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Getting to Namibia and getting around

Namibia is located in Southern Africa, sharing borders with South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, and Angola. The majority of international tourists get to Namibia by plane arriving at the international airport in Windhoek and continue their onward journey by road, either on self-drive trips or with a professional hired guide. We share further tips with you how to get to Namibia and how to get around.

Gravel road and elephant road sign in Namibia

HOW TO GET TO NAMIBIA?

International airports in Namibia

There are two international airports in Namibia: Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA / WDH) in the capital Windhoek, and Walvis Bay International Airport (WVB) at the Atlantic Ocean west coast. The airport in Windhoek is by far the main airport for international arrivals. There are direct flights among others from South Africa (Johannesburg and Cape Town), Germany (Frankfurt), and Ethiopia (Addis Ababa). Connections from South Africa are popular for international arrivals especially from the US as they are more frequent than from Germany or Ethiopia.

It is also possible to get to Namibia by road: Driving from South Africa, there are land borders, among others, at the remote Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. A more popular border crossing is between Botswana and Namibia. Among other options, you can cross from Namibia’s Zambezi Region (Caprivi Strip) into Chobe National Park at the Ngoma border. There is no direct connection between Namibia and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe or Zambia. But you can cross from Namibia into Botswana and reach Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe via Kasane.

We can assist you in organising a crossing-border self-drive trip or guided tour – get in touch!

Rental car self-drive tour dusty road

For those who don’t want to join a guided tour, a self-drive trip in a rental car is an alternative option to get around Namibia.

Are there domestic flights in Namibia?

You can travel domestically by plane in Namibia. However, this means you have to charter private planes. We currently don’t offer any options to travel by scheduled domestic flights.

There are a number of airports across Namibia, often used for cargo flights, which are also serviced by tourist charter planes. If you want to skip the long driving distances on the road, you can opt for a fly-in safari and travel Namibia by small aircraft such as Cessnas on private charters.

Self-Drive Trips in Namibia

Getting around in Namibia by rental car on a self-drive trip is one of the most popular options. Most of these trips start in Windhoek, where there are multiple rental car companies, and you can stock up on supplies at well stocked supermarkets. You can rent 2×4 or 4×4 vehicles, fully equipped with camping gear and roof top tents or less equipped if you’re staying at lodges and camps.

Namibia is a popular self-drive destination in Southern Africa as it is considered a safe travel destination and easily accessible. We organise your self-drive trip and have put together some of our favourite itineraries for you here.

Guided tours in Namibia

If you prefer not to drive yourself, guided tours are a great option to get around in Namibia. You travel in one of our converted comfortable safari cars; your guide is also your driver and will take care of any logistics and organisational matters. You can sit back, relax, and enjoy. Another advantage of getting around Namibia on a guided tour: Your guide will share useful information about flora, fauna, country, culture, and the people of Namibia – they are your window into a new country.

We organise scheduled group tours as well as private guided tours around Namibia – you will find more information here.

Visa Requirements to enter Namibia

Namibia issues tourist visa for stays less than 90 days. Whether you need a visa to enter Namibia depends on your nationality. There are a fairly large number of jurisdictions that are exempt from obtaining a tourist visa to enter Namibia for stays less than 90 days and for holiday purposes. For example, if you are a national of Australia, Canada, the US, Germany, France, the Netherlands or Italy, you don’t need a visa to enter Namibia as a tourist. As the list of exempted jurisdictions is quite long, we recommend checking if your nationality is on this list!

If your nationality is not on the list of exempted jurisdictions, you do need to obtain a tourist visa before entering Namibia. For many nationalities it is possible to obtain the visa on arrival at the airport against a visa fee.

To enter Namibia, you need a passport that is valid for at least another 6 months and has at least 3 blank pages.

If you travel with children, in many cases you need to provide their birth certificates. If both parents, or legal guardians accompany the under-18, you just need to present the unabridged birth certificate as well as the child’s passport. If only one parent or legal guardian travels with the child, they need to additionally provide an affidavit of consent signed by the absent parent or guardian, a death certificate or court order. This is to ensure that the absent parent has given consent that you may travel with the child. All documents need to be in English language.

Visa regulations and entry requirements can change at short notice, and you need to contact the Namibian embassy in your country to request up-to-date reliable information. We advise you to do so well in advance before confirming your booking as we cannot be held liable if you can’t obtain the correct visa to start your trip. All costs incurred due to a delay in travelling are for the traveller’s account.

Giraffe on the side of the road near Etosha National Park
OUR EXPERT ADVICE

TAKE IT SLOW

Driving distances in Namibia are very long and spending many hours in the car is simply part of the experience. Allow yourself enough time to stop along the way, enjoy the views and take a break. Spending more than one night at one accommodation will give you the time to really experience your surroundings. Time is a luxury – treat yourself to it!

Zebra closeup Namibia
Namibia travel expert
Sand dunes Namibia

Experience Namibia with us

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