Self‑drive

An independent (self-drive) tour is one of the best and most affordable ways to explore Southern Africa.

One of the most enjoyable and flexible ways to explore Namibia is to hire a car and drive yourself to the remote destinations. You can take your time, stop along the way and change your itinerary at short notice. The road network is excellent, well sign-posted and traffic is very light. Most of your motoring is done on well-graded gravel roads.

While we can certainly arrange car hire for an adventurous self-drive tour to Botswana, Zambia and Victoria Falls these are best served as fly-in or guided safari destinations. However, sections of your safari may well include a self-drive option so talk to your Travel Expert about the best options for combining a self-drive tour with a fly-in or guided safari.

Updated: Thu 25 Jun, 2020

Our Most Popular Self-Drive Tours

11-day Namibia Highlights Safari (Self-drive)

Itinerary Type: Sample
Accommodation: Standard
Days: 11
Country: Namibia
Highlights: Damaraland, Etosha, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Windhoek

Price from US$ 1,880 pps

16-day Classic Namibia Safari (Self-drive)

Itinerary Type: Sample
Accommodation: Standard
Days: 16
Country: Namibia
Highlights: Damaraland, Etosha, Kaokoland, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Waterberg, Windhoek

Price from US$ 3,311 pps

16-day Namibia, Chobe and Victoria Falls Safari (Self-drive)

Itinerary Type: Sample
Accommodation: Standard
Days: 16
Countries: Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe
Highlights: Victoria Falls, Chobe, Caprivi, Damaraland, Etosha, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Windhoek

Price from US$ 3,382 pps

16-day Best of Namibia Safari with Southern Extension (Self-drive)

Itinerary Type: Sample
Accommodation: Standard
Days: 16
Country: Namibia
Highlights: Damaraland, Etosha, Fish River Canyon, Kalahari, Luderitz, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Waterberg, Windhoek

Price from US$ 3,014 pps

19-day Ultimate Namibia Safari (Self-drive)

Itinerary Type: Sample
Accommodation: Standard
Days: 19
Country: Namibia
Highlights: Damaraland, Etosha, Fish River Canyon, Kalahari, Kaokoland, Luderitz, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Waterberg, Windhoek

Price from US$ 1,760 pps

9-day Desert & Dune Safari (Self-drive)

Itinerary Type: Sample
Accommodation: Standard
Days: 9
Country: Namibia
Highlights: Kalahari, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Windhoek

Price from US$ 1,316 pps

19-day Namibia & Botswana Roundabout Safari (Self-drive)

Itinerary Type: Sample
Accommodation: Standard
Days: 19
Countries: Botswana, Namibia
Highlights: Central Kalahari, Chobe, Makgadikgadi Pans, Okavango Delta, Caprivi, Damaraland, Etosha, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Windhoek

Price from US$ 3,305 pps

16-day Namibia, Delta, Chobe & Victoria Falls (Self-drive)

Itinerary Type: Sample
Accommodation: Standard
Days: 16
Countries: Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe
Highlights: Victoria Falls, Chobe, Okavango Delta, Caprivi, Damaraland, Etosha, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Windhoek, Maun

Price from US$ 4,644 pps

See All Self-Drive Tours

More In Self-drive

About Self-drive Tours

Easier than you think; more fun than you could possibly imagine, a self-drive holiday is the best way to explore, experience and enjoy Africa.

Self-drive Vehicles

Choose from a variety of vehicles for the ultimate self-drive tour. With our fleet of vehicles and several high quality vehicle hire companies we are sure to have the exact vehicle for your needs.

Fly-in vs. Self-drive?

A straight comparison of prices between a self-drive tour and a fly-in might appear as a no-brainer. But it's not that simple.

Namibia Self-Drive Tours

Namibia is road-trip country. Explore this unique and fascinating country at your own pace on a Namibia self-drive tour.

Self-drive Africa

Self-drive tours of South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls and Zambia present few challenges. Beyond the main routes and over the borders, things get adventurous.

Namibia to Vic Falls Self-drive

While it is entirely possible to tour Namibia and drop off your hired car via Caprivi or Botswana in Victoria Falls, there are better - and cheaper - options.

Distances and Driving Times

Approximate driving distances and self-drive times for Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Victoria Falls. We add plenty of time to stop for photographs, markets and comfort breaks.

4WD vs 2WD Vehicles

For Namibia and Botswana we always recommend a 4WD vehicle for safety and comfort. For South Africa a 2WD sedan is adequate.

Setting Up Your Roof-top Tent (Video)

For a great outdoor experience take off on an adventure and head for the open road in a fully-equipped camping vehicle.

More In Travel Guide

Travel Guide

Where should we stop for lunch between Etosha and Windhoek? When is the best time to visit Victoria Falls? When is The Migration? What's the difference between Full Board and Fully Inclusive?

General Travel Info

Our core destinations of Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa are safe countries to visit with friendly, peaceful people and well-developed tourism industries.

Fly-in Safaris

Limited for time? Want to catch a prize-winning shot of the Cinderella waxbill? On a honeymoon? Not keen to drive for days on the wrong side of the road to get anywhere?

Private Guided Safaris

A private guided tour is surely one of the most exciting ways to explore and discover the interesting, the extraordinary and the downright flabbergasting secrets of this spectacularly foreign land and its peculiar inhabitants.

Namibia Travel Info

Why is Namibia one of the world's fastest growing tourist destinations?

Botswana Travel Info

Easily one of best safari destinations in Africa, Botswana offers a wildlife experience like no other.

Victoria Falls Travel Info

Look. There. Miles in the distance. What is that? It sure ain’t no fire burning. No smoke on the water. It’s mist. Deep, deep, misty mist. With the river running through it. But it’s no babbling brook. No siree. It’s so noisy the Kololo called it Mosi-oa-Tunya, ‘the smoke that thunders’. Sheesh, what a racket.

Recently Booked Tours

We publish our clients’ current and upcoming tours to show you the final itineraries we end up booking. Be inspired and put our tailormade credo to the test: tell us what you want and we’ll do the rest.

13-day Wildlife and Skeleton Coast Self-drive Safari (Self-drive)

Itinerary Type: Booked Tour
Accommodation: Luxury
Days: 13
People: 2
Travel Date: September 2021
Country: Namibia
Highlights: Damaraland, Etosha, Kalahari, Kaokoland, Skeleton Coast, Waterberg, Windhoek

US$ 1,811 pps

11-day Luxury Fly-in (Fly-in)

Itinerary Type: Booked Tour
Accommodation: Luxury
Days: 11
People: 2
Travel Date: August 2022
Country: Zimbabwe
Highlights: Victoria Falls

US$ 12,555 pps

11-day Luxury Namibia Fly-in (Fly-in)

Itinerary Type: Booked Tour
Accommodation: Luxury
Days: 11
People: 8
Travel Date: October 2021
Country: Namibia
Highlights: Damaraland, Etosha, Sossusvlei, Windhoek

US$ 7,732 pps

22-day Ultimate South Africa Self-drive Safari (Self-drive)

Itinerary Type: Booked Tour
Accommodation: Standard
Days: 22
People: 2
Travel Date: July 2022
Country: South Africa
Highlights: Cape Town, Cape Winelands, Garden Route, Kruger, Swaziland, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga

US$ 3,342 pps

14-day Best of Namibia Private Guided Safari (Private Guided)

Itinerary Type: Booked Tour
Accommodation: Standard
Days: 14
People: 14
Travel Date: October 2021
Country: Namibia
Highlights: Damaraland, Etosha, Kalahari, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Windhoek

US$ 3,177 pps

9-day Victoria Falls, Chobe & Okavango Delta Safari (Fly-in)

Itinerary Type: Booked Tour
Accommodation: Standard
Days: 9
People: 2
Travel Date: June 2021
Countries: Botswana, Zimbabwe
Highlights: Victoria Falls, Chobe, Okavango Delta, Maun

US$ 4,675 pps

12-day Standard Self-drive (Self-drive)

Itinerary Type: Booked Tour
Accommodation: Standard
Days: 12
People: 3
Travel Date: September 2021
Country: Namibia
Highlights: Damaraland, Etosha, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Windhoek

US$ 3,042 pps

17-day Exceptional Namibia Highlights Self-drive Safari (Self-drive)

Itinerary Type: Booked Tour
Accommodation: Luxury
Days: 17
People: 5
Travel Date: July 2022
Country: Namibia
Highlights: Etosha, Kaokoland, Swakopmund, Skeleton Coast, Waterberg, Windhoek, NamibRand and Surrounds

US$ 10,567 pps

9-day Luxury Private Guided (Private Guided)

Itinerary Type: Booked Tour
Accommodation: Luxury
Days: 9
People: 6
Travel Date: September 2022
Country: Namibia
Highlights: Damaraland, Etosha, Swakopmund, Waterberg, Windhoek

US$ 4,805 pps

13-day Standard Self-drive (Self-drive)

Itinerary Type: Booked Tour
Accommodation: Standard
Days: 13
People: 2
Travel Date: September 2022
Country: Namibia
Highlights: Damaraland, Etosha, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Waterberg, Windhoek

US$ 4,022 pps

14-day Standard Self-drive (Self-drive)

Itinerary Type: Booked Tour
Accommodation: Standard
Days: 14
People: 5
Travel Date: August 2021
Country: Namibia
Highlights: Damaraland, Etosha, Kalahari, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Waterberg, Windhoek

US$ 2,719 pps

15-day Standard Self-drive (Self-drive)

Itinerary Type: Booked Tour
Accommodation: Standard
Days: 15
People: 4
Travel Date: October 2022
Country: Namibia
Highlights: Damaraland, Etosha, Kalahari, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Windhoek, Central Namibia