Upgraded - Discover Namibia

Our tour starts today in Windhoek, Namibia's capital. This vibrant city perfectly combines it's African roots with modern European architecture. Our hotel tonight is the tranquil Utopia, an eco-lodge situated amidst beautiful, green lush gardens in the suburb of Klein Windhoek. Each of the 14 spacious rooms are carefully decorated using local natural materials and each room has it's own private balcony or terrace. There are also two swimming pools, a central main lounge, and bar and restaurant area where you'll find a selection of specially curated craft beers and spirits. For those arriving in time our tour leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 6pm for a welcome meeting and for those that wish, there'll be the chance to go for dinner. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to arrive in Windhoek at any time. A transfer from Hoseo Kutako International Airport (WDH) to the named starting hotel is included on all trips in the Upgraded range regardless of your arrival day, provided we received your flight details no later than 10 days prior to departure. The airport is approximately a 45-minute drive from our hotel. Should you miss the meeting, your leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up. If your flights arrives earlier in the day, you might like to book yourself onto a Katutura Township tour, including a visit to the Oshetu Market. Please see under optional activities further down

We'll depart Windhoek after breakfast and head south towards Mariental in the Southern Highlands of the Kalahari Desert. Although initially established as one of the agricultural hotspots of Namibia, today it serves as a stark reminder of what it once was; a vast semi-arid savannah with the occasional camelthorn bush stretches for miles and miles, as far as the eye can see. The drive to our home for the night is just over 300 kilometres and we expect to arrive in the early to mid-afternoon, allowing us enough time to unpack and freshen up before heading out on our first game drive. The Southern Kalahari plains are rich with wildlife and frequent visitors include black impala, kudo, cheetah, giraffe, rhino and zebra, to name but a few. After our afternoon game drive, we will stop for our first safari sundowner before returning to our lodge for our traditional boma braai dinner under the stars and later we'll be treated to a talk and demonstration of some of the ancient San Bushman traditions.

We'll be leaving the comfort of the Southern Kalahari just after breakfast, heading west towards Sossusvlei in the Namib-Naukluft National Park. Sossusvlei is undoubtedly one of Africa's most iconic landscapes; the orange-red dunes paired with the deep blue sky are instantly recognisable from afar and are home to some of the highest sand dunes on the planet with a number of them reaching more than 300 metres above sea level. Our drive today will take us between five and six hours with frequent breaks, including a stop en-route for lunch. As the main dunes are most picturesque in the early hours of the day, we'll save those for tomorrow morning. Instead we'll take in the splendour of the smaller but magnificent Elim Dunes which offer breath-taking views of the surrounding desert landscape. It's expected that we'll arrive at our desert lodge in the mid-afternoon, so there'll be plenty of time to take full advantage of staying at one of the most spectacular lodges in Namibia; rising from the Namib desert like sails on a ship, this hotel is truly spectacular -combining modern design with authentic safari style. In the evening we'll enjoy a delicious dinner at our lodge, followed by an early night as we'll be up and away early tomorrow.

Today we'll leave our lodge early to maximise the cooler and less crowded hours of the day, and we'll aim to arrive at the park gates at opening time, which is usually around sunrise. In the early hours of the morning whilst the sun is still rising, we'll climb to the top of the dunes taking in the incredible theatre of light that unfolds before our eyes. As the sun travels across the sky, the normally red dunes change colour ranging from a grey hue early in the day to shades of pink and purple later in the morning. - A sight not to be missed! Close to Sossusvlei lies the equally impressive Deadvlei, home to 'Big Daddy' the largest sand dune in the world. Although climbing it is not for everyone as it usually takes over one hour to reach the top, the views of the Namib-Naukluft from the pinnacle unrivalled. After a morning full of adventure we'll venture back to our lodge in the afternoon, allowing enough time for everyone to enjoy a drink by the pool or maybe to venture out on one of the many marked walking trails in the area.

After a leisurely morning we'll start our drive up the west coast of to the charming city of Swakopmund. This coastal resort is often referred to as 'little Germany' due to its historic significance as the main port for the former German South West Africa, a heritage that can still be seen in it's architecture, giving the city an atmosphere similar to that of a traditional German town. Situated where the Namib Desert meets the Atlantic Sea, it's a popular holiday spot for both South Africans and Namibians alike, and we'll find numerous optional activities and attractions to participate in this afternoon including the National Marin Aquarium of Namibia or maybe a food tour will be more to our liking. We'll make the most of our time in this quaint city as we'll be staying in a boutique guesthouse located in the heart of historical Swakopmund, less than a five minute walk from the beach, popular restaurants and cafés, as well as multiple historical landmarks and adventure hotspots.

Today our early morning is free and a little later we'll visit the local museum in Swakopmund as part of a historical walking tour with a local guide during which we'll learn about the colourful history of Swakopmund and nearby Walvis Bay, as well as the people who live here and their culture There are a number of optional activities available today which can be arranged locally with your tour leader, including a 4x4 desert adventure and a half day dolphin cruise in Walvis Bay. Please see the Budgeting and Packing section below

We have a long day of driving ahead of us today as we head further north to the remote area known as Damaraland, however the breath-taking scenery en-route makes the journey worth it. Damaraland lies inland about 80 kilometres from the coast and is famous for its ancient bushman rock art, huge granite boulders and rock arches as well as the specially adapted desert wildlife that includes giraffe, lion, zebra and the endangered black rhino. During our drive today we'll make a stop at the Cape Cross Seal Reserve, renowned for hosting one of the largest colonies of fur seals in the world, where we'll be able to get up close to some of the 100,000 seals that visit the Skeleton Coast each and every year. Our total driving time today will be approximately six and a half hours, with plenty of stops along the way.

This morning, we head out to the Torra Conservancy, a rugged and remote wilderness and one of the largest conservancies in Northern Namibia. We will spend the morning and early afternoon together with a conservationist literally walking in the steps of the endangered black rhino. A walking safari is a much more intimate experience, and together with our team of experienced trackers and an armed ranger our guide will do their very best to make this once in a lifetime experience come to live. We will be tracking the rhino in an area that normally does not receive a lot of visitors, so although the main focus of the walking safari is the majestic rhinoceros, there are a great opportunity for us to also spot other wildlife species such as kudo, mountain zebra, oryx and giraffe we will normally drive into the reserve in 4x4 vehicles before continuing on foot once the trackers have found fresh footprints and on most occasions we will be rewarded with a safari memories that will last a lifetime. After an exhilarating morning and early afternoon we'll return to our lodge , with enough time for us to have lunch, enjoy a dip in the pool or a cold drink at the bar

Leaving after breakfast we have another relatively long journey ahead of us before we reach our lodge, near Etosha National Park. On our way we'll make a short stop at the Khorixas petrified forest, a national monument where a number of large tree trunks have been fossilized, left from ancient times with some of them being over 250 million years old, and although it is not a forest per se it is a stark reminder of times past. We'll arrive at our lodge in Etosha Village in the mid-afternoon. Our lodge's design is based on a traditional 'rural village' as you'd find in the northern Namibian countryside and is a very unique experience In the evening we'll enjoy dinner at the lodge, followed by an early night so we wake up fully rested for tomorrow's full day safari in Etosha National Park.

This morning we set off early on our first game drive in Etosha National Park. Today is all about the wildlife and although we might not cover a lot of distance today, we'll still spend a good amount of time on the road, driving at slower speeds on park roads to give us the greatest opportunity to spot the wildlife. Etosha National Park is one of the largest national parks in Africa and the name itself loosely translates to 'great white place' in the Ovambo language. The park is home to more than 110 different species of mammals so there should be more than enough to keep us busy until the mid-afternoon when we'll will arrive at our accommodation, where we'll spend the next two nights. Our lodge is perched on top of a hill and each of the 11 chalets overlooks the plains below, with elephant and zebra frequently visiting the nearby watering hole.

Today we continue our game drives in Etosha National Park, starting out early to make the most of the day. The terrain ranges from dense bush to large open plains where animals roam freely. As well as an abundance of game, Etosha is a great place to spot birdlife with over 340 species in the park, including weaverbirds, European bee-eaters, hornbill, ostrich and Africa's heaviest flying bird, the striking kori bustard. We'll drive along the network of gravel roads that criss-cross the park, visiting the various viewpoints and the permanent waterholes around which animals congregate. There is something enigmatic in the vast silent grey white pan that covers the reserve. We'll return to our lodge for dinner and rest in the late afternoon

After a final morning game drive in Etosha we'll be leaving the park behind and will drive south to Otjiwarongo, making a stop at the Cheetah Conservation Foundation. This is an internationally recognised conservation NGO that works tirelessly to save the cheetah in the wild, and we'll see firsthand the incredible effort the team put into this. After our visit we'll continue driving south for approximately one hour before arriving at our tented lodge near Otjiwa, where we'll spend the next two nights.

This morning we'll set of on a leisurely walk through the varied landscape with our specialist local guide. Although the area is generally flat and rocky we encourage that you wear closed footwear for comfort. On our walk we'll get the chance to explore some of the unspoiled nature Namibia has to offer, and the more fertile environment is a fascinating contrast to the some of the other more desert-based days we've enjoyed on our tour. We'll head to a local viewpoint where we can take in the views towards the nearby Waterberg plateau and if we're lucky we might also get the chance to spot some smaller wildlife such as vervet monkey, kudo and impala. The afternoon is at leisure, and there are a range of optional activities to enjoy including hiring a bike, participating in a cooking class or exploring further on foot along the signposted walking trails. In the evening we'll come together as a group one last time for our farewell dinner and drinks at our lodge, enjoying some of the best cuisine Namibia has to offer. The menu changes frequently but expect a mix of typical dishes from southern Africa mixed with European and international dishes.

Departing Otjiwarongo after breakfast this morning, we'll drive directly to Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH), arriving around 3pm where our trip ends. Please note that your flight cannot depart earlier than 6pm.