7-Day Southern Namibia Safari

We will pick you up at the Windhoek International Airport and drive you to southern Namibia’s stunning Kalahari grassland. We will travel around 250 kilometres to get to our lodge, where we will check in and eat lunch before leaving for a private reserve game drive in the late afternoon. The acacia and grass savannah that covers the red sand dunes of the Kalahari Desert is home to numerous animals, including springbok, Oryx, red hartebeest, black-backed jackal, porcupine, steenbok, and ostrich. This will serve as the ideal introduction to Namibia’s southern region’s splendor.

We will travel south after a leisurely breakfast, stopping to see the Quiver Tree Forest and Giant’s Playground at Keetmanshoop on the way. We will then reach our lodge in the Gondwana Canyon Park along the Fish River Canyon. The Quiver Tree (Aloe dichotoma), which grows in large groups numbering several hundred, is a representation of Southern Namibia. They have a 120-year lifespan. We will go for an afternoon sundowner drive inside the reserve after a brief lunch. We’ll explore the park’s geology as well as search for animals like oryx, springbok, kudu, klipspringer, mountain, and Burchell’s zebra. Horseback rides in the park can be arranged upon request.

We will spend the morning exploring the amazing Fish River Canyon after getting a good night’s sleep and a hearty Namibian breakfast. One of Namibia’s top tourist destinations, it is the second-largest canyon in the world after the Grand Canyon in the United States. We will go on an afternoon game drive in the park or, alternatively, take a morning stroll in the park after we will return to our accommodation for lunch and a brief break. Visit the canyon in the late afternoon if you have time, and then take a short stroll while holding a sundowner beverage to observe the setting sun.

Today we will rise early and take a quick drive to a higher place to see the dawn while holding a cup of coffee. An unforgettable experience is witnessing an African sunrise. For breakfast, we’ll go back to the inn. After checking out, we will shortly resume our safari in a westward direction toward Aus and Luderitz, admiring the constantly morphing scenery as we go. At this time, the Sperrgebiet, a restricted diamond area, and the Orange River, which forms the border between Namibia and South Africa, will both be within striking distance of us. The Sperrgebiet Park and the Aus Mountains, where our lodging will be for the next two nights, provide beautiful views of the nearby lowlands. We’ll take a lovely drive through the reserve in the late afternoon.

We will have the entire day to tour the nearby sites, which include Kolmanskop, Lüderitz, and the Namib Wild Horses. With the exception of Keetmanshoop, Lüderitz is the only other “big” town in the south. Bartolomeu Diaz, a Portuguese adventurer, built the Diaz Cross in 1488. We’ll also visit it and eat lunch at a seafood restaurant with a view of the ocean. The history of the old mining ghost town Kolmanskop is fascinating. It was established in 1908 after the discovery of diamonds and abandoned in 1930 as Kolmanskop’s diamond mining came to an end. We’ll undoubtedly stop at the Garub water point on the way home in the hopes of spotting some of the fabled Namib Wild Horses. As we travel back to our resort, you will discover more about their historical background.

We will be up early and after breakfast, depart for a half-day tour of the surrounding desert landscape. You will learn about the fauna and flora as well as the geology and history of the area. We will be a lot further west and closer to the Atlantic Ocean and it is fascinating to see how the landscape and wildlife have changed during the last few days. As an alternative, we can plan a hiking excursion in the stunning Aus Mountains. We will leave for Sossusvlei after lunch, traveling through the NamibRand Nature Reserve’s breathtaking beauty. By late afternoon, we will arrive at our lodge close to the Sossusvlei entrance gate. Enjoy a wonderful dinner and an early bedtime in order to be ready for our early departure the following day for Sossusvlei.

We will go for a morning tour to Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei after an early breakfast and coffee. Along the way, we’ll make a picturesque pit stop at Dune 45 and spend some time at Dead Vlei and Sossusvlei. Some of the dunes in the area are a few hundred meters tall, but for those who dare, the view from the top is one they won’t soon forget. We’ll head to Swakopmund via the Namib Naukluft National Park after lunch. We’ll eat dinner at one of Swakopmund best restaurants and spend the night at a guesthouse. Please be aware that tonight’s meal is not a part of the package deal and is on your own dime.