Self-Drive South Africa & Namibia: Cape to Windhoek - 17 Days

Self-Drive Cape to Windhoek, Kalahari Black Maned Lion

Combining many of South Africa and Namibia’s highlights, enjoy this meandering self-drive trip from the rugged Cape coast via the sands of the Kalahari Desert to the red dunes of Sossusvlei. Start your journey in the Mother City, Cape Town, before weaving your way north via the Cape winelands, the wildflowers (in season) of the Northern Cape, the mighty Orange River as it cascades over the Augrabies Falls to the Kgalagadi, home of black-maned lions and many other predators and desert adapted wildlife. Cross over into Namibia to visit the awe-inspiring Fish River Canyon, the desert vistas and horses of Klein Aus and finish your trip with spectacular Sossusvlei, the highest sand dunes in the world. Packed with scenic landscapes, incredible natural wonders and amazing wildlife experiences this package is sure to leave you in awe of southern Africa.

A word of advice - travel distances in Namibia, whilst not being huge, will take longer than Google Maps suggest, as the majority of roads you will travel on are gravel.

Choose between two accommodation grades - Standard or Upgrade. Alternatively mix and match accommodation from each grade to create your perfect holiday. Interactive itineraries for each accommodation grade can be viewed below.

Cape Town - Cape Winelands - Cederberg Mountains - Orange River & Augrabies Falls - Kgalagadi wildlife and birdlife - Fish River Canyon - Namib-Naukluft National Park – Sossusvlei (Sesriem, Dead Vlei & Dune 45)

Standard accommodation: clean and comfortable 3 star hotel / guest house / lodge accommodation on a mostly bed and breakfast basis. Self-catering accommodation in Augrabies Falls National Park and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is more basic and rustic, however this enables you to stay in some of South Africa’s truly magic spots.

Upgrade accommodation: higher quality 3.5-4 star lodge accommodation with a broader spectrum of facilities with dinner, bed and breakfast or full board meals included on many nights. Stays in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Southern Namib and Sossusvlei areas also include wildlife or cultural activities. Self-catering accommodation in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is more basic and rustic, however this enables you to stay longer in this truly magic game reserve.

4x4 hire – 4x4 dual cab vehicle (Toyota Hilux or similar). Pick up Cape Town and drop off Windhoek International (Hosea Kutako) Airport. For details of the different vehicle types available please see - Self Drive Safaris.
Vehicle hire insurance (Zero Excess) – premium level including collision damage waiver, personal accident insurance, theft protection, third party liability, unlimited kilometres, additional driver, Wi-fi Router with 1 GB data per day.
Accommodation as indicated below.
Meals as indicated below.
Arrival transfer by private vehicle in Cape Town.
Activities as indicated below.
Relevant Travel Africa Information sheets.

All airfares.
4x4 hire contract fee (ZAR100); refundable rental deposit; one-way drop off fee (ZAR7,950), rental company cross border permit (ZAR1,330) - all paid locally.
All cross border fees / taxes imposed by each individual country (i.e third party insurances, road taxes, carbon taxes etc) - all paid locally (full details to be advised with booking).
Fuel (Petrol / Diesel).
Entry fees to national parks and places of interest.
All activities unless indicated below.
All meals unless indicated below.
Gratuities.
Visa fees.
Personal insurance.

With Travel Africa you are safe in the knowledge that you are working with people who are experts in self-drive travel. We have driven the types of vehicles you are looking to hire and driven them in the places, and on the road conditions, that you will experience. We have enjoyed all kinds of self-drive trips in southern Africa for over 25 years – from quick flits along the Garden Route to 8 month adventure trips with fully equipped 4x4s and roof top tents throughout southern Africa.

We give you peace of mind by working closely with you to custom-make and book your itinerary – ensuring you have the most appropriate type of vehicle and accommodation for your trip. We also provide you with detailed trip dossiers, which include routes, directions, tips and hints on driving in southern Africa, ensuring you have all the information you need to enjoy every minute of your trip and feel comfortable and secure with your holiday plan!

Our in-depth knowledge of destinations, conditions, vehicles and equipment, based on extensive personal experience, gives you the peace of mind you need for your self-drive safari.

Self-Drive South Africa & Namibia: Cape to Windhoek

Interactive standard itinerary

Interactive upgrade itinerary

Detailed itinerary

Arrive at Cape Town International Airport and take a private vehicle transfer to your hotel. Two full days at your leisure to explore the charm and history of one of the most beautiful and cosmopolitan cities of the world. Take the cable car or walk up Table Mountain, visit the colourful Malay quarter or meander through the wonderful Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Browse through the vibrant Greenmarket Square or visit the former political prison of Nelson Mandela - Robben Island. The fashionable Waterfront and City Bowl areas are ideal for visitors who enjoy city life with plenty of restaurants, shops and cafes within walking distance of your hotel.

On Day 3 collect your rental vehicle and explore further afield - take one of the finest coastal drives in Africa to the Cape of Good Hope where you might see whales breeching just off the bay or quirky African penguins on Boulder's beach; or head to the fantastic Cape Winelands to explore the historic towns of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek or maybe sample some of the regions excellent wines.

There are many day tour options available to fill your days - see our Cape Town Activities page for ideas.

Stay at:
Standard - Antrim Villa or similar (bed & breakfast)
Upgrade - Cape Town Hollow Hotel or similar (bed & breakfast)

Travel distance: Approximately 390kms, good main roads.

Departing Cape Town in the morning, proceed through the Cederberg Mountains to Citrusdal, where most of South Africa’s citrus fruits are grown and where the famous ‘rooibos tea’ is produced. Your journey continues via Clanwilliam through breathtaking mountain scenery to Calvinia, where you will spend your first night. Very worthwhile is a visit to the Calvinia Agricultural Museum, where the history of the settlement area is documented. Your guest house is situated within the town and offers you personal service and a friendly atmosphere.

Stay at:
Standard - Rolbos Guesthouse, Calvinia or similar (bed & breakfast)
Upgrade - Yellow Aloe Guesthouse, Clanwilliam or similar (bed & breakfast)

Travel distance: Approximately 410kms, main roads and good gravel roads

Continue further north and head to the stunning Augrabies Falls National Park. Few sights are as awesome or sound as deafening as the mighty Orange River cascading 56 metres down over the Augrabies Falls. Called the ‘place of great noise’ by the Khoi people this powerful river has, over time, created an 18 kilometre long gorge overlooked by various lookouts, which provide spectacular ‘moonscape’ views. Ensure that you visit the falls at night, especially during full moon.

Stay at:
Standard - Augrabies Falls National Park Rest Camp, Self catering Chalet or similar (room only)
Upgrade - Dundi Augrabies Falls Lodge or similar (bed & breakfast)

Travel distance: Approximately 360kms, good main and gravel or sand roads.

Spend the next 3 full days exploring the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, a park for the twenty first century managed across the South African and Botswana borders. Characterised by its red sand dunes, large salt pans and two main riverbeds, Auob and Nossob, the park supports a large number of springbok, wildebeest and majestic gemsbok. Being an arid area the herbivores congregate around waterholes where predators such as black-maned lion, leopard and cheetah wait in ambush. Smaller predators such as African wildcat, caracal, bat-earred foxes and Cape foxes can be found along with a magnificent array of birds of prey. There are three rest camps to stay at - Twee Rivieren, in the south, Mata Mata on the border of Namibia and Nossob, along the Nossob river north of Twee Rivieren. Each camp offers a small shop, fuel and guided night drives however only Twee Rivieren has a restaurant. Alternatively the park has a number of smaller, wilderness camps, including the Kalahari Tented Camp, dotted throughout the park which provide a more remote, intimate safari experience.

For guests who choose the Upgrade accommodation package you will have a two night stay at !Xaus Lodge, overlooking the heart-shaped !Xaus Pan in the heart of the dunes. This community owned private lodge offers a wide range of activities including game drives, night drives, cultural activities with the #Khomani San community and star-gazing.

Read our blog Responsible tourism at its best - !Xaus Lodge to get a sense of what a stay at the fantastic lodge entails.

Stay at:
Standard -
Twee Rivieren Rest Camp, Self-Catering Chalet or similar (room only) for 2 nights
Kalahari Tented Camp, Self-Catering Desert Tent or similar (room only) for 2 nights

Upgrade -
Twee Rivieren Rest Camp, Self-Catering Chalet or similar (room only) for 2 nights
!Xaus Lodge or similar (includes full board meals and all game and cultural activities) for 2 nights

Travel distance: Approximately 265kms, good gravel roads.

After a last morning game drive head out of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and cross into Namibia at the Mata Mata Border Post (note that the border post has limited opening times). From the border follow the Auob River through the red dunes before branching off south west to Keetmanshoop, southern Namibia's largest town. In the afternoon you will have time to visit the Quivertree Forest, a vast forest of the distinctive forked aloe dichotoma trees, and the Giant's Playground with its dolorite rock formations.

Stay at:
Standard - Quiver Inn Guesthouse or similar (bed & breakfast)
Upgrade - Quiver Inn Guesthouse or similar (bed & breakfast)

Travel distance: Approximately 135 - 180kms (depending on your chosen lodge), good main and gravel roads.

Travel further south to your lodge, situated close to the Fish River Canyon, or in the case of Fish River Lodge, overlooking the canyon itself. Enjoy this natural phenomenon, the second largest of its kind on Earth, with its awesome splendour and adapted fauna and flora on a scenic walk along the ridge of the canyon. Depending on the time of the year there is also an opportunity to join a scenic drive or hike down into the canyon itself note that if you wish to do of these activities then and additional night at Fish River will be required). After visiting the canyon viewpoints, travel back to your lodge, where you can enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Stay at:
Standard - Canyon Roadhouse or similar (bed & breakfast)
Upgrade - Fish River Lodge or similar (dinner, bed & breakfast)

Travel distance: Approximately 230 - 265kms (depending on your chosen lodge at Fish River), good main and gravel roads.

Today head west to the edge of the Namibian escarpment and the Succulent Karoo. Your lodge awards you a magnificent view onto the desert plains, which unfold in a carpet of flowers and an explosion of bright colours after the winter rains. It is one of the 20 most important biomes in the world and counts as the most specie diverse desert on earth. It is also the home of the world-renowned wild horses of the Namib Desert which you can visit in the afternoon or the following day.

On your second day in the the region we recommend an excursion to Luderitz, on Namibia's Atlantic Coast, and Kolmanskop, a ghost town established after the first diamonds were discovered here in 1908. In the 1950’s, no more diamonds were found, and the town was left in the relentless hands of the Namib Desert.

Stay at:
Standard - Desert Horse Inn or similar (bed & breakfast)
Upgrade - Eagle's Nest Chalets or similar (bed & breakfast)

Travel distance: Approximately 150kms, good gravel roads.

Traveling north, your next stop is situated in a desert landscape along the foot of the stunning Tiras Mountains and the scenic D707 route. Your lodge is situated on 33,000 hectares of unspoiled nature, contrasting landscapes that are never-ending, with rippled sand dunes glowing in the magical light of sunrise and sunset, mountain vistas perfectly framing breathtaking views, rocky outcrops studded with quiver trees and awe-inspiring savannah and desert vistas. The lodge focuses not just on the rehabilitation of the land but also to conserve and protect the wildlife of this fragile environment.

Stay at:
Standard - Kanaan N/a'an ku se Desert Retreat or similar (dinner, bed & breakfast)
Upgrade - Kanaan N/a'an ku se Desert Retreat or similar (full board meals and 1 activity is included)

Travel distance: Approximately 250kms, good gravel roads.

This morning you travel north into the Namib Desert, the oldest desert on Earth. Your lodge is surrounded by the Naukluft Mountains, one of the most striking mountain ranges found in Namibia. Arriving at Sesriem, the gate to Sossusvlei, home of the highest sand dunes on Earth, and Sesriem Canyon, you have the afternoon at leisure. Early the following morning experience the surreal environment of flat gravel plains contrasted with the apricot colored majestic sand dunes when visiting Sossusvlei. Visit the fantastic Dead Vlei with its white clay-baked pan surrounded by the highest dunes in the desert. Finish the morning with a visit to the rugged Sesriem Canyon, a gorge created by the force of the Tsauchab River.
Note: clients staying at Hoodia Desert Lodge (Upgrade accommodation package) will visit Sossusvlei on an included guided tour.

Stay at:
Standard - Desert Homestead or similar (dinner, bed & breakfast)
Upgrade - Hoodia Desert Lodge or similar (dinner, bed & breakfast and Sossusvlei guided tour is included)

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