4 Days - Etosha & Namib Coast Adventure Safari Tour
4 Days / 3 Nights Days
Windhoek, Namibia → Windhoek, Namibia (drop-off at your accommodation or Windhoek International Airport)
Wildlife
Easy
Why Choose This Safari?
Four days is enough to see two very different sides of Namibia without a long holiday. You start with classic big game in Etosha National Park, with an afternoon drive on arrival day, a full day of sunrise and afternoon drives, and an evening at a safari camp overlooking a floodlit waterhole. The second half of the trip changes pace completely, with a scenic drive through the communal lands of Damaraland, a picnic lunch beneath the Brandberg Mountain and a run across the Namib Desert to the Skeleton Coast and its ghostly shipwrecks. You finish in the seaside town of Swakopmund, where quad biking, sandboarding, dolphin cruises and scenic flights are all on offer before the drive back to Windhoek. Because the tour starts and ends in Windhoek and can drop you at the airport, it’s easy to slot into a longer southern Africa itinerary.
Safari Highlights
We may have to re-route the itinerary or accommodation in similar Lodges/Tented Camps in case of non – availability
Upgrades is available for Mid – Range Luxury Accommodation Safari
Tour above can be customized based on your needs or requirements
Destinations to Travel
Otjiwarongo · Etosha National Park (Anderson Gate, Okaukuejo, Etosha Pan) · Damaraland (Ugab River Bridge, Brandberg) · Skeleton Coast · Swakopmund · Walvis Bay (optional) · Okahandja
Itinerary
Day 1 — Windhoek to Etosha National Park
You head north from Windhoek towards Etosha National Park, stopping at Otjiwarongo for a light packed lunch. You enter the park through Anderson Gate and take a leisurely drive through Etosha, watching for predators and unusual Etosha wildlife sightings. You arrive at your accommodation inside the park as the sun is setting. The safari camp overlooks a floodlit waterhole, so you should see game and birdlife enjoying an evening drink. Dinner is served at the camp.
Day 2 — A Full Day in Etosha National Park
It’s an early wake-up for hot beverages and a snack before you leave for a sunrise game drive. You return to camp for breakfast and then head out again to spend more time exploring this vast wilderness region. You return to your lodge for a picnic lunch and a short break to freshen up. The afternoon is spent visiting the iconic Etosha Pan and continuing the game drive in search of the Big 4. You arrive at Okaukuejo late in the afternoon, a resort known for its floodlit waterhole, and leave Etosha National Park as the sun is setting. You spend the night at a tented safari camp on the outskirts of the park.
Day 3 — Damaraland to Swakopmund
After an early wake-up and a sunrise breakfast, you depart at 7:40am and drive through the communal lands of Damaraland. You stop at the Ugab River Bridge to visit the Herero women who run a small arts and crafts centre. Lunch is a picnic in the shadow of the Brandberg Mountain, with a short visit from a Himba group who sell their wares to passing tourists. The journey continues through the world-famous Namib Desert, with a short stop at one of the many ghostly shipwrecks found on the Skeleton Coast. You arrive in the quaint seaside town of Swakopmund in the late afternoon, check in and spend the last hours of the day exploring this historic town on foot. To end the day you join the group for sundowners at a restaurant on the jetty overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Dinner is at any of the town’s excellent restaurants at your own expense, and your guide will recommend the best ones.
Day 4 — Swakopmund to Windhoek
After a leisurely breakfast you can join the group for one of the many optional activities on offer in Swakopmund, such as quad biking, sandboarding, a dolphin cruise or a scenic flight along the Skeleton Coast to spot ancient shipwrecks. A special treat is a trip to Walvis Bay to see the famous flamingos in the lagoon, which is a protected Ramsar birding site. Optional activities are at your own expense and are not included in the tour rate. The tour leaves for Windhoek after lunch, with a brief stop at the Okahandja Wood Carving Market. You arrive in Windhoek in the late afternoon and are dropped off at your pre-booked accommodation in the city or at Windhoek International Airport.
What's Included
Rate Includes
- Complimentary collection/drop-off at guesthouse in Windhoek (within city limits)
- Transport in a custom-built safari vehicle (no air-conditioning)
- Services of a professional English-speaking driver/guide
- 3 nights’ accommodation in twin share rooms with en-suite bathrooms
- Meals as per itinerary
- Activities as per itinerary
- Etosha National park entrance fees
Rate Excludes
- Scheduled international flights to/from Windhoek
- Meals, drinks and snacks not included in itinerary
- Activities not included in itinerary (such as optional activities in Swakopmund)
- Accommodation in Windhoek
- Purchases of a personal nature
- Gratuities
Best Time to Go
No travel window was given for this itinerary, so the advice below comes from the route and Namibia’s general seasonality. The dry season, roughly May to October, is usually best for game viewing in Etosha National Park, because animals gather at the waterholes, including the floodlit one at your camp, and are easier to spot. The wetter months of roughly November to April turn the park green and bring birdlife and young animals, although animals are more spread out. The Namib Coast around Swakopmund stays cool and often misty year-round thanks to the cold Atlantic, so pack a warm layer even in summer. Flamingos and other birds are regularly present at Walvis Bay, which supports between 37,000 and 79,000 wetland birds depending on the season. For the best overall balance of game viewing and comfortable travel, aim for the dry months of May to October. You can find more on the Namibia Tourism Board site.
Pricing
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does this tour start and end, and how long does it take?
The tour starts and ends in Windhoek, Namibia, and runs for 4 days and 3 nights. On the final day you’re dropped off at your pre-booked accommodation in the city or at Windhoek International Airport, so it fits easily around your international flights.
What will we see in Etosha National Park?
You spend an afternoon drive on Day 1 and a full day on Day 2 in the park, including a sunrise game drive and a visit to the iconic Etosha Pan. The park is home to elephants, lions, leopards, cheetahs, black and white rhinos, giraffe, zebra, springbok and wildebeest. Sightings can’t be guaranteed on any given day, but the floodlit waterhole at your camp is a good place to watch game in the evening. Read more on the Etosha National Park page.
What is the “Big 4”, and will we see it in Etosha?
On Day 2 you look for lion, leopard, elephant and rhino on your afternoon game drive. Etosha has no buffalo, so the Big Five can’t be completed here, but the Big 4 is possible in this park, and Okaukuejo is known for lion, elephant and black rhino sightings.
What do we do in Damaraland and along the Skeleton Coast?
On Day 3 you drive through the communal lands of Damaraland, visit the Herero women’s arts and crafts centre at the Ugab River Bridge and have a picnic lunch beneath the Brandberg Mountain. You then cross the Namib Desert and stop at one of the shipwrecks on the Skeleton Coast before reaching Swakopmund in the late afternoon.
What activities can we do in Swakopmund, and what do they cost?
After breakfast on Day 4 you can choose from quad biking, sandboarding, a dolphin cruise or a scenic flight along the Skeleton Coast. These optional activities are at your own expense and not included in the tour rate. Tell our team which ones you’re interested in and we can advise on current prices and booking.
Can we see flamingos at Walvis Bay?
Yes. A special treat on Day 4 is a trip to Walvis Bay to see the flamingos in the lagoon, which is a protected Ramsar birding site. Like the other Swakopmund activities, it’s an optional extra at your own expense.