The Perfect Namibia Itinerary: How to Road Trip From Windhoek to Fish River Canyon

Namibia is one of those destinations that’s starting to get traction but still feels raw and untouched by mass tourism. So, is it worth flying across the world and using your precious PTO? The answer is absofuckinglutely! There are plenty of unique experiences not to miss in Namibia.
In this guide, I’ll give you the usual tips — where to stop, when to go — but I’ll also dig deeper into whether you can self-drive and what kind of car you should rent.
Below is my itinerary with all my tips after driving through the country for more than 10 days.

A Little About Namibia

Long before European colonization, the San, Himba, and Herero peoples lived across this rugged land, leaving behind traces of their presence in ancient rock carvings at Twyfelfontein. The country’s name itself comes from the Namib Desert, one of the world’s oldest landscapes, which has shaped both its culture and its rhythm of life for thousands of years.
Then, of course, the Europeans came and disrupted everything. In the late 19th century, Namibia became a German colony known as German South West Africa, a legacy still visible today in cities like Swakopmund and Lüderitz with their colonial facades and German bakeries. After ethnic cleansing and World War I, South Africa took control, and it wasn’t until 1990 that Namibia finally gained independence. Since then, it has become one of Africa’s most stable nations, known for its strong conservation efforts, vast open spaces, and unique blend of African and European influences.

A Little Q&A Before Starting

How many days do you need to visit Namibia?

We did 10 days, and it was barely enough. I suggest staying longer if you can, as you’ll be doing a lot of driving and there are so many things to do. You’ll also need to choose which parts of the country to prioritize and make some tough decisions. Most people decide to do a loop to the north of the country or focus on the south. We did the latter as we were crossing the border to South Africa afterwards. Keep reading for the complete trip itinerary.

What’s the best time to visit Namibia?

The best time to visit is during the dry season from May to October, when animals crowd around waterholes. If you don’t mind a little rain, the green season (November to March) transforms the desert into a softer, greener version of itself.
We went in September for my birthday, and it was the perfect plan!

How much does a trip to Namibia cost?

A trip to Namibia can fit different budgets, but expect to spend around $150–250 USD per day for a mid-range self-drive trip (rental car, fuel, park fees, and comfortable lodges).
Budget travellers who camp and cook can do it for under $100 USD/day, while luxury lodges and guided safaris can easily reach $400–700 USD/day.
The biggest expense is usually the car rental.
This article is for a mid-range self-drive trip.

What wildlife can I see in Namibia?

Namibia is a wildlife lover’s dream: elephants, lions, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, cheetahs, antelopes — especially in Etosha National Park.
In Damaraland, you can see rare desert-adapted elephants and black rhinos, while the Skeleton Coast and Walvis Bay offer seals, flamingos, and dolphins.
With this itinerary, you get to see a little of everything.

How’s the internet and cell service?

Internet and cell service are reliable in cities like Windhoek and Swakopmund, but they drop quickly in remote areas or parks.
eSIM companies don’t always have Namibia in their options, so your best bet is to buy a local SIM at the airport. Even though we arrived late at night, the cell shop was open for business.
I would also highly recommend downloading offline maps, since you’ll often go hours without signal. Since you will be doing a multi-day road trip, downloading playlists and podcasts will not hurt either; sometimes there was no radio signal either — but that’s part of the charm.

What are the accommodation options?

There’s something for every budget. We did a mix of guesthouses, lodges, and Airbnbs. Since we were four travellers, we often took two rooms or a full apartment. And yes, we did sleep at the giraffe hotel. More on that later!
👉🏽 Pro tip: Namibia is becoming very popular, and accommodations book months in advance. We started booking 4 months ahead, and the options were already limited. So my recommendation is that you book as soon as you can.

Driving in Namibia

Probably the first thing you’ll need to figure out is whether you want to do a self-drive trip. And the answer is YES! You don’t need a safari company to drive you around; it’s very easy and safe to drive yourself, and you can go at your own pace. Trust me. Why should you take advice from someone who doesn’t even have a driving license? Well, we were a group of 4, with 3 drivers. I did consult them to write the article based on our first-hand experience.

But Mel, I want to see tons of animals, so am I better off with a tour company? No, you will see plenty of animals even if you are by yourself.
If you want guided safaris in the parks, you can arrange them directly with the lodges. We did two guided drives in Etosha to learn more about the animals — wildlife experts know exactly where to take you. The two options are not mutually exclusive.
Remember, when observing wildlife on your own, follow the rules: don’t leave the car and keep a safe distance so you don’t disrupt the animals.

Mel, it's dangerous! No, Namibia is a very safe country, and all the travellers are doing the same as you! While researching, I reached out to a friend who runs a safari company in South Africa, and she told me not to take her tours but to do it self-drive instead. So you've got to trust the experts!

A few important things to know when planning your self-drive Namibia road trip

When researching for the trip, we kept reading that Namibia road conditions were terrible, but honestly, they’re better than the ones in Montreal. If you’re used to driving in Québec, Namibia feels like home — except, of course, for the giraffes, elephants, and the desert. You will swap your moose sign for elephant signs.

Road Types

There are multiple types of roads, and they are classified so you can know what the roads are ahead of time.

Namibia classifies its roads with letters (A, B, C, D) followed by numbers, each letter indicating the type and quality of the road surface. Here is a little explanation:

• A Roads: These are main international highways, connecting Namibia to neighbouring countries (e.g., South Africa, Botswana, Angola). They are fully paved (tarred) and maintained to high standards. There aren’t many of them; they’re mainly used for cross-border transport and trade rather than tourism.

• B Roads: These are primary national roads that link major towns and cities across the country (for example, the B1 from South Africa through Windhoek up to the north). They’re asphalted and in excellent condition, suitable for any type of vehicle.

• C Roads: These are secondary roads, usually gravel roads, but generally well-maintained. They connect smaller towns and key tourist destinations. These roads are drivable with a 2WD car.

• D Roads: These are tertiary or district roads, mostly untreated gravel or sand, often rough and corrugated. They lead to remote areas, lodges, or scenic detours (like parts of Damaraland or the Skeleton Coast).

Which car to rent?

It’s strongly recommended to rent a 4x4 for comfort and safety. We took an Isuzu D-Max, which is similar to a Hilux. I would not, in any case, rent a small city car like a Corolla.

Tips:

• Distances are long and gas stations are far apart, so always fill up. Bring extra water and snacks.
  If you are worried about the state of the toilets on the road, worry not; every stop we used was very clean. For snacks, we often stopped at bigger villages and made stops at supermarkets.

• Avoid driving after dark. Wildlife crosses at night, and roads are unlit.

• Download offline maps, playlists, and podcasts.

• Have two spare wheels just in case.

• Inspect the car when you pick it up: check tyres, ask about the age of the vehicle, its condition, and what’s included (e.g., spare tyre, jack, compressor for tyre pressure).

• They drive on the left.

• Travel insurance is important. Choose a rental company that is transparent about insurance, breakdown support, and what happens if you’re stranded. Don’t go cheap on the car rental; you will spend most of your vacation inside, so you want to be comfortable and be sure you will not have any accidents. We chose Hertz since we have points with the company, and we could leave the car in Cape Town.

Your 10-Day Namibia Itinerary

With this itinerary, you will be doing an average of 6 hours driving hours per stop.

• Windhoek: 2 days

• Etosha: 3 days

• Damaraland: 1 day

• Walvis Bay: 2 days

• Sossusvlei: 2 days

• Fish River Canyon: 2 days

We continued to Cape Town afterward. If you’re returning to Windhoek, you’ll need one extra day.

Namibia Travel Itinerary Details

Windhoek

Windhoek (pronounced VIND-hook) is the capital and most likely your arrival point. It’s a small city with not much to do. Visit Christuskirche, the Independence Memorial Museum, and the Craft Centre. The museum was underwhelming and missing many explanations.
Take the day to rest, stock up on essentials (water, snacks, fuel, SIM card), and get used to driving on the left.

Where we stayed:

On the first night, we stayed downtown in an Airbnb, as we had a late arrival.
On the second night, we stayed at the lovely Voigtland Guesthouse, which is 30 min outside Windhoek. It is famous for its two resident giraffes, Sophie and Gustav. It’s a small hotel with just a handful of rooms. You have breakfast and high tea with the giraffes. The animal interaction is very ethical (I wouldn’t be talking about it otherwise); they roam freely on their vast property and have plenty of food available besides the yummy treats you will give them. If they don’t want to come, they won’t bother; nobody is forcing the animals.

Plus, you get to enjoy the pool or their different activities like biking or hiking. We only stayed one night for my birthday, but I wished I had stayed at least 1 more night to enjoy the property more. Plus, the food is delicious.

Etosha National Park

Your second stop on your two-week road trip is Etosha National Park, which covers more than 22,000 km² and is home to elephants, lions, rhinos, giraffes, and countless antelopes.
The park centres around a massive salt pan visible from space. Once a lake, it dried up thousands of years ago and now attracts huge numbers of animals in the dry season. The park was established as a game reserve in 1907 under German rule; you can still see traces of that history in old stone forts like Namutoni.
Spend your days driving from one waterhole to another — that’s where all the action happens. In the dry season, animals gather in huge numbers. Don’t rush; enjoy the privilege of seeing them.

Where we stayed:

Our third stay on our Namibia trip was at Emanya Lodge, just outside the park gates. They had a pool, great food, and knowledgeable guides for game drives. We did 2 guided game drives that we had reserved upon arrival. We also did a self-drive safari in the afternoon.

Damaraland

Driving south from Etosha, the landscape changes dramatically. Damaraland is rugged, remote, and known for striking rock formations and desert-adapted wildlife.
Twyfelfontein is a UNESCO site due to its thousands of San rock engravings. Unfortunately, it was too far for us, so we did not visit it.
Instead, we stayed in Uis, a small former mining town between Swakopmund and Etosha — a convenient stop toward Walvis Bay and Spitzkoppe.
Uis was once known for its tin mines; today, it’s a quiet stopover popular with road-trippers exploring Brandberg Mountain, home to Namibia’s highest peak and the famous White Lady rock painting. But due to time constraints, we didn’t do these either.

Spitzkoppe, often called the “Matterhorn of Namibia,” is a striking group of granite peaks. These ancient formations, some over 700 million years old, glow in shades of orange and red at sunrise and sunset. The area is also rich in San rock art, offering a glimpse into Namibia’s earliest inhabitants, and its natural rock arches and boulders make it one of the most scenic places to stargaze in the entire country. Spitzkoppe is not technically Damaraland but just at the edge.

If you are into film locations, this is where 2001: A Space Odyssey was filmed.

Walvis Bay

After days of desert heat, reaching the coast feels refreshing. Walvis Bay is known for its lagoon filled with flamingos, pelicans, and seals. It is a more industrial town with not much to do.
Swakopmund is the main town of the region. It is a lively seaside town with many hip cafés, restaurants, and German-influenced architecture.
We stayed in Walvis Bay since it was cheaper and closer to the activities we wanted, but Swakopmund has a lot more things to do. If I had to choose between the two without any other constraints, I would choose Swakopmund, hands down.

What did we do here?

Kayaking with Seals

The moment I found out we could kayak with seals, it became a must-do. Kayaking with the whales in the Saint Lawrence River is one of my favourite travel memories, so kayaking with cute seals was of course something I had to do!

The Cape fur seals are fun and curious; they will swim right up to your kayak. Some of them might jump on your embarkation or will play with your paddle. I really enjoyed this ethical animal experience, as you are told to observe them from far; you get to see them play, go swim for hunting, or just lying in the sand sunbathing. We took Pelican Point Kayaking since they support conservation efforts. On the excursion, you can bring your own car to Pelican Point or you can jump with the tour. We chose to keep our car and follow the tour, and we got to see jackals and the pink lake.
We used Pelican Point Kayaking, which supports conservation efforts.

👉🏽Pro tip: The water is cold; bring warm clothes to change afterward.

Quad Biking on the Dunes

We did another fun activity: we took a quad tour on the dunes. Tours range from one hour to longer adventures. We did a 1-hour tour, and that was enough for me. I wasn’t driving — just a passenger — and it wasn’t super comfortable. Also, I was a bit scared. I didn’t drive because I’m not comfortable with these things — I mean, I don’t even have a driver's license.

The Namib Desert was used as a filming location for Mad Max: Fury Road.

Sossusvlei & Sandwich Harbour

If you’ve seen pictures of Namibia, they were probably from here. And they deserve all of the awe that they generate.
Deadvlei is a white clay pan with ancient camel thorn trees standing like sculptures.
Sossusvlei, inside Namib-Naukluft National Park, has the famous Dune 45 and Big Daddy. Did you know they are some of the tallest red sand dunes in the world?
The other couple we were travelling with did a hot air balloon tour, and the views looked beautiful. If you have the budget, they strongly suggest it. In the meantime, I visited Sesriem Canyon. The canyon is carved by the Tsauchab River and offers beautiful viewpoints. When I came back, a group of monkeys was trying to get into cars. I spent 20 minutes just watching them play.

👉🏽Pro tip: Sossusvlei is HOT. We visited in September, and it was sweltering. Bring tons of water, a hat, sunscreen, and something to cover your shoulders.

Sandwich Harbour

Visiting Namibia was high on my bucket list, in part due to the iconic Sandwich Harbour. This is a stretch where towering dunes plunge straight into the Atlantic Ocean. You can only reach it with a 4x4 guided tour, as the tides and shifting sands make the route unpredictable. The drive takes you along the beach with waves on one side and massive dunes on the other, stopping at viewpoints where the desert meets the sea. Truly, a must-do.

Where we stayed:

Solitaire Desert Farm is a lodge at the foot of the Rantberg Mountains. They offer hiking, biking, nature drives, and night drives.
We chose this place because they are at the centre of the Solitaire Land Trust, dedicated to preserving the natural habitat of the Namib Desert and bordering grasslands for endemic zebra and vulnerable cheetah populations that historically reside here. Their biggest highlight, which they don’t promote enough, is that they provide a safe environment for rescued and rehabilitated cheetahs that can’t be released back into the wild. You jump into a car and go into their enclosure and get to see them up close. I have to say that a house cat roars more strongly than they do. In the tour, you get to learn about Namibia’s cheetah population, the challenges of human-wildlife conflict, and how responsible tourism helps fund their care.

Fish River Canyon

This is the second-largest canyon in the world! The viewpoints near Hobas are stunning at sunrise and sunset. This is the perfect place to grab a beer or wine and just enjoy the views!
If you’re up for adventure, there’s the Fish River Canyon Hike, a five-day trek that follows the riverbed deep into the canyon (you’ll need a permit and to go with a guide). We, of course, didn’t do that, but just enjoying the panoramas was worth going.

Quiver Tree Forest and Giants Playground

Quiver Tree Forest and Giants Playground are near Keetmanshoop. These giant aloes create beautiful silhouettes, and the area is full of cute rock hyraxes sunbathing on the rocks. It’s one of the best places in Namibia for night photography.
Nearby you can visit Giants Playground, massive dolerite rock formations formed about 180 million years ago when molten lava pushed through the Earth’s surface and slowly cooled, cracking into geometric blocks. Over time, wind and erosion sculpted them into the surreal shapes you see today.

Where we stayed:

Here we stayed at the Canyon Roadhouse. It is part of the Gondwana Collection; it sits just outside Fish River Canyon and feels like a quirky blend of desert lodge and vintage car museum. The Gondwana Collection is one of Namibia’s best-known lodge groups; you can't miss them, they have lodges everywhere. They are on the more expensive side, but we did not have many options in the south of the country since tourism is not as developed. The group has a commitment to community involvement and conservation: many of their properties sit on private nature reserves that protect wildlife and support local jobs.

Practical Tips for Travelling in Namibia

Currency

The Namibian Dollar (NAD) is pegged 1:1 with the South African Rand (ZAR). Both are accepted everywhere. Credit cards are widely accepted. Always carry a bit of cash just in case.

Safety

Namibia is one of the safest countries in Africa.
Distances are long, so let someone know your route, carry plenty of water, and always have a spare tire and first-aid kit. Don’t leave valuables in the car.

What to Pack

Bring layers, as temperatures swing from hot desert days to chilly nights. Make sure to pack a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses.

Tap Water

Tap water is safe in major cities like Windhoek and Swakopmund. In remote areas, stick to bottled or filtered water. Bring a reusable bottle with a filter.

Vaccinations & Medication

No mandatory vaccines are required to enter Namibia, but routine immunizations (tetanus, hepatitis A/B, typhoid) are recommended. If you plan to visit the Zambezi Region (Caprivi Strip), consider taking malaria prophylaxis — ask your doctor which option suits you best. Pack basic medication for headaches, stomach upsets, and allergies, as pharmacies can be limited outside major towns.

Tipping

Tipping is customary but not mandatory. In restaurants, a 10% tip is appreciated if service isn’t already included. For guides, drivers, and lodge staff, small daily tips go a long way — around N$50–100 per person per day, depending on the service. Keep small bills handy for convenience.

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