A 12-night, 13-day self -drive tour

This is a self-drive tour. The itinerary includes highlights of the northern and central parts of Namibia, such as Waterberg, Etosha National Park, Twyfelfontein, the central coast, and Sossusvlei.

Accommodation is in top-quality hotels and lodges throughout.

DAYS 1 & 2: Windhoek - As Windhoek is the capital city of Namibia and offers a lot that is of cultural and historical interest, we recommend that you should spend one full day at leisure in the city. Because of its situation and the fact that it is the site of the country’s major airport, many visitors begin and end their Namibian holiday in Windhoek.

Accommodation: Olive Grove Guest House or Hotel Heinitzburg

Activities: General tour of the city; historical walking tour; township tour; craft centres; places of particular historical interest, such as those connected with the German period, the South African period, and the independence period; browsing the stores and bookshops; relaxing with a coffee or a beer at a cafe in or just off Independence Avenue, absorbing the ambience of Namibia.

DAY 3: Waterberg - Driving north from Windhoek, you pass through central Namibia's expansive bush-dotted grasslands that provide grazing for herds of cattle as well as for a wide variety of antelopes and other wild creatures. Motorists often see troops of baboons, small antelopes, and warthogs along the roadsides. Soon after leaving Windhoek, you can stop at the large open-air curio markets, featuring original carvings, that are situated at the northern and southern edges of Okahandja.

Accommodation: Waterberg Wilderness Lodge

Activities: Game viewing, walks and hikes, climbing to the top of the red sandstone Waterberg escarpment to enjoy the magnificent view.

DAYS 4, 5, & 6: Etosha National Park - Today you drive to Ongava Safari Lodge, which is situated just outside the Andersson gate, the western entrance to the highly reputed Etosha National Park, a major destination for a holiday in Namibia. Your route takes you through Otjiwarongo and Outjo, towns that are typical of Namibia's central areas.

Accommodation: Ongava Lodge

Activities: Game drives in Etosha as well as in Ongava's own reserve; guided walks with an armed guide to track white rhino; night game drives.

DAY 7: Twyfelfontein - Drive to Twyfelfontein, observing how the terrain becomes drier and more barren as you travel westwards and approach the desert proper. Between Khorixas and Twyfelfontein, stop at the Petrified Forest to marvel at the fossilised remains of huge trees that were deposited here by prehistoric floods. Continue to Twyfelfontein, which has some of the most renowned rock paintings and engravings in Southern Africa. Nearby, there are interesting rock formations and awe-inspiring evidence of prehistoric volcanic action in the Organ Pipes and Burnt Mountain.

Accommodation: Mowani Mountain Camp

Activities (optional): Viewing rock art and unusual geological phenomena; walking and hiking; enjoying the impressive views across the Aba-Huab Valley; possibly sighting wild animals that have adapted to the harsh environment, such as giraffes, springboks, and ostriches - and, most renowned of all, the desert-dwelling elephants.

DAYS 8, 9 & 10: Atlantic Coast - Drive to Swakopmund, Namibia's premier holiday resort and the centre of the West Coast Recreational Area. Your route passes the massif of the Brandberg Mountain, Namibia's highest, which looms dramatically from the surrounding desert plains. The Brandberg contains the iconic 'White Lady' rock painting, as well as many other notable galleries.

Accommodation: Hansa Hotel

Activities (optional): Set between dry desert and fertile ocean, with its German