Live Like It's the Weekend Namibia Itinerary
This route follows Live Like It’s the Weekend’s 10-day southern Namibia itinerary. It loops from Windhoek to the Atlantic coast, turns inland for the Namib dunes, then runs south to Lüderitz before returning toward the capital.
Highlights include:
- Visiting Christuskirche and the Independence Memorial Museum in Windhoek
- Joining a cheetah walk or game drive at N/a’an ku sê Wildlife Sanctuary
- Watching flamingos in the Walvis Bay lagoon
- Taking a guided 4x4 excursion to Sandwich Harbour
- Visiting Sossusvlei, Deadvlei and Dune 45
- Walking through Sesriem Canyon in the cooler part of the day
- Looking for the wild horses at Garub on the road to Lüderitz
- Exploring the sand-filled diamond-mining buildings at Kolmanskop
- Staying at GocheGanas Nature Reserve or Zannier Omaanda near Windhoek
Namibia road trip from Windhoek to Windhoek (1782 km, about 21 hours driving). Plan this trip with Sideroads Africa.
Stops along the way
- Windhoek
- Hilton Windhoek: Central Windhoek hotel with a rooftop — the easy first night after Hosea Kutako.
- Christuskirche: 1909 German Lutheran church in sandstone and marble — Windhoek’s postcard centrepiece.
- Independence Memorial Museum: Glass-and-copper museum on Windhoek’s historic ridge — the liberation story above Christuskirche.
- N/a'an ku sê Wildlife Sanctuary: Rescue sanctuary east of Windhoek — cheetah walks and game drives a short hop from Hosea Kutako.
- Swakopmund
- Fancy Fritz B&B: Design-forward Swakopmund guesthouse — the Live Like It’s the Weekend coastal base.
- The Tug: Seafood in a beached tugboat on the Swakopmund mole — the coastal dinner everyone books.
- Walvis Bay
- Walvis Bay Flamingo Lagoon: Pink-flamingo shallows on the Walvis lagoon road — the easy coastal bird stop before Sandwich Harbour.
- Sandwich Harbour: Where Namib dunes dive into the Atlantic — lagoon, flamingos, and a guided 4x4 only.
- Sandwich Harbour 4x4: Guided dune-and-tide run from Walvis Bay to where the Namib meets the Atlantic.
- Solitaire
- McGregor's Bakery Solitaire: The only real pit-stop between Sossusvlei and Swakopmund — game pies, apple pie, and fuel.
- Sesriem
- Sossusvlei Desert Lodge: Closest lodge outside Sesriem Gate — a one-minute hop to the outer gate.
- Sossusvlei: White clay pan among the world’s tallest red dunes — the heart of Namib-Naukluft.
- Deadvlei: Dead camel-thorn forest on a white pan under Big Daddy — Namibia’s most photographed place.
- Dune 45: The easy-to-climb roadside dune 45 km into Sossusvlei — sunrise classic from the Sesriem tar.
- Sesriem Canyon: Narrow Tsauchab canyon near the park gate — a late-afternoon walk when the dunes are too hot.
- Garub Wild Horses: Feral Namib horses at the Garub waterhole on the B4 — a lay-by between Aus and Lüderitz.
- Lüderitz
- Kolmanskop Ghost Town: Diamond-boom hospital, casino, and houses filling with dune sand — Namibia’s essential ghost town.
- Cormorant House: Simple waterfront rooms in Lüderitz — a kitchenette base for Kolmanskop.
- Desert Deli Café: Lüderitz café that also sells Kolmanskop sunrise photography tickets — go the afternoon before.
- GocheGanas Nature Reserve: Mid-range wildlife reserve 25 minutes south of Windhoek — rhino, cheetah, and a spa between the B1 and airport.
- Zannier Omaanda: Luxury safari lodge in the Gondwana reserve east of Windhoek — lions, rhino, and a five-star last act.
- Hosea Kutako International Airport