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Etosha is Namibia’s premier national park, famous for its stunning wildlife and vast saltpan. It is one of Africa’s largest protected areas, with several permanent waterholes attracting plenty of prey and predators.

The word Etosha means ‘big, white place,’ and the park is dominated by a huge, white saltpan, the pan being the shimmering bed of a dried up, shallow, inland lake – around 100 kilometres across. Permanent waterholes are plentiful along the southern side of the pan, where water that collects in the rainy season flows onto the pan’s dense clay floor. Wildlife and birds are abundant and the area is perfect for a self-drive itinerary.

The wildlife is superb, particularly in the dry winter months. Among the mammals you are likely to see here are black-faced impala, gemsbok (oryx), Damara dik-dik, eland, greater kudu, hartebeest and springbok, together with large numbers of elephant, lion, leopard, black rhino, giraffe, Burchell’s zebra and wildebeest. During the dry season large herds of plains game gather around the waterholes, along with their predators – so to see animals all you have to do is locate water and wait …

The sporadic summer rains generate a profusion of new life – pronking baby springboks and comical young wildebeest herald the arrival of the season. Etosha’s birdlife is excellent too – more than 300 species have been recorded here. Birds of prey are particularly numerous, and include red-necked falcons, Gabar goshawks, and several species of eagle and vulture. Local ‘specials’ include short-toed rock thrush, Hartlaub’s francolin, freckled nightjar and Meyer’s parrot.

In the neighbouring Ongava Private Game Reserve, visitors are also offered the unique opportunity to track rhino on foot.

Our collection of wildlife trips in Etosha National Park can also be tailored to suit your exact requirements and dates - just contact our safari experts who will be happy to help.

View suggested itineraries

Key info

  • Ideal for viewing: black rhino, black-faced impala, damara dik-dik, African elephant, lion
  • Where: Oshikoto & Oshana Region, Namibia

Wildlife trips

This wildlife location is featured in the following itineraries:

Namibia Self-drive Safari

Take this classic self-drive around Namibia's ‘northern circuit’, and enjoy fantastic wildlife-viewing and photographic opportunities. Spend a couple of days at a cheetah and leopard conservation project, before continuing to the renowned Etosha National Park and the stunning desert landscapes of the Damaraland. Find out more about Namibia Self-drive Safari

  • Price (inc. flights): 14 days from £4,295
  • Trip type:
    Tailor-made Holiday
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Classic Africa Explorer

This 37-day comprehensive itinerary, which visits no less than seven countries, delivers the ultimate African safari experience and a wealth of contrasts. Travel to some of Africa’s best National Parks and stay in a range of classic lodges, hotels and tented camps on this wildlife trip of a lifetime. Find out more about Classic Africa Explorer

  • Price (inc. flights): 37 days from £16,495
  • Trip type:
    Tailor-made Holiday
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Faces of Namibia

Experience all the key areas of this superb country: the soaring dunes of Sossusvlei, the dramatic deserts of Damaraland, and the prolific wildlife of Etosha. Staying largely in private reserves, activities include rhino tracking, boat trips and walking - the complete Namibia adventure! Find out more about Faces of Namibia

  • Price (inc. flights): 11 days from £5,495
  • Trip type:
    Group Tour
    Tailor-made can be arranged
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Land of Contrasts Self-drive

This is Namibia at its very best: a wilderness destination of outstanding beauty at every turn, taking you north to the salt pans of Etosha National Park, the remote Kunene and its desert elephant, before heading down the Skeleton Coast to the awesome Namib Desert. Choose between self drive or guided. Find out more about Land of Contrasts Self-drive

  • Price (inc. flights): 18 days from £6,995
  • Trip type:
    Tailor-made Holiday
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Namibia Wildlife & Wilderness

Experience the breath-taking landscapes and remarkable desert-adapted wildlife of Namibia on this extensive and specially designed self-drive itinerary. Self-driving is the best way to explore this spectacular destination at your own pace and enjoy everything the country has to offer. Find out more about Namibia Wildlife & Wilderness

  • Price (inc. flights): 17 days from £5,995
  • Trip type:
    Tailor-made Holiday
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Namibia: A Wilderness Adventure

Enjoy the ‘essentials’ of Namibia on this small group trip which explores the country’s premier locations. Head out on safari, stay at a cheetah and leopard conservation project, witness dramatic scenery, wilderness environments and discover cultural sites in this spectacular country. Find out more about Namibia: A Wilderness Adventure

  • Price (inc. flights): 14 days from £6,895
  • Trip type:
    Group Tour
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Natural Wonders

Few trips venture as far as Namibia’s northern border, but this innovative itinerary employs a combination of self-drive and guided safari to visit famed Etosha and the Caprivi en route to Africa’s Four Corners – where Namibia, Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe meet – ending at Chobe and Victoria Falls. Find out more about Natural Wonders

  • Price (inc. flights): 16 days from £4,795
  • Trip type:
    Tailor-made Holiday
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On the Trail of Elephants

This 18-day group tour focuses on the elephant hotspots of Namibia and Botswana, followed by a night at the world-famous Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. Explore a variety of landscapes from desert to coast and grassland to wetland, to marvel at southern Africa's beautiful scenery and abundant wildlife. Find out more about On the Trail of Elephants

  • Price (inc. flights): 18 days from £4,545
  • Trip type:
    Group Tour
    Tailor-made can be arranged
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Skeleton Coast & Etosha

Namibia is one of Africa's last great wilderness areas and offers some truly magnificent desert scenery, a bird-rich coastline, one of Africa’s finest wildlife reserves, and some of the most dramatic dunes in the world. This comprehensive itinerary is a great way to experience this fascinating country. Find out more about Skeleton Coast & Etosha

  • Price (inc. flights): 15 days from £6,795
  • Trip type:
    Tailor-made Holiday
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Wings over Namibia

This suggested itinerary provides a complete experience of the north and south, enjoying superb wildlife viewing and exceptional photographic opportunities. Staying in some of Namibia’s finest lodges with outstanding hospitality, and flying between camps, this trip is simply the ultimate safari. Find out more about Wings over Namibia

  • Price (inc. flights): 11 days from £6,495
  • Trip type:
    Tailor-made Holiday
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Wonders of Namibia: A Photographic Safari

Namibia is a country of diverse landscapes and this small group photographic safari traverses the savannahs and private reserves, travelling through the iconic salt pans of Etosha into the dry, sandy deserts, viewing and photographing the incredible resident wildlife throughout including elephant, lion, rhino and leopard. Find out more about Wonders of Namibia: A Photographic Safari

  • Price (inc. flights): 18 days from £10,995
  • Trip type:
    Group Tour
    Tailor-made can be arranged
  • When to go:
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A Living Desert

Join Wildlife Worldwide Director Nick Joynes on a small group luxury wildlife adventure in Namibia, an unforgivingly and unapologetically beautiful country that touches your heart like nowhere else. Experience a land of remarkable diversity, with chances to observe wildlife at close quarters amid ancient living landscapes. Find out more about Z) A Living Desert

  • Price (inc. flights): 15 days from £10,795
  • Trip type:
    Group Tour
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Suggested accommodation options are shown below. Please contact us for further recommendations.

Anderssons at Ongava

Located in Ongava Reserve, adjacent to Etosha National Park, Anderssons at Ongava is set against the backdrop of the Ondundozonanandana Mountains. Surrounded by scrub-covered plains, it has just eight tents, each with a private viewing deck, en suite bathroom and open-air shower. Find Out More about Anderssons at Ongava

Halali Camp

Halali Camp in Etosha National Park lies halfway between Namutoni and Okaukeujo Camps at the foot of a dolomite hill, typical of this part of Namibia. It is just a short walk from an elevated vantage point where you have a perfect view of the animals coming to drink in the nearby waterhole. Find Out More about Halali Camp

Little Ongava Camp

Little Ongava’s wonderful chalets are set along the crest of a hill with spectacular views onto the plains below. Accommodation comprises three spacious suites, each with their own plunge pool and a view of the floodlit waterhole. This is the ideal camp from which to base your activities when visiting Etosha. Find Out More about Little Ongava Camp

Namutoni Campsite

Accessible via the Von Lindequist Gate, Namutoni Camp’s close proximity to Fisher’s Pan makes it a hotspot for birders. Two restaurants, a craft shop, a pool and a viewing deck overlooking King Nehale Waterhole make the camp a great place to relax at lunchtime or after evening game drives. Find Out More about Namutoni Campsite

Okaukuejo Rest Camp

Situated 17 kilometres from the southern entrance to Etosha National Park, known as Anderson's Gate, Okaukuejo currently functions as the administrative hub of the park, and the home of the Etosha Ecological Institute. Facilities include a restaurant, bar, shop, swimming pool and camp site. Find Out More about Okaukuejo Rest Camp

Ongava Lodge

This luxurious property is on one of the largest private reserves in Namibia, and offers 14 comfortable rock and thatch chalets. The lodge has a floodlit waterhole, and wildlife activities include vehicle safaris in both Ongava Reserve and Etosha National Park, as well as safaris on foot and night drives. Find Out More about Ongava Lodge

Ongava Tented Camp

This camp is one of Namibia’s best kept secrets. Located in the much-lauded Ongava Game Reserve, south of Etosha National Park, it overlooks a nearby waterhole. Constructed from stone, canvas and thatch, the camp accommodates 16 guests in eight large, comfortable, Meru-style tents. Find Out More about Ongava Tented Camp