Sossusvlei · Etosha · Damaraland · Skeleton Coast
Private trips through the desert, by guided 4WD, light aircraft or your own wheel, planned from the Gold Coast and priced in US dollars.
Five stars. 5.0 on Google and Tripadvisor37 five-star reviews, every one of them
Endless dunes · Big herds · Roads with little traffic
Namibia is the safari for travelers who want big country without the crowd. It's one of the least densely populated countries on earth, so long stretches of road carry little other traffic, and the landscape changes hour by hour: rust-red dunes at Sossusvlei, a vast salt pan at Etosha, granite mountains and desert-adapted elephants in Damaraland, and the Atlantic's strangest coastline at the Skeleton Coast. It's also the one safari country where driving yourself can be the better way to go, for the right traveler, though for a first visit we usually suggest a private driver-guide or light aircraft between regions.
Sossusvlei dunesEtosha waterholesDesert elephantsSkeleton CoastDark skiesWho you're dealing with
We're an Australian company on the Gold Coast. We design the whole trip, book it, and look after you from first call to flight home, on one contract and one invoice from Kingse Safaris Pty Ltd (ABN 37 698 821 886). On guided trips a private driver-guide covers the road days, and each lodge's own guides lead your drives and walks.
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Namibia, Region by Region
Scroll, and the map follows you from region to region.
The capital · First stop
Most Namibia trips start and finish here. The airport, Hosea Kutako, sits about 45 kilometers from the capital on easy paved road, so your first night is a rest night in town before the desert.
Best monthsAny month; the trip starts hereFrom the USVia Johannesburg or Frankfurt, then on to Windhoek
The self-drive route guide
The Namib · Second stop
Red-and-orange dunes rising some 300 meters out of the desert floor, lit from a different angle every hour. A short walk away, Dead Vlei stands cracked white and studded with the long-dead trunks of camelthorn trees.
Best monthsMay to October; cold dune mornings in June and JulyFrom WindhoekAround 350 km, mostly gravel, or by light aircraft
Best time to visit Namibia, region by region
The coast · Third stop
Swakopmund is the easier coastal stop, a small German-colonial town between the Atlantic and the dunes, and a natural break between Sossusvlei and Damaraland. North of it runs the Skeleton Coast, hundreds of kilometers of fog-shrouded shoreline where shipwrecks rust on the beaches and the wildest stretches are reached by light aircraft.
Best monthsAny month; the coast stays cool and often foggyFrom SossusvleiAround 345 km of gravel via Solitaire and the Kuiseb Pass
Where to stay on the coast
Desert elephants · Fourth stop
Granite mountains, dry riverbeds and desert-adapted elephants tracked along the Huab and Hoanib catchments with a local guide who reads the dung and the broken branches. Twyfelfontein anchors it culturally, a UNESCO site with more than 2,500 rock engravings.
Best monthsJune to October, when the elephants keep to the dry riverbedsFrom the coastAround 360 km, paved then rougher gravel
Where to stay in Damaraland
The waterholes · Fifth stop
One of Africa's great game parks, built around a salt pan so big it shows from space. In the dry season the permanent waterholes draw elephant, giraffe, zebra, oryx and springbok, with lion or black rhino possible on any given evening.
Best monthsJuly to October, as the seasonal pans dry upFrom DamaralandAround 439 km, gravel then paved, in through the Anderson Gate
Where to stay around EtoshaMap tiles: Esri, National Geographic. Locations are indicative.
What You Will Do
Namibia is about moments of scale. These are the ones we build trips around.
Be at Dune 45 or Big Daddy as the first light hits, then walk across to Dead Vlei before the heat builds. Dune climbs are steep and sandy, so they suit fit, early risers.
Sit at a permanent waterhole and let the park come to you. The floodlit waterhole at Okaukuejo is a good place for black rhino after dark.
Track the desert-adapted elephants along the dry riverbeds with a local guide. June to October is the easiest time to find them.
Light-aircraft flights link the regions and show the dunes, the pans and the coast from above. Fly the long gaps and you gain lodge nights instead of gravel days.
Skies here are dark and clear. NamibRand is a Gold-tier International Dark Sky Reserve, and several lodges around Sossusvlei make a feature of the night sky.
How a Namibia Trip Comes Together
Ten to fourteen nights is the sweet spot, because the highlights are spread across a big country. Three shapes cover most travelers, and every quote is built from scratch around your dates, pace and preferences. Self-drive, guided 4WD or fly-in: our self-drive guide lays out the trade-offs.
7 nights
Sossusvlei · Swakopmund · Etosha
The compressed version: two nights at the dunes, two on the coast and two at the waterholes, plus a night around Windhoek on arrival. It covers the three signature landscapes but moves quickly, so we'd usually fly it rather than drive it.
PricingQuoted to your datesPriced to order in US dollars, with no list price
Day 1 · Land at WindhoekDay 8 · Fly home
10 nights · Sweet spot
+ Damaraland and a NamibRand night
Three nights around Sossusvlei buys a sunrise Dead Vlei start and a NamibRand dark-sky night, then two on the coast, two in Damaraland for desert elephants and Twyfelfontein, and two at Etosha. Room to breathe between the long drives.
PricingQuoted to your datesPriced to order in US dollars, with no list price
Day 1 · Land at WindhoekDay 11 · Fly home
14 nights
+ the Skeleton Coast, the north-east or Victoria Falls
Add three or four nights at the end: a fly-in Skeleton Coast stay for raw wilderness, the Zambezi Region in the north-east (the old Caprivi Strip) for river wildlife, or a Victoria Falls finish through Johannesburg.
PricingQuoted to your datesPriced to order in US dollars, with no list price
Day 1 · Land at WindhoekDay 15 · Fly home
We price Namibia to order, in US dollars, because the month, the lodges and how you travel move the total so much that a single from-price would mislead you. Self-drive usually costs noticeably less than a guided trip of the same length, and a premium fly-in trip costs more again. See our Namibia cost guide, what an African safari costs and real trips with the real prices. Nights shift with the season and the lodges you choose, so treat these routes as typical shapes rather than fixed packages.
See Our Set Safaris by BudgetWhere You Could Stay
The seven lodges and camps we recommend across Namibia, grouped by area in the order you'd meet them on a trip. The final selection flexes around your dates, group size, the season and availability. More on our Stays page.
Two nights is the least we'd give the dunes, and a lodge with its own gate gets you onto the sand before the day visitors arrive.
2 lodges
Small, design-led camps in desert-elephant country. Two nights is a good length.
1 lodge
Lodges on private reserves along the park's edge give you a quieter base, and at Ongava a floodlit waterhole below the deck.
2 lodges
A fly-in camp out on the dunes for the wild end of the country, or a seafront hotel for the easy coastal break between desert legs.
2 lodges
7 lodges and camps across four areas, with the same comfort levels as our Stays page. Lodge names open each lodge's own website.
Plan Your Visit
Two clear seasons, dry and green, with a shoulder month at each end. The dry winter is the classic time for the long drives and for Etosha's waterholes, and August and September are the peak game months. Our best time to visit Namibia guide goes region by region.
What's happening
Green season
The hottest and lushest stretch, with the lowest prices of the year. Animals scatter across the landscape, so game is harder to find.
The coast around Swakopmund and the Skeleton Coast stays cool and often foggy all year, so it works in any month.
Dry season
Clear skies · Cold mornings · Wildlife at the waterholes
Days are comfortable and nights are cold, with desert temperatures dropping close to freezing in June and July. It's the easiest weather for a trip with long distances, and the best for wildlife: as the dry season deepens Etosha's seasonal pans dry up and animals head for the permanent waterholes. Damaraland's desert elephants are easiest to find from June to October. The trade-off is cost and crowds: June to September is the busiest and dearest stretch, and the best lodges at Sossusvlei and in Etosha book out well ahead, sometimes nine to twelve months for July and September.
Best for a first trip, the long drives and Etosha's waterholes
Shoulder months
First rains or last rains · Lower rates · Good light
November brings the first storms, mostly in the north and east, and the start of lower rates. April is the other end of the same story: the rains tapering, a desert that can still be green after a good season, and good light before the dry-season crowds. The dunes and the coast work in either month.
Best for value with most of the dry-season comfort
Green season
Rains · Dramatic skies · Lowest prices
Hot, sometimes very hot, with short afternoon thunderstorms. Storm clouds gather behind the dunes, migrant birds arrive and the desert can turn green after good rain, and prices are at their lowest. Animals scatter across the landscape, so game is harder to find, and a few lodges close for part of January and February.
Best for photographers, birders and lower prices
From the US
From the US the cleanest routing is through Johannesburg, then a short connection on to Windhoek, or through Frankfurt on Discover Airlines' non-stop. Our Namibia self-drive guide covers the route from the airport onwards.
Step one
There's no non-stop flight from the US to Namibia, so every route connects through a hub. You fly out of your own city and we build the connections around it.
Step two
Delta flies non-stop from Atlanta and United from Newark (New York) to Johannesburg, about 15 to 16 hours. Discover Airlines flies non-stop from Frankfurt to Windhoek, about 10 hours 15. From other US cities you connect.
Step three
Scheduled flights run from Johannesburg to Hosea Kutako, Windhoek's airport, about 45 kilometers from the capital on easy paved road. The transfer we've booked meets you at the door.
About 45 kilometers to townFirst night
After a day of flying your first night is a rest night in town, with nothing planned beyond dinner. The desert starts the next morning, by road with your driver-guide, in your own vehicle or by light aircraft.
UTC+2 all year · 6 to 7 hours ahead of New York| Via | Airline | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg | Delta or United, then a scheduled flight to Windhoek | Non-stop from Atlanta and Newark (New York). The usual route. |
| Frankfurt | Discover Airlines, non-stop to Windhoek | Connect to Frankfurt first, then about 10 hours 15 to Windhoek. |
| Addis Ababa | Ethiopian, connecting onwards | Another routing we use. |
| Cape Town | Direct flights between Cape Town and Windhoek | A clean start or finish if you add South Africa. |
We lock the lodges, then the flights. In the June to September high season the best lodges at Sossusvlei and in Etosha book out well ahead, sometimes nine to twelve months for July and September. Once your deposit is in, we place your lodges, vehicle or flights together, and that's the time to take out your travel insurance.
Delta flies non-stop from Atlanta and United from Newark (New York) to Johannesburg, and from there scheduled flights run to Windhoek. Discover Airlines also flies non-stop from Frankfurt to Windhoek. From other US cities you connect, and we usually route via Johannesburg, Frankfurt or Addis Ababa. Schedules change, so we check them when we build your trip, and we price flights from the US when you're ready to book because fares move.
Namibia runs on UTC+2 all year, with no daylight saving. It is seven hours ahead of New York in winter and six in summer, and ten ahead of Los Angeles in winter and nine in summer. A rest on your first night helps.
The Practical Bits
The short version of what to sort before you fly. For visas and anything medical we point you to the official sources, starting with the State Department.
Since 1 April 2025 US passport holders need a visa for Namibia, which you can apply for online before you travel or get on arrival at Windhoek or Walvis Bay airports and larger border crossings. Your passport needs at least six months of validity beyond your planned departure and three blank visa pages. Entry rules change, and they're yours to confirm. Start with the State Department's Namibia page, which also covers the extra documents for traveling with children, and allow time to apply online.
Vaccinations and malaria are medical questions for your doctor. The CDC lists a malaria risk in northern Namibia. Namibia asks for a yellow fever certificate if you arrive from a country with yellow fever risk, and we generally tell people the vaccine is worth having, as one shot lasts a lifetime, but your doctor always has the last say. See a travel doctor before you book and take your full itinerary, and check the CDC's travelers' health page.
Petty crime is common in towns, and Windhoek in particular has muggings and theft from vehicles, so we arrange transfers and you leave nothing in a parked car. Check the State Department's latest advice at travel.state.gov.
Roads between main centers are good, but rural roads are mostly gravel or sand. Accidents are common on gravel and dirt roads, wildlife and livestock are serious hazards at night, and most rental policies don't cover single-vehicle accidents that don't involve other vehicles or animals, so check your insurance. Plan to be at your lodge before dark, carry water and fuel in the desert, and bring your US driver's license and an International Driving Permit from home.
Minimum ages are set lodge by lodge, and some higher-end properties set higher limits for children. Self-drive is a poor fit for small children, but a guided trip with a pool at most stops can work well. Tell us the ages in your group and we'll check each lodge's policy. Our family safari guide covers ages by activity.
The Namibian dollar is the currency and the South African rand is also accepted. Cards work in the main centers, but cash helps in remote areas. Pack layers, because dune mornings and winter nights are cold, plus a hat, sunscreen and a dust-proof camera bag. Our packing list has the rest.
Go Further
Namibia works on its own, but most Americans get more from it as part of a longer loop. We plan the routing so you never backtrack.
Direct flights to Windhoek
Cape Town and Windhoek are linked by direct flights, so Cape Town makes a clean start or finish for twelve to fourteen nights, with the Winelands and the malaria-free reserves within reach.
Water after the desert
The Okavango Delta and Chobe's elephants are the opposite of the Namib, and they connect through Johannesburg or, for Chobe, by road from Victoria Falls.
A finish through Johannesburg
Add Victoria Falls and Botswana for fourteen to seventeen nights across Southern Africa's biggest contrasts. The falls are a natural finish to a Namibia trip.
The Practical Questions
The questions Americans ask us most about a Namibia safari, grouped by topic.
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Go Deeper
Long-form guides that help you decide before you commit. Real numbers, real photos, no fluff.
From the Journal
Straight numbers help you decide before you commit. See what an African safari costs, what a Namibia safari costs, real trips with the real prices and how booking works.
Keep Exploring
The same way of traveling, in other corners of Africa.
Start Planning
Tell us your dates and what you'd like to see: dunes and stars, big herds, fly-in luxury or self-drive freedom. We design the route, book the lodges and stay on the line for the whole trip, with real prices in US dollars.
Five stars. 5.0 on Google and Tripadvisor37 five-star reviews, every one of them
“Could not have imagined how it could have been better planned and delivered.”
Email us or book a call
Samara looks after our guests from the US. Email her or book a call at a time that suits you, or message her on WhatsApp, and she'll come back to you the same day, US time.
Samara Imhoof
Bookings & Client Care
Whether you're just kicking around ideas or already booked. Dates, lodges, costs, changes, payments, flights.
Jackson Potter
Founder
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