Skip to content
LarkTours

Routes · Africa

Tokyo to southern Namibia: Lüderitz and the Fish River Canyon

Tokyo → Lüderitz → Fish River Canyon

Lüderitz
"Lüderitz Shark Island auf die Waterfront 4.jpg" by Zairon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
Lutheran Church Luderotz (Luderitz)
Photo: SkyPixels, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A German colonial port & Africa's largest canyon Best season (general guide): Apr–Sep

Southern Namibia is empty, dry and dramatic, with a coastal town of colonial buildings and a canyon that rivals any in the world. This route spends three nights in Lüderitz and three at the Fish River Canyon. From Tokyo you'll connect through Johannesburg or Windhoek to Lüderitz. Lüderitz is a town in the ǁKaras Region of southern Namibia, on one of the least hospitable coasts in Africa. It is a port built around Robert Harbour and Shark Island.

How to pace it: Spend days one to three in Lüderitz: day one, the old town; day two, Kolmanskop ghost town; day three, boat to Halifax Island penguins. Then spend days four to six at the Fish River Canyon: day four, road east to the canyon; day five, rim viewpoints; day six, Ai-Ais hot springs.

Seals, penguins and flamingos live along the coast, and boats visit the penguin colonies offshore.

Kolmanskop, a former diamond-mining town just inland, was abandoned in the 1950s, and sand now fills its houses. Feral horses live in the Namib desert near Aus, on the road inland. The Fish River Canyon is the largest canyon in Africa and the second most visited attraction in Namibia. It is about 160 kilometres long, up to 27 kilometres wide and in places almost 550 metres deep.

The Fish River is the longest interior river in Namibia. A multi-day hiking trail runs along the canyon floor in the cooler months. The hot springs at Ai-Ais lie at the southern end of the canyon. Practical notes: plan the canyon for the cooler months, from April to September.

Safety: Canada advises a high degree of caution in Namibia because of crime (advisory updated 26 May 2026), and the US rates Namibia Level 2 (15 May 2026).

Suggested outline

  1. Tokyo

    Start

  2. Lüderitz

    By air · 3 nights suggested

    A small port of colonial houses on a harsh coast.

  3. Fish River Canyon

    By road · 3 nights suggested

    A vast canyon cut into a dry plateau.

    Fish River Canyon
    "Fish River Canyon Namibia.jpg" by Thomas Schoch, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Lüderitz — Arrive; the old town· Tokyo → Lüderitz (by air) — long-haul; may arrive the next calendar day
  2. Day 2 · Lüderitz — Kolmanskop ghost town
  3. Day 3 · Lüderitz — Boat to Halifax Island penguins
  4. Day 4 · Fish River Canyon — Road east to the canyon· Lüderitz → Fish River Canyon (by road)
  5. Day 5 · Fish River Canyon — Rim viewpoints
  6. Day 6 · Fish River Canyon — Ai-Ais hot springs
  7. Day 7 · Fish River Canyon — Travel home from Fish River Canyon· Fish River Canyon → Lüderitz (by road), then Lüderitz → Tokyo (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

Each button opens a live, dated search. We don't show stored fares here: check today's price on the booking site.

Showing dates about a month ahead — change them when you search.

Lüderitz

More about Luderitz →

Plan the trip: Luderitz

These links go to partner sites. We may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Prices and terms are set by the partner.

Fish River Canyon

Nearest airport: Luderitz Search fares · Luderitz ↗

Partner links may earn LarkTours a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, availability and terms are set by each partner.