Namibia Safaris and Tours

The Big Five are the five species most sought after by travellers on a Namibia safari. They are lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and buffalo.

We give our travellers the best chance possible to spot these animals on their Namibia tour, with included game drives in the country's main wildlife destination: Etosha National Park.

Etosha National Park is home to four of the five, with the exception of the buffalo, though around 5,000 of these animals do live in the Caprivi Strip. If you travel on one of our longer Namibia trips that pass through neighbouring countries such as Botswana, then you'll have a much better chance to see all five species in places like the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park.

Of course, no wildlife encounters can be guaranteed on our Namibia holidays, as wild animals are unpredictable. Leopards in particular are hard to search for, because they are well camouflaged and mostly nocturnal. But you are sure to see some incredible wildlife, and you never know, you may be able to tick off all five on your Namibia tour!

May - October is the dry season and a great time to visit the country for wildlife holidays, with pleasant weather and wildlife gathering around fewer watering holes, making it easier to find. January - June are the warmest months to travel for a beach break in Swakopmund. You can find a more detailed guide on when to visit Namibia here.

If you travel on one of our camping trips, we recommend you read our guide to overland camping safaris before your holiday. You can also see a detailed packing list in the Trip Notes for each tour, which we suggest you read before you travel!

Some of the important items to remember are: sleeping bag, travel pillow, towel, Mosquito spray (with active DEET ingredient), your own personal first aid kit, torch, antibacterial wipes, a photocopy of your passport data, and your Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate.

Please note that on our comfort camping safaris, camp bed, mattress, sleeping bag and pillow are provided.

The local payment is a cost per person that needs to be paid in US Dollars cash only. It is this payment that in part covers the park fees and other inclusions such as meals as detailed on each tour page. The local payment also covers your arrival transfer and first night’s accommodation.

Our comfort camping safaris also have a small local payment, to be paid in South African rand or USD (check each tour for details) at the start of your trip.

Please note that due to exchange rate fluctuations in the US dollar, the local payment amount may be subject to changes. This payment will be collected by your tour leader at the Welcome Meeting on day 1 of your escorted tour. Our Reservations team can give you more information about the local payment, the cost of which can be found on each tour page.

On our Namibia overland camping safaris, the maximum group size is 30, and these trips depart with a minimum of 4 passengers. Our comfort camping safaris have smaller groups, with a maximum size of 16.

On our Handpicked Namibia holidays, the group size is smaller, with a maximum size of 16. These trips depart with a minimum of 4 travellers.

When you travel on one of our overland camping trips in Namibia you will be escorted by a three-person crew comprised of a qualified tour leader who will act as your guide, as well as a driver and cook. On our comfort camping tours you will be escorted by a three-person team including a qualified African guide.

On our lodge accommodated tours, you will be fully escorted by an experienced local guide, who will also act as your driver.

According to the 2022 LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index, Namibia scores a D rating for LGBTQ+ traveller safety, ranking 97th out of 203 countries.

Although same sex marriage is not legal, there are legal protections for workers based on their sexual orientation, and 26 – 50% of consulted citizens consider Namibia a good place to live for gay and lesbian people. There are legal punishments for same sex relations but in 2021 discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community became illegal in some contexts. LGBTQ+ travellers to Namibia generally do not encounter any problems.

The LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index is designed to provide a good overall picture of attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community in each country and may not reflect the experience of foreign travellers to the country.

Travellers are sometimes surprised to hear that the tap water in Namibia is generally considered safe to drink, particularly in larger towns and cities. However, it can be heavily chlorinated, which can cause bad taste and stomach upsets so it is generally recommended to drink filtered and bottled water where possible on our Namibia safari tours. However, the tap water should be fine for activities such as brushing your teeth.

On our overland camping trips (excluding comfort camping), solo travellers will be matched up with another solo traveller of the same sex, with whom they will share a tent. If there is no other solo traveller of the same sex on the tour, you will have a tent to yourself at no extra cost.

On our Handpicked lodge safaris, a single supplement applies for solo travellers. The cost of this can be seen on the tour page for each trip.

As a United Kingdom-based company, we follow the latest up to date travel advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCDO). You can see the latest travel advice, current travel health news and local laws for Namibia here. You can also find passport and visa information for Namibia in our guide.