Total Trip:
Countries Visited:
Places Visited:
...
Read More
Departure Dates:
Customize This Trip
Free service - no credit card required
Customizable Itinerary
Expand All
Day 1
Landing in Swakopmund provides a glimpse of what’s to come. The Atlantic Ocean shimmers blue on one side, chameleonic sand dunes flicker to the other, and a cute colonial oasis provides your base for the next four days. Swakopmund ensures you can gently ease into Namibia’s expressions of wilderness and space. Think of it as a halfway post, the collection of fine restaurants and charming shops providing some similarities with home. However, one look out of the window and you’ll immediately know that you’ve landed in rugged Africa, the sand dunes towering in the distance and the sunset smoldering into the ocean. You’ll land at Walvis Bay International Airport and be met by your local guide. From here it’s a one hour drive to Swakopmund.
What's Included:
Transfer
Accommodation
Day 2
The children are probably desperate to start the unique adventure so let’s not wait to wow them. Drive into the desert, the epic sand dunes less than 30 minutes away from your lodge. Dune 7 dominates the scintillating landscape, a colorful pyramid that rises almost 400 meters. Spin around and take in the panorama, 360º of ridges, and peaks making for an exhilarating adventure. Board an ATV and follow your guide through the dunes, cutting a dramatic trail across the desert and following the ridge all the way up Dune 7 (two-person ATV’s, minimum driving age 13).
Slide back down the world’s highest sand dune on a sandboard, trying to carve a diagonal path down the sand. Anyone with snowboarding experience will immediately notice the similarities, however, sandboarding also provides great rewards for the first-timers. Sand makes for soft landings, helping to increase confidence and keep everyone safe. Board down to the bottom of the dune, then jump on the waiting ATV to go back up again. The timings of today’s adventure will depend on the climate. Exploring the sand needs to be done when the cool Atlantic Ocean breeze negates the desert heat. So your guide will avoid the few hours when warm inland winds make the desert unbearably hot.
What's Included:
Transfer
Activity
Accommodation
Breakfast
Day 3
After a sand-filled day comes a day on the water, tandem kayaks taking you on the water with Cape fur seals. There are hundreds of elegant swimmers around your paddle, and many more keep diving off the rocks to join this ocean party. Mild currents make this an easy adventure for inexperienced kayakers and children. In fact, there’s not that much paddling to do. Just cruise along and be enchanted by the seals’ antics. However, on land, they’re not as fluid. They lumber and waddle around, squawking and grunting the whole time. It’s just as much fun. Walk along the beach, admiring the thousands of seals that make up this unique colony. You can barely see the sand, yet elsewhere on the Skeleton Coast, the sand is at its rumbustious best. Ships lie stranded and ruined, engulfed by dunes until only the last remains poke above the sand. These evocative shipwrecks punctuate the journey out to the Cape fur seals, making for memorable photos and fitting reminders of nature’s power.
What's Included:
Activity
Transfer
Breakfast
Day 4
There’s real anticipation as you board the Cessna 210, the tiny plane having just five seats for passengers. Take turns riding shotgun in the co-pilot’s seat, and rotate between the surprisingly spacious rear of the plane on this private aerial safari. It’s an early start, the sun poking onto the horizon as you ascend over the sand dunes. Gradually the ridges and peaks come alive, shadows being replaced by a resplendent collection of reds and yellows. You’re crossing the Namib-Naukluft, Africa’s largest national park coming alive from a stunning aerial vantage point. Touch down on a secluded airstrip and feel the enormity of the dunes, then cruise back to 3000 feet and marvel at the endless scale; for hundreds of miles in every direction there’s nothing but sand. It’s an experience that epitomizes this family vacation, imbuing a deep sense of Namibia’s ethereal beauty through a riveting and exclusive adventure. Just imagine your teenager’s face after they’ve swooped low over the desert in the co-pilot seat.
What's Included:
Activity
Accommodation
Flight
Breakfast
Day 5 - 6
One glimpse at Damaraland imbues everyone in the family with a surreal sense of scale. There’s your spacious Land Rover cruising along, a bizarre concoction of mountains and valleys, and that’s about all. Damaraland is Namibia in a nutshell; so vivid and pristine that you don’t want to touch it, yet so vast and untamed that you can’t wait to explore. Over these two days, the options are endless and your guide will tailor the itinerary for everyone in the family. Mountain bike along hundreds of deserted trails; choose from thrilling downhills to gentle stretches alongside antelopes and the odd elephant. Hiking trails range from the exuberant to the simple, each coming with sublime vistas onto Namibian wilderness. Rock climbing is also a possibility, as is indulging at the luxury lodge and appreciating the absolute tranquility of Damaraland.
Like all great playgrounds, discovery is best when there is no marked path to follow. Explore as a family, weaving a new trail through ethereal rocks and overhangs, or allow the guide to take the children on an exciting journey in search of elephants. The most active of personalities can be easily satisfied here, yet Damaraland also leaves an indelible impression on those who choose to savor its serenity. From Swakopmund, an early start enables you to reach Damaraland before lunch and your guide will explain the possibilities for your two days of wilderness adventure.
What's Included:
Activity
Accommodation
Breakfast
Day 7
Faded footprints provide the first clues, huge round marks igniting the search for elephants in this lost part of Namibia. They appear then quickly disappear, so which way do you turn? Indentations in the swaying palm trees provide another hint, and just as your family tries to make sense of the clues, a huge elephant half runs onto the horizon. Drive closer and there are more to find, adapted desert dwellers that entertain with their raucous calls and swinging trunks. Halfway between Damaraland and Etosha, Palmwag Concession provides a thrilling introduction to an African safari. Joining the elephants in wandering through this arid landscape are endangered Black rhino and a stealthy abundance of predators.
First game drives are often overwhelming, the succession of sights leaving a whole family in dazed bewilderment. After seeking out the elephants turn your focus to the rhinos, meandering past zebra and kudu as you look for some of the rarest mammals on the planet. Giraffe stick their necks up and say hello, springbok herds litter the landscape, and then a spotted hyena excites everyone further. The children struggle to contain their excited chatter, but they’re going to have to when two Black rhinos emerge from behind the palms. Horns immediately bring hush, majestic evocations of the rhinos’ power and grace. It’s a mother and calf, sticking close to each other as they approach your camera. The family faces family, the one-ton mammals admired by those on two legs. It seems to be a symbiotic meeting, the rhinos considering your presence and then walking on into the desert.
What's Included:
Accommodation
Activity
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8 - 10
Palmwag will have whetted the appetite, the long game drive providing inimitable encounters with a variety of charming characters. Etosha elevates and intensifies the experience, one of Africa’s greatest safari destinations delivering a continual reel of unforgettable moments. It starts in front of your family rondavel, an impressive concoction of mammals coming to drink from the waterhole. Keeping children occupied is always easy when the safari is available directly from the balcony. Zebra, giraffe, oryx, and even elephants come to drink besides your accommodation, nature’s great just footsteps away.
Game drives wind into the forest, everyone looking out for leopards in the trees. Unambiguous eyes defy their camouflage, and then a sweeping tail reveals a predator lounging on a high branch. The forest is unpredictable and intimate, the canopy of greenery reducing visibility and ensuring that most wildlife doesn’t see you coming. Turn a corner and a giraffe towers above the safari truck. Two minutes later and it’s a hartebeest herd that grazes within touching distance. What animals do your children most want to see? Which wildlife most fascinates them? Each game drive can be tailored to have a particular purpose; like searching for lion prides or close encounters with rhinos.
Out around the Etosha salt pans it’s much easier to spot the wild game. As you drive around the edge of a white blanket everyone shouts out the sights, from elephant herds following the dust swirls to zebra stripes galloping across the crusted salt. Now the vast scale begins to impress, grasslands and savannah filled with big cats and their prey. Over three days you soak up a variety of habitats, each game drive bringing dozens of new mammals to tick off the list. It’s often the predators that most excite and enchant; lion prides laze beneath broad branches and then casually walk off through the grass. Where are they going? Perhaps on a hunt? Silence descends as you follow their paw prints, the cute cubs keeping pace with the glorious mane of the alpha male. They head to the waterhole, scattering the ungulates with effortless ease. On another day they could have been heading out for dinner.
What's Included:
Activity
Accommodation
Transfer
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 11 - 12
It’s rare that you’ll have met many other tourists on this vacation. Namibia is well off the beaten track, despite the surreal wonders that can be discovered. Other people do roam within this unadulterated wilderness, maintaining a lifestyle that’s been passed down from their ancestors. Isolated San Bushmen communities enjoy the space and freedom, their traditional practices relatively unscathed from modern development. Meeting a tribe is a humbling experience for all the family, the huge disparity in culture helping to bring a fresh perspective on life. After the drive to Grootfontein, an experienced local guide takes you to the village, this first encounter a chance to say hello and glimpse how life is lived in this remote part of the world.
Day 12 is much more in-depth. The spoken communication barrier rarely prevents children from making new friends; there’s a fascination from both sides and it generally blossoms into intimate tribal encounters for your children. Hunter-gatherer San Bushmen open up their homes to your family and they reveal bush survival through profound evocations of their culture. Each local plant has a use, from medicinal potions to building huts. Every journey has a purpose, exemplified by the hunters as they follow the wild game and aim to return with a meal. Learn the basics of game tracking; the bushland is packed with infinitesimal clues that escape the untrained eye. Homemade bow and arrows are their weapons and you can all take a rudimentary archery lesson. With a local guide as a translator you start to build a profound understanding of unique customs and culture, everything from local cuisine to how to wear a traditional loincloth. Few experiences are as powerful in elucidating how other cultures live.
What's Included:
Activity
Accommodation
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 13
After 12 days of family adventure, you start making your way to the capital city Windhoek, cruising alongside stark mountain chains and taking a quiet trail through the desert. Hundreds of photo opportunities fill the journey, and the sheer desolation of Namibia’s desert brings a continual feeling of insignificance. Arrive in Windhoek by mid-afternoon and enjoy a leisurely evening enjoying the city’s restaurants and shops. Pick up some souvenirs and tour the antique stores, ogling at tribal masks and jewelry from across the continent.
What's Included:
Accommodation
Transfer
Breakfast
Day 14
Say goodbye to your guide and depart from Windhoek International Airport, a thousand new memories likely to last a lifetime.
What's Included:
Transfer
Accommodation
Breakfast
Trip Highlights
Detailed Description
Well off the beaten track and teeming with new experiences, Namibia provides a stunning adventure for active families. Shimmering landscapes provide the backdrop, each flaunting a boundless impression of space and natural grandeur. Inimitable experiences can be found all over the country, from meeting indigenous tribes to stunning safari adventure, sand boarding down the world’s highest dunes to mountain biking through elephant country. Despite the wild, rugged feel of Namibia, destinations on this itinerary are relatively close together, minimizing the hours on the road. Expert guides tailor the adventures, keeping the children occupied if the adults need some quiet time, and unveiling Namibia from a customized perspective. Each destination is designed to individually thrill and charm, and this whole vacation is about unforgettable opportunities for the family to have an adventure together.
You start in Swakopmund, the coastal colonial town providing a base for four days of unique experiences. Head out to the desert and the world’s highest sand dune, a combination of ATV and sand board providing the best ways to explore. Kayak alongside Cape fur seals, then enjoy a private family micro flight over the exquisite Namib Naukluft Desert, Africa’s largest national park unveiled from a Cessna 210 that swoops over the dunes. Head north and hit the elephant trail, the jaw dropping landscapes of Damaraland providing a thousand new adventures. Throughout this handcrafted vacation, your guide will tailor the experience dependent on energy levels and personal preferences. For example, if you want to relax at the lodge, he can entertain the teenagers with bush walks or mountain bike trails. Or the morning’s activity may be tailored around the family’s adoration for elephants.
Damaraland epitomizes the endless choice of Namibia. Hundreds of trails provide a playground of choice, from mountain biking alongside antelope herds to game drives in search of elephants, or easy hikes that provide ethereal panoramas over Namibia. Three days of stunning safari follow, Etosha National Park oozing charm and liberally coated in drama. It’s not difficult to find the wildlife; everything on four legs will be drinking from the waterhole in front of your family rondavel. Game drives elevate the intimacy, and three days should bring all the big cats, Black and White rhinos, immense elephant herds, and an eclectic bunch of new characters that frolic before your camera. Few family activities can match a premier Namibian safari vacation; the close wildlife encounters leaving both children and parents spellbound.
Namibia is blissfully short on other tourists, something that has enabled indigenous tribes to maintain their ancient lifestyle. Spending two days with a San Bushmen community is a humbling experience, and despite the spoken language barrier, new friendships are often forged with children in the tribe. Their lifestyle couldn’t be any more different than home, and it’s a wonderful way for your children to experience a new perspective. Discover how to survive in the wilderness, try out Bushmen clothes, practice archery, and learn how to track wild game on foot. From here you journey to capital city Windhoek for your outbound flight.
All activities and parts of this itinerary are customizable. This itinerary includes an experienced local guide and driver who take you between destinations. Some families may choose to make this a self-drive vacation.
Browse the travel reviews of Namibia luxury safaris to see why travelers continue to rely on Zicasso to experience the best African safaris.
Starting Price
$6,295 per person (excluding international flights)
Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.
What's Included
Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.
4.97 stars based on 78 reviews
...
Read More
Reviewed By Margo M.
...
Read More
Reviewed By Kim H.
...
Read More
Reviewed By Michael B.
Reviewed By Dan M.
...
Read More
Reviewed By Michael C.
Reviewed By Ana-Mita B.
Tell us all about your
perfect vacation.
We match you with top
travel agents who
compete for your trip.
Book only once your
itinerary is refined to
perfection.
Customize This Trip
Free service - no credit card required
during the COVID and post-COVID era
Related Tours