namibia best safari

THE 10 BEST Namibia Safaris

Safaris in namibia.

• Nature & Wildlife Tours
• 4WD, ATV & Off-Road Tours
• Hiking & Camping Tours
• Up to 1 hour
• 1 to 4 hours
• 4 hours to 1 day
• 5.0 of 5 bubbles
• 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• 3.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• 2.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• Okahandja Mbangura Woodcarvers Craft Market
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1. Scenic Sandwich Harbour Tour

2. 6-Day Dunes and Wildlife Accommodated Safari from Windhoek

3. Full Day Guided Tour to Swakopmund and Namib Desert Highlights

4. Scenic Game Drive Activity

5. Safari in Etosha national park with professional tour guides born in Etosha.

6. ETOSHA PARK SAFARI with local guides in 9-seater 4x4s

7. 7 Day Taste of Namibia Lodging Safari

8. 3 Day Sossusvlei Budget Camping Safari

9. Sandwich Harbour 4X4 Excursion Tour Food and Drinks

10. 6 Day Sand, Sea & Etosha Budget Camping Safari

11. Private 3 Days Tour to Sossusvlei Namib Desert - Lodges

12. 12 Day Classic Namibia Camping Safari

13. 5-Day Tour to Namibia Desert Sossusvlei and Coast

14. Sandwich Harbour Guided, Self-Drive Tour

15. 9 Day Etosha, Skeleton Coast and Sossusvlei Camping and Lodge Safari

16. 10-Day Namibia Hightlights Guided Tour from Windhoek

17. Windhoek Wilderness Safari: A Game Drive Experience

18. 3 Day Sossusvlei Camping Schedule and Sandwich Habor

19. 4-Day Etosha And Swakopmund Accommodated Adventure from Windhoek

20. Sandwich Harbour & Pelican Point Full Day Tour

21. 10 DAYS BEAUTY OF NAMIBIA | Private Guided Tour

22. 7 Day Northern Namibia and Skeleton Coast Camping Safari

23. Half-day game drive

24. 10 Namibia Adventures

25. Sandwich Harbour Tour - Pelgrim Tours

26. 6 DAYS ETOSHA,SWAKOPMUND & SOSSUSVLEI- NAMIBIA (Lodging)

27. 3 Day Etosha Budget Camping Safari

28. 2 day swakopmund beach activity tour namibia (accommodated).

29. 6 Day Private Guided Accommodated Namibian Loop

30. Private Multi-Day Tour Self-Drive for Beginners Safari in Namibia

What travelers are saying.

• Namibia safaris

Namibia safari guides – where & when to go, and what to see & do

Wedged between the Atlantic coast and the Kalahari Desert, Namibia is one of Africa’s hidden gems that is slowly emerging as a popular tourist destination, with safaris in Namibia high on the to-do list. A sense of freedom is generated by an epic, empty landscape with wide horizons, unpolluted skies and one of the world’s lowest population densities. These facts, combined with a plethora of large game animals and a frontier feel make Namibia the ultimate photography or self-drive safari destination , and not too bad either if you’re looking for an indulgent luxury safari experience.

The Namib Desert is the oldest and one of the largest deserts in the world , and a predominant feature of the country, extending all the way up the Atlantic coast on the western side of the country. The desert is scored by a number of rivers coming down from the Central Plateau – most of which are now permanently dry, or only flow during the rainy summer months.

The north of Namibia is dominated by the huge, permanently flowing rivers of the Kuene, Kavango and Zambezi, which make up the borders with Angola, Botswana and Zambia respectively. This part of the country is lush and green with dense woodlands most of the year, and home to several small national parks that teem with wildlife and birdlife. The rest of the country is made up of scrubby bushland of the higher Central Plateau, trailing off into the Kalahari desert in the east.

Wildlife in Namibia is varied, and taking a safari in Namibia will allow you the opportunity to see all of Southern Africa’s mammals. As well as the big five , the Namib Desert is home to the exceptional and endemic desert-adapted elephant and rhino. In the Namib Desert and elsewhere in Namibia a truly extraordinary fact is that the country has one of the densest congregations of animals in the world, combined with one of the sparsest human populations, making for fantastic wildlife viewing.

Unlike much of the rest of Africa, habitat destruction is not generally an issue in Namibia, and you can expect to see large mammals roaming the wilderness as you drive between Namibian national parks or towns. This means you need to be ready for a safari experience in Namibia at any time you’re not in a well populated area!

Useful resources

Book a Namibia safari

Namibia wildlife

Namibia Tourist Board

Namibia Wildlife Resorts

Weather in Namibia

Namibia guidebooks

Namibia safari highlights

Sossusvlei’s stunning dunes.

Discover the sand dunes of Sossusvlei with a dawn game drive and hike to top of a dune to watch the sun rise over the Namib desert. The dunes and surrounding area are truly specatular, reaching almost 400 metres high and providing inspiration to any budding photographer.

Self-drive safari in Etosha

Take a self-drive safari tour around accessible but wild Etosha National Park – one of the world’s premier national parks. 763 km of open roads around the park make for the ultimate self-drive safari. The park is based around a huge salt pan, and seems inhospitable to life, but a string of watering holes brings herds of antelope species and their prey from the surrounding scrub.

Fish River Canyon views

Visit the jaw-dropping 100km long, 26km wide Fish River Canyon in  the Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park . It world’s second largest canyon after the Grand Canyon in the US, though with far less tourists visiting, as with all destinations in Namibia it’s both beautiful and serene.

The Walvis Bay ‘marine big five’

The cold waters off the Namibian coast harbor a wealth of marine life, no location more so than Walvis Bay. Styled as the ‘marine big five,, it’s possible to see whales, dolphn, sunfish, turtles and seals on a boat – or even canoe – safari .

Best time to go on safari in Namibia

As with the rest of Southern Africa, Namibia experiences summer between November and March and winter from May to August. From August temperatures keep rising until October when the first rains start to arrive in the northern areas, followed by large amounts of rain and occasional flash-flooding.

The best time to go on safari in Namibia depends on where you’re going, and what you’d like to see. October to March is the best time to visit Namibia’s coast around Walvis Bay and Sossusvlei as the climate provides a pleasant respite from the heated interior. If you’re travelling through the Skeleton Coast region the climate is similar year-round, with regular mist and winds.

For the inland areas of Namibia – including the Namib desert, Etosha and Kavango regions, the cooler months from April September provide temperatures far more bearable than summer months. Between May and September, thirsty animals gather at diminishing waterholes, making it the best time to go to Etosha for game viewing.

Flights To Namibia

Search, track and book flights to Namibia , from anywhere in the world.

Namibia Accommodation

Find safari accommodation in Namibia – from budget campsites to luxury lodges.

Namibia Car Hire

Considering a self-drive safari? Research and book car hire in Namibia .

Activities in Namibia

Search and book things to do in Namibia – tours, excursions and activities.

National parks in Namibia

All national parks in Namibia are administered by the extremely efficient Namibia Wildlife Resorts.

Namibia is an enormous country, and one with large tracts given over to national parks. This gives Namibia the impressive status of being the country with the highest ratio of animals to humans in the world: In short, Namibia’s national parks are fantastic places to visit for safaris and wildlife watching.

A word of warning – the distances between national parks can be huge, and very few roads are tarmacked. A 2WD will serve most of the year in most parts of the country, but rainy season will see even 4WDs struggling in some areas on a driving safari in Namibia.

Top Namibia national park picks

Etosha national park.

 A classic African national park – with excellent visitor facilities – housing the ‘big five’ and much more in plains surrounding a huge central salt pan. Herds of elephants, black-maned lions and the world’s largest population of rare black rhinos gather at the 86 waterholes, springs and fountains found around the edges of the pan.

Skeleton Coast National Park

With a reputation as one of the most desolate places on earth, the 20,000 km sq park is one of the most inhospitable and least visited places on earth. Shimmering white dunes, martian rock, beautiful sand beaches and treacherous, rough seas dotted with hulks of shipwrecks make up the park scenery.

Namib Naukluft National Park

The oldest desert on earth, and quite possibly the most beautiful. Namib Naukluft National Park is easily accessible from Sossusvlei, where giant dunes tower 400m into the air, and pockets of long ago dried-out lakes serve as sporadic homes to forests of thousand year old dead trees. In a word, epic!

Cape Cross Seal Reserve

All national parks in Namibia

Use the map to locate all national parks in Namibia. Click the icons for more info.

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Babwata National Park: Small national park in Caprivi Strip, unique in that it houses both a large animal and human population.

Cape Cross Seal Reserve: More seals breed at Cape Cross that anywhere else in the world, so if you like seals you’re in for a treat.

Etosha National Park:  A classic African national park – with excellent visitor facilities – housing the “big five” and much more in plains surrounding the huge central pan.

Fish River Canyon National Park:  A rugged desert wilderness home to the awe-inspiring Fish River Canyon – the world’s second largest canyon.

Khaudum National Park: Remote and wild national park hidden away in the Kavango Region is home to large elephant herds and packs of the endangered wild dogs. A visit here is not to be taken lightly.

Mamili National Park: Little visited .national park in Namibia’s northern Caprivi Strip, offering plenty of classic African wildlife a true wilderness experience.

Mudumu National Park: A riverine national park with undisturbed mopane forest, flood plains and swamps. Unsurprisingly, water-living creatures feature large – crocodiles, hippos, elephants, otters, turtles.

Namib Naukluft National Park: Namibia’s largest park, and one of the world’s oldest and most intensely studied deserts.

Skeleton Coast National Park: Take a drive through one of the world’s most inhospitable spots, with alien landscapes and ancient shipwrecks adding atmosphere.

Sperrgebiet National Park: Recently established desert national park on Namibia’s “forbidden coast”, home to ghost towns, Atlantic coast and hyenas.

Waterberg National Park: Rising 200m above the dry African savannah, the lush green Waterberg Plateau is unique in terms of vegetation and geological makeup.

Other Namibia safari resources

Namibia safari companies.

Whilst self drive safaris are a definite option in Namibia – given most national parks in the country allow this – there are still a number of quality safari tour companies in Namibia that you may want to speak to before arrival in the country. With a fairly well developed regional and international inbound tourist market, Namibia has lots of wildlife activities and safaris on offer. These are supported and promoted by a broad range of  safari tour targeting budgets of all sizes and trips of all lengths – from half days trips from the capital Windhoek to two or four week driving expeditions.  Check out our reviews of safari tour companies in Namibia .

Namibia safari lodges

Much like it’s neighbour Botswana, Namibia doesn’t see huge tourist numbers and has a focus on either low-impact, high-end safaris, or self-drive safaris. Safari accommodation on offer in Namibia reflects this, with a broad range of  high-end safari lodges around the national parks, and excellent camping facilities for self-drivers attached to most safari lodges. If you want accommodation in a national park, this must be booked in person or by phone with Namibia Wildlife Resorts, who take care of all of Namibia’s national parks. Search and book accommodation in Namibia .

Read safari guides to all countries

Botswana safaris , Namibia safaris , Rwanda safaris , South Africa safaris , Tanzania safaris , Uganda safaris , Zimbabwe safaris

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Top countries for safaris

• Botswana safaris
• Kenya safaris
• South Africa safaris
• Tanzania safaris
• Uganda safaris

Safari basics

• Safari animals
• How to find the right safari company
• When to go on safari
• What to take on safari
• Safari clothing – what to wear
• Safari rules & etiquette
• Wildlife spotting tips

Most read articles

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Africa’s best game reserves

• Chobe National Park, Botswana
• Etosha National Park, Namibia
• Kruger National Park, South Africa
• Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
• Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana
• Okavango Delta, Botswana
• Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

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Namibia Safaris

Wildlife safaris in the living desert.

Welcome to the most unique wildlife destination on Earth. Along with our friends at AfriCat, Save the Rhino Trust, and Dr. Flip Stander, we have developed world-class safaris that support critical conservation efforts. Search for desert-adapted elephant, oryx, rhino, and lion, have a chance to assist with behind-the-scenes vet checks at AfriCat, and scale the world’s largest free-standing dunes of Sossusvlei! These adventures encapsulate the best of this top-tier safari destination.

All Trips to Namibia

Small Group Adventure

Namibia Expedition

From $9,195

Namibia: Giraffe Conservation Safari

From $9,595

Namibia: Green Season Safari

From $9,795

Ultimate Namibia and Botswana

Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana

From $11,595

Namibia: Desert Lion Conservation Safari

From $8,795

Private Journey

Namibia Private Safari

Call for Pricing

What Makes Our Namibia Safaris Special?

• The Most Extensive and Diverse Namibia Itineraries — We get you off the beaten track, with an unmatched range of activities including visiting with Himba tribes, climbing the epic dunes of Sossusvlei, and hiking the Tok Tokkie trail.
• Accommodations as Enchanting as the Landscape — Chosen to give you unrivaled comfort in Namibia’s most remarkable locations, our accommodations include private tented camps sited for access to rare wildlife, and charming lodges inside parks and game preserves.
• Custom-Built Vehicles & Guaranteed Window Seats — Our air-conditioned Land Cruisers guarantee each passenger a window seat and ample room for camera gear. We also include a private charter flight with dramatic views along the Skeleton Coast.
• Small Groups &  Expert Trip Leader — With a maximum of 12 travelers per departure, we ensure you never feel crowded or rushed, and our world-class Trip Leader accompanies you throughout your entire safari.
• Be Part of the Greatest Conservation Story on Earth — Namibia took the extraordinary step of writing conservation into its constitution, and now has over 40% of its land preserved. It is the only growing wildlife population in all of Africa!

Everything You Need to Know

We plan our adventures for Namibia’s best seasons, when wildlife viewing is at its peak. The “dry” season (April-September) is the most popular time of year, when daytime temperatures are in the mid-70sºF and wildlife viewing is at its peak as waterholes attract a vast array of animals. We also highly recommend the “green” season (January-March) when the crowds are gone and sporadic rains bring the desert to life to reveal carpets of flowers and calving season begins for plains game such as springbok and zebra.

Namibia’s varied landscapes and unique wildlife viewing offer seemingly endless opportunities for exploration—we’ve highlighted our favorite activities below!

Our purpose-built Land Cruisers are ideally suited for Namibian road conditions and ensure the best possible ride comforts on the many miles traveled; and Namibia’s awe-inspiring landscapes are the ideal destination for road adventures! With a maximum of 5 passengers per vehicle, everyone is ensured a window seat and plenty of room to stretch out their gear and legs.

All of our vehicles feature:

• Pop-top roofs for better photography and game vantage points, located at both driver’s front and back cabin
• Air conditioning
• Onboard fridge and freezers with plenty of water
• Library, including guide books, maps, stationary and check lists
• 220 volt electrical outlets to recharge batteries on the go
• VHF radios to allow group communication while on the road
• “Magic Boxes” for en-route catering from bush breakfasts, coffee and tea stops, to sundowners!

Not sure which Namibia adventure is best for you? See below for a side-by-side comparison of each of our itineraries to help make your decision easier. Still unsure? Our Africa Area Specialists are happy to answer any questions and explain the journeys in greater detail.

Experience Namibia

Extend Your Trip

Hoanib Skeleton Coast Extension

From $3,690

Shipwreck Lodge Extension

From $5,895

Sossusvlei Dunes Extension

From $4,395

REVIEWS FROM OUR CLIENTS

From our arrival to departure everything fell into place perfectly: the hotels, lodges, and food were all first rate. Being able to track the cheetahs on foot at AfriCat was absolutely amazing. What an experience!

This was my ninth Wilderness Travel trip and one of my very favorites. This trip had it all, great animal viewing, stunning landscapes including dunes and deserts, fascinating cultural exchanges with the Himba, and a real appreciation of Namibia past and present.

This is a wonderful trip. I was reluctant to leave just about every place we were. The place, the animals, the landscape, the accommodations, the people were all outstanding. The devotion of all to preserving their unique environment was impressive and enviable.

I love Wilderness Travel. You select the best guides, a variety of special places to stay, the food is always plentiful and cultural, and the adventure is top drawer! This trip to Namibia met all my expectations and more. Thank you for offering a trip that expands one’s knowledge of other cultures while making it enjoyable and fun.

Namibia is a fascinating and varied country. I feel privileged to have seen it. The quality of a trip often rests with the quality of the guides, and both were excellent!

This is an astounding trip to a really beautiful country. I really liked the itinerary. The Tok Tokkie desert hike is what caused me to choose the Wilderness Travel trip over some others and it was great. I was surprised by how many animals you see on that hike and how close they let you come to them.

Couldn’t have asked for a more interesting trip and two outstanding guides, accommodations, and meals. This was our fourth trip with Wilderness Travel and one of the best (although we say that about every trip we have been on!).

Community & Conservation

Our trips directly donate to Save the Rhino Trust, Desert Lion Project, Giraffe Conservation Foundation, and AfriCat Foundation. They are all actively working to establish protected habitats and create a sustainable future for endangered wildlife.

Talk to an Expert

Our Africa Specialists know every detail about our Namibia safaris. They will be happy to answer any questions and help you choose the journey that’s right for you. Contact us to learn more or book your trip today!