Namibia is a country perfect to have a self-drive and visit the sights yourself. What route should you take to visit them all? Here is a perfect route to enjoy the best time in this nature-loving country. The itinerary can be done halfway and divided into a tour to the north and the south.

3 week Itinerary

Day 1: Windhoek 

Enjoy the start of your trip in the capital, where you can visit the township of Katatura. Besides, visit the Christuskirche and Zoo Park. In the evening, enjoy an evening at Joe's Beerhouse to have dinner and some beers in a nice location.

Day 2: Windhoek - Okonjima Game Reserve

Drive 2.5 hours north to Okonjima Game Reserve, which is a game reserve that puts lots of effort into conservation, especially for big cats like leopards and cheetahs. You can get a tour, where they explain what and how they work in the reserve. Besides, you can try as much wildlife as possible while going through the reserve.

Day 3: Okonjima Game Reserve - Etosha National Park

Drive 4.5 hours to Etosha National Park and find your spot in the Halali area. Drive through this park to find as many animals as possible. In Namibia, this park is by far the best place to find wildlife, and the chances of seeing many different species are very high. At Halali, you can see the water hole and hope to find more wildlife.

Day 4 & 5: Etosha National Park

Drive from Halali to Okaukuejo, where you can stay for 2 nights. During the drive there, keep your eyes open, as there are many chances to see cool creatures. We have seen many antilopes, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, black rhinos, zebras, hyenas, lions, and more. This is a fantastic park to see many species. Visitors to many water holes have the biggest chances to spot them. Note that Okaukuejo has a water hole and that there are a lot of animals there. We saw 4 black rhinos over there in the evening. 

Day 6: Etosha National Park - Damaraland

Today, head to Damaraland. In the beginning, try to see more wildlife, and then go to the beautiful area of Damaraland. Make a short stop at Grootberg, one of the highest points in Namibia. You can also stop at a Himba village. Then head to Desert Rhino Camp or other camps close here in Damaraland. This can be pricey, so make sure you want this (I did not do this camp). The total drive is around 4 hours today.

Day 7: Foot safari

Today you will be one of the first to find black rhinos on foot. You will track them, then take off the vehicle and try to find them on foot. The experience of seeing a magical creature, like a black rhino on foot, should be an amazing one.

Day 8: Damaraland

Stay in Damaraland and see the beauty of this region through the rock formations and desert-like environment. There are many cool campsites where you feel alone in the world. The stars are incredible, so walk this area and enjoy the rest. You cannot skip Damaraland in your northern Namibia itinerary.

Day 9: Damaraland - Swakopmund

Today, head early to Twyfelfontein, where you can find great drawings of Bushmen and see cool rock formations. Afterwards, head to the Skeleton Coast and see the beauty of the desert before heading over into the Atlantic Ocean. When driving south, you will cross the Cape Cross Seal Reserve to see a huge colony of cape fur seals. End your day in Swakopmund, one of the bigger cities in the country. In total, the drive is 5 hours.

Day 10, 11 & 12: Swakopmund

Note that this can be the moment to end your trip to North Namibia and that you can go to Windhoek from here. Or you can start your South Namibia itinerary. For the rest, I would recommend doing 3 different activities when here, besides walking through town:

• Living desert tour to find multiple desert animals, especially reptiles (see snake below).
• Bike in the township of Mondesa
• Go sandboarding and have an adrenaline kick

For the rest, you can visit the aquarium and Snake Park or relax a bit.

Day 13: Swakopmund - Sossusvlei

Start your day early by heading to Walvis Bay to first see flamingoes and then head to the harbor to find cape fur seals, heavyside dolphins, and bottlenose dolphins. You may see more animals, like jellyfish, penguins, sunfish, turtles, and maybe even whales. Afterwards, head to Sossusvlei (do not enter the park today), drive through the beautiful Namib Naukluft National Park, and go to Elim Dune to enjoy the first dune of the coming days. The total drive is around 5 hours.

Day 14: Sossusvlei 

Go up very early, so you are at the gate before the park opens. Then head to Dune 45 to see the fantastic sunrise. After a while, head further to the Big Daddy Dune to walk up one of the highest sand dunes with great views of the area. Jump down in the soft sand and find yourself in the famous Deadvlei, which is gorgeous. Drive past the real Sossusvlei (which is not very beautiful) for a short stop and head back to the exit. Around sunset, head to the Sesriem Canyon to see another beauty of nature and maybe some baboons.

Day 15: Sossusvlei - Lüderitz

Today is mostly a travel day to go through the beautiful deserts of Namibia. When arriving at Lüderitz, head first to the beautiful Diaz Point to see the rough coast of Namibia. There is a nice hill with a lighthouse, and standing next to it gives a good view of the Atlantic Ocean. Afterwards, head to Lüderitz to have dinner and end your day.

Day 16: Lüderitz - Aus

After breakfast, head to the amazing, sandy village of Kolmanskop. First, have a tour of the village to get some information, and afterwards, go explore it by yourself. The hospital and the houses are the highlights of the village. The village closes at 1 pm/ 13.00, so be early. After this, go back to Lüderitz and have a stroll through the town. Drive to Aus (1 hour) and have a small walk through the village, with a lovely church (see picture below).

Day 17: Aus - Fish River Canyon

After breakfast, take the 3.5-hour drive to the Fish River Canyon, the second-largest canyon in the world. The views are fantastic, and the scenery is gorgeous. You feel very small next to this canyon. Afterwards, have dinner and sleep in.

Day 18: Fish River Canyon, Kalahari 

A lot of driving will get you to the Kalahari desert, and then you can start to find desert wildlife like desert-adapted giraffes, meerkats, antilopes, and zebras. Enjoy a safari in this area and hope to see some great wildlife. End the drive with a sundowner gin & tonic to finish the day. 

Day 19: Kalahari - Windhoek

You will leave the Kalahari, but maybe you will see some wildlife on your way out. Head to Windhoek by doing a long drive to the capital, having dinner in the city, and maybe seeing a bar or a club. Windhoek is, in comparison to other capitals in Africa, relatively safe, but stay aware.

Day 20: Windhoek, Daan Viljoen National Park

From Windhoek Daan Viljoen is a half-hour drive, and there you can have a hike of different lengths in between zebras, antilopes, giraffes, warthogs, and wildebeests. This is a very cool thing to do. I crossed a black mamba, but don't worry, this is a rarity. The park has water holes and cool hills to spot wildlife.

Day 21: Windhoek - Home

If you have time in the morning, maybe wander around and see sights you haven't seen before, or otherwise make yourself ready to go back home.

Add to the itinerary 

• Spitzkoppe - Beautiful mountain
• Waterberg Plateau - Nice nature
• Caprivi - Good wildlife viewing 

If you want to know more about things to do in Namibia, take a look at: