10-Day Best of Namibia Family Fly-In Safari

At a glance

Sossusvlei, Swakopmund and Etosha

Embark on an unforgettable 10-day family safari through Namibia’s most iconic destinations. Begin your journey in Sossusvlei, where the family can explore the world’s tallest dunes, climb the iconic Dune 45, and marvel at the surreal beauty of Deadvlei. Enjoy nature walks and stargazing under the clear desert skies. Next, fly to the coastal town of Swakopmund, a hub of adventure and seaside charm. Experience family-friendly activities such as sandboarding, quad biking, and dolphin cruises along the Atlantic Ocean. Discover Swakopmund’s unique blend of German heritage and African culture through its shops, restaurants, and museums. Conclude your adventure in Etosha National Park, one of Africa’s premier wildlife destinations. Enjoy thrilling game drives to spot elephants, lions, rhinos, and giraffes, while staying at a family-friendly safari lodge. Watch wildlife gather at waterholes and learn about Namibia’s unique ecosystems from expert guides. With easy air transfers, comfortable accommodation, and unforgettable experiences tailored for all ages, this fly-in safari promises an extraordinary family adventure.

Flying between camps turns the travelling days into part of the safari: an hour over the dunes or the escarpment instead of a day on gravel, and more time where it matters. Every flight, transfer and activity is arranged; you simply arrive.

Sossusvlei

Nights 1 to 3 · Kulala Desert Lodge

Swakopmund

Nights 4 to 6 · Swakopmund Luxury Suites

Etosha

Nights 7 to 9 · Onguma Bush Camp

Travel dates

Travel any time · best from May to October

The dry season, May to October, brings cool clear mornings, thin bush and animals concentrated at the waterholes; it is also the busiest, so the lodges book out early. November to April is hotter and greener, with dramatic skies and far fewer vehicles at the waterholes.

Travel dates are yours to choose. Tell us roughly when, and we check availability at every property and on every flight before anything is held.

When to go

May to October is the classic season: dry, cool at night, and the best game viewing in Etosha as the waterholes draw everything in. Desert mornings can be close to freezing in June and July, so pack a warm layer for early starts. November to April is the green season, hot inland with short afternoon storms that clear quickly, newborn antelope and, in a good year, water on the pan. Swakopmund is cool and often foggy in the mornings whatever the month; the fog burns off by late morning.

What is decided: the shape of the trip: the areas, the order, the properties and the number of nights in each. It is the version we would build first for most travellers.

What we confirm together: your dates, who is travelling, room categories and any extensions before or after. Every safari is tailored from here, and nothing is held until you ask us to.

The route

Three camps linked by light aircraft

The loop runs from Windhoek through Sossusvlei, Swakopmund and Etosha and back to Windhoek. Each leg is a scheduled light-aircraft flight of roughly one to two hours, with the camps handling every airstrip transfer. The only driving is in the game vehicles.

SossusvleiLight aircraft from Windhoek
SwakopmundLight aircraft from Sossusvlei
EtoshaLight aircraft from Swakopmund

Flight times are approximate and schedules are confirmed the evening before. Luggage on light aircraft is limited to about 20 kg per person in soft bags.

Press play to follow the route. Dashed legs are flights, solid legs are by road. Drag to explore, scroll to zoom.

Day by day

Ten days, three properties

01-04

Windhoek → Sossusvlei

Arrival, Sossusvlei

Look forward to endless spectacular desert scenery and sightings of extraordinary, unexpected, desert wildlife during your stay at Wilderness Kulala Desert Lodge. Challenge your fitness on one of the dunes, spot desert-adapted game and smaller creatures, or strike a pose alongside eerie, long-dead camelthorn trees in Dead Vlei.

Included at the lodge: Guided Tour of Deadvlei & Sesriem Canyon, Star Bed, Scenic Sundowner Drives, Guided Scenic Walks
Optional: Hot Air Ballooning, Helicopter Flight

Overnight · Kulala Desert Lodge · fully inclusive · 3 nights

04-07

Sossusvlei → Swakopmund

Swakopmund

Swakopmund is a charming coastal town where the stark beauty of the Namib Desert meets the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Known for its blend of German colonial architecture and laid-back African charm, Swakopmund offers a unique mix of adventure and relaxation. Visitors can enjoy thrilling activities like dune boarding, quad biking, and marine cruises to spot dolphins and seals. Its vibrant restaurants, art galleries, and oceanfront promenades make it the perfect stop on a Namibian safari adventure.

Included at the lodge: Sandwich Harbour Tour, Dolphin & Seal Catamaran Cruise, Quad Biking
Optional: Living Desert Experience, Swakopmund Town Tour, Township Tour, Skydiving, Scenic Flight, Moon Landscape Tour

Overnight · Swakopmund Luxury Suites · bed and breakfast · 3 nights

07-10

Swakopmund → Etosha

Etosha

Onguma Bush Camp consists of 3 twin bedded standard loft rooms with a children’s sleep area in the loft, 8 twin bedded Deluxe Rooms, 3 Rondavels, 3 family units with 4 beds, 1 Settler’s Room (formerly the honeymoon suite) as well as 4 single tour guide rooms.

The Waterhole/Pool-Side Rooms are built with views of the newly enlarged waterhole or views across the pool.

Included at the lodge: Game Drives, Boma Dinner Experience, Scenic Sundowner Drives

Overnight · Onguma Bush Camp · dinner, bed and breakfast · 3 nights

Etosha → Windhoek

Departure

After spending three unforgettable nights at Onguma, you will board your flight back to Windhoek.

Overnight · Departure day

Where you stay

Where you sleep

Nights 1 to 3 · Sossusvlei

Kulala Desert Lodge

Look forward to endless spectacular desert scenery and sightings of extraordinary, unexpected, desert wildlife during your stay at Wilderness Kulala Desert Lodge.

+ Read more

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SettingSossusvlei

BasisFully inclusive

Included activitiesGuided Tour of Deadvlei & Sesriem Canyon, Star Bed, Scenic Sundowner Drives, Guided Scenic Walks

OptionalHot Air Ballooning, Helicopter Flight

Nights 4 to 6 · Swakopmund

Swakopmund Luxury Suites

Swakopmund Luxury Suites, your base in Swakopmund for three nights, on a bed and breakfast basis.

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SettingSwakopmund

BasisBed and breakfast

Included activitiesSandwich Harbour Tour, Dolphin & Seal Catamaran Cruise, Quad Biking

OptionalLiving Desert Experience, Swakopmund Town Tour, Township Tour, Skydiving, Scenic Flight, Moon Landscape Tour

Nights 7 to 9 · Etosha

Onguma Bush Camp

Onguma Bush Camp, your base in Etosha for three nights, on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.

+ Read more

Visit website

SettingEtosha

BasisDinner, bed and breakfast

Included activitiesGame Drives, Boma Dinner Experience, Scenic Sundowner Drives

The practical side

Good to know

The flights: Light aircraft link the camps, usually a Cessna Caravan or similar, flown by the charter operators we have used for years. Flights are scheduled the evening before; the camps hand you over at the airstrip and collect you at the other end.
Luggage: Light aircraft have a strict limit of about 20 kg per person, including hand luggage, in soft bags without wheels or frames. Hard cases can be stored in Windhoek for the duration of the safari.
Meals and activities: The safari camps are fully inclusive: all meals, most drinks and two guided activities a day with the camp's own guides. Town hotels are on a bed and breakfast basis, with the restaurants a short walk away.
Optional activities: Hot-air ballooning at Sossusvlei, scenic flights, dolphin cruises and desert excursions on the coast, and specialist experiences such as rhino tracking are bookable in advance and paid locally or added to your itinerary.
Connectivity: A local SIM card is available at the airport on arrival. Most camps have Wi-Fi in the main area only, and some of the remoter ones have none at all. It is part of the appeal.
What to pack: Layers: desert mornings in winter are cold, afternoons hot. A warm jacket for open-vehicle game drives, a hat, good sun protection, closed shoes for walking, binoculars, and soft bags rather than hard cases.

Included

Your journey includes

24/7 in-country support from the Secret Namibia team
Nine nights' accommodation at the properties listed above
Activities as indicated for each property
In-country light-aircraft flights as indicated
Safari Care Package
Meals and beverages as indicated for each property
Meet and greet on arrival with your tour file
Park fees as indicated
A detailed day-by-day tour file with maps and lodge vouchers
Transfers as indicated

Not included

Please budget separately for

Items of a personal nature
Gratuities
International flights to and from Namibia
Optional activities not listed as included
Personal travel insurance
Visas and visa applications

Next steps

From this sample to your own safari

Tell us what appeals.Use the enquiry button on this page, or write to hello@secretnamibia.com, with rough dates, who is travelling and anything you would change: more nights, a different lodge, a few days somewhere else at the end.
We tailor it.Within a day or two you have a version built around you, the same shape if you like it or a different one, with a firm quote for your dates and party.
We hold the rooms.Once the shape is right we place provisional holds at every property and on the flights, at no cost and with no obligation, usually for a week or two.
Deposit and confirmation.A deposit turns the holds into confirmed bookings. The balance is due before travel, and we look after everything from there until you are home again.

This page is a sample itinerary, not a quote, and nothing on it is booked or held. If it suits someone you know, send them the link; we are just as happy to start from scratch for them.

Best of Namibia,
Family Fly-In Safari

Sossusvlei, Swakopmund and Etosha

When to go

Three camps linked by light aircraft

Ten days, three properties

Arrival, Sossusvlei

Swakopmund

Etosha

Departure

Where you sleep

Kulala Desert Lodge

Swakopmund Luxury Suites

Onguma Bush Camp

Good to know

Your journey includes

Please budget separately for

From this sample to your own safari

Shall we plan your version?

Safaris

Namibia

Secret Namibia

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