14 Day Namibia Self-Drive Itinerary
Two weeks is where a Namibia trip stops feeling like a race. You keep the classic loop, add Damaraland and Spitzkoppe, open with a soft Kalahari night to shake off the flight, and still get three nights in Etosha.
- Nights
- 13
- Total distance
- 3,400 km
- Longest drive
- 420 km
- Overnight areas
- 8
What the 4x4 costs for 14 days
Green season (Nov–Mar)
N$28,470
N$2,190 per day · Toyota Hilux Double Cab 2.4 + camping, 4 pax
Peak season (15 Jul–31 Aug)
N$46,150
N$3,550 per day · Toyota Hilux Double Cab 2.4 + camping, 4 pax
Vehicle only, unlimited kilometres, read straight from our published rate tables. Accommodation, park fees, fuel and activities are quoted separately.
The route
- 1
Windhoek · 1 night
City guesthouse
- 2
Kalahari · 1 night
Kalahari Anib Lodge or a red-dune campsite
- 3
Sesriem / Sossusvlei · 2 nights
Sesriem Campsite or Sossus Dune Lodge
- 4
Swakopmund · 2 nights
Swakopmund town hotel
- 5
Spitzkoppe · 1 night
Spitzkoppe community campsite
- 6
Damaraland · 2 nights
Twyfelfontein-area lodge or campsite
- 7
Etosha · 3 nights
Okaukuejo, Halali and Namutoni
- 8
Waterberg · 1 night
Waterberg Resort
Mostly gravel between Sesriem, the coast and Damaraland; tar on the Etosha return.
This route suits
- ▪First-time visitors with a full two weeks
- ▪Families — no driving day is longer than five hours
- ▪Anyone who wants desert elephants and rock art as well as the dunes
It does not suit
- ▪Travellers who must see Fish River Canyon and the Caprivi as well
Day by day
- Day 1
Arrive Windhoek
Handover, supplies and a night in the city.
Overnight: Windhoek
- Day 2
Windhoek to the Kalahari
250 km · 3 hrsAn easy first drive south on tar. Red dunes, a sundowner drive and an early night.
Overnight: Kalahari
- Day 3
Kalahari to Sesriem
380 km · 5 hrsWest across the Naukluft escarpment. Gravel most of the way, with a long empty stretch — fuel at Maltahöhe.
Overnight: Sesriem
- Day 4
Sossusvlei and Deadvlei
130 km · 1.5 hrs in-parkSunrise at Deadvlei, Dune 45 and Sesriem Canyon. A second night here means no packing up in the dark.
Overnight: Sesriem
- Day 5
Sesriem to Swakopmund
350 km · 5 hrsSolitaire, the Gaub and Kuiseb passes, then the gravel plains to the Atlantic.
Overnight: Swakopmund
- Day 6
Coast day
60 km · 1 hrSandwich Harbour or the Walvis Bay lagoon in the morning, town in the afternoon.
Overnight: Swakopmund
- Day 7
Swakopmund to Spitzkoppe
160 km · 2 hrsShort hop inland to the granite inselbergs. Arrive early enough to walk to the rock arch before sunset.
Overnight: Spitzkoppe
- Day 8
Spitzkoppe to Damaraland
280 km · 4 hrsNorth through Uis with Brandberg on your left. Twyfelfontein rock engravings in the afternoon.
Overnight: Damaraland
- Day 9
Damaraland
120 km · Half dayDesert elephant tracking in the Huab or Aba-Huab riverbeds, the Organ Pipes and Burnt Mountain, then a long slow sundowner.
Overnight: Damaraland
- Day 10
Damaraland to Etosha
350 km · 5 hrsEast via Khorixas and Outjo to the Andersson Gate. Afternoon game drive to the first waterholes.
Overnight: Okaukuejo
- Day 11
Etosha south and central
150 km · Full day in-parkMorning waterhole circuit, pan edge at midday, floodlit waterhole after dark.
Overnight: Halali
- Day 12
Etosha east
130 km · Slow park transitGame drive to Namutoni and the Fischer's Pan loop.
Overnight: Namutoni
- Day 13
Etosha to Waterberg
300 km · 4 hrsOut through Von Lindequist Gate, tar via Tsumeb. Afternoon walk on the Waterberg plateau — the last green thing you will see.
Overnight: Waterberg
- Day 14
Waterberg to Windhoek and departure
280 km · 3 hrsEasy tar run back to Windhoek. Refuel, hand the vehicle back and fly out.
The vehicle we put people in
Recommended
Toyota Hilux Double Cab 2.4 + camping, 4 pax
Two weeks of camping needs the four-person kit: two rooftop tents, the larger fridge and enough water capacity for the Damaraland legs.
Alternative
Toyota Hilux Double Cab 2.8 + camping, 4 pax
The 2.8 is worth the extra on this route if you are four adults with full luggage and want more torque on the passes.