Namibia - The Desert Express Itinerary

Day 1  Australia - Johannesburg
Welcome to Johannesburg. Due to a flight scheduling you will have a late arrival please your own way to the nearby airport hotel for your overnight stay.

Day 2  Namibia
Today we fly to Windhoek, the Namibian capital which sits at an altitude of 1,665m and is framed by the Khomas-Highlands Mountains. On our arrival we will be met and transferred to our safari lodge. [B,D]

Day 3  All aboard The Desert Express
The highlight of the tour is here as today we board the exclusively chartered Desert Express from the historic Windhoek train station. We roll southwards through the Auas Hills and enjoy short talks about the journey ahead and Namibia. [B,L,D]

Day 4  Fish River Canyon
The impressive Fish River Canyon is the highlight of today’s journey.  This 500m-deep and 160km-long canyon is one of the largest canyons on earth. In the afternoon the train travels through the Kalahari, the largest sand mass on earth, with a short stop to visit the unique Quiver Tree Forest. The branches of these trees were hollowed out by the San for use as quivers for their arrows hence the names. The quiver tree, a member of the genus Aloe, usually reaches a height of 3-5 m although trees occasionally grow up to 
8m high. [B,L,D]

Day 5  Namib Desert
Today we leave our train behind for two nights and travel into the calm and vast landscape of the oldest desert on earth – the Namib Desert. An amazing experience! [B,L,D]

Day 6  Sossusvlei
An early start this morning as we rise to view the brick-red glowing gigantic dunes of the Sossusvlei. If you climb the famous Dune 45 you will be rewarded with views over a vast sea of apricot-coloured sand.  Enjoy a romantic desert picnic at sunset. [B,L,D] 

Day 7  Namib-Naukluft NP 
A full day ahead as we travel through the Namib-Naukluft National Park until we reach Walvis Bay where the cold surge of the Atlantic abruptly hits the desert. In the afternoon we enjoy time at leisure in the old German colonial town of Swakopmund before boarding the train. [B,D]

Day 8  The Matterhorn of Namibia 
Today we traverse the oldest train track in Namibia between Swakopmund and Otjiwarongo. We travel to see the 1,700m Matterhorn of Namibia, the Spitzkoppe, with its granite blocks that appear to balance over deep rifts. Back on board we sample many different styles of the popular dry meat known as biltong. [B,L,D]

Day 9   Etosha National Park
Today we disembark and travel to our spacious safari lodge before enjoying a game drive through the Etosha National Park to look for elephants, lions, gnus and other game. We also see the gigantic Etosha Salt Pan in the heart of the National Park, here the sun’s rays shimmer on the vast white expanse of salt as herds of wildlife thunder by, making it an unforgettable experience. [B,L,D]

Day 10   Etosha National Park
This morning we set off on an extensive game drive to take advantage of the many watering holes which attract animals en masse, offering ideal conditions for watching and taking pictures. The afternoon is at leisure. [B,L,D]

Day 11  Etosha National Park
Enjoy a sunrise game drive and enjoy close encounters with the African animal kingdom. We leave the park in the afternoon and board the train for a interesting talk on the colonial past of Namibia. [B,L,D]

Day 12   Windhoek
Early in the morning our journey becomes a train safari as the train line leads through private game farms with the chance to see giraffes, springboks and ostriches. In the afternoon we arrive in Windhoek and disembark to enjoy a tour of the city. In the evening we come together for a farewell dinner. [B,D]

Day 13   Windhoek
Today we say ‘goodbye’ to Namibia as we transfer to the airport to begin our journey home to Australia. [B]

Day 14  Arrive in Australia

Namibia - The Desert Express

click to enlarge map