Namibian Roadtrip Travel Guide

Many people call Namibia “Africa for beginners” due to safari parks in one of the most stable countries in the area with ease of access and travel. Most of the country is a wide open barren desert with some more wildlife and population centers in the north.

General Info
First off, a history lesson to explain this lesser-known country. It was formed as a German then South African colony had a tumultuous 20th century but is now one of the most visited countries in Africa. This becomes evident as you pass genocide markers and memorials whose small stature seem to downplay the first genocide of the 20th century. German occupiers sought to exterminate and experiment on the Nama and Herero ethnic groups native to their Southwest African colony. Then after South Africa gained control of Namibia their harsh political crackdown and apartheid system divided Namibia and created a 35 year long war for independence. How these events fit into Namibia’s history is still a hotly debated topic.

Unless you are planning on just visiting Namibia’s cities which kind of defeats the point of traveling all this way, you have 2 options. It is essential you either charter an expensive tour with driver or do your own bespoke tour and rent a Hilux (no sponsorship) with tents (roof tents are preferable) and camping equipment and do it yourself! Just be aware this is a left side of the road driving country with long distances and lots of dirt roads. I coordinated meeting up with someone to split the price which I advise as the rental plus equipment plus gas prices can be really expensive. At the hostel we stayed at some people were even waiting around for a chance to join in on other people’s travel plans! (Although please designate a chef beforehand as someone who came with us believed that you cannot cook with olive oil, refused to eat sausage after I took it out of the casing for pasta, and deep fried our hamburgers in vegetable oil, so fair warning. Sometimes travelers can see so much of the world yet understand so little…)

What to See?
Well, if I haven’t mentioned it enough, Namibia is a wide open desert. Many people are drawn to such a landscape and its openness and sunsets. It’s a kind of landscape with a particular nostalgia from me, being from New Mexico but Namibia also has beaches. Spitzkoppe and Sossusvlei are particularly well renowned desert landscapes with sandstone mountains and rolling red dunes respectively. The north has more fauna with Etosha National Park home to all of the big five except the Cape Buffalo. With some effort I would advise adventurous travelers to taking a guide to some of the Himba or other traditional communities in the northwest of the country. At the VERY LEAST Sossusvlei and Etosha are essential stops.

1 Week Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Windhoek
With enough time, organize and pickup your rental vehicle (I used Advanced Car Hire which I especially recommend. No sponsorship!) with camping equipment and purchase your food and odds and ends to hit the road tomorrow!
Day 2: Windhoek to Sossusvlei
A short drive to this national park will allow you to either finish errands in the morning or explore the park in the afternoon or both.
Day 3: Sossusvlei
This is where many professional photographs are taken from in Namibia, specifically at Deadvlei with its blackened trees. Other than photography, there are plenty of dunes to climb, especially Big Daddy Dune which is the tallest in the continent. Just be careful driving your 4x4 on the sand paths on the main road, if properly prepared for this can actually be really fun itself!

Day 4: Sossusvlei to Swakopmund
Pack up camp and head on to the seaside resort of Swakopmund (be sure to stop in Solitaire for some apple pie) This is a ritzy Oceanside community that is commonly used as a relaxing break in the camping for longer itineraries but on this short itinerary, you may have time for a bite to eat and maybe a sunset or sunrise tour to Sandwich Harbor further south from Walvis Bay.

Day 5: Swakopmund to Etosha National Park
A decent drive today will get you to Okaukueajo which closes at sunset. Sign up for the morning drive tomorrow.
Day 6: Etosha National Park
Take a morning drive to be the first ones out of the camp gates. When you come back sign up for the night drive and start a self-drive! We went to Halali camp and back. Find rhinos, elephants, giraffes, zebras and many antelope. If you’re lucky you will find some big cats but we never had that luck. Etosha mandates that no self-drives are allowed before sunrise and after sunset so the night drive allows the viewing of nocturnal animals (we saw some hyenas scavenging a zebra corpse).

Day 7: Etosha National Park to Depart Windhoek Quickly return to the city to check in your rental equipment before taking a taxi to the airport to wait for your flight.

2+ Week Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Windhoek
Day 2: Windhoek
With a bit more time in Windhoek explore the German colonial architecture like the Christuskirche and surrounding area. The craft market is a worthy trip with a great cafe and expensive but worthwhile souvenirs. I took a late afternoon food tour which was my favorite part and took me into the Katatura township.

Day 3: Windhoek to Keetmanshoop
With this itinerary you get to explore the south. After a morning of sorting out rental paperwork and grocery shopping for the camping trip ahead drive on paved roads all the way to Keetmanshoop to spend the night. If you are interested in ethnology and history stop at the Rehoboth museum to learn about the baster ethnic group unique to the town. I did the whole drive to the Fish River Canyon and skipped this town but the Giant’s Playground (big rocks and quiver trees) are a nice attraction. Day 4: Fish River Canyon
Take a day to drive along the rim of this canyon and watch it during sunset and sunrise. Nearby Hobas camp site is the best site to stay overnight and rest. If you have plenty of time, you can organize a 5 day hike to the bottom and back via NWR (Namibia Wildlife Resorts) which requires a reservation that is recommended booking a year in advance. Truly for those seeking an adventure!

Day 5: Fish River Canyon to Luderitz
Head early to Luderitz and explore the old German colonial town. Along the way you may be lucky to see the feral Garub Desert Horses (we were!). Sunsets from either the Felsenkirche in town or Diaz point are best. Be sure to sample the oysters as they are known to be the best in the world!

Day 6: Luderitz to Sossusvlei
In the morning check out the Penguin Islands in the catamaran tours launched every morning from the docks.

As you leave town stop at the abandoned diamond mining town of Kolmanskop before starting the gravel road to Sossusvlei. If you have time take the scenic route and stop by Duwisib Castle which seems like a forgotten relic of old in the middle of nowhere. This is a day of hidden gems!
Day 7: Sossusvlei
(Read above for the 1 week itinerary of what to do in Sossusvlei)
Day 8: Sossusvlei to Swakopmund
(Read above for the 1 week itinerary of what to expect on the drive from Sossusvlei to Swakopmund)
Day 9: Swakopmund
Take a well-deserved rest day and maybe do a sandwich Harbor tour in nearby Walvis Bay. Enjoy the beach promenade and colonial architecture, buy some souvenirs, catch up on chores like laundry, restock, and dine in some fancy restaurants

Day 10: Swakopmund to Spitzkoppe
Now truth be told, I skipped Spitzkoppe the "Matterhorn of Namibia". I live in the American Southwest; plenty of sandstone mountains where I grew up but I can understand why people love it here from pictures. I can’t comment too much on what to see here other than the sandstone monolith and some rock art from the San who used to traverse the arid landscape.
Day 11: Spitzkoppe to Skeleton Coast National Park
Drive along the menacingly named Skeleton Coast. A place renowned for shipwrecks along the coast (hence the name). The most visually interesting is the Zeila but also of note is the Southwest Seal and a rusted old oil rig. The Cape Cross Seal reserve is the most spectacular sight bearing in mind the dirty litter smell and loud barking from thousands of seals. You can camp in the park and drive the whole extremely remote salt road or turn back and camp near the seal reserve like we did. Keep your eyes peeled for one of the extremely uncommon lions here.

Day 12: Skeleton Coast National Park to Damaraland
Heading inland from either Torra Bay or Henties Bayhead towards the World Heritage Site of Twyfelfontein. Also of interest would be a desert elephant tracking tour offered by some tour providers in the area. We did not have time for this and we were hopeful of our chances of seeing elephants later on in the trip.

Day 13: Damaraland to Opuwo
Opuwo is what many have in mind when they think an African village. Everyone is wearing their traditional clothes even in supermarkets. This part of Namibia is beyond the colonial quarantine fence meant to prevent tropical meat-borne diseases from transferring south but what it succeeded in was underdeveloping and isolating northern Namibia. This is the traditional homeland of the Himba—the iconic Namibian ethnic group that wears red ochre and puts clay into their hair to create braids. Look up pictures, they are fascinating and from Opuwo you could camp the night with a guide from the Kaoko Info Center which was my personal highlight from Namibia.

We extended our time and also stayed with the Herero for a night but the center also offers visits to the Ovahakaona and Ovazemba. Further north on horrible bumpy roads on the border with Angol is Epupa falls also which would be worth it. Lots to do in this corner most people completely overlook!

Day 14: Opuwo to Etosha National Park
THE premiere Namibian nature park is this dry salt pan with all of the big 5 except the cape buffalo. Enter from Galton Gate and stay at Okaukuejo. This gives you a chance to see the Mountain Zebra in the west. We made the mistake of following Google Maps to the southern entrance and missed out on this. Keep in mind that there are different species in different parts of the park like cheetahs in the east. Sign up for tomorrow’s morning drive before camping with many neighbors. Check up continuously on the water hole of the camp for the best chance of animal viewing practically in your backyard. We burnt our corn on the fire after seeing some elephants.

Day 15: Etosha National Park
Take a morning drive to be the first ones out of the camp gates. When you come back sign up for the night drive and start a self-drive! We went to Halali camp and back. Find rhinos, elephants, giraffes, zebras and many antelope. If you’re lucky you will find some big cats but we never had that luck. Etosha mandates that no self-drives are allowed before sunrise and after sunset so the night drive allows the viewing of nocturnal animals (we saw some hyenas scavenging a zebra corpse).

Day 16: Etosha National Park to Windhoek
A free morning to do what you want: self drive around, a guided drive or just hang out at the waterhole before heading back to Windhoek and dropping your 4x4 off.
Day 17: Depart Windhoek

Food
Don’t expect to understand indigenous cuisine on this trip. Namibian food is not highly sought after by most urbanites or tourists due to what I could only imagine is predominant racist ideas of dining. I actually took a food tour in Windhoek and practically the only places serving Namibian food is in the townships—the segregated low income areas for black Namibians set up during colonialism times and apartheid. I had a great time! I even tried mopani worms which I have to admit were not my favorite but are pretty iconic of Namibia. Although when you’re in Windhoek you have to get kapana in oshetu market; it is just grilled meat but really good meat that is served with salsa and seasoning. Taste a bit from each vendor and pick your favorite.

Other than that, German bakeries are much more common which I have to admit is really nice, especially notable is the Solitaire pie shop which is considered the best in the world. Seafood in Luderitz and Swakopmund is highly recommended with Luderitz oysters known to be the best in the world and I can attest to that. Most food will be whatever you want to cook while camping! Ready-made meals from shops are South African but we mostly kept to making pasta dishes as that was what was easiest with our equipment. This is a grand camping trip after all!

Accommodation
In some cities there are hotels or hostels available and I’d recommend taking advantage of the comfort while you can to break up long trips of camping. Windhoek and Swakopmund have an abundance of options but Luderitz is a small town and I’d recommend booking ahead there. Beyond that, camp comfort levels vary widely with some lodges in popular areas providing restaurants, WiFi and flush toilets with others being more rustic. I actually thought both had their merits but I like camping. Some are luxurious retreats that even if I had the money I couldn’t imagine paying for. No matter what you comfort level you choose it will be expensive compared to other countries.

Safety
Namibia’s dangers come in two sets: crime and harsh wilderness but with proper preparation neither should be a problem. Crime is not too crazy especially in city centers and proper common sense for traveling should help you avoid most issues. Everyone seemed paranoid about vehicle break ins so keep that in mind and lock up your truck and keep valuables on your person when possible. There is a huge wealth discrepancy and that is obvious; it is not uncommon to be approached for water or food at highway rest stops so it is good to have extra on hand to hand out along with small bills for tipping and beggars as well. Now my actual concerns came from vehicle troubles and being stranded in the middle of nowhere in this extremely empty country. Have spare tires and take care on the roads especially when passing a car. Never approach wildlife and pay attention to the rental company’s briefing on what to look for in the truck. The best advice I got was always fill up the gas tank since you never know when the next gas station will be.

Transportation
Except for intercity buses from Windhoek to other big cities mostly in other countries or Swakopmund there is really no public transit to speak of though I have heard rumors of a deteriorating passenger train between Windhoek and Swakopmund. If you are truly opposed to renting a 4x4 truck with camping equipment then join an organized group tour. I chose to rent just so I could set my own itinerary and do what I wanted to and it was the most rewarding thing I could do. Some people I met would ask other travelers if they could join and split costs to benefit everyone (and then complain about how you can’t cook with olive oil but I digress—don’t do that). Truly the best way is to rent a truck with camping equipment and find people to split the cost with beforehand like I did.

Currency
The Namibian dollar is used here and ATMs are located in the big cities but we found that cards were used most places. Bring cash at all times as a backup. Since the Namibian dollar is the same value as the South African rand, these currencies are used interchangeably.