Family Safari Vacations in Namibia

Namibia is an excellent destination for adventurous families. Its great-value accommodation and fascinating assortment of landscapes, cultures, and wildlife make it a great choice for children of all ages. There are also opportunities to enjoy all sorts of adventure-filled activities while exploring this unique African destination.

Namibia is famed for its striking landscapes, but the country offers plenty of things to do beyond wildlife safari. Adventurous families will discover an array of adventure activities, including dune surfing, quad biking, canoeing, whale watching, cycling, and skydiving.

Namibia’s well-maintained roads and well-established tourist infrastructure make self-drive travel a pleasure. Travelling by road between parks can be much more affordable than in other destinations, dramatically reducing the overall cost of a family trip.

Flying safaris open up many of Namibia’s most remote, isolated destinations and exclusive camps and lodges, making this the ideal way to explore the country’s farthest reaches. Light aircraft allow access to less-visited areas, giving you the feeling of getting off the beaten track.

Namibia has a wide range of accommodation options at varying price points, so there’s something for everyone! There are plenty of family-friendly camps and lodges throughout the country, with interleading suites and activities designed especially for kids.

Within the vast Namib Desert – the oldest desert in the world – the exquisite, terracotta-colored dunes of Sossusvlei soar against a cloudless blue sky. This sets the scene for one of Namibia’s most iconic landscapes and some of its best-loved, family-friendly activities.

Adventurous families will want to include Damaraland as part of a Namibia itinerary, hoping to catch sight of a desert-adapted elephant, lion, or even the endangered black rhino. This area is also home to one of the largest collections of rock art on the planet.

There are a couple of important things to consider when deciding the best time of year for a family safari vacation in Namibia. The climate is largely dry, with clear days and sunshine throughout most months. However, October and November are often blisteringly hot, followed by a humid rainy season with dramatic and unpredictable afternoon thunderstorms. April and May are usually ideal when the humidity subsides and the landscape is green. The dry season, between June and October, is best for wildlife viewing in Etosha National Park. This is also a great time to travel in the desert regions, including Sossusvlei and the Skeleton Coast, where the daytime temperatures are warm and nights are cold.

Etosha National Park is exceptionally well organised and has excellent infrastructure, making it a superb option for a family wildlife safari. Head out in a 4x4 vehicle and see black-faced impala, Hartmann’s mountain zebra, giraffe, and perhaps even a rare black rhino among its incredible wildlife population.

The ancient Namib Desert is home to Africa’s first International Dark Sky Reserve and is renowned for its astonishing, zero-light pollution skies. Here, stargazing transports you to the realms of countless planets and constellations. Guides are on hand to point out notable observations and provide an introduction to the fascinating topic of astronomy.

Wildlife enthusiasts will enjoy a guided kayaking adventure, which provides close encounters with Cape fur seals off the coast of Walvis Bay. There’s a splendid array of bird life here too, and lucky explorers might even spot dolphins en route.

Ascend into the brilliant blue sky, gliding silently above Namibia’s towering red sand dunes. This is an epic way to experience the dramatic landscape from an aerial perspective. Then, enjoy a delicious champagne breakfast at the landing site.

Led by an experienced guide, breeze through the desert on an electrifying quad bike adventure with sunlit sand dunes as far as the eye can see. Quad biking is conducted with great care in a bid to cause minimal disturbance to the natural environment.

Take to the Atlantic Ocean on board a catamaran and experience Namibia’s unexpectedly diverse marine life. Whale watching season is typically between June and November, when you might spot migratory southern right and humpback whales, as well as dolphins, seals and pelicans.

Namibia’s cultural experiences are both rich and extremely rewarding, particularly the sensitively organised visits to Himba villages, where you’ll gain insight into the traditional lifestyle of this semi-nomadic people. Damaraland is also fascinating for its enormous collection of ancient rock art.

While you’ll want to avoid unexpected encounters with these little desert critters, guided scorpion night walks offer a fascinating way to spot arachnids under UV light. Kids are usually captivated by this unique, after-dark desert wilderness experience.

Namibia conjures up images of haunting desert landscapes, with an occasional lone oryx roaming its endless dunes. So, many are surprised to find that it’s full of wildlife with infinite potential as a safari destination in its own right. Etosha National Park attracts an array of wildlife to its waterholes, including lion, leopard, elephant, zebra, wildebeest, and kudu. The otherworldly Skeleton Coast is home to vast numbers of Cape fur seals, while other signs of life include the odd cheetah, jackal, or brown hyena. Nature drives in ancient Damaraland deliver chance encounters with desert-adapted elephant, rare black rhino, and the occasional roaming lion.

Wilderness Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp is an adventure-fuelled experience in Namibia’s rugged Kaokoveld region, close to the Skeleton Coast. Activities include walks, Skeleton Coast excursions, and game drives, where you might spot desert-adapted rhino and Hartmann’s mountain zebra.

Shipwreck Lodge will enthral young, pirate-loving adventurers. Located on Namibia’s rugged Skeleton Coast dunes, there’s plenty of action for families, including sandboarding, quad bikes, beach lunches and 4x4 adventures.

Wilderness Serra Cafema is an extraordinarily remote camp on the banks of the Kunene river, which forms a natural border with Angola. Highlights include visiting a Himba community, quad biking, nature drives, walks, and seasonal boating.

Ideally located for access to the Sossusvlei dunes, Wilderness Kulala Desert Lodge is an excellent camp with plenty to entertain young guests. There are two family units, ideal for families, and activities include nature drives, sand dune adventures and the chance to explore the night skies while stargazing.

A Natural Selection camp in Namibia’s wild, untrodden Kaokoveld region, Hoanib Valley Camp is a great place to see desert-adapted elephant, lion, and rhino. They have a family tent, though the camp’s remoteness makes it better suited to slightly older children.

Sossusvlei Desert Lodge is a stylish lodge in a private reserve in the Namib Desert, where the stunning two-bedroom Star Dune Suite is perfect for families. Activities include e-biking, Sossusvlei dune walks, stargazing, scenic helicopter flights, and the &Beyond WILDChild programme.

Okonjima Plains Camp offers great-value accommodation in the heart of central Namibia’s Okonjima Nature Reserve. The primary focus is tracking big cats, particularly leopards, in addition to night drives and searching for the elusive pangolin and rhino.

The charming Ongava Tented Camp offers a traditional safari feel with Meru-style tents and a family unit. As it’s located in a private reserve and borders Etosha National Park, there are plenty of wildlife viewing opportunities – from expertly guided game drives to watching animals gather around the waterhole right in front of the camp.