Private itinerary · prepared for Carolina

Dunes, coast and the waterholes, for Carolina

Nine days at your own wheel: a night in Windhoek, two inside the Sossusvlei gate, two by the sea in Swakopmund with Sandwich Harbour, a night on the Grootberg plateau, and two at Etosha, with guided outings at the dunes and in the park.

24 June – 2 July 20279 days · 8 nights5 stops≈2,025 kmSelf-drive
Your private journey

9 days, at your own pace

A self-drive loop at your own pace, built the way you planned it: Windhoek, the Sossusvlei dunes, Swakopmund and Sandwich Harbour, a night on the Grootberg plateau in Damaraland, and Etosha, with the guided excursions at Sossusvlei and Etosha already in.

Where
Windhoek · Sossusvlei · Swakopmund · Damaraland · Etosha
When
24 June – 2 July 2027
How long
9 days, 8 nights; about 2,025 km by road
How you travel
Self-drive in a Toyota Fortuner 4x4, collected at the airport on 24 June and returned there on 2 July, with guided outings at Sossusvlei, Sandwich Harbour and Etosha
Prepared for
Carolina and her travelling companion: two adults, one room
Status
Look book: details to be confirmed with you
One · The route

The route, stop by stop

From the airport to a first night in Windhoek, south-west to the dunes, north to the coast, up into Damaraland and east to Etosha, then back to the airport for your flight home. You drive at your own pace; each distance below is the full day on the road.

ETOSHA PAN 1Windhoek2Sossusvlei3Swakopmund4Grootberg5EtoshaAirport
Schematic · not to survey accuracyClockwise, from the airport and back
24 JunAirport to Windhoek · you collect your 4x4≈60 km · 45 min
25 JunWindhoek to Sossusvlei≈360 km · 5.5 hrs
26 JunSossusvlei and Deadvlei, guidedno transfer
27 JunSossusvlei to Swakopmund≈355 km · 4.5 hrs
28 JunSandwich Harbour, a half dayno transfer
29 JunSwakopmund to Grootberg≈470 km · 6 hrs
30 JunGrootberg to Etosha≈300 km · 5 hrs
1 JulEtosha, a full day’s guided game driveno transfer
2 JulEtosha to the airport≈480 km · 6 hrs

Three days are long: Swakopmund to Grootberg on 29 June, Grootberg to Etosha on 30 June, and the drive back to the airport on 2 July, so an afternoon or evening flight home suits the last day best. Much of the way is good gravel road: take it steadily and stop as often as you like.

Two · Where you'll stay

5 stops, one vehicle

Premium lodges in the places you chose: the Sossusvlei nights inside the park gate, and the coast nights in a room facing the sea.

Arebbusch
Thu 24 – Fri 25 JunBy road from the airport · about 60 km, 45 minutes
Arebbusch Travel Lodge · Windhoek

A soft landing in Windhoek

1 night · Luxury room · bed and breakfast

Bed & breakfastCollect your 4x4Gardens and pools

Arebbusch is a relaxed, green lodge on the edge of Windhoek, with gardens, pools and a good restaurant, so the first evening is an easy one after the flight.

Your days here
  • Thu 24 JunYou land, collect your 4x4 at the airport and drive into Windhoek for a quiet first evening.
  • Fri 25 JunBreakfast, then south-west into the desert.
Included
  • One night, bed and breakfast

Dinner in Windhoek is your own: the lodge restaurant is a good choice, and we are happy to book a table for you in town.

Dead Valley Lodge
Fri 25 – Sun 27 JunBy road · about 360 km, 5½ hours
Dead Valley Lodge · Sossusvlei

Already inside the park gate

2 nights · Luxury tented chalet · full board

Full boardGuided sunrise at DeadvleiInside the park

Dead Valley Lodge stands inside the Sesriem gate, at the foot of Elim Dune, so you are already in the park when the dunes turn red at first light. The tented chalets look out over open desert, and the nights are some of the darkest and clearest anywhere.

Your days here
  • Fri 25 JunSouth-west into the desert, arriving in the afternoon.
  • Sat 26 JunOut before sunrise with the lodge’s guides: Big Daddy or Dune 45 if you feel like climbing, and Deadvlei while it is still quiet. Back for lunch, and the afternoon is yours: Sesriem Canyon is close by if you would like to drive there yourselves.
  • Sun 27 JunAn easy breakfast, then north to the coast.
Optional · at the lodge

Elim Dune sunset walk — a guided walk on the dune beside the lodge, in the evening light.

About US$55 per person, booked through the lodge and paid there.

Included
  • Two nights, full board
  • A guided sunrise excursion to Sossusvlei and Deadvlei with the lodge’s guides
The Strand Hotel
Sun 27 – Tue 29 JunBy road · about 355 km, 4½ hours
Strand Hotel · Swakopmund

A room facing the sea

2 nights · Sea-facing room · bed and breakfast

Bed & breakfastSandwich HarbourOn the water

The Strand stands on the mole at the edge of Swakopmund’s old town, right on the water, with its own restaurants and spa and the town a short walk away. The day in between belongs to Sandwich Harbour, where the dunes run straight into the Atlantic.

Your days here
  • Sun 27 JunNorth through the desert to the coast, arriving in the afternoon.
  • Mon 28 JunSandwich Harbour with our guide, a half day by 4x4: the flamingos on the Walvis Bay lagoon, then along the shore to where the dunes drop into the sea, with lunch. The afternoon is yours in town.
  • Tue 29 JunBreakfast by the sea, then north into Damaraland.
Included
  • Two nights in a sea-facing room, bed and breakfast
  • Sandwich Harbour, a half day by 4x4 with our guide, permit and lunch included

Other lunches and dinners in Swakopmund are your own. We are happy to book a table for you, at the Strand or in town.

Grootberg Lodge
Tue 29 – Wed 30 JunBy road · about 470 km, 6 hours · a long day
Grootberg Lodge · Damaraland

On the edge of the plateau

1 night · Chalet on the rim · dinner, bed and breakfast

Dinner, bed & breakfastSunset on the rimCommunity-owned

Grootberg stands right on the edge of the Etendeka plateau, with the Klip River valley falling away far below the chalets. It is owned by the local community conservancy, whose trackers know the desert-adapted elephants of these valleys.

Your days here
  • Tue 29 JunNorth into Damaraland, arriving in time for sunset from the rim, then dinner at the lodge.
  • Wed 30 JunBreakfast on the rim, then east to Etosha.
Recommended · through us

Desert elephant tracking — a half day with Grootberg’s trackers in the valleys below the plateau, on the morning of 30 June, before you drive on to Etosha.

US$122 per person — added if you want it

Included
  • One night, dinner, bed and breakfast
Etosha Safari Lodge
Wed 30 Jun – Fri 2 JulBy road · about 300 km, 5 hours
Etosha Safari Lodge · Etosha

Above the plains, near the gate

2 nights · Double room · breakfast and dinner

Breakfast & dinnerA full day in EtoshaViews over the plains

Etosha Safari Lodge sits on a ridge a short drive from Etosha’s southern gate, with wide views over the mopane plains from the deck and the rooms. In midwinter the bush is dry and the animals come to the waterholes, which is when Etosha is at its best.

Your days here
  • Wed 30 JunIn by mid-afternoon, with dinner at the lodge.
  • Thu 1 JulA full day in Etosha with the lodge’s guides, from waterhole to waterhole. You leave the driving to them.
  • Fri 2 JulAn early breakfast, then south to the airport for your flight home.
Included
  • Two nights, breakfast and dinner
  • A full-day guided game drive in Etosha with the lodge’s guides
Three · What it comes to

One price, one invoice

One price, split two ways so you can see where it goes. Both figures are for the two of you, sharing one room, and everything marked as included sits inside them.

Where you sleep and eat
US$5,338

Eight nights in five lodges, with the meals each includes: bed and breakfast at Arebbusch and the Strand; full board at Dead Valley; dinner, bed and breakfast at Grootberg; and breakfast and dinner at Etosha Safari Lodge.

Your vehicle and the days
US$2,483

Your Toyota Fortuner 4x4 for all nine days with full insurance cover, collected and returned at the airport; the guided sunrise excursion at Sossusvlei; Sandwich Harbour with our guide, lunch included; and a full-day guided game drive in Etosha.

Fuel and park entry fees are paid on the road: see what sits outside the price.

US$7,821 for the two of you
US$3,910.50per person
US$869per day, for the two of you
9 days8 nights

One invoice, in US dollars, covers everything above. The price is for one double room.

Prices in US dollarsYou are invoiced in US dollars. We fix the price when we finalise your itinerary; from then on, if the exchange rate moves, that is our risk, not yours.

Four · Why we built it this way

The days, and the rooms

You chose the route, the nights and the style, and we kept them as you planned: a night in Windhoek to land, two in the dunes, two at the coast, one on the Grootberg plateau and two at Etosha. The Sossusvlei nights are inside the park gate, so the guided sunrise reaches Deadvlei before the crowds, and the coast nights are in a room facing the sea. The guided outings sit where they matter most: the dunes at first light, Sandwich Harbour with our own guide, and a full day in Etosha with guides who know where the animals are. If you can add a night, a second night at Grootberg would give you the desert elephants without hurrying, and ease the two long days in the north.

Five · What is included

Everything above, in one list

Everything marked as included in this itinerary is inside the price. This is that list in full, so there is nothing to work out from the pages above.

Where you sleep

  • Arebbusch Travel Lodge, Windhoek · 1 night
  • Dead Valley Lodge, Sossusvlei · 2 nights
  • Strand Hotel, Swakopmund · 2 nights
  • Grootberg Lodge, Damaraland · 1 night
  • Etosha Safari Lodge, Etosha · 2 nights

What you eat

  • Breakfast every morning
  • All meals at Dead Valley Lodge
  • Lunch at Sandwich Harbour
  • Dinner at Grootberg and at Etosha Safari Lodge

Your vehicle

  • A Toyota Fortuner 4x4, automatic, for all nine days
  • Full insurance cover
  • Collected and returned at the airport
  • 24/7 support from Sandura while you’re on the road

What you do

  • A guided sunrise excursion to Sossusvlei and Deadvlei
  • Sandwich Harbour, a half day by 4x4 with our guide
  • Sandboarding, if you’d like to add it, at no extra cost
  • A full-day guided game drive in Etosha

Fees

  • The Sandwich Harbour permit

Bring your passports. Park entry fees are paid at the gate, and Namibian park gates require photographic identification from every visitor on the way in and on the way out. That applies at Sossusvlei (25–27 June) and Etosha (1 July). Keep them in the vehicle rather than in a case.

Six · Not included

What sits outside it

  • International flights to and from Windhoek
  • Namibian entry requirements and any visa fees
  • Fuel
  • Park entry fees at Sossusvlei and Etosha, paid at the gate (for the Etosha excursion, at the lodge)
  • Dinner in Windhoek and Swakopmund, and other lunches on the road and in town
  • Optional: desert elephant tracking at Grootberg (US$122 per person)
  • Optional: the Elim Dune sunset walk (about US$55 per person, paid at the lodge)
  • Drinks, other than those named in this itinerary
  • Travel insurance, personal expenses and gratuities
Seven · The season

Midwinter, dry and clear

Late June is midwinter and the heart of the dry season: warm, sunny days, and cold nights and early mornings, especially in the desert and at Etosha, where it can drop close to freezing before sunrise. The coast is cool and often misty in the morning. Pack light layers for the day, a warm jacket, a beanie and gloves for the early starts, and sunblock. There are no public holidays during your trip.

Eight · What happens now

What happens now?

This is your look book, made to be changed. Three steps take it from here to booked.

01

You review it

Look at the price, the lodges and the days. Tell us whether Thursday 24 June is the day you land in Windhoek, and when your flights arrive and leave: the drive back to the airport on 2 July is long, so an afternoon or evening flight suits it best. Once your dates are firm and you’ve accepted the look book, we place holds with every lodge.

02

You come back to us

Reply to our email and tell us what you are happy with and what you would change: a different lodge, more or less luxury. We finalise the itinerary.

03

A 30% deposit confirms it

The final itinerary comes with a date to accept by. Once you accept, a 30% deposit confirms the entire booking and is non-refundable.

Subject to availability

Every property is subject to availability until your deposit is in. If one cannot be secured we replace it with one of the same standard and ask you first, and if the replacement costs more, we carry the difference.

Details to be confirmed Tell us what to change

Please respond with your preference: lodge swap-outs, a more or less luxurious option. Our goal is to perfect the trip for you.

Deposit · 30%US$2,347

Due by the date we give you; confirms the booking; non-refundable

Before you travelUS$5,474

The balance, 60 days before you travel

On the roadNothing

Except fuel, park entry fees, your own lunches and dinners in Windhoek and Swakopmund, drinks and gratuities

Why is it non-refundable? The 30% deposit is what confirms every booking: the lodges, your vehicle and each excursion. As soon as we receive it, it is paid out to them. If the worst happens, we contact each supplier individually and ask for a refund, and whatever we are able to recover, we send back to you. We cannot guarantee an amount: each supplier has its own terms and refund rates, and some refund nothing at all.

Want something added, before you leave or on the road? Say the word and we book it.

Your first and last days The first and last days may change depending on your flight times. We confirm them with you once you accept this itinerary.

Look book · details to be confirmed

Tell us, and we shape it

Simply reply to our email and tell us what you would keep and what you would change. When it feels just right, confirm the itinerary the same way, by replying to the email.

Nine · For your eyes only

Prepared for you, and only you

This itinerary is proprietary and confidential. Sandura Tours prepared it for Carolina and her travelling companion alone, and it is shared with you in confidence.

Private & confidential
Private to you

By receiving this document you agree to keep it private: not to share, forward, publish or copy any part of it, in whole or in part, with anyone outside the people it was prepared for.

For your own holiday

It is for your own leisure travel only. It may not be resold, used to quote or sell travel to anyone else, or used to book any part of this trip through another company.

Ours, in every detail

The route, the choice of properties, the day-by-day plan, the text and the pricing are the work and property of Sandura Tours CC. © 2026 Sandura Tours CC. All rights reserved. The photographs are used for illustration only; many belong to the lodges and photographers who took them, and remain theirs.

Sandura Tours · Windhoek, Namibia