Namibia Tour Route 2 with Map Windhoek to Etosha to Swakopmund




Namibia Self Guided Tour Route 02 - Windhoek / Etosha / Swakopmund

13 to 15 Days Self-Drive Tour:

Should you want to visit all of the attraction points on this route we consider a 13 day tour to be the minimum practical time frame, but extra days can be added to suite your personal schedule. The route makes use of tarred and gravel roads in a ratio of about 90 / 10. There is a lot to do and see and you should estimate about 2000 km driving. The distances indicated in the side table do not include around town and detour driving.

Day 01 is counted as the day you arrive Windhoek Airport and...

Day 13 is counted as the day you depart Windhoek Airport.

If adding extra days:

1 day we recommend you extend your stay at the Waterberg

2 day we recommend you extend your stay at Ranch Amieb

Day 1: arrive Windhoek Airport. Collect vehicle, drive to accommodation and book in. You have the options of self guiding in Windhoek or taking a half-day guided tour. Some tourists prefer to leave their Windhoek site-seeing until the end of their tour when they return to Windhoek. This 13 day tour allows you time for some relaxation from the driving and affords you more time to appreciate the beauty of the attractions. overnight Windhoek

Day 2: Drive to (+- 92km / 1,5hr) Okahandja with a relaxing stay-over and overnight Gross Barmen Resort

Day 3: Drive to (+- 210km / 2,5hr) Waterberg Plateau Resort, overnight Waterberg Resort

Day 4: Visit Otjiwarongo Crocodile Ranch. Drive to Otavi - Grootfontein and visit the Hoba Meteorite (optional - Gaub Cave). Driving distances (+-380km 8hr including site-seeing time) overnight Tsumeb

Day 5: Visit Tsumeb Museum, Lake Otjikoto arriving in Etosha, Driving distances (+- 140km 4hr including site-seeing time) overnight Namutoni.

Day 6: In Etosha, suggested overnight Okaukuejo for night time game viewing at waterhole.

Day 7: Depart Etosha mid-morning. Drive to (+-450km / 5hr) overnight Ranch Amieb Erongo. Visit Bull's Party and Philipp's Cave

Day 8: Drive to Spitzkoppe (+-70km / 1hr) Visit and overnight Spitzkoppe

Day 9: Drive to Swakopmund (+- 155km / 2hr) mid-day overnight Swakopmund

Day 10: Dolphin Cruise morning tour, Walvis Bay Wetlands , overnight Swakopmund

Day 11 Living Desert morning tour, afternoon Museum, Aquarium, and town, overnight Swakopmund

Day 12: Morning self drive Moon Landscape and Welwitschia (+- 140km / 4hr), afternoon Crystal Gallery, Snake Park overnight Swakopmund

Day 13: Morning drive to Windhoek and airport (+- 403km / 5hr). Depart Windhoek

9 to 11 Days Self-Drive Tour

For those on a stricter time budget we have compiled a limited version of the tour taking 9 days, but extra days can be added to suite your personal schedule etc.

Day 1 is counted as being the day you arrive at Windhoek Airport and...

Day 9 being the day you depart from Windhoek Airport.

If adding extra days:

1st day we recommend you extend your stay in Etosha

2nd day we recommend you extend your stay in Swakopmund

Day 1: Arrive Windhoek Airport. Collect vehicle, drive to accommodation and book in. You have the options of self guiding in Windhoek or taking a half-day guided tour. Some tourists prefer to leave their Windhoek site-seeing until the end of their tour when they return to Windhoek. overnight Windhoek

Day 2: Drive to Waterberg Plateau Resort (+- 246km / 3,5hr), overnight Waterberg Resort

Day 3: Visit Otjiwarongo Crocodile Ranch. Drive to Otavi - Grootfontein and visit the Hoba Meteorite (+-360km / 8hr including site-seeing) overnight Tsumeb

Day 4: Visit Tsumeb Museum, Lake Otjikoto arriving in Etosha mid-day, ( 107km / 4,5 hr including site-seeing) overnight Namutoni.

Day 5: In Etosha, suggested overnight Okaukuejo for night time game viewing at waterhole. Depart Etosha mid-morning.

Day 6: Drive to (440km / 6hrs) and overnight Ranch Amieb Erongo. Visit Bull's Party and Philipp's Cave

Day 7:. Drive to Spitzkoppe and tour. Drive to (+-200 / 8hrs including site-seeing) and overnight in Swakopmund

Day 8: Living Desert morning tour, afternoon Museum, Aquarium, and town, overnight Swakopmund

Day 9: Morning drive to Windhoek and airport (+- 403km / 5hr). Depart Windhoek.

Back to Tour Routes 1

Notes:

Gravel Road Driving: Some tourists prefer to rent sedan cars, but for long distance driving on gravel roads you should consider the usability of the more robust 2x4 pick-up trucks and 4x4 pick-up trucks having their load boxes fitted with canopies. For added security of your luggage etc. it is preferable that the canopy be of the enclosed steel or aluminium type with no windows. We recommend you carry emergency supplies of: extra fuel. in Jerry-Cans, a minimum of 15lt of drinking water, food supplies, an emergency medical kit.

Please read the page about your Personal Safety and Security.

Map for Windhoek / Etosha / Swakopmund using tarred roads (tour 02)

Distances	km
Windhoek
71
Okahandja	71
174
Otjiwarongo	245
118
Otavi	363
87
Grootfontein	450
60
Tsumeb	510
107
Namutoni	617
123
Okaukuejo	740
117
Outjo	857
208
Omaruru	1065
61
Karibib	1126
30
Usakos	1156
145
Swakopmund	1301


Windhoek & District Attractions



	Windhoek is possibly the most attractive capital city on the African continent having a population of about 200,00, which is small in comparison to the sprawling metropolises of Pretoria or Lusaka, but Windhoek has its' own unique character. The road system is well signed and easy to navigate. Clean streets with groomed gardens, bistro cafes, modern shopping malls, good restaurants and modern hotels. The country's official language is English. However, Afrikaans and German are spoken almost everywhere. You need a 1 day stay-over here.

	The Alte Feste is located on Robert Mugabe Avenue and overlooks the city. This old German Fort now houses the Namibia National Museum. Highly recommended and you should budget about 1 hour for your visit. The exhibits include archive photos from the Herero Uprising of 1907, the history of the final liberation struggle, the United Nations Transitional Period (1989-1990), Namibia's first democratic election. Time budget 1hr

	The Geological Survey Museum is located in the Ministry of Mines and Energy building situated in Aviation Rd. This is near Eros Suburban Airport and directly opposite the Safari Hotel Complex. The museum is not well advertised or known of, but is well worth a visit. Here you can see a fascinating display of Namibia's Geological wonders, including the remainder of the Gibeon Meteorites. The exhibition of dinosaur fossils and Massospondylus seen at the left. Time budget 1 hr

	In the Post Street shopping mall, right in the centre of town is where you can see the display of 32 of the Gibeon Meteorites. This is the largest shower of extra terrestrial bodies known to have landed on the earth. The meteorites have a high nickel content and one has been sliced in half, so you can see the shiny stainless-steel like interior Time budget 10min

	Heroes' Acre is a National Heritage Site and is located about 5km south of the city on the B1. Namibia was under occupation by foreign colonial forces from 1884 to 1990 and this is our National Memorial to the Heroes and Heroines who struggled and fought for our Independence, which was finally achieved on 21 March 1990. The guided tours are most informative, and a visit here will give you a better appreciation of beautiful Namibia and its people. Time budget 2hr

Okahandja & District Attractions



	30 The Gross Barmen Hot Springs Resort is located about 25km west of Okahandja. The mineral rich thermal waters that bubble up from deep within the earth are said to have therapeutic values. The complex makes for a relaxing stay-over. The indoor thermal pool waters are maintained at 38-40°c. The outdoor thermal pool has a temperature of about 30°c. There are accommodation facilities including camp sites, shop, restaurant, bar etc.

	Okahandja is one of the cultural centres for the Herero people of Namibia. Samuel Maharero, the Chief who declared war, on 11 January 1904, against the Imperial German Colonizers of Namibia was laid to rest on 23 August 1923 in Okahandja near to his ancestors. Every year on the Sunday nearest to 23 August the Herero people gather here in ceremonial dress and pay homage to the deceased Chiefs. Time budget 1hr

	Okahandja is the home to 2 of the largest wood carver markets in Namibia. The Curio stalls can be seen an both the south entrance to the town and to the northern side nearby where the B1 and B2 road. You can buy just about anything wooden here from attractive polished fruit bowls to carved animals and even canoes. Be prepared to do get involved in some heavy bargaining if you pay these vibrant markets a visit. Time budget 30min+

Otjiwarongo & District Attractions



	Otjiwarongo Crocodile Ranch. If you haven't seen a Crocodylus niloticus for some time, then here is your chance to refresh your memory, plus they have a restaurant here that can serve you with a variety of dishes made from fresh Crocodile meat. As for the live ones, well like in most other 'zoos' or even in the wild, the adults just seem to bask in the sun and lay as still as logs of wood - waiting for some careless being to wander their way. Time budget 1hr

	37 Waterberg Resort: Set at the foot of the massive and picturesque Waterberg Plateau, this is well worth a stay-over. There are hiking trails and plenty of wild life and birds to be seen. There are guided game drives onto the plateau. The views are spectacular. I wasn't impressed with the lack of variety of game that I saw up there, but I was surprised to see so many large Sable Antelope. It's a good place to relax and 'get away from it all'. Time budget 8hr +

Otavi & District Attractions



	40 The Khorab Monument: This is at the place known as Kilometre 500 where on 9 July 1915 the German forces in South West Africa surrendered to the Union Of South Africa's General Louis Botha thus ending hostilities within the colony. It's difficult to find the memorial as some of the streets in Otavi have no signs, so make use of the Map of Otavi. Please see the directional map. Time budget 1hr

	41 Gaub Cave located on the historical Farm Ghaub. The cave is not 'tourist friendly', however, the 'Cavies' amongst you will not want to miss this-one. Be prepared for an amount of rock-hopping, so good boots are a must. Not for the Claustrophobic. Guided Tours only and I recommend you make a booking in advance. Time budget 2-3hr

Grootfontein District Attractions



	The "Old German Fort" in Grootfontein houses an interesting Museum that have over the years accumulated and amazing collection of old machinery. You can se how wagon wheels were made and a host of other equipment that the early farmers used to build up this country. There is a Himba exhibition along with mineral collections, and even an old English Steam Roller that is in working condition. Time budget 1-2 hr.

	42 Hoba Meteorite. It weighs-in at over 60 ton, is approximately 3 meters square and about 1 meter in depth. It contains about 82% iron and 16% nickel. It fell to earth about 80,000 years ago, and is the largest known-of metal meteorite in the world. When it came-in to land it didn't cause any crater to be formed, so it probably had a very low tragectory and 'bounced' to its final landing site on the Farm Hoba. National Heritage Site. Camping Available. Time budget 1hr

	44 Baobab Tree (number 1063) is located on the Farm Keibeb, which is about 60km north of Grootfontein on gravel roads. If you haven't seen a Big Baobab tree, and want to, it's well worth the effort. Baobab Trees play an important roll in African legend and daily life. The tree's various parts can be used for medicinal and food purposes, and it's an awesome sight when you see 'your first Baobab' towering over the surrounding bush. Time budget 1hr

Tsumeb & District Attractions



	43 Lake Otjikoto. It is an unusual geological feature, being a limestone cap about the size of a foot-ball filed that collapsed into the massive and deep water filled karst-cave system that runs for quite some distance under the ground in this area. It is into this lake that, prior to surrender, the Germans dumped the their weapons and Field-Guns in 1915. There's a small zoo, restaurant and lots of interesting collections at this site. Well worth a visit. Time Budget 1-2 hr

	TM Tsumeb Museum: This is at the eastern end of the Main Street. The majority of self drive tourists don't know about the Museum and pass it by, and it really is a 'Must See'. This is where you can see some of the Kaiser's Cannons that were recovered from Lake Otjikoto and refurbished by the Old TCL Mine. There is also an excellent mineral sample collection from the TCL MIne De Wet Shaft plus many other items of interest. Time budget 1-2hr

Etosha National Park



	Etosha National Park. 2007 was the 100 year anniversary of the Park. The 3 rest camps: Okaukuejo, Halali and Namutoni have recently been upgraded by Namibia Wildlife Resorts and all reports we have received from visiting tourists have been very positive. Returning visitors have praised the improvements and service, so this is good news. Etosha is vast and unspoiled and rates at the forefront of Africa's premier game parks. It's a must see. Time budget 2days+

Outjo District Attractions



	35 The Vingerklip, or Rock Finger is located in a now dry section of the Ugab River Bed. Formed by water erosion over a period of about 20 million years when the ancient Ugab was a powerful river with a high volume rate of flow that over time washed the softer material away. What remains of the sedimentary layers can clearly be seen in the side-walls of the Vingerklip, which protrudes some 35 meters above a conical debris mound. Time budget 1hr

Omaruru - Kalkveld District Attractions



	27 Paula Cave: The small cave is on a farm area operated by the Erongo Wilderness Lodge. You will need their permission, plus one of their guides to drive you to the cave. You may even consider a stay-over-night at the Lodge as it makes for an experience with a difference. They have 10 Luxury tented chalets nestled amongst dramatic setting of granite boulders with breathtaking views. Stay-over on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis. Time budget 2-3hr

	36 Dinosaur Tracks on Farm Otjihaenamaparero: Here you can see several lengthy track-ways that were imprinted in, what is now, Etjo-Sandstone about 200 million years ago. There are 2 distinctly different track-ways thought to have been left by early dinosaurs: (a) Ceratosaurus, a bi-pedal dinosaur that grew up to 6 meters in length, and (b) Syntarsus, a bi-pedal dinosaur that grew up to 3 meters in length. The track-ways are easily accessible and nearby there is shaded camping areas with showers and flush toilets. Time budget 1-2hr

Karibib & Usakos District Attractions



	25 Ranch Ameib Bull's Party: Directions From Usakos: at the 4 way stop on the B2 road you will see the signs to Philipp's Cave. Turn onto the D1935. After about 10km you arrive at the junction with the D1937 road. Drive this for about 15km arrive at Reception of Ameib Ranch. The strange and massive rock shapes and formations at the Bull's Party will not only fascinate you, but allow for some unusual photographs. This ranch is a must visit and is passed-by many tourists.

	25 Ranch Ameib Philipp's Cave. Directions as above. It is about a 45 minute hike including a good amount of rock hopping to get to the Philipp's Cave. Here you can view the famous 'White Elephant' painting along with other animal and human figures. The Ameib Ranch is located in the ruggedly picturesque Erongo Mountains. The sheer granite rock faces make for some challenging climbing. Good accommodation and camping facilities.

	24 Spitzkoppe: On the B2 road about 24km west of Usakos you will see the sign on the north side of the road for Henties Bay. Turn onto the D1930 for about 500m then turn west onto the D1918 for about 28km. The turn north east onto the D1925 for about 6km then arrive at Damara Community gate for the Spitzkoppe. The inselberg towers1728 meters over the desert floor and makes a most impressive sight. Photograph the surrealistic rock features

Swakopmund & District Attractions



	There's plenty to do and see in and around Swakopmund. Unless you have been here before, and within the past ten years, you need to plan a three day minimum stay to make your visit worthwhile. Swakopmund is fully geared up to make your stay a pleasurable and interesting one, plus there's plenty of activities, such as sky-diving, camel riding, horse riding, hot air ballooning etc. It's all here.
	Please check these links to our Namibia-1on1 site where you will find plenty of information about Swakopmund and its surroundings.

Walvis Bay & District Attractions



	Walvis Bay is Namibia's Premier Port and centre of our fishing industry, but this town has also geared up for tourism. The Wetland Bird Reserve is home to about 60,000 of Southern Africa's Flamingos. The Lagoon has proved itself to be one of the best places in the world for speed wind & Kite surfing with many records captured here. Take a Dolphin & Seal cruises in the lagoon and get served some of the locally grown Oysters with champagne.

Local Area Map and Directions for: Gaub Cave \| Hoba Meteorite \| Baobab Treet \| Lake Otjikoto Etosha Game Park Brandberg \| Spitzkoppe \| Ranch Amieb and Coastal Area Northern Naukluft Park inc. Welwitschia Drive