11 Day Namibia Highlights - Private Guided Safari

When booking the 11-Day Namibia Highlights Private Guided Safari, you are met by your guide upon arrival in Windhoek and he or she and together will begin an 11-day journey across some of Namibia’s most beautiful landscapes. From a converted 4 x 4 safari vehicle and under the expert guidance of the private safari guide, you will witness Sosussvlei’s red dunes, the stark and harrowing stretches of the Skeleton Coast, the striking rocky outcrops of Damaraland and the vast open spaces of Etosha National Park. In these wild areas, you stand a very good chance of seeing all sorts of wildlife from elephants, rhinos & lions to some of the more desert-unique wildlife species including brown hyenas, ostrich, seals and gemsbok.

11 Day Namibia Highlights - Private Guided Safari

Itinerary at a Glance:

  • Day 01

    Arrive in Windhoek, Namibia

  • Day 02

    Windhoek to Sossusvlei

  • Day 03

    Full Day Excursion to Sossusvlei, Namibia

  • Day 04

    Sossusvlei to Swakopmund

  • Day 05

    Full Day to enjoy Swakopmund

  • Day 06

    Sossusvlei to Damaraland

  • Day 07

    Full Day in Damaraland

  • Day 08

    Damaraland to Etosha

  • Day 09

    Full Day Safari in Etosha

  • Day 10

    Full Day Safari at Etosha

  • Day 11

    Etosha to Windhoek

Day 01

Arrive in Windhoek, Namibia

On arrival in Windhoek, you will be met by your guide and he will hand you your travel package and give you a briefing and orientation on what to expect over the next few days. The great thing about having a guide is that things are flexible so chat with your guide as you go along.
If time permits you will enjoy a Windhoek City tour after which you will be transferred to The Weinberg Windhoek. Here you will enjoy 1 night on a bed-and-breakfast basis. Head into town for dinner tonight.

The Weinberg Hotel
Lounge at the Weinberg Hotel
Luxury bedrooms at the Weinberg Hotel

Day 02

Windhoek to Sossusvlei

After breakfast you will have time to pop into the shop with your guide should you wish to get some snacks and drinks for the 5-hour road trip. Today your Namibia adventure starts as you leave the city. You will depart south from Windhoek taking the beautiful route via Spreetshoogte or Remhoogte Pass revealing the transition from Kalahari to desert. You will enjoy 2 nights at Namib Outpost on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.

Namib Outpost Chalets

Day 03

Full Day Excursion to Sossusvlei, Namibia

Today your guide will wake you up early for a quick breakfast. You will then head to the entrance to Sossusvlei, the Sesriem Gate for the most beautiful part of the day, sunrise (when the gates open).
The whole day can be spent in the Sossusvlei area, exploring the highlights: Sossusvlei,  Dead Vlei, Dune 45, Big Daddy, Elim Dune and the Sesriem Canyon. Lunch can be enjoyed at the lodge or a packed lunch can be arranged to enjoy in the dunes and then return late afternoon. Optional extra activities: Hot air balloon safari, Nature drives.

An aerial view of Sossusvlei, Namibia
Relaxing rooms at Namib Outpost
View from the pool at Namib Outpost

Day 04

Sossusvlei to Swakopmund

After breakfast head north to Solitaire, then west crossing the Tropic of Capricorn, through the Gaub and Kuiseb Canyons via the Namib Gravel Plains to the coast. On route detour via Ganab to the Welwitschia Plains and Moon Landscape.  It’s a 5 to 6-hour drive but there’s loads to do and see along the way.
You will enjoy 2 nights at Strand Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis in a luxury room.

The Strand Hotel, Swakopmund, Namibia
The Strand Hotel overlooks the cold Atlantic Ocean, Namibia

Day 05

Full Day to enjoy Swakopmund

The whole day is set aside for this lovely area where Swakopmund and Walvis Bay offer a wide range of activities such as Dolphin cruise, Sandwich Harbour excursion to see where the dunes run into the sea (a real Skeleton Coast experience), Dune quad biking, Sand boarding, Sea kayaking, and lots more…
Lunch and dinners can be enjoyed at a cafe or restaurant overlooking the sea.

Day 06

Sossusvlei to Damaraland

Head north along the Skeleton Coast, via Henties Bay to visit the Cape Cross seal colony where you can enjoy lunch. Stop at the Lichen Fields along the way as well as the shipwreck between the colourful small town of Wlotskasbaken and Henties Bay.
Head inland via Henties Bay through wide open plains to Uis, then north to the Twyfelfontein area for their rock paintings, Burnt Mountain and Organ pipes. The drive to Damaraland can take all day depending on the route taken. Damaraland is known for its endless open skies, dry riverbeds, enormous granite outcrops and grassy plains where you will experience the best sunsets over the harsh, arid, dry and desolate expanses.
You will spend 2 nights at Mowani Mountain Camp on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis in a superior-view room.

Mowani Mountain Camp, Damaraland, Namibia
Accommodation at Mowani Mountain Camp
A view from the restaurant area at Mowani Mountain Camp

Day 07

Full Day in Damaraland

Take a drive with your guide to the Huab River to look for the desert-adapted elephants, black rhinos and giraffes as well as other game such as oryx, springbok, ostrich and lots more. For a hint of culture, we visit the Damara Living Museum.

Desert elephants in the Haub Riverbed

Day 08

Damaraland to Etosha

After breakfast you will head on to Etosha for your safari in Namibia, stopping at the Petrified Forest en-route. If time permits, your guide will take you to Etosha for an afternoon game drive. You should arrive at your lodge in time for lunch (optional extra), depending on how often you stop on the route.
The first stop on entering the park will be Okaukuejo where you pay your entry fee (included) and we suggest you pop in at the local shop to purchase some drinks and snacks and a map of Etosha showing all the waterholes along the way.

Zebra sighting in Etosha National Park
Rhino sighting on a game drive in Etosha
Cool off in the pool at Ongava Lodge
Ongava Lodge (credit: Dr Olwen Evans)

Etosha is one of Africa’s great game parks. With an estimated 250 lions, 300 rhinos, 2,500 giraffes, 6,000 zebras, 20,000 springbok and 2,000 elephants and 340 species of birds you are sure to see a great variety of wildlife on your safari. You will spend 1 night at Ongava Lodge on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.

Day 09

Full Day Safari in Etosha

Today will take you slowly from one side to the other side of the park stopping at numerous waterholes along the way. Enjoy lunch at the Halali Resort which is halfway between Okaukuejo and the eastern exit gate or take a picnic lunch along and stop off at a waterhole.
You will spend 2 nights at Mushara Outpost on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.

Day 10

Full Day Safari at Etosha

Another full day is set aside for game viewing, either all day or alternate with morning and afternoon guided drive.

Safari tent interior at Mushara Outpost
Walkway to the tents at Mushara Outpost

Day 11

Etosha to Windhoek

Head back to Windhoek today, the roads are all paved so it’s a comfortable ride to arrive in time for your departure flight (You need to be at the airport 2 hours prior and the airport is still a 45-minute to 1 hour drive from town)

Safari Cost (Quoted in ZAR - South African Rand)

Jan - Jun 2025 – Low Season
R161,760 per person sharing - 2 pax
R126,140 per person sharing - 4 pax
R113,730 per person sharing - 6 pax
R32,660 - Single supplement

Jul - Dec 2025 – High Season
R176,155 per person sharing - 2 pax
R137,725 per person sharing - 4 pax
R124,210 per person sharing - 6 pax
R35,725 - Single supplement

Safari Cost Includes

10 Nights Accommodation as indicated - can change depending on availability and request at the time of booking
Meals as indicated
Car hire as per picture below for 2 & 4 pax - for 6 pax the vehicle is slightly larger
All vehicle costs including fuel
All park entry fees
Guide and guide costs
Water in the vehicle at all times
Activities as shown in the itinerary … all activities that can be done with NTS guide and vehicle are included
Tour file with detailed itinerary, map with route descriptions, vouchers etc.
24-hour personal and friendly support
Fast and efficient response to service providers
Transport in a 4X4 Safari Converted Vehicle

Safari Cost Excludes

Items of a personal nature
Optional extra activities
International flights
Holiday or personal insurance
Staff gratuities
Visas and visa applications

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Debbie Isaacs
Debbie Isaacs
21 January 2025
We used African Travel again for the second time over Xmas and New Year. Once again, every little bit of our trip ran smoothly and without a hitch. Their communication was great throughout and we will, no doubt, be returning to them in the future too. Thanks Petru.
Daniel Stewart
Daniel Stewart
08 January 2025
We had the most amazing time on our self drive tour of Namibia organised through African Travel Gateway. Everything from the planning and booking process, to the arrival and welcome in Windhoek, to the app with the itinerary and directions made for a really relaxed and well organised holiday. But the most important part was getting to experience Namibia - what a spectacular country! The only negative was that we should have booked for longer!
Hilda Stanfliet
Hilda Stanfliet
27 December 2024
Amazing hotel booked by Lize of African Travel Gateway, the most attentive service leading up to holiday
Zoe Heelas
Zoe Heelas
27 November 2024
ATG were fantastic from start to finish organising our trip 3 week trip in South Africa.Communication with Debbie was excellent before and during our trip. All accommodation and trips chosen by ATG was fantastic. This is our third trip with ATG and we are already thinking about our next.
Harrison Shore
Harrison Shore
09 November 2024
We used African Travel Gateway to plan our honeymoon, and it was incredible! Putting together the itinerary was really smooth and fun - Lize sent us a few options, and was really quick to make the changes we wanted and let us know what made the most sense. The planning portal had a lot of really useful information so we knew what to expect and made the whole thing very comfortable (this was our first trip to Africa!) The itinerary we ended up with was spectacular, and very well structured. We spent most of our trip in the greater Kruger area (Kapama River Lodge then Walkers Plains Camp) and then finished in Victoria Falls (Vic Falls River Lodge) - each stop was both nicer and more wild than the last, which made for a very cool trip. Some real gems - Walkers and the camp at Victoria Falls had both been open less than a year, and were super luxurious, no way we would have found places like that on our own! And starting at Kapama, which is a bigger operation and a little more controlled (fully fenced, very close to the Hoedspruit airport) was a great way to ease into the trip. The animal viewing at all three locations was amazing - we saw the Big 5 at both camps in South Africa, plus wild dogs and a cheetah at Walkers, and not just from a distance - we were able to get up pretty close at several of the viewings. The guides were excellent at all three, same with the staff, and the other guests! Logistics were seamless - all of our transfers were easy, the lodges knew our schedule and drivers were where they needed to be exactly on time. I would absolutely recommend African Travel Gateway, and hope to work with Lize on our next safari!
Hamdan nazarudin
Hamdan nazarudin
28 September 2024
Contacted Lize to get assistance with our trip. Her help has been really great! Enquiries are replied within a short period. Even asking for last minute arrangement of extra baggage and early hotel check-in. Itinerary are also seamless at every transition of camps and location.
Archie B
Archie B
16 August 2024
Travelled across South Africa with ATG. They picked the most amazing places to stay where we felt like royalty. The planning was efficient and there was regular communication during the booking process. The knowledge of Lize was excellent and so we knew what to expect at each stage. Would we use them again? YES, of course, and we are!!! - Already planning our next trip across Namibia for next year!
yvonne omer
yvonne omer
07 August 2024
We chose African Travel Gateway because of their awesome reviews and they did not disappoint! Bianca created a fabulous itinerary combining a luxury private reserve experience, a trip to Victoria Falls, a riverboat stay viewing the animals from a different perspective, ( and BTW the best scrambled eggs we have ever tasted) and a stay at a lodge where we saw different animals and a ride on a bush plane landing in what seemed the middle of nowhere! Every connection was seamless, no stress traveling at its best.Our hosts and guides were excellent, and lovely people. The food was wonderful and of course loved the sundowner drinks and our first” Bush Bar! Would definitely go back for more adventure, thank you ATG for a lovely experience!
Jennifer Morawiecki
Jennifer Morawiecki
06 August 2024
We've just returned from an incredible two-week holiday across Botswana and Zimbabwe with African Travel Gateway. The arrangements made by Bianca were perfect, the documentation provided was extremely thorough, and every detail of our journey was meticulously planned. Communication was excellent throughout. Coming from North America, we felt it best to work with a travel agent located in Southern Africa and it was absolutely the right choice. Highly recommended!
Maria Lohan
Maria Lohan
01 August 2024
Lize helped us find accommodation in Kruger when there was practically none to be got - and t was the best place. The tours she booked were tremendous and the people she booked were great and we are very grateful and glad we had the opportunity to book with Lize. Maria & family form Belfast
Arishana Riek
Arishana Riek
03 July 2024
Tailormade itinerary with knowledgeable guides (Apartheid Museum and Cradle of Humankind).
Sivan Debeljakovic
Sivan Debeljakovic
03 July 2024
Petru, of African Travel Gateway, planned our 12-day South Africa-Zimbabwe itinerary for three of us (arriving from two continents). Her expertise, keen insights, and care in arranging the most perfect accommodation for us, prompt and efficient transfers/drivers, and booking all internal flights, meant this was the smoothest, most enjoyable holiday experience, ever! We covered a lot of ground in a short time, but the precision-timing with transfers, and Petru's choice of such knowledgeable and personable tour guides really made all the difference. Huge thanks to Natasha (Afrifriends) and Chris (Paradise)! Highlights were: The Peech Hotel in J'burg (delightful boutique hotel with a fabulous breakfast - thank you, Oliver!); Ilala Lodge in Zimbabwe; Nkorho Bush Lodge in Sabi Sand (if you want up close & personal experiences with the wildlife, this is where you need to go!); Rickety Bridge Manor House in Franschhoek (perfectly appointed and beautiful accommodation); Boschendal Winery (try the pinotage; farm shop is a must!); Woodstock Markets in Cape Town (so much to see and buy here!). We had the most exceptional holiday – we will definitely return to SA in the future, and will be utilising the expert services of Petru at ATG. Thank you again, Petru.
Sergio Santini
Sergio Santini
03 June 2024
Petru has been our reference person at African Travel Gateway: she organised our self-drive travel through South Africa during April 2024. The itinerary has been tailored according to our wishes and her suggestions. She did a great job , fully meeting our requirements and tacking care about us in real time even during the trip. We really enjoyed the safaris she proposed and we saw what has to be seen in this beautiful country for a 3 weeks visit. The TravelKey App was new for us; it is an efficient tool and has been a very positive experience, having everything filed in the HP.
lilia sanabria
lilia sanabria
25 May 2024
I recently returned from an unforgettable trip to Namibia, and I owe it all to Bianca and her exceptional expertise! From the moment I contacted African Travel Gateway, Bianca was warm, knowledgeable, and dedicated to crafting a personalized itinerary that exceeded my expectations. Bianca not only helped me plan a seamless trip, but also introduced me to an incredible guide, Nicco Visser, who brought the country to life with his expertise, love for his country and passion for photography. With Nicco by my side, I experienced the real Namibia - from the stunning landscapes and incredible wildlife to the vibrant culture and warm hospitality of the people. Thank you, Bianca, for connecting me with Nicco and helping me create memories that will stay with me forever!"
Bill Lenew
Bill Lenew
13 May 2024
Amazing, Outstanding and Fabulous are a few words to describe our Safari. This was my 7th African Safari, that Lize at So. African Travel has planned for my Family and Friends. All of them were extremely over the top and satisfying. From the accommodations, to the food and most of all seeing all of the Big Five at every Lodge. I highly recommend using Lize, as she has always given us many options to pick from. All of which have been perfectly organized by Lize. Once you fly into Johannesburg, she reserves a room for you at the Hotel right next to the airport. Then the next morning we fly into the Krueger to get to our Lodge. She also organizes the flight for you. And then after the Safari, we usually go into Cape Town, which she also organizes that flight too. We can't say enough about what a Great Travel Agent Lize is. If you want your trip to be perfect call Lize! Thank you Lize! as I said before "You're the Best"! Karen Lenew.
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