Cycle, Safari & Stargaze in Namibia — Self-Launched

Land at Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH) and take a shared shuttle or local taxi into Windhoek (~N$350–450, around £15–20 per person). Check into a budget guesthouse or backpacker hostel in the city centre. Spend the afternoon on your feet exploring the Christuskirche, the Independence Memorial Museum and the craft markets on Post Street Mall, or relax by the pool. In the evening, head to Joe's Beerhouse or a local braai spot for kapana, game meat and a cold Windhoek Lager — a good way to meet other travellers heading the same way.

🚌Shared airport shuttle or taxi from WDH to the city (~£15–20)

🛏Backpacker hostel or budget guesthouse in Windhoek (dorm ~£12–18, private twin ~£25–35 per person)

• →Explore Windhoek city centre and craft markets
• →Welcome braai dinner at a local restaurant

Collect a pre-booked 4x4 or campervan (or take a shared shuttle north to Otjiwa — around 3 hours' drive on the B1). Otjiwa is one of Namibia's oldest private reserves and home to white rhino, giraffe and a rich variety of antelope. Join a late-afternoon guided game drive on the reserve (~N$500–700, around £22–30) — the standard commercial equivalent of the trip's sunset bike safari. Dine at the bush camp and settle in for your first night under the Namibian stars.

🚌Hire car/4x4 self-drive north (fuel ~£15–20 per day, split between passengers) or shared shuttle

🛏Otjiwa bush camp or nearby campsite/guesthouse (twin tent ~£15–20 per person)

• →Afternoon game drive in Otjiwa Reserve
• →Self-catered or lodge dinner under the stars

Drive north to Etosha via Outjo, stopping at the famous Outjo Bakery for pastries. Enter the park at Okaukuejo or Andersson Gate and spend the day on self-drive game drives — lion, elephant and giraffe all gather at the waterholes, especially in the dry season (April–October). Book an evening guided game drive with the park (N$700–900, ~£30–40) or simply sit at the floodlit Okaukuejo waterhole after dark, one of the true highlights of Etosha and free to campers staying in the park.

🚌Self-drive, ~5 hours from Otjiwa to Etosha; park entry fee ~N$150 per person per day (~£7)

🛏NWR campsite inside Etosha (Okaukuejo/Halali, twin tent ~£18–25 per person)

• →Self-drive game drives in Etosha National Park
• →Evening floodlit waterhole stargazing at Okaukuejo
• →Optional guided sunset game drive

Start with one last morning game drive in Etosha, then drive south to Spitzkoppe — the granite massif known as 'Namibia's Matterhorn'. Stop for a picnic lunch en route. Set up camp at the community-run Spitzkoppe campsite (one of the most spectacular spots in the country) and take a sunset walk to the Spitzkoppe Arch through giant boulders and ancient bushman rock art. The camp's dark skies make this a superb stargazing stop, so bring your camera and a tripod.

🚌Self-drive, ~4.5–5 hours Etosha to Spitzkoppe; community entry fee ~N$100 (~£5)

🛏Spitzkoppe community campsite (twin tent ~£10–15 per person)

• →Morning game drive in Etosha
• →Sunset walk to Spitzkoppe Arch
• →Rock art viewing and stargazing

Transfer roughly 1.5 hours to the Moon Landscape start point, or hire a mountain bike in Swakopmund and ride the hard-packed gravel roads through open desert to the oasis of Goanikontes for lunch and coffee. Continue through the Moon Landscape, an ancient craggy terrain shaped by millennia of erosion, then drive the short hop into Swakopmund. Swap camping for a hostel bed in the German-flavoured coastal town, then grab a cold beer overlooking the Atlantic.

🚌Self-drive ~1 hour; or hire a bike in town, ~£20–30 for the day including map and support

🛏Swakopmund backpacker hostel or budget hotel (dorm ~£12–18, twin ~£25–35 per person)

• →Gravel ride through the Moon Landscape to Goanikontes
• →Explore Swakopmund's colonial architecture and jetty
• →Evening seafood dinner and craft beer by the ocean

The most unusual day of the trip: hire a fat bike locally (many Swakopmund operators offer half-day fat-bike tours or self-guided hire, ~£35–50 including guide, transport to the dunes and the modified bike). Ride out across packed sand — if the tides are right you'll cruise the Atlantic shoreline before heading inland over towering dunes. Afternoon is yours to relax in Swakopmund's cafes, or add an optional sandboarding or skydiving session if you've got energy to spare.

🚌Local operator pickup for the dune ride; walking within town

🛏Swakopmund backpacker hostel or budget hotel

• →Half-day fat-bike dune ride (guided or hire)
• →Free afternoon in Swakopmund
• →Optional sandboarding or skydive

Leave the coast and drive southeast toward the Kuiseb Canyon and Gaub Pass, where the landscape shifts from highlands to vast desert plains. Ride your own mountain bike or drive the rolling gravel roads with wide-open views — ostrich, warthog and oryx are common along the roadside. Reach the quirky outpost of Solitaire, a handful of weathered buildings and rusted cars, and try the legendary apple pie at the Solitaire Bakery. Camp nearby or at the Solitaire Guest Farm.

🚌Self-drive, ~4.5 hours; bike hire available if you prefer to ride segments

🛏Solitaire area campsite (twin tent ~£10–15 per person)

• →Gravel road driving/cycling through Kuiseb Canyon area
• →Apple pie stop at Solitaire Bakery
• →Desert wildlife spotting

The big ride day. Head deeper into the desert on a mix of gravel and asphalt from Solitaire toward Sesriem, the gateway to the Namib dunes. The full route is around 50 miles; most riders do roughly 30 miles and jump in a shuttle or support vehicle for the last stretch — you can hire a one-way bike transfer or arrange a local shuttle in advance. The camp at Sesriem sits among enormous red sand dunes and has a pool to cool off in.

🚌Self-drive or local one-way bike transfer (~£30–50); NWR park fees apply at the gate

🛏Sesriem campsite or Sossus Oasis campsite (twin tent ~£15–25 per person)

• →Long-distance desert ride (or drive) Solitaire to Sesriem
• →Pool time and sunset over the red dunes

Wake before sunrise and drive into Namib-Naukluft National Park, home to the oldest desert on Earth. Climb Dune 40 (the quieter sibling of Dune 45) to watch first light spill across the sands, then breakfast at the foot of the dunes. Cycle or drive toward Sossusvlei and take a 4x4 shuttle into Deadvlei (the park shuttle costs around N$200 per person, ~£9–11, payable locally), where fossilised camelthorn trees stand against a white clay pan. Lunch back at camp, then transfer to a spot like Stofpad for a final pool dip and night under the stars.

🚌Self-drive within the park; 4x4 shuttle to Deadvlei ~£9–11

🛏Sesriem/Sossusvlei area campsite (twin tent ~£15–25 per person)

• →Sunrise at Dune 40
• →Deadvlei 4x4 shuttle and walk
• →Optional cycle toward Sossusvlei
• →Final stargazing night

Drive back to Windhoek (roughly 4 hours), taking in the landscape one last time. If you've hired a vehicle, drop it at the airport. Flights home usually depart in the evening — if your flight is later, drop luggage at a day-use hotel or airport lounge and enjoy a final lunch in the city. Aim to reach the airport around 3 hours before departure.

🚌Self-drive or shared shuttle to WDH, ~£15–20 per person

🛏None included (day room optional if you have a long layover)

• →Scenic drive back to Windhoek
• →Final souvenir shopping
• →Departure