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$25,200
N$1,800 per day · Toyota Hilux 2.4 Auto 4x4, camping for 3–4
High season (Mar–Nov)
N$32,200
N$2,300 per day · Toyota Hilux 2.4 Auto 4x4, camping for 3–4
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 2.4 Auto 4x4, camping for 3–4
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 2.4 Auto 4x4, camping for 1–2
Travelling as two, the camping setup for 1–2 costs less per day with the same fridge, dual battery and two spare wheels.