SEARCH TOURS

Find your dream tour today!

Southern Namibia | Namaqualand, West Coast, Richtersveld & Fish River Canyon

This 9-night / 10-day adventure starts in the West Coast of South Africa’s Namaqualand during flower season and ends at Aussenkehr in southernmost Namibia on the banks of the Orange River.

During the course of our travels, we will enjoy the magnificent floral spectacle of Namaqualand’s flower season, the diamond fields of “little Namaqualand” and the vast mountain desert wilderness of the Richtersveld, tucked in the furthest and most remote corner of the Northern Cape.

From here we cross over the Orange River, take in the Wild Horses of the Namib and Luderitz. We then head inland to the largest canyon in Africa – the gigantic Fish River Canyon which forms part of the Ais Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park. We will visit the Ai-Ais Hot Springs in the southernmost end of the Fish River Conservation area and travel down to the miracle of the desert, the Aussenkehr Grape Valley where we will spend our last night.

tour duration 10 Days
from R25,950
next trip 08 Aug 2023
Enquire now

Enquiry close

Please tick the box to prove you're a human and help us stop spam.

Starting in the arid region of Namaqualand during flower season and ending at the export grape farms of Aussenkehr in Southern Namibia near Noordoewer, this is a tour set against the breathtaking natural landscape of canyons and colour. This is epic Southern Namibia - a land of forbidding landscapes, rugged kloofs and high mountains.

Accommodation: En suite lodge accommodation for the duration of the trip. The accommodation facilities have cash bars. All meals will be prepared and served by our experienced catering team and will be enjoyed sitting around the campfire under the African sky.

Included

All meals
Lodge Accommodation
Professional guide
Two-way radio communication

Excluded

Border Crossing fees & road taxes
Guide Gratuity
Out of country medical emergency evacuation cover

Tour Dates

08 Aug 2023 - 17 Aug 2023 - R25,950.00

Day 1

Our adventure starts in Namaqualand near the town of Kamieskroon in the Skilpad section of Namaqua National Park (17km from Kamieskroon). The flower season is highly dependent on what the weather is doing, however between July and October, the once arid, dusty wilderness of semi-desert are suddenly transformed into a pageant of flowers and a riot of colour. Our route takes us through the Namaqua National park before exiting at Soebatsfontein gate. Our destination is up the West Coast to McDougall’s Bay (via Koingnaas and Kleinzee) in the Northern Cape.  Approximately 4km south of Port Nolloth, our accommodation for the next two nights is in small chalets, literally a stone’s throw away from the beach. If you wish to see more of the flowers then we would suggest that you arrive a few days earlier and visit Leliefontein or Concordia near Springbok.

Day 2

Today we explore Alexander Bay with its fascinating history, interwoven with the diamond industry. Also meet some local farmers, visit the renowned lichen fields near the Orange River and enjoy some magnificent birding. After a relaxing day, we return to McDougall’s Bay looking forward to enjoying a seafood dinner whilst marvelling at the ocean sunset.

Day 3 & 4

After a hearty breakfast, we leave for the Richtersveld National Park. We pass through Lekkersing and Eksteenfontein where we will meet the ‘Bosluis Basters’. In Kuboes, which is known as the heartland of the Nama culture, you get the opportunity to meet the Nama people and hear their fascinating ‘click’ language. This Nama-speaking tribe practices subsistence farming in the conservancies as well as the Richtersveld National Park.  We stay for 2 nights at Sendelingsdrift on the Orange River. Today we experience the beautiful mountain desert of the Richtersveld National Park. The area is world-renowned for its wide diversity of desert plant species and succulents, a third of which is endemic to the area. We drive via Akkedis Pass which boasts the unusual ‘halfmens’ plants (Pachypodium family) and quiver trees. There will be time to relax and enjoy a swim at one of the campsites along the Orange River before driving over Helskloof Pass.

Day 5

We cross the border to Namibia by ferry and drive via the mining town of Rosh Pinah to Aus. Aus was a German internment camp during World War 1 and you will also get to visit the Commonwealth German graveyard just outside town. Time permitting, we will enjoy lunch at the Garub water hole where the wild horses of the Namib come to drink.  These very rare horses are the only feral herd of wild horses in Africa and if we are lucky we may even spot some springbuck and gemsbok. Our overnight destination at Klein-Aus-Vista is a further 18km down the road and after unpacking and unwinding we get to explore the beautiful surrounding landscape famous for its magnificent sunsets and tranquil atmosphere. A wholesome supper will be served at the lodge, seated around the bushfire.

 

Day 6

Today we depart for Kolmanskop which is an easy 100km drive on a tarred road. Once here,  a local guide takes us through this old mining ghost town.  After lunch you can relax or explore the town of Luderitz, so well known for its German colonial architecture - and delicious oysters. An interesting landmark is a stone cross commemorating the landing location of famous Portuguese explorer, Bartholomew Diaz, just a few kilometres out of town. 

Day 7

The next day you can further explore Luderitz or go into the Sperrgebiet.  Entering the Sperrgebiet is optional and not included in the tour price. With special permits and a guide we are permitted entry into the Sperrgebiet (the restricted Diamond area), where we visit the ghost town of Pomona and the majestic Bogenfels rock arch – an unknown jewel. This breath-taking rock formation stands with the one leg in the sea and is approximately 57m high.

 

Day 8

It is time for a warmer climate and we leave the coast behind and drive inland on the B4 to the Fish River Canyon.  At Seeheim, the starting point of the Fish River Canyon, we leave the tar for the remainder of the tour until we end the tour at Aussenkehr.  The Fish River Canyon ends at Ai Ais and the river then flows into the Orange River and the border of SA. After arriving at the unique Canyon Roadhouse lodge we relax in our rooms or next to the swimming pool and settle in slowly.  During late afternoon, we enjoy the sunset at the magnificent Canyon viewing point at Hobas. This is where the well-known horseshoe photos of the Fish River Canyon are taken and is near the starting point of the hiking trail.

 

Day 9

Famous for its hot sulphur springs, this morning we will relax for a few hours at the warm baths of Ai-Ais before driving down the rugged Gamkab River Gorge with its gigantic rock faces towering the western side of the canyon - to our lodge nestling on the banks of the Orange River.  Framed by Southern Namibia’s breathtaking natural landscapes, Norotshama is situated in the heart of the Aussenkehr Grape Valley, the largest export table grape farms in the southern hemisphere.  In the late afternoon we visit “John Wayne”, a fascinating rock formation in an unbelievably narrow gorge near the lodge.  Our journey has taken us over the Orange River, through the vineyards and Springbok vlakte in the Richtersveldt National Park, through hauntingly beautiful canyons and finally to nothing less than a miracle in the desert, Aussenkehr.   We have a feeling of having conquered new frontiers and of having found tranquillity.

Day 10

Sadly it is time to say our farewells and depart Norothsama for the journey home via a 50km tar road to the border at Noordoewer/Vioolsdrift.

Answer

South Africa and Namibia

Answer

Namaqualand - in the Skilpad sections of Namaqua National Park

Answer

4×4
2×4 with good ground clearance
SUV will not manage this tour

Answer

Yes

Answer

En suite lodge accommodation

Answer

Yes, throughout the tour

Answer

Intermittent - not all the lodges have wi-fi

Answer

Not required for South African passport holders

© Copyright 2023 Design by Tweak | Developed by Insite
Insite Solutions - Designing Forward | Logo