Northern Namibia Photo Safari

After your arrival at Windhoek airport and once you have completed entry formalities, you are picked up and taken to Elegant Guesthouse, where, after checking in, you have time to rest a little and freshen up.

In the afternoon, you get to know Christuskirche, the Tintenpalast and the former Kaiserstrasse on a short city tour. This is followed by a shared dinner (optional and not included in the tour price). A warm welcome to your Northern Namibia Photo Safari!

Overnight at Elegant Guesthouse.

You begin your photo tour through northern Namibia with a drive inland to the impressive Spitzkoppe, also known as “the Matterhorn of Namibia”.

The striking granite rocks rise majestically from the vast, red desert landscape and offer a spectacular backdrop for landscape and nature photography.

Over millennia, wind and weather have shaped the rocks into fascinating forms and rounded structures that invite creative shots. Your guide shows you the most beautiful perspectives and helps you make the best use of the light.

After a relaxed dinner at Spitzkoppen Lodge, you have the chance to drive out to Spitzkoppe once more and take unique shots of the Namibian starry sky.

After a hearty breakfast, you leave Spitzkoppe and drive into the heart of Damaraland.

Via Khorixas, you reach Vingerklip Lodge, which lies picturesquely at the foot of the striking Ugab Terraces.

In the afternoon, you use the last rays of sunshine for your first photo subjects: the wide valley, the plateau mountains and the characteristic rock formations offer ideal opportunities for landscape and detail shots. Your guide is on hand with tips on perspective, light and composition.

In the evening, you enjoy a shared dinner at the lodge and end the day with atmospheric shots of the sunset over the Ugab Terraces.

Overnight at Vingerklip Lodge.

Your Northern Namibia Photo Safari continues to Twyfelfontein, but first you stop at the Petrified Forest to view the mineralised tree trunks, more than 200 million years old. It is also worth taking a closer look – and a closer shot – at the Welwitschia plants that grow here in abundance.

After checking in at Twyfelfontein Country Lodge, you have time for an optional lunch and a short breather. In the afternoon, you then visit the Damara Living Museum. Here you learn how the Damara lived centuries ago, and gain insight into their crafts, traditional dances and songs.

You return to the lodge for an atmospheric sunset and round off the evening with a relaxed dinner.

Today you start early to capture the morning atmosphere at the famous rock engravings of Twyfelfontein. In 2007, the rock engravings were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and have since been among Namibia's most important prehistoric sites.

Your guide shows you the most interesting motifs and explains the history behind the more than 2,500 engravings – ideal for detail and landscape shots in soft morning light.

Afterwards, you set off in your 4x4 vehicle along the dry Huab riverbed in search of the rare desert elephants. Enjoy the unique landscape of Damaraland and learn more about the way of life of the local people. With a little luck and patience, your guide tracks down the desert elephants, which are somewhat smaller than their relatives elsewhere.

During the afternoon, you return to Twyfelfontein Country Lodge, where you can sort through the “haul” of the day or enjoy another golden sunset over Damaraland.

You spend a second night at Twyfelfontein Country Lodge.

After a relaxed breakfast, your photo tour continues north. Via Palmwag, you drive to the historic Fort Sesfontein. It was built in 1896 by the colonial government of what was then German South West Africa as a checkpoint against poaching, rinderpest and arms smuggling.

Today, the restored walls of the fort house a comfortable lodge.

The small German soldiers' cemetery nearby also offers interesting, if thought-provoking photo perspectives.

Overnight at Fort Sesfontein Lodge.

The day begins early, because a full-day excursion into the fascinating Kaokoveld lies ahead.

As you cross the impressive and varied landscapes – from the sandy river valleys of the Hoanib Valley across wide grasslands to barren gravel desert – you experience the rugged beauty of this region first-hand.

Keep an eye out for wildlife along the way: with a little luck, desert elephants, giraffes, oryx antelopes or zebras may appear, perhaps even a lion roaming this inhospitable wilderness.

After returning and a refreshing shower that washes off the day's dust, a well-earned dinner awaits you. You spend the night at Fort Sesfontein Lodge again.

Today's destination on your Northern Namibia Photo Safari is Epupa Falls. On the way, you stop in Opuwo, the district capital of the Kunene Region.

Opuwo is the gateway to the Kaokoveld in north-western Namibia and the home of the Himba. In the seclusion of Kaokoland, the Himba have preserved their ethnic identity and culture. On the streets, you will meet many Himba, but also Herero and many people from other tribes of Namibia.

The journey continues to Omarunga Epupa Falls Camp, which is just a short walk from Epupa Falls. Here the Kunene plunges in countless cascades into a 60-metre-deep gorge against a beautiful backdrop – a fantastic natural spectacle and a great photo subject.

You spend the next two nights at Omarunga Epupa Falls Camp.

After breakfast, you set off with a local Himba guide on a morning walk along the Kunene River. You learn more about the vegetation and, with a little luck, can spot crocodiles. After approx. 2–3 hours, you return to the lodge.

You then visit a Himba village and gain a fascinating insight into the culture, customs and daily life of this proud people. Particularly striking is the reddish skin colour of the women, which comes from a paste of butterfat, ochre powder and wood ash.

Admire the artfully braided hairstyles and the magnificent jewellery made of iron, copper and shells – an expression of centuries-old traditions and craftsmanship.

At sunset, you visit the falls once more, which offer you a picturesque photo subject.

You spend the night at Omarunga Epupa Falls Camp again.

Your day begins early, as a long drive lies ahead. Your photo safari through northern Namibia takes you via Opuwo and on along the border to Etosha National Park, as far as Galton Gate, through which you enter the National Park.

Etosha National Park was founded in 1907 and is one of the most attractive National Parks in southern Africa. During your stay in the National Park, the focus is on wildlife viewing and animal photography. You explore the west of the park in search of elephants, rhinos, giraffes, various antelope species, lions and leopards.

You stay overnight at Dolomite Resort.

Today your trip takes you through the western part of Etosha National Park and along the impressive, high-contrast salt pan to Okaukuejo, where you spend two nights.

In the afternoon and on the following day, you explore the central part of Etosha National Park on extended game drives. Open plains, numerous waterholes and changing light conditions offer countless fascinating subjects for photographers here.

As the sun slowly sinks below the horizon, you return to Okaukuejo Resort – but the wildlife viewing is not over yet. At the resort's floodlit waterhole, you can watch and photograph the park's nocturnal visitors even after dinner (at your own expense) – a perfect opportunity for atmospheric night shots.

You stay overnight in chalets near the waterhole at Okaukuejo Resort.

Get up early again today and climb the former watchtower at sunrise at Okaukuejo Resort. The view across the expanse of Etosha Park in the red glow of dawn is a special subject and experience.

Then it is time to leave the park. You drive south to Okonjima Nature Reserve, a nature and wildlife reserve of more than 200 km² on the edge of the Omboroko Mountains. In 1991, Okonjima founded the AfriCat Foundation and has since supported the protection and conservation of predators in their natural habitat. There are various research projects you can find out about. On a guided safari in the afternoon, with a little luck you may spot leopards and other big game.

You stay overnight at Okonjima Plains Camp.

If you are interested, you can join one of the game drives on offer once more (optional) before you set off towards Windhoek.

Let the experiences of the past days pass before you once more: from the bizarre rock formations of Damaraland and historic Fort Sesfontein to the imposing Epupa Falls on the Kunene. The endless expanses of Etosha National Park with its unique wildlife also offered numerous opportunities for impressive photo subjects and intense encounters with nature.

These stages of the trip combine scenic highlights, exciting stories and encounters that will be remembered for a long time.

Your guide says goodbye on arrival in Windhoek. Enjoy a last evening in Namibia's capital and spend the night at Elegant Guesthouse again.

Today your photo safari through northern Namibia comes to an end. Depending on your further travel plans, a transfer driver will take you to Windhoek Airport today.

Totsiens – goodbye and until next time!