Red dunes, desert wildlife and wide open roads
Namibia in southwest Africa is a land of deserts, huge skies and very few people. Its red Sossusvlei dunes, Etosha's wildlife and the misty Skeleton Coast are famous. Good gravel roads make it one of the best self drive safari countries. It suits road trippers, photographers and wildlife fans.
Tap a card or a pin. Add a place to a day of your trip, or look for tours.
Tall red dunes around white clay pans in the Namib Sand Sea. Dune 45 and Big Daddy are favourite climbs.
A white clay pan with dead camel thorn trees against red dunes. It is one of Africa's most photographed places.
A huge salt pan with waterholes that draw elephants, lions and rhinos. Self drive game viewing is easy.
A seaside town with German era buildings and adventure activities in the dunes. It is a break from the desert.
Flamingos crowd the lagoon, and dunes fall straight into the sea at Sandwich Harbour. Boat tours see seals and dolphins.
A foggy shore of shipwrecks, seal colonies and desert dunes. Much of it is remote.
One of the largest canyons in the world, with viewpoints along the rim. A five day trail runs along the bottom in winter.
Thousands of rock engravings of animals and people made by hunter gatherers. A guide walks you around.
Rugged red mountains where desert adapted elephants and rhinos roam. Lodges offer tracking drives.
Granite peaks rising from the plains, with rock arches and San paintings. Camping under the stars is popular.
An abandoned diamond mining town slowly filling with sand. Guided tours run in the morning.
A green strip of rivers and wetlands in the northeast with elephants, hippos and birds. It contrasts with the desert.
The small capital has a German era church, museums and good restaurants. It is the start of most trips.
A private reserve and dark sky area with fairy circles and dunes. Lodges offer scenic flights.
Remote northwest land of the Himba people with waterfalls on the Kunene River. Roads are rough.
Everything above is open to read. A Hodolog account lets you build the trip around it: pick cities, add places to days, see the weather for your dates.
Each city with a guide opens its own page: map, where to stay, what to eat.
Capital and car hire base.
gateway · Open the city guideGateway to Sossusvlei.
nature · Guide comingCoast and adventure.
adventure · Guide comingEtosha rest camp.
wildlife · Guide comingCoastal town near Kolmanskop.
history · Guide comingDamaraland base.
nature · Guide comingLagoon birdlife and boat trips with seals and dolphins.
wildlife, coast · Guide comingA base on the east side of the park for waterhole viewing.
safari, wildlife · Guide comingA practical halt on the road north, close to the cheetah and Waterberg area.
stopover, wildlife · Guide comingAccess to the Zambezi Region and a route toward Victoria Falls.
rivers, birds · Guide comingRed dunes and pans.
Sossusvlei, Deadvlei, NamibRand
Fog, towns and flamingos.
Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Sandwich Harbour
Mountains, rock art and desert elephants.
Damaraland, Twyfelfontein, Spitzkoppe
Etosha and the Himba lands.
Etosha, Epupa Falls
Canyons and ghost towns.
Fish River Canyon, Kolmanskop
Classic savanna wildlife viewing around a vast salt pan.
Etosha, Waterberg, Epupa Falls
Choose how long you have, then add the whole route to a trip as places and nights.
Best: May to October. The dry winter brings clear skies and animals gather at waterholes.
The coast is cool and foggy all year, and the interior gets very hot from November to March.
January. Quiet season. Lower prices, fewer crowds.
89°F daily high, 75°F average, 3.5 in
Average of past years from NASA POWER, worked out at each city's position. A place far from these cities can be quite different.
The US State Department rates Namibia Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution due to crime and limited health care.
Self drive is easiest, but distances are long and most roads are gravel.
Fuel and food are moderate; lodges in parks can be expensive.
Entry rules depend on your passport. Members see the rules for their own passport here.
Passport and visa rules change often and without notice. Always check the official pages before you book and again before you travel.
| Entry | Rules change, so check the "Services for foreign nationals" page of the Namibian High Commission in London and your own government's travel advice before you book. |
| Plugs | Type D, M; 220 V |
| Tap water | varies |
| Tipping | 10 percent in restaurants and tips for guides are customary. |
| Payments | Cards are accepted in towns and lodges; carry cash for fuel stations in remote areas. |
| Emergency | 10111, 999 or 112 |
| Etiquette | Greet people before asking questions. Ask before photographing people, especially in Himba communities. |
| What to wear | Casual clothes are fine, with modest dress in villages; bring layers because desert nights are cold. |
| Driving | On the left |
| Between cities | Self drive in a 4x4 is the classic way, on long gravel roads with few fuel stations. Guided tours and fly in safaris are alternatives. Drive only in daylight. |
| Main airports | WDH |
| Ride apps | Yango, Lefa |
San people have lived here for many thousands of years, and the Twyfelfontein rock engravings are a UNESCO site. Germany colonised the territory from 1884, and its war against the Herero and Nama peoples is now recognised as genocide. South Africa then ruled it, extending apartheid laws. Namibia won independence in 1990 after a long liberation struggle.
Researched 2026-10-13. Check official sources and recent changes before you go.