Travelling to Namibia: when to go, budget and self-drive itinerary

The Namib Sand Sea, a Unesco World Heritage site, peaks around Sossusvlei with dunes rising above 300 metres. The Sesriem gate opens at sunrise: to climb Dune 45, at kilometre 45 of the tarred road, and reach Deadvlei before the heat, stay at least two nights nearby. The last 5 kilometres to the vlei cross deep sand, by 4x4 or shuttle. Since 1 April 2026, entry costs N$280 per foreign adult per day.

Etosha National Park is built around a vast white salt pan, fringed with waterholes where elephants, rhinos, lions and giraffes come to drink. From July to October, the drought concentrates wildlife and self-drive game viewing becomes easy, at 60 km/h maximum. Allow three nights, splitting camps between the west (Okaukuejo) and the east (Namutoni). Beyond, the Zambezi strip extends the trip towards the rivers and parks of neighbouring Botswana, with malaria risks to plan for.

The cold Benguela current keeps the coast between 15 and 20 °C for much of the year, with frequent morning fog. Swakopmund, about 4 hours on tarmac from Windhoek, is a base for two or three nights: a half-day 4x4 trip to Sandwich Harbour, kayaking among seals at Pelican Point and flamingos in the Walvis Bay lagoon. Further north, the Skeleton Coast lines up shipwrecks and seal colonies, such as Cape Cross, 2 hours' drive away.

In the north-west, Damaraland combines granite mountains, the Unesco-listed Twyfelfontein rock engravings and desert-adapted elephants following the dry Huab riverbed. Two nights are enough for a one-hour guided visit of the site and a 4x4 drive. Kaokoland, further north and home of the Himba, is for experienced drivers only: rocky tracks, rare fuel stations and riverbeds that can cut roads from January to March, in the middle of the rainy season.

The South means long driving days, often more than 5 hours between stops, rewarded by stark mineral landscapes. The Fish River gorge, among the largest canyons in the world, is best seen from the Hobas viewpoint; its five-day hike is only allowed from May to mid-September. The Orange River then marks the border with South Africa. To the west, Lüderitz and the Kolmanskop ghost town border the Sperrgebiet, a diamond area closed without a permit.

Windhoek, at around 1,700 metres above sea level, takes one day: the Christuskirche, Katutura market and game restaurants. Above all, it is the starting point of self-drive trips, with Hosea Kutako airport 45 minutes from the centre. A 4x4 rental starts at around 85 US dollars a day in low season and rises by roughly half from July to November: book six months ahead for the European summer. On gravel, stay below 80 km/h and never drive at night.