Africa

Namibia

A dead camel thorn tree on the white clay pan of Deadvlei beneath orange dunes

Red dunes, empty gravel roads and waterholes full of elephants, best seen from a rooftop tent.

Namibia is a road trip country. Hire a car in Windhoek and loop through the dunes of Sossusvlei, the seaside town of Swakopmund and the rock art of Damaraland, finishing at the waterholes of Etosha National Park.

Public transport barely reaches the sights, so most backpackers split a 4x4 with a rooftop tent between two to four people and camp their way round. The dry winter, from May to October, is the best time for wildlife and the coolest time for driving.

Good to know

Time zone
GMT+2, no summer time
Plugs
Types D and M, 220V
Emergency numbers
10111 police; 211111 fire and ambulance in Windhoek
Tap water
Safe to drink
Traffic drives on the
Left
Tipping
Around 10% in restaurants, N$5–10 for petrol attendants and a tip for guides at the end of a tour.
SIM cards
An MTC prepaid SIM costs a few dollars and a few gigabytes of data around N$100–200; you need your passport to register it.

When to go to Namibia

Best months to go: May to October. Pick a month to see what it’s like.

Bars show rainfall; numbers are the average daytime high. Amber marks the best months to go.

SeptemberBest time to go

Warming up and still excellent for wildlife. One of the best months overall.

Daytime high
27°C
Rainfall
5 mm
Crowds
Peak season

What Namibia costs

Work out a budget for your trip, then check what everyday things cost.

How do you travel?

Dorm beds, street food and public transport.

14 days

$1,022for 14 days, about $73 a day (NAD 18,200 in total)

Bed$15$210
Food and drink$12$168
Getting around$30$420
Things to do$12$168
Everything else$4$56

Per person, in US dollars. Flights and insurance not included.

What things cost

  • Kapana from a Windhoek marketNAD 30, about $1.69
  • Plate of pap and meatNAD 60, about $3.37
  • Cup of coffeeNAD 35, about $1.97
  • Windhoek Lager in a barNAD 35, about $1.97
  • Hostel dorm bed in WindhoekNAD 300, about $17
  • Campsite, per personNAD 250, about $14
  • Litre of petrolNAD 22, about $1.24

Routes through Namibia

Where to go and how long to stay, for the time you’ve got.

14 nights, 7 stops

The classic self-drive loop from Windhoek: desert, coast, Damaraland and Etosha, camping most nights.

  1. Windhoek

    2 nights

    Pick up your car, stock up on supplies and eat kapana at Katutura market.

  2. Sesriem

    2 nights

    Sunrise on Dune 45, then walk to Deadvlei and Sossusvlei.

  3. Swakopmund

    3 nights

    Sandboarding, quad bikes and German bakeries by the cold Atlantic.

  4. Spitzkoppe

    1 night

    Camp among granite domes under a huge sky of stars.

  5. Twyfelfontein

    2 nights

    Ancient rock engravings and a chance of desert-adapted elephants.

  6. Etosha National Park

    3 nights

    Self-drive between waterholes, then watch rhinos at the floodlit camp waterhole.

  7. Windhoek

    1 night

    Return the car and pack for the flight.

Getting around

  • Jeep / 4x4

    $90–150 a day for a 4x4 with a rooftop tent

    The classic way to see Namibia, and cheap when split between three or four people. Book early for July to October.

  • Private car

    $40–70 a day to hire

    A 2WD car can manage the main dry-season loop on gravel, but drive slowly: rollovers are the biggest danger here.

  • Bus

    $20–40 for a long trip

    Intercape links Windhoek with Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and the south, but not the parks.

  • Minibus

    $5–15 between towns

    Shared minibuses leave Windhoek for most towns when full. Cheap, cramped and useless for reaching the sights.

What to eat and drink

  • Kapana

    Strips of beef grilled over coals at the market and dipped in chilli salt. Point at what you want.

    NAD 30, about $1.69

  • Oryx steak

    Lean, rich game meat, on the menu in most restaurants and at every braai.

    NAD 220, about $12

  • Potjiekos

    Meat and vegetables slow-cooked for hours in a three-legged iron pot.

    NAD 160, about $8.99

  • Vetkoek

    Fried dough filled with mince or jam. Cheap roadside fuel.

    NAD 15, about $0.84

  • Apple pie at Solitaire

    The famous bakery at a lonely desert crossroads on the way to Sesriem.

    NAD 55, about $3.09

  • Windhoek Lager

    Brewed to an old German purity law and drunk ice cold at the end of a dusty day.

    NAD 35, about $1.97

Say it like a local

A few words go a long way. Tap “Hear it” to listen, where your browser can.

  • Hello

    Hallo

    hah-loh

  • Good morning

    Goeie môre

    khoo-yuh moh-ruh

  • How are you?

    Hoe gaan dit?

    hoo khahn dit

  • Thank you

    Dankie

    dun-kee

  • Please

    Asseblief

    ah-suh-bleef

  • How much does it cost?

    Hoeveel kos dit?

    hoo-feel kos dit

  • Cheers!

    Gesondheid!

    khuh-sont-hate

  • Goodbye

    Totsiens

    tot-seens

Questions travellers ask

Can I see Namibia without a car?

Only really on a tour. Hostels in Windhoek run budget camping trips to Sossusvlei, Swakopmund and Etosha, which cost less than hiring a car alone.

Do I need a 4x4?

Not for the main loop in the dry season, but it helps on sandy tracks and in the rains. Whatever you drive, keep below 80 km/h on gravel and fill up at every petrol station.

Can I use South African rand?

Yes. The rand is accepted everywhere at the same value as the Namibian dollar, but Namibian dollars cannot be spent in South Africa, so use them up before you leave.

How do I see sunrise at Sossusvlei?

Stay inside the park gate at Sesriem, as those campsites can leave an hour before the main gate opens. Dune 45 is the classic sunrise climb.

Do I need malaria tablets?

Not for the desert and the coast. The far north, including the Zambezi region, has malaria, and Etosha has a risk in the rainy season, so check with a travel clinic.