Oshi li nawa! Welcome to Namibia! Your adventure begins in the capital, Windhoek, known for its German architecture and relaxed atmosphere. When you arrive, you’ll be picked up from the airport by a local representative and transferred to your hotel. Meet your local leader and fellow travellers at a 6 pm welcome meeting. If you arrive early, perhaps head out for a stroll around town to admire the architecture of the Tintenpalast and Christuskirche buildings, or stop by a local market to peruse handmade crafts. After your meeting, head to a local restaurant to get to know your group and prepare for the adventure that awaits. It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time. If you are going to be late, please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.

This morning, drive south to Sesriem – your gateway to the Sossusvlei Dunes, Deadvlei and Sesriem Canyon. Arrive at your Feature Stay accommodation for the next two nights – a collection of sustainably operated lodges constructed entirely of sandbags instead of bricks to keep them cool. Take in the magnificent views, maybe followed by a dip in your private plunge pool, take a trail walk to get a closer look at the Namib or spend the afternoon relaxing at the bar. Then, gather with your group for a special dinner under the desert sky After, settle in for an expert-led stargazing experience, learning about the constellations that map the dark expanse above. Today’s total driving time is approximately 6 hours, including stops.

Make an early-morning visit to Sossusvlei, which lies at the end of an ancient riverbed. This is a great opportunity for unsurpassed views of the surrounding area. Climb to the top of Dune 45 for a rewarding and spectacular perspective of the surreal desert landscape. After breakfast, travel to Deadvlei – a clay pan that lends itself to many iconic images. When you see the skeleton trees against a vibrant orange backdrop of dunes, you’ll soon understand what all the fuss is about. The pan is surrounded by some of the highest dunes in the world – ‘Big Daddy’ or ‘Crazy Dune’ – averaging about 350 m (1148 ft) in height. This afternoon, visit Sesriem Gorge, a tranquil natural corridor that you can walk through and explore. Return to the lodge for the evening.

Continue your journey to the beachside town of Swakopmund. On the way, stop by the small settlement of Solitaire. Scattered with abandoned trucks, cars, petrol pumps and cacti, it’s the only place between Walvis Bay and Sossusvlei to feature a petrol station, post office, general store and bakery. Enjoy a piece of the local apple pie, which has earned itself quite a reputation. Next, make a stop for a desert walk with a local guide. They will teach you about the dunes, diverse flora and fauna, Bushmen heritage and the mysteries of water in the desert. Continue past Moon Valley, named for its eerie lunar-like appearance, and the Tropic of Capricorn. Walvis Bay is the hibernation area for thousands of migratory birds, most notably flamingos. If in season, you may take a quick detour to see these elegant birds in their natural habitat. When you get to Swakopmund, join your leader on an orientation walk to get a feel for the township. Your travel time today will be approximately 5 hours, excluding stops. Many of the roads we travel on today will be untarred and often corrugated. They are some of the worst on this itinerary so be prepared for some extra bumps.

This morning, travel from Walvis Waterfront to Sandwich Harbour, where massive dunes meet the sea and your starting point for a 4WD adventure. In case you didn’t get a chance to yesterday, maybe stop by Walvis Bay Lagoon to see flamingos. Then continue to the Kuiseb Delta and through wetlands and dunes, looking out for desert-adapted wildlife. After filling your camera roll (and your belly with Namibian oysters and snacks along the way), you’ll head back to Swakopmund for the afternoon. Maybe take an easy walk from your accommodation into town, where you can head to the beach or visit an open-air market or visit the museum. You may wish to take an optional trip north to Cape Cross – a breeding site for Cape fur seals. There can be more than 100,000 seals there at any given time, making for quite the spectacle (and quite the smell, too, if the wind happens to change direction!). Your leader will take you to a local activity centre where a range of activities will be on offer. We have not risk assessed all activities and only those listed in Optional Activities are recommended. It is against our policy for leaders to facilitate the booking of any activities that have not been risk assessed or do not adhere to our company’s Responsible Travel policy and ethos. This includes organising transport to and from these activities in our vehicles.

Today, you’ll leave the Atlantic Ocean coastline behind and drive towards the Namib Desert. Take in the beautiful, diverse and colourful landscapes that stream past along the way – mountains, sand dunes, ocean waves and shipwrecks. Continue to Damaraland – home to Namibia’s highest peak, ancient rock paintings and petrified forests, the harshly beautiful and sparsely populated Damaraland region is a land of extraordinary contrasts. Depending on the time of year, you might be lucky enough to see the desert elephants that roam the area. Your accommodation features a swimming pool fringed by beautiful chalets, each with a private garden. The evening is yours to relax and enjoy the amenities as the sun goes down. Your travel time today will be approximately 5 hours, including stops. Many of the roads we travel on today will be untarred and often corrugated. They are some of the worst on this itinerary so be prepared from some extra bumps.

Spend the morning visiting the Twyfelfontein Heritage Site and the Petrified Forest with expert local guides who will provide insight on these wonders. Twyfelfontein has one of the largest concentrations of ancient rock engraving in southern Africa and offers fascinating insight into the past. The Petrified Forest looks back into nature’s history, where 280-million-year-old fossilised tree trunks lie. Continue to the Living Museum of the Damara, which aims to reconstruct and preserve the ‘lost culture’ of the Damara people. Your leader will tell you all about this fascinating traditional culture that is, along with the Bushmen, the oldest in Namibia. Return to the lodge in the afternoon, with the rest of the day free to relax by the pool with a book. We will be accompanied by local guides at both the Petrified Forest and the Twyfelfontein sites. The guided walks take 30 minutes to an hour, and although not difficult, there are some steep rocks and hills at the Twyfelfontein site. It can get hot at this time of day, so it’s important to have a hat, sunscreen and a bottle of water with you. On instances where we use an alternative lodge to Mopane Lodge, the included activities scheduled for today may occur a day earlier to minimise driving time.

Leave Damaraland behind today and head towards Etosha National Park. When you arrive, the afternoon will be free to relax at your lodge. Maybe cool off in the pool, read a book or enjoy a sundowner by the bar. This is one of the world’s premier game-viewing destinations. Spotting animals in the park is relatively easy due to the manmade waterholes and the large, sparsely vegetated pans. Namibia has protected its game reserves against poaching, so there are large herds of elephants, antelopes and other herbivores. This afternoon, once the heat of the day has settled, you’ll head out on a nature walk with an expert guide from the lodge. Your guide will tell you about the indigenous plants, birds and other wildlife as you walk through the Mopane Woods. Your travel time today will be approximately 2.5 hours.

Rise early for a full day 4WD safari in Etosha National Park. If you keep a close eye on the landscape, you’ll hopefully see black rhinos, Hartmann’s mountain zebras, black-faced impala, roan antelope and the tiny Damara dik-diks. The park is also home to some 340 bird species. After, return to your lodge and reflect on the day’s adventures as you take in the views from the outdoor pool, viewing deck or spacious veranda overlooking the mopane woodlands.

This morning after breakfast, you’ll make your way back to Windhoek, where your adventure comes to an end. You will be in Windhoek by early afternoon. Please book any flights today accordingly. If you’d like to extend your stay and need help booking extra accommodation, just reach out to your booking agent ahead of time. Your travel time today will be approximately 6 hours, including stops, and you will arrive in Windhoek at approximately 1 pm. You can fly out today if you wish, but bear in mind that the airport is an hour’s drive from town, so you may consider staying an extra night.