13-day Cape Town to Windhoek Grand Explorer

On this tour you will head up the west coast where you will visit the massive rock wilderness of Cedarberg before crossing the Gariep River into Namibia. From there you travel through the South Africa/Namibia border, to be wowed by the massive dunes of the Namib Desert and enjoy game drives in Etosha National Park before ending your safari in Namibia’s capital Windhoek.

DEPARTS:  CAPE TOWN on Wednesday at 08:00am
ENDS: WINDHOEK on Monday at 08:00am

Highlights
* Cape Town – Cape Point day tour
* Fish River Canyon – walking
* Namib Desert – Sossusvlei dunes
* Swakopmund – optional activities i.e. dune boarding & quad biking
* Etosha National Park – game drives

Cape Town to Windhoek is a variety filled journey providing the best opportunities to explore the vast unique beauty of Namibia. Highlights include the spectacular Western Cape, the Fish River Canyon, the Namib Desert and Etosha NP.

CWa13 Cape Town to Windhoek offers a complete Namibia safari with the bonus of a Cape Town start.
CVa21 Cape Town to Victoria Falls is the full 21-day safari and continues to Botswana and Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

Overnight: 11 nights on safari we stay at small lodges and guest houses with en suite facilities. 1 night in the Cederberg in chalets where two bedrooms share a bathroom.

Meals: 12 breakfasts, 10 lunches and 8 dinners are included. Of which 4 breakfasts are provided by the lodges. The remaining included meals are provided by the Sunway crew, prepared at the vehicle and eaten around the campfire or in a boma or dining area.

Transport: for the majority of this safari you travel in custom-built Sunway Safari trucks with 12 forward facing seats. There are some long stretches of gravel road in Namibia, but they are generally well maintained, and cruising speed is good.

Limited participation: An essential part of your safari is some participation. From carrying your own bag to packing the truck in the morning – it’s all part of your adventure. There are some long days with early starts so we all need to get involved to make the trip run efficiently. Where the tour leaders provide meals, we ask that clients help (on rotation) with the washing up.

Highlights

  • Windhoek
  • Brandberg
  • Cederberg
  • Etosha South
  • Orange River
  • Sesriem
  • Cape Town
  • Fish River Canyon
  • Swakopmund
  • South Africa
  • Namibia

Tour Summary

Full Day by Day Itinerary

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Day 1 : Cape Town

[guest house - - -]
Cape Town is one of the most picturesque cities in the world, with the majestic Table Mountain providing its central focus. Departing, after a tour briefing, from Cape Town at 08:00am we visit Hout Bay harbor en route to Cape Point Nature Reserve and then the African Penguin colony at Boulders Beach. We sample some of Cape Town’s culinary wonders at a local restaurant in the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront (own expense).

Day 1: Breakfast is not included
Day 1: Lunch is an own expense meal
Day 1: Dinner is an own expense meal

Includes:                    Entrance fees to Penguin colony & Cape Point Nature Reserve
Overnight:                 Sweetest Guesthouses – is a collection of individually decorated houses in a metropolitan area of Cape Town near the V&A Waterfront. The Sunway group may be spread amongst any of the houses, within walking distance of each other, and the group breakfasts will be taken in the same house. Rooms are twin with en-suite facilities (or similar guest house).  WiFi available
Distance/time:          Full day Cape Peninsular tour is 160km which takes between 6 and 8 hours.

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Day 2 : Cederberg

[chalet BLD]
(B=breakfast, L=Lunch D=Dinner)
The Cederberg is a massive rock wilderness with giant sandstone boulders that have been sculpted by wind and rain into bizarre and artistic shapes. We head north to the Cederberg and explore the rugged landscape on foot before relaxing in chalets for the evening.

Day 2: Breakfast provided by the guest house
Day 2: Lunch provided by tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 2: Dinner provided by tour leaders with the help of the group

Includes:                    Entrance fees, and walk in the Cedarberg
Overnight:                 Western Cape Nature Conservation – 2 twin share bedrooms in each chalet with 1 bathroom shared between 2 rooms.   WiFi not available
Distance/time:          250kms, ± 3½ hours, excluding stops for sightseeing

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Day 3 : Orange River

[lodge BLD]
We make our way into the more arid regions and upon entering Namibia, we stay at a lodge on the Gariep River. Namibia’s southern border river flows quietly and peacefully and the river valley is hardly affected by tourism. The riverbed is sandy, the water clean and clear. Time free for swimming and relaxing or you can venture down the river in canoes (own expense).

Day 3: Breakfast provided by tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 3: Lunch provided by tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 3: Dinner provided by tour leaders with the help of the group

Includes:                    N/A
Overnight:                 Felix Unite twin share cabanas with en suite facilities. Bar, restaurant, telephone.  Internet cafe available
Distance/time:          500kms, ± 7 hours, excluding stops for sightseeing & lunch
Optional Activities    Half day canoe safari

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Day 4 : Fish River Canyon

[lodge BLD]
The Fish River Canyon, situated along the lower reaches of the Fish River, is one of the most impressive natural beauties in the southern part of Namibia. With its depth of up to 550 metres, the Fish River Canyon is the second largest canyon in the world. We make our way to the canyon and in the afternoon watch a spectacular sunset as the sun slips over the canyon’s rim.

Day 4: Breakfast provided by tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 4: Lunch provided by tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 4: Dinner provided by tour leaders with the help of the group

Includes:                    Entrance fees to look out point at Fish River Canyon
Overnight:                 Canon Mountain Camp – twin share chalet with en suite facilities.  WiFi not available
Distance/time:          300kms, ± 4 hours excluding stops for sightseeing & lunch

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Day 5 – 6 : Sesriem

[lodge BLD]
The parched Namib Desert has endless orange dunes blown into sharp ridges by the sand-shifting wind and at Sossusvlei they form a gateway into the Namib Desert. We will walk to Sossusvlei, explore Sesriem Canyon and from the comfort of our lodge outside the national park watch dramatic sunsets over the world’s highest sand dunes. (If you prefer not to do the 4km walk to Sossusvlei there is an optional own expense 4WD transfer)

Day 5, 6: Breakfast provided by tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 5, 6: Lunch provided by tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 5, 6: Dinner provided by tour leaders with the help of the group

Includes:                    Entrance fees to Sesriem Canyon and Naukluft National Park
Overnight:                 Desert Camp – twin share permanent tents with en suite facilities. Restaurant, swimming pool & bar.  WiFi not available
Distance/time:          550kms, ± 7½ hours excluding stops for sightseeing & lunch
Optional Activities:    On arrival at Sossusvlei the guide will walk with the group into Sossusvlei (+/- 3.5km).  For those clients who do not want to walk, there are 4WD vehicles that can drive you in.  The 4WD, is an own expense (+/- N$85 each way) and is optional.

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Day 7 – 8 : Swakopmund

[hotel pension Bx2 Lx1-]
Swakopmund is a popular seaside resort with a slightly nostalgic atmosphere, characterized by numerous colonial buildings. In terms of flora, both the Welwitschia Mirabilis and the Kokerboom grow on the stony plains of the Namib and many beautiful specimens surround this coastal town. Swakopmund is also the adventure activity capital of  Namibia. Day free to explore the town or try dune boarding or sea kayaking (own expense).

Day 7: Breakfast provided by tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 7: Lunch provided by tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 7: Dinner will be an own expense meal at a local restaurant

Day 8: Breakfast provided by the guest house
Day 8: Lunch will be an own expense meal
Day 8: Dinner will be an own expense meal at a local restaurant

Includes:                    N/A
Overnight:                 Hotel Pension a la Mer - twin share standard rooms with en suite facilities. Telephone & restaurant.  WiFi in main building
Distance/time:          350kms, ± 5 hours excluding stops for sightseeing
Optional Activities:   Sand boarding, Skydiving, Ocean canoe safari, Scenic flights & many more

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Day 9 : Brandberg

[chalet BLD]
Namibia is a land of great contrasts and Damaraland demonstrates this with stark plains, petrified forests and ancient valleys leading to rocky outcrops and the soaring peaks of the Brandberg Massif Mountains.

Day 9: Breakfast provided by the guest house
Day 9: Lunch provided by tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 9: Dinner provided by tour leaders with the help of the group

Includes:                    Entrance fees to Cape Cross Seal colony, San Rock Art
Overnight:                 Brandberg White Lady Lodge – twin share chalets with en-suite facilities, bar, restaurant & swimming pool.  WiFi not available
Distance/time:          350kms ± 6 hours excluding stops for sightseeing & lunch

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Day 10 – 11 : Etosha South

[guest lodge BLD]
Once a vast lake fed by the Kunene River, the pan that is Etosha NP dried up thousands of years ago when the river waters chose a new course. Etosha is big game country. We take game drives around the huge pan to find the elephants, herds of antelope and lions around the waterholes. We stay at a lodge on the outskirts of the national park.

Day 10, 11: Breakfast provided by tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 10, 11: Lunch provided by tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 10, 11: Dinner provided by tour leaders with the help of the group

Includes:                    Entrance fees to Etosha National Park, full day game drive in Etosha NP
Overnight:                 Tarentaal Guest Farm – private working farm outside Etosha National Park. Twin rooms with en-suite facilities. Swimming pool, bar & telephone. (35km/25min from Anderson Gate to Etosha).  WiFi not available
Distance/time:          400kms, ± 5½ hours excluding stops for sightseeing + full day game drive in Etosha NP

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Day 12 : Windhoek

[guest house BL-]
This pretty town, beautifully situated in a valley, combines the architecture of a modern city with numerous buildings in the style of the German colonial era. The charm of the city of Windhoek lies in its harmonious blend of African and European cultures and the friendliness of its people. We visit the cosmopolitan capital and enjoy a restaurant meal (own expense).

Day 12: Breakfast provided by tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 12: Lunch provided by tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 12: Dinner will be an own expense meal at a local restaurant

Includes:                    N/A
Overnight:                 Klein Windhoek Guest House – twin rooms with en-suite facilities, swimming pool, restaurant & bar.   WiFi available
Distance/time:          500kms, ± 7 hours excluding stops for sightseeing & lunch

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Day 13 : Departure

[- B--]
Tour ends at 08:00 at the guesthouse. Transfers to airport available on request

Day 13: Breakfast will be provided by the guest house

Included

Accommodation as per itinerary
Meals as per itinerary
Transport
Professional guides

Excluded

International flights
Pre / Post tour accommodation
Airport transfers
Travel insurance
Visas
Vaccinations
Gratuities
Optional activities