Adventure Namibia

Adventure Namibia

Adventure Namibia is a 14-day off-road experience that will take us through some of the most interesting and captivating areas of this southwestern African country. As we travel from one unique hand-picked lodge to the next, we will experience the fascinating attractions for which this area is known.

Starting in the capital city of Windhoek, the tour heads south following the banks of the Orange River toward Fish River Canyon, then through Namib-Naukluft National Park to view some of the world’s highest sand dunes, along the Skeleton Coast, and finally to Etosha National Park for a two-day game-viewing experience.

The roads on this tour are ‘main roads’ most of which are unpaved. To best enjoy this Adventure, riders must have experience off-road riding and feel comfortable riding loose gravel with the occasional short sections of soft sand/dry river beds. The tour is suitable for two-up riding by highly-experienced riders that are used to having a passenger while riding off-road.

Highlights of this Adventure include:

• Namibia’s “Skeleton Coast” with spectacular views of sand dunes, the coast, seals and ship wrecks.
• The Namib Naukluft Park, Namibia’s largest national park which encompasses much of the Namib Desert – one of the driest on earth.
• A rest day in Sesriem including a visit to Sossusvlei, a vast ephemeral pan located in the midst of huge sand dunes, some more than 600 feet high. We’ll have an opportunity to enjoy a “sundowner” during a ride on the dunes on quad bikes.
• A two-night stop at a luxury game lodge on the edge of Etosha National Park.
• A guided tour to find hidden rock paintings in the desert.

At a Glance Your Adventure Namibia Tour

Day 1 – Arrival in Windhoek, Namibia

Welcome to Namibia! The tour leaders will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel where you can spend the day relaxing or exploring Windhoek. Later in the afternoon the tour leaders will hand over the bikes before hosting a group briefing to provide more detailed information about the tour. After the briefing we will enjoy our first dinner together at a wonderful local restaurant.

Day 2 – Windhoek to Stampriet ~200 miles

Heading east from Windhoek, we will ride on a good paved road for about a half hour before getting our first taste of riding gravel in Namibia. Making our way south, we will ride through farmlands and many small local villages where we will stop for breaks, fuel and photo opportunities.

Tonight’s accommodation is a small oasis located in the middle of nowhere that offers wonderful accommodation, great food and incredible views of the night sky.

Day 3 – Stampriet to Hobas ~285 miles

An early morning departure will get us back on the road to enjoy a full day of riding on gravel roads with a few short stretches of pavement as we pass through the popular town of Keetmanshoop. Along the way we will stop to see the Quiver Tree Forest as well as Giants Playground. Giants Playground has some incredible rock formations that will leave you wondering how these ginormous rocks ended up precariously balancing on top of each other.

Tonight’s accommodation is tucked away in a stunning rock formation that offers breathtaking views of the sunset over the desert.

Day 4 – Hobas to Aussenkehr ~100 miles

A short day of riding on gravel and paved roads will allow us a relaxing breakfast before heading out to the numerous viewpoints overlooking the Fish River Canyon.

The Fish River Canyon is the second largest canyon in the world. In parts it is deeper, has a lot less visitors, and is millions of years older than its counterpart, the Grand Canyon.

From the Fish River Canyon, we will make our way south through Namibia’s grape growing region where we will spend a night on the banks of the Orange River. The Orange River is the border between Namibia and South Africa.

Day 5 – Aussenker to Luderitz ~250 miles

Heading out from our hotel we will ride on a spectacular gravel road that follows the Orange river for about 50 miles before heading North to the town of Rosh Pinah. This section of gravel road is both scenic and very twisty.

From the small town of Aus it’s a 60-mile sprint to Kolmanskop, a deserted diamond mining town which offers stunning photo opportunities of abandoned homes reclaimed by the sand. Our destination tonight is the fishing village of Luderitz where our hotel directly overlooks the South Atlantic Ocean.

Day 6 – Ludertiz to Sesriem ~295 miles

Today we will leave the fresh ocean air behind us as we backtrack to Aus before hitting the gravel roads again to make our way north towards Sesriem.

For the next two nights we will stay in an absolutely stunning lodge that offers breathtaking views of the famous Namibian sand dunes.

Day 7 – Free day in Sesriem

Early risers have the option to do a hot air balloon flight over the desert. Watching the sunrise from the silence of a wicker basket a couple of hundred feet up in the air is an unforgettable experience.

The lodge has its own permit to get into Sossusvlei park which means that by leaving early in the morning we will miss the lineup of vehicles trying to enter the park. We will be some of the first people to visit Sossusvlei and the surrounding sand dunes before the heat of the day sets in.

Day 8 – Sesriem to Swakopmund ~220 miles

We will enjoy another full day of scenic gravel roads as we make our way north. We will stop at the small oasis of Solitaire, a remote settlement known for its world-famous apple pie.

Once through the Namib-Naukluft National Park, we will ride a short section of paved road from Walvis Bay to Swakopmund where we will spend the night at an oceanfront hotel. Swakopmund is Namibia’s most popular seaside resort.

Day 9 – Swakopmund to Mowani ~285 miles

From Swakopmund we will head almost directly north on the C34, a hard pack gravel/salt road, as we ride towards Torra Bay. Along the way we will stop at Cape Cross Seal Colony and then enter the Skeleton Coast National Park. Along the coastline we will see a number of shipwrecks – there’s a reason it’s called the Skeleton Coast!

Just before Torra Bay we will leave the fresh ocean air and make our way directly east back into the desert.

Tonight’s lodge is built into a small rocky outcrop which offers wonderful views of the desert and has a small bar at the top where you can enjoy a drink as you watch a stunning sunset.

Day 10 – Mowani to Ombika ~205 miles

This will be another great day of riding on gravel roads and through small Namibian towns as we make our way to Ongava Private Game Reserve.

As with many of the accommodations on this tour, tonight’s lodging is incredible. It is located inside a private game reserve that offers game viewing as soon as you pass through the entrance gate.

Day 11 – Free day – Etosha

Today’s free day will be dedicated to wildlife viewing. Both the private game reserve and Etosha National Park have an abundance of wildlife, all of which is easy to spot from a safari vehicle driven by a local guide. Etosha is one of Africa’s largest national parks and features diverse wildlife, numerous waterholes at which the animals gather, and impressive salt pans.

In the evening we will have a wonderful dinner and cocktails at the lodge, while enjoying the breathtaking views of the surrounding game reserve.

Day 12 – Ombika to Uigaran ~255 miles

Leaving the lodge, we will backtrack a few miles on the main paved road before getting back onto gravel roads as we head southwest to the small town of Uigaran.

The town itself does not have much to offer, but the hidden gem of a lodge where we will be staying is very unique and offers a guided tour into the foothills of the Erongo mountains to visit a number of historical rock painting sites.

Day 13 – Uigaran to Windhoek ~175 miles

It’s a short ride into the city of Windhoek to conclude our loop Adventure of Namibia.

Setting out we’ll enjoy a few miles of gravel roads before hitting the inevitable and unavoidable paved roads as we ride towards civilization.

Once in Windhoek, we will check into our hotel before heading out to a popular and fun restaurant for our final dinner together.

Day 14 – Departure

The tour leaders will arrange a transfer to the airport for your flight home.

TOTAL MILES: ~1,270 miles