Journeys: Discover Namibia & Victoria Falls
12 days, Windhoek to Victoria Falls
Itinerary
Day 1Windhoek
Arrive at any time. Transfer to hotel.
Airport Transfer
You will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel to start your adventure.
Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group
Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.
Day 2Windhoek/Sesriem
Enjoy the dramatic Namibian landscapes as we drive to the desert area of Sesriem, gateway to Namib-Naukluft National Park. Settle in to our desert lodge, relax at the pool, or enjoy a cool drink watching the stunning sunset over the desertscape.
Enjoy postcard perfect desert scenery around Sesriem and Sossusvlei - vast desertscapes of reds and orange, stark camel thorn trees and towering dunes with dramatic curved ridges. Also keep an eye out for the surprising amount of wildlife that call this area home such as oryx, springbok, jackal, ground squirrel and hyena.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Meals included:
Breakfast | DinnerDay 3Sesriem
Embark on a scenic excursion into the national park to explore the Namib Desert. Visit Sossusvlei and Deadvlei — clay pans covered in a crust of salt-rich sand surrounded by burnt orange and red towering dunes. It's considered one of the most stunning desert landscapes in Africa. After, visit Sesriem Canyon, a natural gorge carved out by the Tsauchab River.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
4x4
Roads? Where this rough-and-ready vehicle's going, we don't need roads.
Sesriem Canyon Visit
Enjoy a short stop at Sesriem Canyon, a small canyon typical of the area. The Tsauchab River flows through the canyon every five to ten years, and this creates the nearby salt and clay pan of Sossusvlei.
Sossusvlei Dunes Visit
This area is famous for its high, red sand dunes. This clay and salt pan is surrounded by the dunes, making it a spectacularly beautiful sight with a remote and isolated feel.
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 4Sesriem/Swakopmund
Continue through changing desert landscapes, keeping an eye out for free-roaming zebra, kudu, springbok, and oryx. Stop in the quirky town of Solitaire for a break before heading out into the countryside. Here, we meet a local of this remote region who takes us on a drive and talks about the survival strategies of ancient and modern Bushmen who live in the area. We also search out smaller animal life that manages to survive in these harsh conditions such as snakes, geckos, spiders, and insects and learn how they have adapted to this arid region. After, continue to Swakopmund on the Atlantic coast.
Living Desert Tour
Hop into a 4x4 vehicle and set out into the desert. An expert guide will point out signs of animal life and emphasize survival in the harsh desert landscape for both humans and animals.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Meals included:
Breakfast | LunchDay 5Swakopmund
Enjoy the morning free and opt to go quad biking or sandboarding or just take a walk in town. This afternoon, visit the township of Mondesa with a local guide. Visit the lively local market for an introduction to traditional food including Wild Spinach, Mopane worms and dried Kapenta Fish. Also visit Datango art and craft shop, a project that helps train local unemployed youth in traditional crafts. After, visit the shebeen (Tavern) for a cool drink, then visit a traditional restaurant for dinner and enjoy entertainment by the local choir.
Explore the town's unique mix of German and African culture and opt to visit curio shops, the museum and restaurants. Optional activities include sandboarding, quad biking, or if you're feeling brave, skydiving.
Please note that there are no remaining departures for Swakopmund Skydiving in December 2019.
Free Time
Enjoy a free morning in the historic coastal town of Swakopmund.
Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Mondesa Township Walk
Visit the community of Mondesa Township with an expert resident guide. Learn about its daily life, history and traditions through an immersive experience with the welcoming people that live here. Visit its lively market for an introduction to traditional foods like wild spinach, mopane worms, and dried kapenta fish. Also visit an arts-and-crafts shop that helps train the township’s youth in traditional crafts. Drop by a shebeen (tavern) to enjoy a favourite drink, and meet some local residents. Finally, continue on to a nearby family run establishment for dinner and local entertainment.
Optional Activities - Day 5 HideShow
Fat Tire Bike Tours
480NAD per personDiscover the beauty of Namibia’s landscapes on a fat tire bike tour, from a scenic ride through the world’s oldest desert to the historic streets of Swakopmund. Whether you choose to partake in a thrilling adventure or take your time exploring the desert’s unique flora and fauna, this is a unique way to journey through one of the most breathtaking regions of Namibia.
Sandboarding in the Namib Desert
700NAD per personHead out into the desert, grab a board, and surf the sand dunes. Choose to lie down headfirst, or stand up, surfer-style.
Swakopmund Skydiving
Buckle up your harness, practice your exit, then take a plane up and over the dunes of the Namib Desert. Take a deep breath, leap out and freefall with an instructor before he opens the parachute. Admire the view over the dunes as you descend and land safely back on the ground. Wow!
Meals included:
Breakfast | DinnerDay 6Swakopmund/Twyfelfontein
Continue on to Twyfelfontein where we visit the ancient petroglyphs which were named Namibia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site is thought to hold the largest concentrations of Bushman engravings in Africa with over 2,500 figures ranging from 2,000 to 5,000 years old.
Prehistoric Rock Engravings Guided Tour
Step back in time to see prehistoric rock engravings made during the early Stone Age. Their exact origin is uncertain, but these works depicting animals and hunters are probably the work of Bushmen or Nama artists estimated to have lived near Twyfelfontein at least 5,000 years ago. Marvel at the more than 2,500 rock carvings and paintings and understand why this is Namibia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Meals included:
Breakfast | DinnerDay 7Twyfelfontein/Etosha National Park
Depart early to visit the Petrified Forest national monument, a stunning site of fossilized tree trunks dating from approximately 280 million years ago. Continue to our lodge located in the Etosha National Park area, considered the greatest wildlife sanctuary in Namibia. This afternoon, take an open vehicle wildlife safari drive to view the abundant wildlife who congregate around the park's waterholes.
After the vast desert, Etosha National Park, offers a contrast of wide open grasslands, a massive pan that covers 4731km² and tall camel thorn trees intermixed with Mopani trees. Combined with the vast amount of natural waterholes with this diverse vegetation, wildlife flock to the park. Some of the largest elephants in Africa can be found in areas of thicker vegetation, as well as leopard and the critically endangered black rhino. Lions, giraffe, ostrich and heard animals the grasslands, while birders will love the salt pans which attract flamingos in the rainy season. More than 340 bird species have been counted in Etosha National Park including the European bee-eater, the kori bustard and numerous migratory birds.
Etosha is a very popular park with limited accommodation. While we aim to secure lodging inside the park, on some departures we will stay at lodges adjacent to the park (the park is unfenced allowing the animals to roam freely throughout the area) which still provides access to all safari activities and wildlife.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Visit Petrified Forest national monument
Visit the Petrified Forest national monument, a stunning site of fossilized tree trunks which was discovered in the 1940s by local farmers. This bizarre stone forest consists of fossilized tree trunks dating from approximately 280 million years ago.
Etosha Open Vehicle Wildlife Safari Drive
Set off in an open 4x4 safari vehicle with a naturalist guide in search of the stunning wildlife in the park. Wildlife often come to the many watering holes to drink, so keep your eyes peeled for many animals on the move.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 8Etosha National Park
Early this morning, embark on a sunrise wildlife safari drive in an open vehicle with a local guide through the park. There is abundant wildlife that congregate around the waterholes, so keep your cameras at the ready for elephants, lions, endangered black rhinos, and even leopards. The remainder of the day is free to relax at our lodge. Take a swim or join our CEO for a drive. Our lodge is perfectly situated so sit back with a sundowner and enjoy the sunset over the park. This afternoon or evening, opt to take another open vehicle safari drive.
Etosha Open Vehicle Wildlife Safari Drive
Set off in an open 4x4 safari vehicle with a naturalist guide in search of the stunning wildlife in the park. Wildlife often come to the many watering holes to drink, so keep your eyes peeled for many animals on the move.
Free Time
Enjoy free time to relax at the lodge or participate in additional safari activities.
Optional Activities - Day 8 HideShow
Etosha Open Vehicle Wildlife Safari Drive
1200NAD per personSet off in an open 4x4 safari vehicle with a naturalist guide in search of the stunning wildlife in the park. Wildlife often come to the many watering holes to drink, so keep your eyes peeled for many animals on the move.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 9Etosha National Park/Windhoek
After breakfast, visit the Cheetah Conservation Fund, a global field research and education facility founded by Dr. Laurie Marker whose research has been supported by National Geographic. Tour the facility to learn about the important research, conservation, and community outreach work they do as one of the world’s leading organizations dedicated to saving the cheetah in the wild. Meet with a researcher for a lecture to learn about the various projects in the works, then enjoy a cheetah drive to view some of these amazing creatures up close. After, enjoy lunch on the veranda overlooking the magnificent Waterberg Plateau. Continue on to Windhoek for our final evening.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Cheetah Conservation Experience
The Cheetah Conservation Fund is a global field research and education facility founded by Dr. Laurie Marker whose research has been supported by National Geographic. Tour the centre and learn about the important conservation and community outreach work they perform as one of the world’s leading organizations dedicated to saving the cheetah in the wild. One of the program’s researchers will give us a lecture before we head out on a cheetah drive to view some of these incredible creatures up close in their natural habitat. Conclude the experience by sitting down as a group for lunch on the veranda that overlooks the magnificent Waterberg Plateau.
Meals included:
Breakfast | LunchDay 10Windhoek/Victoria Falls
Fly to Zimbabwe and enjoy a guided tour along the trails of the famous falls. Gain insight into what life’s like in Africa with a walk through a local market and dinner at a family homestead. Meet the family, learn their history, and share stories as you help prepare a traditional Zimbabwean dinner.
The mist off Victoria Falls can rise to a height of more than 400m (1312 ft). Local tribes used to call the falls Mosi-o-Tunya or “the smoke that thunders.” Explorer and missionary David Livingstone renamed the falls after Queen Victoria when he first saw them in 1855.
Plane
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
Victoria Falls Tour
Head out for an unforgettable experience at Victoria Falls. Explore the rainforest and learn about the geology, history, and local legends of this world wonder. After your immersion, get up close to the falls and discover the beauty of “the smoke that thunders.” Be sure to have your camera ready!
Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Zimbabwean Family Dinner
Flatter Ncube is the head of her family which includes two sisters and numerous children. She’s the youngest of a family of 10 and, now in her early 40s, lives in the village she was raised in near Victoria Falls. There she takes care of her extended family on their homestead, which she and they have been proudly building by hand, brick by brick, for years. Flatter’s story highlights that life isn’t easy in Africa, but despite its challenges, there is much love and laughter and a strong sense of family here.
Visit Flatter’s homestead in her rural village; meet her and some of her family, and walk with some of them throughout the property, among the fruit and vegetable plants the family grows for consumption. (They even plant hot chillies among the vegetables to discourage nosy elephants.) Then help the family prepare a traditional Zimbabwean dinner, which we'll all eat together outside on the property, weather permitting. Ingredients for the meal will have been hand-selected earlier in the day, at the bustling and friendly local village market.
This experience offers great insight into typical African life, and ultimately reinforce how we all really want and need the same things in life: a stable home full of love, a good education, and plenty of opportunity for our children.
Meals included:
Breakfast | DinnerDay 11Victoria Falls
Enjoy a free day to explore the area. Take part in a river safari, cultural tours, whitewater rafting, canoeing, or a helicopter ride over the falls.
Optional Activities - Day 11 HideShow
Zambezi River Sunset Cruise
57USD per personClimb aboard and cruise along the beautiful Zambezi River. Enjoy some snacks, drinks, a festive atmosphere, and gorgeous views of the sunset. It's the ideal way to end an eventful day in Victoria Falls.
Please note that National Park Fees are included at 10 USD per person.
Victoria Falls Helicopter Ride - 15 Mins
You don't want to miss the opportunity to see Victoria Falls from above. Watch the Zambezi River make its way toward the gorge and form the largest waterfall in the world. During your 15-minute ride, you will have time to take in the incredible views over the falls, Livingstone Island, and Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park while snapping as many pictures as you like. You may be lucky enough to see some giraffes and elephants in the surrounding landscape and even catch a rainbow over the falls. Includes pick-up and drop-off from hotel and a 12-15min flight.
Please note there is a cost for an additional park fee paid for on-site at time of the activity.
Zambezi Bungee Jump
168USD per personGet the adrenaline pumping with a bungee jump from the Victoria Falls Bridge over the Zambezi River. Hear the rush of Victoria Falls as you enjoy this once in a lifetime experience.
Victoria Falls Whitewater Rafting
120USD per personTake the opportunity to go whitewater rafting on the Zambezi River while Victoria Falls roars above. Depart in the morning and navigate through the canyon that forms the famous falls. The dramatic rapids will fill you with excitement and complete your experience. Includes a full-day of rafting on class III-V rapids, transfers, and lunch.
Please note: River conditions and activity pricing vary depending on the seasons. High water season is from about February to July. Low water season generally runs from August to January each year - this is when the Zambezi is at its very wildest. The "closed season" is dependent on the season’s rains, and usually is from March to April; during this time rafting on the river is not permitted. Additionally, this activity requires passengers to hike down and up the Batoka Gorge (approx. 45 minutes each way) to access the river; an average level of fitness is required.
This activity price excludes a $10 park entrance fee.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 12Victoria Falls
Depart at any time.
Departure Day
Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with any onward travel arrangements you require.