Depart London Heathrow this evening on an overnight British Airways flight to Johannesburg (10 hours 55 minutes).

Arrive in Johannesburg and connect with your British Airways flight (operated by Comair) to Windhoek (1 hour 55 minutes). On arrival transfer by road (approximately 30 minutes) directly to the Olive Grove Guesthouse for an overnight stay. Rest of the day at leisure to enjoy something of the Namibian capital.

After a free morning you will be picked up and driven via the scenic Spreetshoogte Pass and Solitaire to the Naukluft Lodge (or similar) for a 2 nights stay (310 KM/approximately 4 hours). Located on the edge of the Namib Desert the lodge is ideally situated to enjoy the serenity and beauty of some of the most majestic and accessible desert landscapes on earth. The towering dunes of Sossusvlei are a major highlight to any visit to Namibia, with its 300 metre high dunes bathed in the golden light of the rising sun presenting a vista of quite breathtaking grandeur. This afternoon affords an opportunity to soak up some of the haunting splendour of this unique setting, one of the most captivating in southern Africa.

After an early breakfast you depart to explore the spectacular natural wonder of Sossusvlei (145 KM/approximately 2 hours 30 minutes), where you have an opportunity to climb some of the highest dunes on earth to admire the matchless panoramas of the surrounding desert, a land that in spite of its seemingly barren landscape is in fact alive with flora and fauna. You’ll also take in the rugged confines of Sesriem Canyon (65 KM/approximately 1 hour 30 minutes), whose sheltered walls and life giving pools attract a rich diversity of bird and animal life. Returning to the lodge for lunch, the afternoon presents a chance to enjoy a guided nature drive to the ‘Marble Mountain’, or perhaps simply relax on the veranda and enjoy the spectacular sunset and refreshing sundowners from the comfort of the lodge.

Passing through the spectacular Kuiseb Pass this morning you head next for the coastal town of Swakopmund and an overnight stay at the Hansa Hotel (400 KM/approximately 4 hour 30 minutes). Sandwiched between the arid desert and the wild Atlantic, Swakopmund is Namibia’s premier coastal resort, filled with a remarkable collection of 19th century German architecture that affords the town a distinctly Bavarian feel. Filled with old world charm and a relaxed ambience, the town is perfect for exploring; enjoying the stately elegance of its colonial heritage, or perhaps availing yourself of some of the numerous activities available.

Depart Swakopmund at approximately 0630 hours this morning and journey to Okahandja and onward to Outjo via Otjbamba entering the incredible world of Etosha National Park, one of Africa’s greatest game reserves. Arriving early this afternoon you’ll drive through the park on a game drive, before leaving at sunset to proceed to the Etosha Safari Camp (or similar) for a 2 night stay (360 KM/approximately 5 hours). Etosha can boast a staggering variety of game and birdlife, with some 114 species of animals and 340 species of birds recorded across its desert pans and open savannahs. At its centre lies the vast depression of the Etosha Pan, which covers nearly a quarter of the park and for the most part presents a spectacular flat expanse of white salt pans, which, after particularly heavy rains can revert back to an immense lake. Game is abundant across these open spaces, with large herds of zebra, gemsbok and elephant regularly seen, as well as rare black rhino. A number of waterholes present ideal viewing areas, attracting the rich diversity of animal and birdlife.

Covering an area of some 12,500 sq miles, Etosha is in fact a vast saline desert that perfectly fits its more poetic title of the ‘Great White Place of Dry Water’. Today will be spent exploring the various waterholes and natural springs that pepper the landscape of the saltpan, seeking out more of the diverse animal and birdlife that inhabits the park. Lunch will be taken at one of the park’s rest camps (own expense) before returning to the camp.

Continuing through the park today there is a chance that you might encounter some of Etosha’s more rare residents, including the black rhino or the black faced impala at one of the various waterholes. Your guide will also explain something of the complexities and challenges of managing such an enormous reserve. Stopping once again at a local rest camp for lunch (own expense) you then continue on to the Halali Restcamp (or similar) for an overnight stay.

Depart Etosha this morning and head south, travelling via Otjwarongo and the handicraft market at Okahandja back to the Namibian capital (600 KM/approximately 7 hours). On arrival in Windhoek later this afternoon you will be transferred to the Olive Grove Guesthouse for an overnight stay.

Transfer to the airport this morning for the South African Airways flight to Cape Town (via Johannesburg) (4 hours). Arriving in Cape Town you will be met and transferred to the Southern Sun Waterfront Cape Town hotel for a 3 night stay.

The next 2 days have been left free for you to relax or to explore something of Cape Town’s enchanting delights. You may wish to ascend the dominating slopes of Table Mountain which affords some spectacular views over the city and across to the Atlantic Ocean.

Visit the rugged majesty of the Cape Peninsula, travelling along the coast to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve and returning back to Cape Town via the famous ‘Jackass’ penguin colony at Boulder Beach. One of the world’s most spectacularly sited cities, Cape Town is rich in natural and cultural treasures, whilst the vibrancy of its bustling waterfront and the haunting poignancy of Robben Island present something of the city’s more recent historical development.

Morning at leisure before the afternoon transfer to the airport for the British Airways flight back to London.

Arrive London Heathrow in the early hours of this morning.