Cape to Namibia Self-drive

This three week self drive holiday visits some of the scenic highlights along the West Coast of South Africa and then takes you through Namibia up to Etosha National park to end in Windhoek.

Number of nights: 20

Price Per Person From: ₤ 3,913

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Overview

Cape Town * Cederberg Mountains * Namaqualand * Fish River Canyon * Luderitz/Aus * Sossusvlei Dunes * Swakopmund * Damaraland * Etosha * Okonjima

This magnificent three-week Cape to Namibia self-drive journey takes you from Cape Town to Windhoek, tracing a spectacular route through South Africa’s western landscapes and into Namibia’s vast desert wilderness.

Cape to Namibia Highlights

Journey from Cape Town to Windhoek over three remarkable weeks
Explore Cape Town, the Winelands, Cederberg and Namaqualand
Discover Namibia’s deserts, canyons, coast and wildlife regions
Visit Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Damaraland and Etosha National Park
Enjoy the freedom and flexibility of a self-drive adventure

Cape to Namibia Self-drive route description

Begin in Cape Town, where you can enjoy the mix of Table Mountain rising above a city of ocean views, historic neighbourhoods and vibrant dining options. There is time to enjoy the city’s relaxed energy, explore the Cape Winelands, and take in the Cape Dutch architecture and vineyard scenery before heading north into the Cederberg Mountains and then Namaqualand.

From there, the road opens into Namibia, aptly known as the “place of great arid plains”. This is a land of striking contrasts, from the dramatic depths of the Fish River Canyon to the sculpted dunes of the Namib Desert.

Continue to the coastal town of Swakopmund, the ancient rock art landscapes of Damaraland, and the wildlife-rich plains of Etosha National Park before enjoying a visit to the remarkable Okonjima Game Reserve before your trip ends in Windhoek.

With a self-drive safari, you have the freedom to set your own rhythm. Stop for photographs, linger over viewpoints, and enjoy the sense of space that makes this route so rewarding.

Personalise this tour

As with nearly all our sample itineraries, our Cape to Namibia self-drive can be tailor-made to suit you, your interests and time-frame. Chat to Us about your needs.

Important to Know – Sizeable Cross Border Fees

This Cape to Namibia self-drive itinerary is a one-way self-drive route from South Africa into Namibia, so cross-border and one-way drop-off fees both apply. These are payable directly when collecting the rental car (to keep this cost to a minimum) and are NOT included in the tour price.

But the combined total is over R15,000. This may seem substantial, but South African car rental rates are far lower than in Namibia, which partially helps to offset approx. 40% of the extra cost. We will always make these fees clear at quotation stage so there are no surprises.

Tour Video

Tour Map

Day to Day Itinerary

Link to our Digital Itinerary

On arrival in Cape Town you collect your rental car (SUV 2×4 or similar) and drive to Welgelegen Guest House for a three-night stay. Welgelegen is a stylish boutique guest house set in two pretty Victorian buildings, in a quiet cul-de-sac in the Gardens area – adjacent to trendy Kloof Street with its inviting bistros, restaurants and shops. Bedrooms all have telephone, air-conditioning, TV, bar-fridges and tea & coffee tray and are decorated in an understated contemporary style. There is a courtyard garden with a plunge pool, ideal for alfresco breakfasts.

Cape Town is one of the most beautifully situated cities in the world. Cradled by Table Mountain, it has immense charm and historical interest whilst its unique cultural blend; part African, part European, part Asian, makes for a cosmopolitan dining experience. Take the cable car or walk up Table Mountain, visit the vibrant Malay quarter or meander through the wonderful Kirstenbosch Gardens. Browse through the vibrant Greenmarket Square, head out to Robben Island or simply relax on the beach. When you want to range further, the Cape Peninsula offers one of the finest coastal drives in Africa, it takes you to the Cape of Good Hope. Here you might see whales breeching just off the bay or quirky penguins on Boulder’s Beach.

Today you travel north to the Cederberg region, a dramatic landscape of craggy canyons, rivers, dams and waterfalls. En route you may like to travel via the picturesque village of Tulbagh with its well restored Cape Dutch houses and excellent wine estates. (2½ hours scenic drive).

Cederberg Ridge is a luxurious wilderness lodge offering delicious food, hospitality and adventure. The lodge overlooks the panorama of the Cederberg Mountains with its unique raw, rugged beauty.

It offers the authentic ambience of a modern African farmhouse with much use of wood, natural materials and earthy tones. Yet the striking steel windows bring a contemporary touch. With 9 spacious rooms and suites, restaurant with a view, large swimming pool, and indigenous gardens flowing into the veld, Cederberg Ridge offers tranquillity and style in the midst of wilderness.

Various excursions are on offer: from walking trails to mountain biking, from guided rock art to boating, and from flowers to farm tours. At the lodge, you can relax around the pool, pamper yourself with a spa treatment or enjoy story-telling and star-gazing at the fire-pit in the evening.

Today you drive further North to Springbok in the Namaqualand region. The Namaqualand encompasses the narrow Sandveld coastal strip between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Karoo to the east. Namaqualand is known for its spring flowers, rare succulents, unique indigenous plants, rich history, hospitality, unreal rock formations and the Richtersveld.

Daisy Country Lodge has magnificent views overlooking the hills and valleys and is truly an oasis in this semi-desert area. The rooms are spacious with en-suite bathrooms, patio, air-conditioning, satellite TV, minibar, hairdryer and tea/coffee making facilities. There is a swimming pool to cool off in the heat of summer as well as a restaurant. (3½ hours, 335km)

Travel north to Namibia and enjoy an overnight stay at Canyon Lodge. (4 hours, 330km)

Canyon Lodge stands proud amongst great granite boulders, 20km from the awe-inspiring Fish River Canyon. It offers sunrise walks, morning hikes to the nearby Quiver trees and rock formations, horse riding and a delightful sundowner drive. Thatched en suite chalets have unique natural rock walls. An old farmhouse is the lodge restaurant with a terrific view of the canyon landscape.

Visit the spectacular Fish River Canyon, over 300 million years old, in the early morning when it is truly an awe-inspiring site. The second largest river-formed canyon in the world but with a minute fraction of the tourist hordes which descend on the Grand Canyon.

Journey west to Klein-Aus Vista Eagle’s Nest from the Gondwana Nature Park where you stay two nights

Solitude, silence, space and magnificent sunsets – these are the characteristics of the atmosphere at Eagle’s Nest Chalets. A 15 minutes’ drive from the reception at the Desert Horse Inn, 8 chalets are nestled against a mountain slope and afford unique views of the boundlessness of the desert. Each of the natural rock chalets sits between massive granite boulders and contains a bathroom, kitchenette, fireplace and private veranda. Meals are served at the Desert Horse Inn restaurant. Take-away breakfast or barbecue packs are available on request.

We recommend that you spend the day first visiting the ghost town of Kolmanskop before heading to the fishing town of Luderitz.

Note: We base the overnight stay at Aus so that the long drive to Sossussvlei is not even longer (reduces the length by 1 hour versus staying at Luderitz)

Today you head to the Namib Desert to Sossusvlei Lodge.

Sossusvlei rivals a visit to Etosha as the highlight of a Namibian holiday. You rise with the sun to see one of the most awesome sights in Namibia – the towering dunes of Sossusvlei, some of the largest in the world, rising more than 1000 feet above the desert. Many of our visitors lose their hearts to Namibia after seeing Sossusvlei. This is paradise for the photographer, as the shadows create a magnificent contrast of colors. Marvel at the gemsbok and other animals that manage to survive in these dry conditions.

With glorious purple mountains in the distance, and a passing parade of springbok, oryx, and Cape fox, Sossusvlei Lodge has a unique setting. Shaded by camelthorn trees, it lies right at the entrance to the Namib Naukluft Park, which is a big plus in this area where you want to try to get into the park as soon after sunrise as possible to get the best of the shadows on the dunes. Enjoy early morning excursions to the famous pan of Sossusvlei, the scorched trees of the Dead Vlei and the gorge of Sesriem Canyon.

It is a testament to the ingenuity of a truly eco-friendly design as it crouches almost unnoticed in a vast ocean of sand. It is not a small lodge, yet the 45 individual adobe and canvas chalets are carefully laid out to perfectly blend in with the magnificent natural environment. Each offers air-conditioning, private patio, en-suite bathroom with shower, and a spacious bedroom under canvas.

Continue across the gravel plains of the Namib to the coastal town of Swakopmund. (350km, 5 hours drive). Reaching the sea again after the boulder-strewn landscape is quite a joy to the senses. Swakopmund has a distinctive continental atmosphere and many picturesque reminders of the German colonial era, deliciously incongruous in the midst of the Namib Desert! There’s plenty to do and see such as the Seal Colony at Cape Cross, the flamingos at Walvis Bay or the Welwitschia “forest”. Visit the surreal landscape of the “Moon Mountains”, an area of deep chasms and interesting geological features, or perhaps try some sand-boarding or quad-biking into the desert.

Cornerstone Guesthouse is a small, private and peaceful Guest Lodge situated in the heart of Swakopmund on a corner near the marine museum and the old brewery. It offers the charm and intimacy of a family-run guest house combined with the modern amenities of a luxury hotel. Cornerstone Guesthouse consists of five double or twin rooms. Each has a private entrance and patio and are spacious with tile and wood floors, beach house vibe and en suite bathrooms with large solar-assisted showers and modern fittings.

Journey up the coast, perhaps taking a detour to visit Africa’s largest seal colony at Cape Cross, seeing a little of the infamous Skeleton Coast en route. Imagine the horror of early explorers whose shipwrecks lie strewn along the shore, doomed by treacherous fogs and currents. Then cut inland past Brandberg and up to the Twyffelfontein area with Burnt Mountain, Twyffelfontein Rock Engravings and the Organ Pipes to visit. Stay overnight at Camp Kipwe.

Camp Kipwe is nestled in the boulders, facing a superb mountain landscape. The camp has a natural organic feel to it. The eight rooms are round in shape, with large outside decks to admire the view. The central area of Camp Kipwe comprises the reception area, dining room, lounge and bar all with amazing views toward the Aba Huab riverbed. A small swimming pool built into the rocks and a viewpoint with 360 degrees of beauty, are two attractive outdoor features. Activities (at additional cost) include nature drives with the possibility of seeing the desert-adapted elephants in the dry season as well as Twyfelfontein excursions to the rock engravings and guided walks in front of the camp with Kipwe’s experienced guides. (3½ hours, 290km)

Head further north into Damaraland, to Grootberg Lodge for your two night stay. Damaraland is one of our favourite areas of Namibia – its innate beauty intensified by the solitude and the sense of freedom it engenders. This rugged mountain wilderness to the west of Etosha offers great photographic opportunities with its imposing granite domes and dramatic flat-topped mountains. Here you may be lucky enough to encounter some of the desert-dwelling elephant, the rare black rhino and other game which migrates across Damaraland according to the rains.

Grootberg Lodge was the first mid-market lodge in Namibia that is 100% owned by the conservancy. It enjoys a spectacular hillside setting and offers a win-win product. The visitor enjoys the great setting, good food, well-trained guides with a number of optional excursions such as nature drives, guided walks, desert elephant tracking, horse riding and even joining the Save the Rhino Trust on their rhino tracking research.

Today you head to Etosha National Park to spend three nights.. Etosha is one of the finest game parks in Southern Africa. It encloses a vast saltpan that becomes an immense, shallow lake in rainy periods, attracting great numbers of flamingos and other water birds. The open plains are home to tens of thousands of animals with large herds of springbok, gemsbok, zebra, wildebeest, elephant and, of course, the predators – particularly cheetah and lion. The diminutive Damara dik-dik is one of the rarer but delightful sightings.

Drive south and into the Omboroko Mountains to stay overnight at Okonjima Plains Camp, (formerly called Main Lodge) This comfortable lodge in the Omboroko Mountains is home to the AfriCat non-profit project to preserve and rehabilitate large cats.

The camp has comfortable garden chalets nestled around a central garden as well as 10 View chalets overlooking the reserve. Okonjima Plains Camp has an indoor dining area and sitting room, a pool and a large tea garden for relaxing during the heat of the day.

However the emphasis at Okonjima is not really on the accommodation but on their famous AfriCat rescue project. Visitors learn a great deal about leopard and cheetah – perhaps tracking leopards in the rehabilitation area. After dinner you can visit the hide to spot night creatures like caracal, porcupine or honey-badgers. The fascinating Bushman walking trail is also highly recommended. (2½ to 3 hours, 205km)

Today you drive to the Windhoek airport to drop off your rental car in time for your onward flight. (3 hours, 260km)

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PRICE FROM ₤ 3,913

An idea of price

This is a sample itinerary using specific hotels and lodges. However most of these sample tours can be adapted to suit you. If applicable, it includes domestic seat-in-charter flights. But it excludes any regional and domestic scheduled flights (as these are subject to change and specific routing). These are added to a specific quotation once we have your dates.

INCLUDES

Meals and accommodation as shown in itinerary (B&B for 14 nights, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast for 6 nights), Group R car rental for 21 days on Super-Cover basis including 2nd driver, GPS or Wifi Router, super-cover insurance and unlimited kilometres.

EXCLUDES

International & domestic flights, visas, items of a personal nature, meals not specified. Note the cross border fee plus one way drop off fee is NOT included and needs to be settled directly when collecting the car. Currently it is approx R1.750 for the cross-border fee and R10,400 for the one way drop off fee, so it is quite substantial!

Aug 2026 - Aug 2026

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Jan 2027 - Mar 2027

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May 2027 - Jun 2027

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Cedarberg Travel | Cape to Namibia Self-drive

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Okonjima Plains Camp

Okonjima Plains Camp lies in the Central Highlands of Namibia. Is biggest claim to fame is that it is home to the AfriCat Foundation, a non-profit project to preserve and rehabilitate the large cats ...

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