10 Days Namibia: Etosha & Epupa Falls

The 10 Days Namibia: Etosha & Epupa Falls is a 10-day sample itinerary: a tailor-made waterfall safari covering Epupa Falls in Namibia. Etosha's waterholes, the rock art and desert elephants of Damaraland, and the palm-fringed cascades of Epupa Falls in Himba country.

Highlights

• Etosha waterholes
• Desert-adapted elephants
• Epupa Falls on the Kunene
• Himba culture in Kaokoland

Suggested places to stay on this route include Epupa Camp.

Who this safari suits

• Self-drive travellers comfortable with long gravel roads
• Photographers, for desert light and the falls
• Travellers interested in Himba culture

Route and travel times

Windhoek → southern Etosha (about 5 hours) · two days crossing Etosha · → Opuwo (about 4 to 5 hours) → Epupa Falls (about 3 to 4 hours on gravel) → Damaraland (about 6 to 7 hours) → Windhoek (about 6 to 7 hours).

Times are typical and vary with road conditions, border queues and weather.

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Day1

   Windhoek

   Arrive in Windhoek and transfer to your guesthouse, or collect your 4×4 if you are self-driving.

   Overnight WindhoekMeals Dinner

2. Day2

   To Etosha

   Drive north for about five hours to the southern edge of Etosha National Park, with time for a first waterhole in the late afternoon.

   Overnight EtoshaMeals Breakfast, dinner

3. Day3

   Etosha

   A full day in Etosha, moving between waterholes where elephants, lions, zebras and springbok gather in the dry season.

   Overnight EtoshaMeals Breakfast, dinner

4. Day4

   Etosha

   Cross the park westwards, stopping at waterholes along the way, and stay near the western side.

   Overnight EtoshaMeals Breakfast, dinner

5. Day5

   To Opuwo

   Leave Etosha and drive about four to five hours into Kaokoland to the town of Opuwo.

   Overnight OpuwoMeals Breakfast, dinner

6. Day6

   To Epupa Falls

   Continue about three to four hours north on gravel to Epupa Falls on the Kunene River. In the evening, climb the hill above the falls for sunset over the cascades.

   Overnight Epupa CampMeals All meals

7. Day7

   Epupa Falls

   Walk along the falls and riverbanks in the morning, then visit a Himba homestead with a local guide who can introduce you and explain customs.

   Overnight Epupa CampMeals All meals

8. Day8

   To Damaraland

   Drive about six to seven hours south to Damaraland, a landscape of red mountains and dry riverbeds.

   Overnight DamaralandMeals Breakfast, dinner

9. Day9

   Damaraland

   Search for desert-adapted elephants with a local guide and visit the rock engravings of Twyfelfontein, a World Heritage Site.

   Overnight DamaralandMeals Breakfast, dinner

10. Day10

    Return to Windhoek

    Drive about six to seven hours back to Windhoek for your departure.

    Meals Breakfast

When to go

Best time for this route: May–October. At Epupa Falls: February–May, when the Kunene is high. See the month-by-month water levels.

Making this trip your own

This is a sample route, not a fixed departure. You can add nights where you want more time, swap the lodges named for others at a different budget, drop activities that do not interest you, or join this itinerary to another one. Tell us your dates, the number of travellers and what matters most to you, and we will send back a tailored version with a price.

Lodges named are examples; ask about alternatives at other budgets. Activities depend on water levels and park rules.