Ultimate Namibia Safari

Arrive in Windhoek

Arrive at Windhoek's Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH) before 6pm and meet with an MT Sobek representative for a transfer to the Galton House. Check in and freshen up, then take part in the first trip briefing over dinner with your guide and the other group members.

Visit the AfriCat Foundation

Set out for a 4-hour drive north towards Okonjima, home to the AfriCat Foundation, a wildlife sanctuary dedicated to research and rehabilitation of Africa's big cats. Get face-to-face with cheetah on a guided afternoon tour from the comfort of an open safari vehicle. After dinner, view nocturnal creatures — including porcupine, caracal, honey badger, and leopard — at eye level from an underground hide.

Drive to Etosha National Park

After a morning safari at AfriCat, it's brunch time at Okonjima Bush Camp before a drive north to Etosha National Park. Once part of a large inland lake fed by rivers from the north and east, it dried up 120 million years ago as continental drift changed the slope of the land and the course of the tributaries. This white, chalky expanse colors the park, and with the waterholes creates the characteristic atmosphere of Etosha today.

Explore Etosha National Park

Take in the scents of the white, chalky expanses and waterholes of Etosha National Park and get ready for a full day of game viewing. Decide on separate game drives - with a return at midday for lunch at the camp or a full-day safari adventure with a picnic outdoors. Look out for giraffe, zebra, lion, rhino, elephant, and various antelope species such as oryx and the endemic black-faced impala across the park's white calcrete soils and scrub-covered plains.

Head West to Damaraland

After breakfast, hit the trail west to Damaraland, noted for its scattered hills, valleys, and dry riverbeds. Get ready to spot a stunning diversity of wildlife: desert-adapted elephant, giraffe, gemsbok, springbok, maybe even a cheetah, or black rhino. After lunch under a shady tree, take in dramatic rock formations and bizarre-looking vegetation as you explore this remote wilderness area.

Track Black Rhinos

Time for rhino tracking! Spot the larger of the two subspecies of the black rhinoceros found in southern Africa, the only one internationally recognized as a "desert group." Enjoy lunch at camp under the shade of mopane trees. This afternoon head out for a scenic nature drive or walk, and delve into the vast and astounding ecosystem around you. For dinner, the chef at the camp conjures up delicious three-course meals using fresh produce whenever possible.

See Ancient Petroglyphs at Twyfelfontein

After breakfast, set out for a scenic game drive along the ephemeral rivers of Damaraland, heading south toward Camp Kipwe. Take in the vastness of the scenery across Aba Huab and Huab River valleys on a quest for desert-adapted elephants which walk further for water than any other elephant in Africa. Journey to see Twyfelfontein's petroglyphs, engraved by ancient artists who walked the country and recorded their journeys on massive sandstone cliffs. Recently named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the engravings are believed to span from a period of about 1,500 to 5,000 years ago. Arrive at camp in the late afternoon.

Journey to Swakopmund

Continue the search for desert-adapted wildlife as we make our way to Swakopmund. Witness the spectacular Burnt Mountain at sunset, which seems to catch fire due to 125-million-year-old lava deposits. Traveling past Brandberg, Namibia's tallest mountain, check out another geologic curiosity — the Organ Pipes, a mass of perpendicular dolerite columns intruding the surrounding rock lands. In town, wander the quirky squares with excellent selections of arts and crafts.

Go Kayaking at Walvis Bay

Hit the scenic coastal route to Walvis Bay for a kayaking adventure — the best way to see Cape Fur seals, heaviside and bottlenose dolphins, pelicans, flamingos, and a wide variety of other sea birds. Before hopping into a kayak, drive to the lighthouse at Pelican Point, to take in the spectacular scenery and birdlife views. With some luck, spot whales, leatherback turtles, and sunfish. Head back to the hotel in the afternoon to relax before dinner.

Drive or Fly to Sossusvlei

Drive southeast across the ever-changing desert landscapes of the Gaub and Kuiseb canyons until reaching the dunes at the entrance to Namib Naukluft National Park. En route, stop at the charming 'town' of Solitaire; a warm apple tart at Moose McGregor's bakery is a must. Instead of driving, choose to take a scenic flight to Sossusvlei over the Dune Sea's abandoned mining camps, shipwrecks, Sandwich Harbour, and salt pans (for an additional cost). Both groups meet up later in the day at Sossus Under Canvas.

Visit Namib Naukluft National Park — Sossusvlei

Rise before the sun for a magical visit to the Namib Naukluft National Park. Capture the dunes while the light is soft and shadows highlight the park's towering shapes and curves, some of the highest free-standing sand dunes in the world. Listen to the guide talk about the fascinating creatures and plants that survive in this harsh environment. After the morning's exploration, enjoy a picnic breakfast under the shade of a camel thorn tree. Stop at Sesriem Canyon en route back to the camp.

Travel from Sossusvlei to Windhoek

Bid farewell to the Namib Desert after breakfast. Traverse the Great Escarpment and Khomas Hochland highlands as you wind your way back to Windhoek. Drive to Galton House for the last night of the trip. Wrap up the journey with dinner at Galton's on-site restaurant.

Depart Windhoek

Relax at the hotel or explore town until your transfer to the Windhoek airport in time for your international flight home.