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Safaris From Windhoek - Compare 179 Tours

Namibia is one of the best places to go on safari in southern Africa, and Windhoek is the perfect place to get started. Namibia offers an intriguing mix of wildlife and wild landscapes; the variety of what’s on offer here is unbelievable. Highlights are many and might include the incredible wildlife of Etosha National Park, the perfectly sculpted sand dunes of Sossusvlei, the wilderness appeal of the Skeleton Coast, the jaw-dropping hiking terrain of Fish River Canyon, the wildlife secrets and ancient rock art of Damaraland, and so much more. In fact, there is so much to see in Namibia that the most difficult thing is choosing what you don’t have time to see.

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5 Questions About Namibia Safaris From Windhoek

 
 

5 Questions About Namibia Safaris From Windhoek

Answered by Anthony Ham

How much time do I need for a Namibia safari from Windhoek?

“The longer you can spend on your safari from Windhoek, the better it will be for you. Namibia is a really big country and the distances between attractions can be huge. The size of the country has big implications for your trip and careful planning is required: do you fly or do you travel by road? Do you spend a lot of time in a few places or try to see as many places as possible? If you were to visit the country’s two most popular attractions (Etosha and Sossusvlei), I would recommend a week as a minimum, allowing you to spend some time in Damaraland on your way between the two. And obviously if you fly between destinations, you’ll be able to spend more time in each place rather than traveling around: you could do Etosha and Sossusvlei in 5 days if you fly each step of the journey, but this is not a cheap or (for many travelers) affordable way to get around.”

1

Which parks should I visit from Windhoek?

“It doesn’t matter how you design your safari from Windhoek, but you really should make sure that you have time for Etosha National Park (for the wildlife) and Namib-Naukluft National Park (which is home to the sand dunes of Sossusvlei). These are Namibia’s major attractions, and for very good reason. When it comes to wildlife, Erindi Game Reserve and Okonjima Nature Reserve are outstanding and accessible off the road between Windhoek and Etosha. Damaraland is also always very high on my list, whether it’s for the chance to see desert-adapted lion, elephant and rhino, or for the austere beauty of its landscapes. The Cape fur seals of Cape Cross are also worth including. If you’re willing to travel farther afield, Bwabwata and Nkasa Rupara (Mamili) National Parks are brilliant and see very few visitors. For scenery, anywhere along the Skeleton Coast is beautiful, while Fish River Canyon and the adventure activities out of Swakopmund are highly recommended.”

2

What are the pros and cons of a Namibia self-drive safari?

“Namibia is one of the best countries in Africa for a self-drive safari, and operators here are very well set up to organize self-drive tours of the country. Namibia may be vast, but it has an excellent road network that connects the major attractions. And wherever you go off-road, there are excellent, fenced campsites, often overlooking a waterhole that attracts wildlife. Driving your own vehicle also means being in control of your own safari, and you’ll have the freedom to go where you want to go and to do so at the time of your choosing. In short, you don’t have to factor in anyone else when making decisions. The main disadvantage of choosing a self-drive safari is that you won’t have a guide to show you around and teach you about what you’re seeing. Nor will you get to share the road with other like-minded safari travelers, although whether that’s a pro or a con will depend on your perspective and personality.”

3

Is Windhoek the main gateway for a Namibia safari?

“Windhoek is definitely the main gateway for a Namibia safari. That’s because it has the country’s only international airport: all flights into Namibia touch down in Windhoek. Once you’re in the country, only planes from Windhoek fly into any of the smaller airstrips around the country. Windhoek is not especially close to any other attractions (most are at least two hours away by road, and often much more). But it is in the heart of the country and the hub of the country’s road and air network. The only exception to any of this is if you arrive into the country by road from Botswana, South Africa or Zambia. I have done this often when on a self-drive safari. As long as you have a good map and/or GPS system, and your operator has provided you with a detailed itinerary, then it can work very easily without you passing through Windhoek.”

4

Do safari tours include hotel pickup and drop-off in Windhoek?

“It all depends on where your safari begins, but yes, most operators will offer this service as part of their safari package inclusions. Some tour companies will actually do the pickup at the airport on your arrival in Namibia. When this is the case, they will meet you at the airport and either take you to your Windhoek hotel or directly out on safari, depending on the time of day and your itinerary. The same process should happen in reverse at the end. As always with inclusions, if you are unsure about what is included, ask your operator before handing over any money. Most will happily give you a list of everything that is included, as well as point out things for which you’ll pay extra.”

5

Namibia Safari Reviews

4.6/5 293 Reviews
Expert
Emma Gregg  –  
United Kingdom UK

Emma is an award-winning travel writer for Rough Guides, National Geographic Traveller, Travel Africa magazine and The Independent.

A Place To Bond With the Desert and Marvel at the Stars
5/5

It’s rare for travellers to return from Namibia with anything other than glowing praise. I’m always impressed by the spacious drama of its desert landscapes, where oryx pick their way over towering, apricot-coloured dunes or stare out...

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Expert
Lizzie Williams  –  
South Africa ZA

Lizzie authored many guidebooks, including Footprint guides to South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

Unspoilt Wilderness and Unique and Stunning Landscapes Offering a Variety of Contrasting Safari Experiences
5/5

This hauntingly beautiful country stretches along the west coast of southern Africa, with wide open spaces, big skies and some of the earth’s most mystical and vivid sunsets. Any visitor is blown away by the way Namibia ‘looks’ –...

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Greg Lightfoot  –  
Australia AU
Reviewed: Jan 19, 2026
Picturesque
5/5

First time to Namibia. First time doing a Father and Son Self Drive Safari. Katya from Desert Air Africa Safari's was excellent in packaging up our individual requirements and adding her personal touches. The drive through Okonjima...

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Claus Lillelund  –  
Denmark DK
Reviewed: Jan 16, 2026
Namibia has a fantastic nature, friendly people and is a joy to explore - just WAUW
5/5

I have been in Africa many times (+20) and in Namibia now 4 times - this was a family round trip in our rented LandCruiser ower 14 days and we stayed 8 places - 6 was luxury lodges and drove 3.500 km. First time for my family to explore...

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Thorbjorn Sommer  –  
Denmark DK
Reviewed: Dec 14, 2025
Amazing
5/5

We had a wonderful trip in Namibia, arranged by Wilderness Tour. Pepi Kern was a very competent guide and everything was arrangered very smooth, excellent pilots on the Cesna flights and drivers, great accomodations with wonderfull...

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Marisa  –  
Australia AU
Reviewed: Dec 2, 2025
Namibia is very interesting, it's dunes unforgettable, wildlife unbelievable, arid, worth visiting.
4/5

Namibia is very diverse. Windhoek, the capital beautiful, Etosha National Park full of wildlife, exciting. The skeleton coast quite unique with its city Swakopmund very German influence and pretty. The Namib dunes, one of the oldest...

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