Namibia Luxury Fly-In Safari: Etosha, Damaraland & Sossuvlei – 7 Days

Day 1: Arrive in Windhoek & Fly to Etosha National Park

Your Namibia adventure begins with a flight from Windhoek to Etosha National Park. You'll be met at the airstrip and taken to your lodge, which lies just outside this protected slice of wilderness. Set in the northwest of Namibia, Etosha is known by the Indigenous Ovambo people as "the great white place" for its 1,900 square-mile (4,920 sq km) salt pan, which is visible from space. Take some time to freshen up before heading out for a game drive on the reserve grounds.

Etosha is one of Namibia's top safari destinations due to its many spring-fed waterholes, which offer supreme wildlife sightings, especially during the dry season when animals congregate around these vital water sources. During your safari, look out for plains game like gazelles and antelopes, as well as big cats, colorful birdlife, and even endangered black rhinos. Return to your lodge after the drive for dinner and a relaxing evening.

Day 2: Full-Day Game Drive in Etosha National Park

This morning you'll set off on a full-day game drive in Etosha National Park. Along the way, your safari guide will point out some of the park's diverse wildlife, which encompasses over 114 species of mammals and 350 bird species. You're likely to spot everything from Burchell's zebras and black-faced impalas to oryx, giraffes, and elephants.

You'll also learn about Etosha's distinctive landscape, which features over 20 types of vegetation, and its famous salt pan, which was once a colossal lake before it dried up. If you visit during the rainy season, water floods the pan, creating algae-filled lagoons that attract migratory birds such as flamingoes. Enjoy lunch in the park during your safari; you'll be dropped back at your lodge in the late afternoon. 

Day 3: Fly from Etosha National Park to Damaraland

Say goodbye to Etosha today and fly west to Damaraland, a dramatic region of grasslands, gorges, and mountains home to the Indigenous Herero, Himba, and Damara people. The area is particularly famous for its prehistoric rock paintings and geological formations, which have been carved by wind and sand over the centuries. When you land, you'll be greeted by a representative from the luxury lodge where you'll be staying for the next two nights. 

Day 4: Damaraland & Twyfelfontein Tour

Spend a full day discovering Damaraland's highlights. Start by visiting the Twyfelfontein region, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its collection of over 2,000 rock petroglyphs. Marvel at the designs, which depict animals and geometric shapes and were made by Namibia's nomadic hunter-gatherer tribes an estimated 6,000 years ago. Your guide will also show you the area's iconic "living fossil plant," the welwitschia.

Next, tour some of Damaraland's striking geological formations. These include a set of dolerite pillars referred to as the Organ Pipes and Namibia's tallest peak, Brandberg, which is known as "fire mountain" for its sunrise and sunset glow. Don't miss the eerie Petrified Forest, a collection of trees uprooted some 200 million years ago and frozen in sediment. As an optional extra, book a game drive to search for desert-adapted animals before returning to your lodge for dinner.

Day 5: Fly from Damaraland to Sossusvlei

This morning you'll fly to Sossusvlei and head straight to your lodge, which lies close to the entrance of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The park is located in the world's oldest desert, the Namib, which stretches over 1,200 miles (2,000 km) from Angola along the coast of Namibia into South Africa and is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for its shifting sand sea. 

Day 6: Full-Day Sossusvlei Tour

Today, venture into the Namib Desert to the Sossusvlei dune belt, a dry riverbed that features some of the highest sand dunes in the world. You'll see Sossusvlei's most impressive dunes, such as the 1,000-foot-tall (300 m) Big Daddy and Dune 45. As the light changes throughout the day, these towering sand masses transform into shades of orange, red, and gold.

Other Sossusvlei highlights include Deadvlei, a white-clay valley covered with dozens of dead camelthorn trees, which is a favorite photo spot in Namibia. In the afternoon, you can opt to take an additional excursion to the nearby Sesriem Canyon, which was formed up to four million years ago by the Tsaugab River. Early explorers used ses (six) riem (leather rope straps) to lower a bucket into the 100-foot (30 m) deep canyon to collect water, hence the name.

Day 7: Fly from Sossusvlei to Windhoek & Depart

Your desert adventure ends this morning with a flight back to Windhoek Eros Airport. Upon arrival in Windhoek, your driver will take you to Hosea Kutako International Airport for your onward flight. Safe travels!