7 Best Namibia Safari Tours: Our Top Picks

Home to iconic and richly rewarding safari destinations, Namibia continues to be a safe, friendly and diverse country to visit. But it’s a big place – bigger than France - and there are long distances between key destinations such as the Sossusvlei dunes and Etosha National Park. And then there are other amazing places like Damaraland and the Skeleton Coast to fit in as well as opportunities to combine a Namibia safari with Botswana and Victoria Falls.

If you are having a bit of trouble working out where to go and how to do it, then these are our most popular Namibia safaris as chosen by our Africa Safari Experts and returning Go2Africa clients. Truly tried and tested as it were – and with all accommodation, activities and transfers included. Go2Africa can organize your international flights, too.

There is a Namibia safari for every type of traveller: itineraries with honeymoon hideaways as well as ones with family-friendly camps. Consider also a self-drive safari: it’s a great way to keep costs down and the roads are well-maintained. Fly into Windhoek, pick up your car at the airport and off you go. Namibia’s top destinations are easily accessible and you simply travel between accommodations with GPS leading the way.

READ MORE Africa’s best family road trips: Namibia (with photos)

1. Wildlife, Himbas and Dunes

Duration: 10 Days | Destinations Visited: 5 | Accommodation Visited: 5

okahirongo_river_camp

Days 3-4 Okahirongo River Camp on the Kunene River in the Marianfluss Valley

Covering Etosha, Sossusvlei, Damaraland and the Kaokoveld, this fly-in safari makes light work of Namibia’s big distances. The accommodation is some of the best – intimate, exclusive lodges – and the highlights include private game viewing, interactions with the Himba community and stunning scenery. It’s perfect for discerning honeymoon travellers.

Tour highlights

  • Visit the Himba people
  • See the ‘fairy circles’ of Marianfluss
  • Exciting game drives in Etosha National Park
  • Germany-meets-Africa in Swakopmund
  • Ancient San rock art at Twyfelfontein

Best for these traveller types

Couples, Honeymooners, Families & Groups

2. Etosha, Damaraland and Sossusvlei Fly-in

Duration: 10 Days | Destinations Visited: 5 | Accommodation Visited: 5

Sossusvlei_Desert_Lodge-1

Day 6 Sossusvlei Desert Lodge in the NamibRand Nature Reserve

The name says it all: Namibia’s three big destinations on one simple fly-in itinerary plus great accommodation and 10 well-paced days to do it all in. Private settings and romantic, luxurious camps mean that this is a great tour for romantic travellers and safari-goers looking for comfort while off the beaten path.

Tour highlights

  • Thrilling wildlife encounters
  • Desert-adapted wildlife
  • Incredible landscapes
  • Fantastic service and cuisine
  • Delightful variety of lodges
  • Nature walks & mountain biking

Best for these traveller types

Couples, Honeymooners, Families & Groups

3. Family Self-Drive

Duration: 10 Days | Destinations Visited: 5 | Accommodation Visited: 5

Onguma-Bush-Camp

Days 2-5 Onguma Bush Camp at Etosha National Park

Starting and ending in Windhoek, this easy 10-day self-drive opens with big game at Etosha National Park before taking you on a journey through breathtaking desert, coastal and mountain scenery. Enjoy family-friendly camps and excellent wildlife viewing plus two nights in Swakopmund, Namibia’s adventure activity capital on the Atlantic coast: skydiving, dune quad biking or desert walks, anyone?

Tour highlights

  • Self-drive Namibia at your own pace
  • Spot wildlife in Etosha National Park
  • Marvel at millions of stars in Damaraland
  • Search for desert elephants & rhino
  • See San rock art in Twyfelfontein
  • Stay in the heart of buzzing Swakopmund
  • Marvel at Dune 45 in Sossusvlei

Best for these traveller types

Couples, Honeymooners, Families & Groups

4. Sossusvlei, Damaraland and Etosha Self-drive

Duration: 15 Days | Destinations Visited: 6 | Accommodation Visited: 7

Sossusvlei-Lodge

Day 2-4 Sossusvlei Lodge outside Namib-Naukluft National Park

Designed to appeal to adventurous couples and families with older children, this 2-week Namibia self-drive safari has at least two nights at each destination after a night in Windhoek. Explore at your own pace, do your own thing along the route and enjoy great hospitality each night; you’ll finish the tour with a stay at a big cat conservation centre.

Tour highlights

  • Experience Namibia at your own pace
  • Explore the dunes of Sossusvlei
  • Land and sea adventure in Swakopmund
  • Ancient rock art at Twyfelfontein
  • Safari in Etosha National Park
  • See big cats at the AfriCat Foundation

Best for these traveller types

Couples, Honeymooners, Families & Groups

5. Etosha and Damaraland Self-Drive

Duration: 11 Days | Destinations Visited: 5 | Accommodation Visited: 5

Onguma-game-drive

Days 4-7 Onguma Bush Camp in Onguma Private Game Reserve

An 11-day loop through northern Namibia, this great-value tour will appeal to independent-minded travellers and families with children. Beginning with the wildlife of Etosha National Park before moving to the magnificent mountain scenery of Damaraland, this safari ends on the coast at Swakopmund, giving you a chance to explore desert and marine environments, too.

Tour highlights

  • Family-friendly accommodation
  • Visit the salt pans & game in Etosha
  • Experience the wilderness of Damaraland
  • Enjoy history in Swakopmund
  • Experience the Waterberg Plateau
  • Game watch at an illuminated waterhole

Best for these traveller types

Couples, Honeymooners, Families & Groups

6. Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia

Duration: 17 Days | Destinations Visited: 11 | Accommodation Visited: 8

Ongava-Tented-camp1

Days 13-16 Ongava Tented Camp at Etosha National Park

Bursting with biodiversity, this 17-day, multi-country safari opens with the primal beauty of Botswana’s Okavango Delta before whisking you to Victoria Falls where your hotel is within walking distance of the ‘Smoke that Thunders’. Then it’s a flight to Namibia where an 11-day self-drive adventure and a 4X4 rental vehicle are waiting for you – Sossusvlei, Etosha, Damaraland and Swakopmund are all on the itinerary.

Tour highlights

  • Experience the excitement of Victoria Falls
  • Drift along the Okavango in a mokoro
  • Be awed by Sossusvlei
  • Road trip through the best of Namibia
  • Find the Big 5 in Etosha

Best for these traveller types

Couples, Honeymooners, Families & Groups

7. Adventure Namibia and Botswana

Duration: 14 Days | Destinations Visited: 9 | Accommodation Visited: 7

Serra

Days 5-6 Serra Cafema Camp in the Hartmann Valley on the Kunene River

Adventure, yes, but in considerable style. This 2-week, fly-in tour opens with gorgeous lodges in wildly beautiful Namibian landscapes before introducing you to Botswana’s legendary wildlife through luxurious, exclusive and well-located safari camps. The experience is unique, diverse and highly rewarding – recommended for that extra-special occasion.

Tour highlights

  • Explore Namib Naukluft from a remote desert camp
  • Sleep-outs under the Milky Way
  • Encounter desert-adapted wildlife in Damaraland
  • Hot-air balloon, quad-bike & mountain-bike rides
  • Encounter ancient San Bushman rock art & petrified forests
  • Explore the game-rich Savute region on 4x4 & sunset boat cruise
  • Cruise the Delta waters by motorboat & mokoro

Best for these traveller types

Couples, Honeymooners, Families & Groups