Luxurious Namibia and Cape Town Honeymoon

Itinerary in brief:

• 1 night Windhoek
• 2 nights Sossuvlei
• 2 nights Swakopmund
• 2 nights Damaraland
• 3 nights Etosha National Park
• 1 night Otjiwarongo
• 1 night Windhoek
• 4 nights Cape Town

Day 1: Depart UK

Depart the UK from your chosen airport.

Included: International flights

Day 2: Arrive Windhoek

On arrival in Windhoek, you’ll be met at the airport and taken to your hotel, where you’ll check in for one night. You’ll be staying at the Olive, where each of the seven suites is styled on different areas and landscapes of Namibia. It has modern furnishings in soft desert colours and a glorious turquoise pool where you can laze in the afternoon sun, the perfect place to start your honeymoon.

Included: 5* hotel, transfers

Day 3: Drive to Sossusvlei

After breakfast, you could have a wander around Windhoek – there is a beautiful German church that looks like it’s made of gingerbread. Later, you’ll pick up your hire car and drive south to Sossusvlei. As you head south, the landscape begins to change – keep an eye out for oryx grazing on the horizon as you drive down to Sossusvlei. When you arrive, you'll check into your lodge for two nights.

You’ll be staying at Kulala Desert Lodge, which has 23 thatched and canvas “kulalas” (“kulala” means to sleep), each built on a wooden platform, with a flat rooftop if you’d like to sleep under the stars. Fall asleep under the inky sky with the sounds of the desert lulling you to sleep.

Included: Kulala Desert Lodge, car hire, breakfast          

Day 4: Sossusvlei

You’ll have all day to enjoy the stark beauty of Sossusvlei, the famous red dunes where gemsbok and ostriches wander under the morning sun. The spiky, bleached trees in the Deadvlei cast dark shadows over the sands below, creating a picture-perfect landscape that you can enjoy for most of the day.

We can add in some activities here to give you an even better appreciation of this magnificent landscape, including scenic flights or hot air balloon rides providing panoramic views over the rolling sands.

Included: Kulala Desert Lodge, car hire, breakfast          

Day 5: Drive to Swakopmund

After breakfast, today you’ll head north to the coast. Driving towards the seaside town of Swakopmund you’ll pass through the tiny “town” of Solitaire, home to Moose McGregor’s Bakery, where you must try the famous apple pie! You’ll also pass by the Welwitschia Plains, where you can look out for the unusual welwitschia plants, made of only two leaves that are gradually split into strips by the wind - some of which are over 1,500 years old.

Next, you’ll cross the Moon Landscape where rippling hills and rocky valleys create an ‘other-worldly’ scene. Arriving at the Atlantic Ocean, you’ll check into The Strand Hotel for 2 nights. Situated right on the seafront, it’s a perfect base for exploring the town.

Included: Breakfast, car hire, The Strand             

Day 6: Swakopmund

Today is yours to explore the seaside beach town of Swakopmund. Wander along the promenade under the palm trees, taste famous Namibian oysters in a beachside restaurant or even try skydiving with unforgettable views of the contrasting orange desert and the blue Atlantic Ocean. In the afternoon, drive half an hour south to Walvis Bay, where we’ve included a catamaran cruise to see the seal colonies. Depending on the season you’ll find rosy flamingos in the lagoon, watch dolphins follow the boat and meet friendly pelicans that land on the deck.

Included: Breakfast, car hire, The Strand, catamaran cruise      

Day 7: Drive to Damaraland

Leaving the coast behind, today you’ll head north into Damaraland, passing the huge seal colonies of Cape Cross. You’ll have two nights staying at Mowani Mountain Camp, a beautiful lodge nestled between massive ochre boulders in the stark landscape.

Included: Breakfast, dinner, car hire, Mowani Mountain Camp

Day 8: Damaraland

Today, you can visit Twyfelfontein, home to the 2,500-year-old rock carvings. These simple sketches of lions, cattle and humans engraved into the red rock are humbling and beautiful – sure to be a real highlight of your trip to Namibia. You can also book a tour with the lodge to explore the local area, where you can look for rare desert-adapted elephants and desert black rhino.

You can spend the rest of the day relaxing by the pool and enjoying the spectacular views. It’s a magical and romantic place.

Included: Breakfast, dinner, car hire, Mowani Mountain Camp

Day 9: Drive to Etosha National Park

After breakfast, you’ll drive north to Etosha National Park. You’ll spend three nights in Etosha - one night on the west side of the park and two nights on the east.

Settle into your lodge for the night – the waterhole has a hide that you can visit after dinner, waiting patiently for rhinos who visit the water in the evenings.

Included: Breakfast, dinner, Ongava Camp, breakfast

Day 10: Etosha National Park

This morning, you’ll drive east to the other side of Etosha National Park, past the vast Etosha pan, a vast salt lake that dries into a cracked white sheet each year. After the rains, this turns into a huge breeding ground for flamingos, with up to a million pink birds descending on the pan when it floods. Most of the time when it’s dry, small springs are used as salt licks for the park’s wildlife, so you might see oryx silhouetted against the sun and elephant families trekking from one side to the other.

Included: Breakfast, dinner, Onguma Tented Lodge, breakfast

Day 11: Etosha National Park       

Today, you’ll enjoy both early morning and late afternoon game drives. Grab your binoculars and keep your eyes peeled - Etosha is a haven for birds, from turquoise European Rollers to Scarlet-chested Sunbirds. Watch them flitting through the air, sometimes even landing on the backs of the rhinos and elephants around the watering hole.

Look out for mighty ostriches, sheltering their stripy chicks from the intense sun or Saddle-billed Storks wading through the rushes. Lions sleep amongst the grasses and giraffes wander across the plains looking for foliage. It’s a beautiful spot to looks for wildlife and enjoy the excitement of a safari.

Included: Breakfast, dinner, Onguma Tented Lodge, breakfast, two game drives

Day 12: Drive to Okonjima

Leaving Etosha this morning you’ll head south and break your journey back to Windhoek with a night at Okonjima Plains where the Africat Foundation has its headquarters. Okonjima is a great place to spot one of the leopards that freely roam this 20,000-hectare nature reserve or visit the Carnivore Care Centre where you can meet cheetahs and leopards who are patiently waiting for their second chance in the wild. You’ll also be able to track the animals on foot, looking out for Spotted Hyaenas, Cheetahs and Wild Dogs along the trails.

Included: 4* lodge, car hire, breakfast, dinner

Day 13: Drive to Windhoek

After breakfast, you’ll make your way back to Windhoek. Spend your evening out in Windhoek – why not head to a local bar for drinks and enjoy a meal out at Leo’s at the Castle, with views over the city. After an incredible road trip around Namibia, relax and raise a glass to your honeymoon before flying to Cape Town tomorrow to finish in style.

Included: 5* hotel, car hire, breakfast   

Day 14: Fly to Cape Town

Today, you’ll drive to the airport to drop off your hire car, before catching your flight to South Africa. On arrival into Cape Town airport you’ll be met and driven to your hotel in Camps Bay, perched on the rocks overlooking the Atlantic Ocean you’ll be surrounded by crashing waves and magnificent sunsets in this 5* boutique property, Twelve Apostles.

This beautiful hotel is intimate and romantic – perfect for your honeymoon. With complimentary transfers to Camps Bay and the waterfront, it's a perfect base for exploring the city of Cape Town.           

Included: Flights, transfer          

Days 15 - 17: Cape Town

Finish your honeymoon exploring Cape Town – you’ll have three full days to explore and learn about this vibrant city. We’ve included a tour to Robben Island to see where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated in a tiny cell, as well as a trip to up the cable car to the top of Table Mountain for spectacular views across Cape Town. If you would like, we can also organise a hire car so you can drive down to the Cape of Good Hope to enjoy some hiking and visit the penguins of Boulders Beach. On your final night, we’ve organised dinner at Twelve Apostles, the perfect way to end your trip.

Included: Twelve Apostles, Robben Island tour, Table Mountain tour, breakfast, dinner on day 17            

Day 18: Depart South Africa

After breakfast, you’ll be driven back to the airport for your flight home.

Included: Transfers, international flights            

Day 19: Arrive UK