Skip to content
LarkTours

Routes · Africa

Rome to Namibia: Windhoek, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund and Etosha

Rome → Windhoek → Sossusvlei → Swakopmund → Etosha

Swakopmund
"Mole,_Jetty_and_Lighthouse_Swakopmund,_Namibia.jpg" by Olga Ernst, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
Mole, Jetty and Lighthouse Swakopmund, Namibia (Swakopmund)
Photo: Olga Ernst, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Namibia self-drive Best season (general guide): May–Oct

Namibia is made for a road trip: long empty roads, clear skies and very different landscapes from one stop to the next. From Rome you'll connect through a hub such as Frankfurt, Doha or Johannesburg to Windhoek. From there, this loop runs south-west to the dunes, out to the Atlantic coast and north to Etosha before returning to the capital.

How to pace it: After you arrive from Rome, use day one in Windhoek to collect your hire car. Sossusvlei has days two and three: drive to Sesriem on day two, and see the dunes at sunrise and Deadvlei on day three. Swakopmund follows on days four and five: take the coast road on day four, and kayak at Walvis Bay or join a desert tour on day five. Etosha takes days six to eight: drive north on day six in time for the waterhole at dusk, spend day seven on game drives across the pan, and finish on day eight with more drives and the waterhole at night.

After a night in Windhoek, the road south-west crosses mountain passes and gravel plains to Sesriem, the gateway to Sossusvlei. Being inside the park at first light lets you climb a dune such as Big Daddy and walk out to Deadvlei, where dead trees stand on a white clay pan. The coast road then heads north to Swakopmund, a seaside town often wrapped in morning fog, with kayaking among seals at Walvis Bay and quad-biking in the dunes.

Skies are clear and animals gather at Etosha's waterholes, which makes them easier to see. Desert nights can be cold in winter, and October is very hot during the day. From around November, summer rains turn the landscape green, but some gravel roads become harder to drive.

Distances between stops are long and many roads are gravel, so allow plenty of time, drive slowly and don't drive at night. Fuel up at every opportunity, as filling stations are far apart in the south.

Practical notes: The final leg turns inland to Etosha, where the rest camps' waterholes draw elephants, rhinos and lions, especially in the dry months. The dry season from about May to October is the usual time for this route.

Suggested outline

  1. Rome

    Start

  2. Windhoek

    By air · 1 night suggested

    Namibia's small capital, on a central plateau. Most visitors pick up a hire car here.

  3. Sossusvlei

    Overland · 2 nights suggested

    Red dunes in the Namib-Naukluft park, best seen at sunrise. Deadvlei's white clay pan and dead camelthorn trees lie nearby.

  4. Swakopmund

    Overland · 2 nights suggested

    A coastal town with German colonial buildings, cool sea fog and desert tours. Walvis Bay airport (WVB) is close by.

  5. Etosha

    Overland · 3 nights suggested

    A national park built around a vast salt pan. Floodlit waterholes at the rest camps allow wildlife watching after dark.

    Etosha National Park
    "Dust_Cloud_in_Etosha_National_Park.jpg" by Yathin S Krishnappa, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Windhoek — Arrive; collect car· Rome → Windhoek (by air) — long-haul; may arrive the next calendar day
  2. Day 2 · Sossusvlei — Drive to Sesriem· Windhoek → Sossusvlei (overland)
  3. Day 3 · Sossusvlei — Sunrise dunes and Deadvlei
  4. Day 4 · Swakopmund — Coast road to Swakopmund· Sossusvlei → Swakopmund (overland)
  5. Day 5 · Swakopmund — Walvis Bay kayak or desert tour
  6. Day 6 · Etosha — Drive north to Etosha; waterhole at dusk· Swakopmund → Etosha (overland)
  7. Day 7 · Etosha — Game drives across the pan
  8. Day 8 · Etosha — Drives and night waterhole
  9. Day 9 · Etosha — Travel home from Etosha· Etosha → Windhoek (overland), then Windhoek → Rome (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.

Windhoek

More about Windhoek →

Plan the trip: Windhoek

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.

Sossusvlei

Nearest airport: Windhoek Search fares · Windhoek ↗

Swakopmund

More about Swakopmund →

Plan the trip: Swakopmund

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.

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