This ten night self-drive takes two people through some of the most dramatic landscapes on earth, from the towering red dunes of the Namib Desert to the wildlife-rich plains of Etosha National Park. With flights from Dublin, 10 days car hire and accommodation throughout included, Namibia is one of Africa's great road trip destinations and this route covers the best of it.
Windhoek is Namibia's capital and your starting point after arriving from Dublin via London and Johannesburg. It is a relaxed, walkable city with a good mix of restaurants and street life. One night here gives you time to recover from the journey, pick up supplies and get ready to head out into the country the following morning.
Sossusvlei is one of the most photographed places in Africa and it earns the reputation. The Namib Desert is home to some of the tallest sand dunes on earth, with deep red walls of sand rising over the cracked white clay of Deadvlei below. Two nights at Elegant Desert Lodge puts you right in the heart of it. Early morning is the time to climb, when the light catches the dunes at their most striking and the heat is still manageable.
From the desert, the route heads west to the Atlantic coast and the town of Swakopmund. Ocean air, seafront restaurants and wide streets mark a sharp change from the dunes. It is also one of Namibia's adventure hubs, with quad biking, sandboarding and guided desert tours all available locally. Two nights here makes for a natural midpoint in the trip.
Damaraland is remote, open and unlike anywhere else in Namibia. The region is best known for Twyfelfontein, a UNESCO World Heritage Site containing over 2,000 ancient rock engravings left by the San people thousands of years ago. Animals, human figures and symbols are carved into the rock across a wide hillside site. One night at Twyfelfontein Country Lodge puts you in the middle of this extraordinary landscape.
Etosha is one of Africa's finest wildlife parks and the highlight of the route for many people. The park is built around a vast salt pan, and the waterholes that line its edges draw elephant, lion, leopard, rhino, giraffe and zebra throughout the year. Game drives here are self-guided, which means you set the pace and spend as long as you like at each waterhole. Two nights between Etosha Safari Camp and Etosha Safari Lodge gives you two full days inside the park.
The final night is spent at Otjiwa Safari Lodge, a private game reserve that makes for a fitting end to the trip. The lodge sits in open bush country and gives you one last evening in the Namibian landscape before the drive back to Windhoek and the flight home.
Return flights from Dublin with BritishAirways and Aer Lingus via London Heathrow and Johannesburg, 10 days car hire from Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, accommodation throughout as follows: 1 night at Olive Grove Guesthouse Windhoek (bed and breakfast), 2 nights at Elegant Desert Lodge Sossusvlei (half board), 2 nights at Swakopmund Sands (bed and breakfast), 1 night at Twyfelfontein Country Lodge Damaraland (bed and breakfast), 2 nights at Etosha Safari Camp and Etosha Safari Lodge (bed and breakfast), 1 night at Otjiwa Safari Lodge Otjiwarongo (bed and breakfast). Flights depart Dublin on 01 October 2026. Price is correct at the time of posting (09 April 2026). Offers are subject to change.
Price from €5,885 per person
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