-to for remote lodges, unique wildlife encounters and properly otherworldly desert scenery.
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