A wide angle view of a self-drive vehicle approaching a lone elephant crossing a gravel road in Etosha National Park.

Namibia Self-Drive Tours

November 4, 2024

Namibia is road-trip country. Explore this unique and fascinating country at your own pace on a Namibia self-drive tour. Quiet roads. Wide open spaces. Much to do and see along the way. It’s all about the journey and it doesn’t get better than this.

Namibia is without doubt the best self-drive destination in Africa. That is a bold statement so we'll back it up with facts:

  1. Most popular option: about 75% of all visitors to Namibia opt for self-drive tours
  2. Good roads: mostly gravel/unpaved, the roads are well maintained and make for easy driving
  3. Save money: self-drive is the most affordable and fun way to explore Namibia
  4. Low traffic: one car every hour and everyone waves to you
  5. Off the beaten highway: Namibia is a country of back roads; not a single highway, motorway, expressway...
  6. Safe: crime is almost non-existent and emergency services cover the whole country
  7. Easy: there are hundreds of places to stop including campsites, lodges and hotels
  8. Back-up service: our dedicated breakdown service will ensure a swift vehicle changeover should the unexpected occur
  9. Accessible: all of the lodges and campsites in the country are accessible by road all year round
  10. Best of both worlds: safari lodges in Namibia have excellent guides who will take you on game drives, hikes, scenic drives, water safaris and nature walks so you won't miss out on the benefits of a professional guide and a proper Namibian safari while enjoying the freedom of a self-drive tour

From the moment you collect your vehicle at the Namibian airport of your arrival, you will be on your independent Namibia self-drive tour. Within minutes you're in open country with rolling plains and hills as your roadside companions. There is only one busy road and that is the main trunk road from Windhoek north to the populated rural areas above Etosha where rainfall is a bit more reliable than the rest of the country.

Beyond this main road, which is quiet by any other country's standards, the roads become wonderfully empty of traffic, dwellings or any other signs of civilisation. The authorities don't bother you with excessive road furniture either: it's just you, the grass-encroached road and the open landscape.

Driving times are long in Namibia on account of the great distances and mostly gravel roads. This is not a bad thing. Stop often and enjoy the subtle slow changes of the landscape; overnight and explore the area and set off again at your stately pace. In Namibia the journey is the holiday and you've no choice to adhere to this maxim.

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More information

Talk to your Travel Expert now about your self-drive tour of Namibia and southern Africa.

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Meet the Team

Our happy team visiting Sossusvlei
We’ve travelled. We’ve adventured. We’ve experienced. We're eager to share our world, never forgetting that each itinerary is as unique as the traveller.
~ MEET THE TEAM ~

"We can't wait to return"

I can't thank you enough for helping to put together this trip. It exceeded all our expectations and we fell in love with your country.

Jun '24

"We loved our experience with NTS"

We loved Namibia and its unique landscapes and kind people. It was certainly an adventure and a privilege to get to spend time there.

Jun '24

"We had a wonderful time in Namibia"

All in all we had a wonderful time and appreciate the effort made to ensure all aspects of our tour ran smoothly with prompt email support where needed.

May '24

"What a wonderful journey we had in beautiful and friendly Namibia!"

Namibia has stolen our travel-heart and you can consider us as new ambassadors of this spectacular country.

May '24
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