The Ultimate Adventure Through Wild Namibia

Touch down at Windhoek Airport, meet your host and transfer to your hotel in central Windhoek. Depending on your arrival time, you may have a chance to explore the local area – or if you'd rather relax, the hotel has its own pool. Join your group and guide later for dinner and to chat through the epic adventure ahead.

Hop into a desert truck heading for the Namib-Naukluft National Park. Get your first glimpses of Namibia's famous expansive desert landscapes as you head for the southwest part of Naukluft in the granite hills. Stop for a warm-up hike at Waterkloof to reach an inviting wild swim spot, where you can cool off from the midday heat. Arriving at your desert camp after lunch, settle in before heading out for a sunset hike to a nearby dune, where you can overlook the expanse of the desert and take in the dreamy hues of this part of the world. Tonight, enjoy a campfire dinner – your first of many! – and some desert stargazing.

Tackle a spectacular day hike today on the Olive Trail. Meandering through a diverse range of landscapes and habitats, you'll walk from riverbank to canyon, plateau to rocky ridge. Hike alongside the Naukluft River, past a series of pools that make for a quick dip (depending on the season). The trail climbs steeply to a 1910m ridge, the highest point on the hike, giving you incredible desert views. More small pools 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 and with an inviting pool to cool off in. The campsite here is located just within the National Park – this means you can set off first thing in the morning to head for the dunes, before the main gates open to other tourists an hour later.

Start early today with a pre-dawn ride in the desert truck to the Sossusvlei area of the National Park. Staying overnight inside the park gates gives you a head start, allowing you to reach the dunes before sunrise. Hike up the iconic Dune 45 and watch as the sun breaks over the desert valley, casting an otherworldly canvas of colours and shadows from the ridge. Walk, run or roll back down the towering wall of sand, then tuck into breakfast and coffee at the foot of the dunes. Afterwards, delve deeper into the park to explore the acacia trees and ever-shifting shapes of Hiddenvlei. All day, it’ll feel like you’re wandering through a film set – Mad Max: Fury Road was filmed here, and the landscapes wouldn’t look out of place in Star Wars. An iconic site awaits after a 4x4 journey (around £9, payable locally) along the sand road deeper into the National Park as you head to Deadvlei, home to scores of dead trees mummified by the arid desert conditions. After lunch, take a short drive to your next overnight stop – this dreamily situated spot offers a break from camping, as you'll be staying in ensuite glass-fronted rooms with a front row seat to another epic sunset.

Any trip around Namibia involves some epic drives – there are big distances to cover between the various highlights – but the landscape is fascinating and you'll be able to spot ostrich, warthog and oryx just off the road. Today's journey takes you through the heart of the Namib Desert (regarded by many scientists as the oldest in the world), towards the coastal city of Swakopmund. En route, you'll have a chance to stretch your legs and soak up being on the Tropic of Capricorn, with obligatory photo opportunity. After a few hours driving through shifting sandscapes, you'll eventually see the glimmer of the Atlantic Ocean in the distance. Enjoy lunch and a cool sea breeze while watching flamingos at Walvis Bay Lagoon, before the final drive up the coast to Swakopmund, a popular town with a German flavour. Arriving in the afternoon, you can explore and grab a cold beer overlooking the Atlantic. Alternatively, treat yourself to an optional sunset desert flight over the dunes.

A unique activity lies in store on the giant, coastal sand dunes near Swakopmund. You'll meet up with a local outfit who specialise in sandboarding down these vast mountains of sand. Get kitted out with safety gear and a sandboard, then start on some small dunes to get the knack of it – you'll be doing the Namibian classic lie-down boarding, on your belly and head first. The adrenaline rush is massive, and the views as you launch over the crest of the dunes are incredible. You'll build up to some of the bigger dunes, which you can whizz down at increasing speeds, carving down the massive sand slopes surrounded by surreal desert beauty. After your sandboarding antics, bid Namibia's coast farewell and head inland to the imposing Spitzkoppe mountains. The iconic shapes of the two massifs rise out of the flat desert plains as you get closer. You'll settle into a lovely camp right at the foot of the mountains, with a welcome pool for cooling off in while you are in this hot part of the country. Set off for a short hike later this afternoon to stretch your legs before dinner: Spitzkoppe is a truly spectacular spot for sunset and stargazing.

Wake up to the silence of the Namibian desert as the sun rises over the towering granite peaks. After a hearty campfire breakfast, lace up your boots and set out on a guided hike through the surreal landscape of massive boulders, ancient rock formations and wide, ochre-hued vistas. Explore this ancient mountain wilderness, learning of the San people who once lived here and having chances to spot ancient rock art hidden among the caves and overhangs. You’ll scramble up to natural view points and marvel at the scale and solitude of the surroundings – Namibia at its most raw and spectacular. In the late afternoon, head to one of Spitzkoppe’s most famous landmarks – the Stone Arch, a natural granite bridge carved by time and the elements. As the sun dips below the horizon, grab a sundowner ahead of another braai feast at camp. Spitzkoppe is one of the best places in the world for stargazing – with no light pollution for miles around, the sky explodes into a dome of stars, so you can stargaze to your heart's content this evening.

Soak up your memorable camping spot in Spitzkoppe one last time, before leaving the peaks and hitting the road north towards one of Africa's greatest national parks. You are heading for Etosha – truly one of the planet's most incredible wildlife-watching arenas. You'll enter the park gates in the late afternoon and drive towards your first camp at Okakuejo. The drive to the camp is a safari in itself, as you are well inside the park with chances to spot myriad animals already. Etosha is all about waterholes, with hundreds of them dotted all over this vast area where animals congregate to drink, particularly in the dry season (from April to October). Staying at Okakuejo is a treat as it has a waterhole right on the edge of the camp, where you can head after dinner to watch the nocturnal parade of Etosha's main characters: elephants, rhinoceros, lions, leopards, hyenas, jackals and more. Staying up late at a waterhole in Etosha as the lingering twilight turns to stars, soaking up the calm silence of the African bush and waiting with bated breath for the next visitor is one of the true highlights of this trip.

Settle into your overlanding truck for a classic day of safari through Etosha National Park. You'll be taken to various spots by your trained wildlife guides, giving you the best chances of seeing Namibia's most famous wild residents. Etosha is renowned for its density of wildlife; the concentrations of animals here are huge compared to other national parks, and in the dry season you'll often have amazing spectacles at the waterholes, with several species at once congregating to drink. Back at camp this evening, tuck into a braai and sip on sundowners before heading to the waterhole for as long as you can stay awake, after another epic day.

The option to go on a game drive in an open 4x4 Jeep with a park ranger is also available for those wanting to explore the area further. For more information, please see our FAQs below.

Enjoy your morning in Etosha, before heading further south to Waterberg National Park, where a prominent red sandstone massif rises 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. Waterberg is also home to the second-largest viable population of rhinos in the world (after Kruger National Park). After lunch, hike up to the plateau, keeping your eyes peeled for banded mongoose, dassies, dik diks, 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.

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.