Hike, Safari and Stargaze in Namibia

Head to your hotel in Windhoek and if you’ve got time and energy, explore the surrounding area. If you'd rather relax, then the hotel has its own pool – so just kick back and enjoy! Join your group and guide later for dinner and a chance to sample some delicious Namibian cuisine as you get to know your fellow adventurers.

Hop into a desert truck heading for the Namib-Naukluft National Park. Get your first glimpses of Namibia's famous expanses of desert landscapes as you head for the southwest part of Naukluft in the granite hills. Arriving after lunch, settle into your desert camp before heading out for a warm-up hike to get the legs moving. Enjoy a campfire dinner and some desert stargazing tonight - your first of many!

Tackle a spectacular day hike today on the Olive Trail, meandering through a diverse range of landscapes and habitats, from riverbank to canyon, plateau to rocky ridge. Hike alongside the Naukluft River, past a series of pools that make for a perfect refreshing swim spot (depending on the season). The trail climbs steeply to a 1910m ridge, the highest point on the hike, giving you incredible desert views. More swimming holes and an impressive waterfall dot the path to the finish line. There is an 8-10 metre fixed-chain section to traverse on this hike, your guide will show you the way, navigating large boulders on your descent into the valley. Finish up an epic day with a drive through stunning mountain scenery to your next camp at Sesriem, surrounded by enormous red sand dunes.

An early start today as you hop in the desert truck for a pre-dawn ride to the Sossusvlei area of the national park. Stop to watch the sunrise over the dunes before climbing up them for views along the Tsauchab River Canyon. Tuck into breakfast and coffee at the foot of the dunes before hiking through the acacia trees and ever-shifting shapes and colours of Hiddenvlei and Deadvlei. After lunch take a short drive to your next desert camp and grab a sunset stroll on the edge of the Namib dunes.

Road trip time today through the Namib Desert - regarded by many scientists as the oldest in the world - towards the coastal city of Swakopmund. You'll have various stops en route while keeping eyes peeled for ostrich, springbok or gemsbok. Enjoy lunch and a cool Atlantic breeze while watching flamingos at Walvis Bay Lagoon before the final drive up the coast to Swakopmund, the adventure capital of Namibia. Arriving in the afternoon you can explore town and grab a cold beer overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Alternatively, treat yourself to an optional desert flight over the dunes.

Enjoy a relaxed start to the day in Swakopmund before heading inland to the imposing Spitzkoppe mountains. Set off hiking beneath the massive pyramid-shaped granite boulders which reach 1650m. Pass by iconic stone arches to a viewpoint for an amazing panorama of the area. Spitzkoppe is a truly spectacular spot for sunset and another night camping beneath the star-studded sky.

Breakfast and coffee at the desert camp before another short hike around Grosse Spitzkoppe, one of the highest peaks in the range at 1700m. Hop in the truck for the drive to Etosha National Park, arriving late afternoon. Waste no time in Etosha as you spend the evening viewing various wildlife at a waterhole with the chance to see elephants, zebras, wildebeest and even lions, cheetahs and leopards.

Rest your legs today as the hiking takes a backseat while you settle in for a classic day of safari game drives throughout Etosha National Park. You'll be taken to various spots by your trained wildlife guide to give you the best chances of seeing Namibia's most famous wild residents. Dinner at the safari camp in Etosha this evening.

There are optional 4x4 game drives (costing around £40 per person) in open jeeps for those wanting to explore the area further with a ranger, with the potential opportunity to see rhinos and other larger game. These are bookable locally.

Enjoy your morning in Etosha, before heading further south to Waterberg National Park, a prominent red sandstone massif rising 300m above the Kalahari plains with spectacular views. Due to its inaccessibility, the plateau was declared a nature reserve in 1972 and used to protect several endangered species from predators and poachers. Today, Waterberg is a haven for a huge variety of bird species and flora in particular, with its own unique climate providing a garden-like environment for wildlife to thrive in. After lunch, hike up to the plateau keeping your eyes peeled for banded mongoose, dassies, dik dik, warthogs and more. It offers one of the best chances for sightings compared with vehicle safaris, as you quietly observe the intimate lives of wild animals from a careful distance.

There are optional 4x4 game drives in open jeeps for those wanting to explore the area further with a ranger, with the potential opportunity to see rhinos and other larger game.

Time for one last hike this morning as you head out to spot some more wildlife on foot and enjoy the stunning scenery. After your bushwalk, you'll bid farewell to Waterberg as you drive back to Windhoek Airport in time for your onward flight. Your host can take you to your accommodation in Windhoek if you are staying on longer in Namibia.