From the canyon to the rhino for Maurice · 1

Your private journey

13 days, at your own wheel

A thirteen-day self-drive loop from Windhoek: a night at Burgsdorf, then two nights each at the Fish River Canyon, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Spitzkoppe and Grootberg, in your own Toyota Fortuner 4x4.

Where: Windhoek · Burgsdorf · Fish River Canyon · Sossusvlei · Swakopmund · Spitzkoppe · Grootberg
When: 1 – 13 June 2028
How long: 13 days, 12 nights; about 2,990 km by road
How you travel: Self-drive, in a Toyota Fortuner 4x4 collected at the airport on 1 June and returned there on 13 June
Prepared for: Maurice Dobie, 2 travellers
Status: Look book: details to be confirmed with you

One · The route

The route, stop by stop

A loop from Windhoek: south to the Fish River Canyon, west to the dunes of Sossusvlei, up the coast to Swakopmund, inland to Spitzkoppe and north to Grootberg, then back to the airport. Two nights at every main stop, so most days have one thing in them and room to breathe.

Schematic · not to survey accuracyA clockwise loop from Windhoek

1 JunAirport to Windhoek · your car is waiting≈45 km · 30 min

2 JunWindhoek to Burgsdorf≈330 km · 4.5 hrs

3 JunBurgsdorf to the Fish River Canyon≈515 km · 6.5 hrs

4 JunThe canyon · Canyon Drive and sundownerno transfer

5 JunThe canyon to Sossusvlei≈675 km · 9 hrs

6 JunSossusvlei · guided into the dunesno transfer

7 JunSossusvlei to Swakopmund≈305 km · 5 hrs

8 JunSandwich Harbour · with our guideno transfer

9 JunSwakopmund to Spitzkoppe≈165 km · 3 hrs

10 JunSpitzkoppe · the lodge's tourno transfer

11 JunSpitzkoppe to Grootberg≈340 km · 7 hrs

12 JunGrootberg · black rhino trackingno transfer

13 JunGrootberg to the airport · the car goes back≈615 km · 7.5 hrs

Driving times are without stops, and much of the road is gravel, so allow more. Two days are long: the canyon to the dunes (about 9 hours) and Grootberg to the airport (about 7½ hours). For each, we suggest an extra night to break it; you'll find both under Where you'll stay.

Two · Where you'll stay

7 stops, one vehicle

Seven places, each chosen for where it stands: a farm where rhino come to the waterhole, stone chalets near the canyon, a plunge pool in the Namib, the seafront, the granite of Spitzkoppe and the rim of the Etendeka Plateau.

Arebbusch Travel Lodge · the pool at night

Thu 1 JunFrom the airport · about 45 km, 30 minutes

Arebbusch Travel Lodge · Windhoek

A soft landing in Windhoek

1 night · Arebbusch Square luxury room, garden facing · bed & breakfast

Bed & breakfast Your car waits at the airport Restaurant and pizzeria

Arebbusch is a Windhoek lodge about ten minutes from the city centre, with its own restaurant and pizzeria. Your room is in Arebbusch Square, its luxury wing, facing the garden: an easy first night after the flight.

Your days here

Thu 1 JunYour Toyota Fortuner 4x4 is waiting for you at the airport. A short drive into Windhoek and a quiet evening at the lodge.

Included

Arebbusch Square luxury room, garden facing, 1 night
Breakfast

Dinner tonight is your own: Arebbusch has its restaurant and pizzeria on site.

Burgsdorf Guest Farm · the lapa

Fri 2 JunBy road · about 330 km, 4½ hours

Burgsdorf Guest Farm · near Maltahöhe

Rhino at the waterhole, outside your room

1 night · Large Comfort room at the waterhole · dinner, bed & breakfast

Dinner, bed & breakfast Evening drive on the farm A working family farm

Burgsdorf is a historic family farm on the old ox-wagon route of the late 1800s, and a rhino conservation farm: the Large Comfort rooms look straight onto the waterhole where the rhino come to drink. It breaks the long road south with a night you will remember.

Your days here

Fri 2 JunSouth from Windhoek to the farm, in time for an evening drive: a sundowner, or the rhino drive if it is running in June. Then a buffet dinner at the farm.

Included

Large Comfort room at the waterhole, 1 night
Breakfast and buffet dinner
Evening drive on the farm (a sundowner, or the rhino drive when it is running)

Canyon Lodge · a stone chalet among the boulders

Sat 3 – Mon 5 JunBy road · about 515 km, 6½ hours

Canyon Lodge · Fish River Canyon

Stone chalets among the boulders

2 nights · stone chalet · dinner, bed & breakfast

Dinner, bed & breakfast Canyon Drive to the rim Africa's largest canyon

Canyon Lodge has thirty natural stone chalets set among granite boulders, about 20 km east of the Fish River Canyon: Africa's largest canyon, dropping about half a kilometre from a flat plateau and glowing copper at sundown.

Your days here

Sat 3 JunA long day south, about 6½ hours on the road. Arrive in time for the lodge's free trail and sundowner walk, then dinner.
Sun 4 JunThe lodge's Canyon Drive takes you to the canyon itself, park entrance included. In the late afternoon, a sundowner drive through Gondwana Canyon Park.

Recommended · through us

Break the drive to the dunes at Burgsdorf — The road from the canyon to The Desert Grace is the longest day of the trip, about 675 km and 9 hours. A second night at Burgsdorf splits it: about 515 km (6½ hours) back to the farm, then 200 km (3½ hours) on to the dunes. It adds one night with dinner and breakfast, and a day with the car; every day after it moves on by one.

US$554 for the two of you — added if you want it

Included

Stone chalet, 2 nights
Breakfast and dinner
Canyon Drive, with park entrance
Sundowner drive in Gondwana Canyon Park
The trail and sundowner walk from the lodge

The Desert Grace · your bungalow

Mon 5 – Wed 7 JunBy road · about 675 km, 9 hours · a long day

The Desert Grace · Sossusvlei

A plunge pool of your own, in the Namib

2 nights · bungalow with a private plunge pool · dinner, bed & breakfast

Dinner, bed & breakfast Guided Sossusvlei excursion 24 bungalows

The Desert Grace has just 24 bungalows, each with its own plunge pool. From here the lodge's own guides take you into Sossusvlei for the day: towering red star dunes and white clay pans, where Big Daddy rises over 300 metres. You leave the car parked and enjoy it.

Your days here

Mon 5 JunThe longest day of the trip: about 9 hours on the road, from the canyon to the dunes. Arrive for dinner and a quiet evening.
Tue 6 JunThe lodge's guided Sossusvlei excursion, with brunch and refreshments out among the dunes and park entrance included. The afternoon is yours, at your own pool.

Included

Bungalow with a private plunge pool, 2 nights
Breakfast and dinner
Guided Sossusvlei excursion, with brunch, refreshments and park entrance

Strand Hotel · on the seafront

Wed 7 – Fri 9 JunBy road · about 305 km, 5 hours

Strand Hotel · Swakopmund

On the seafront, where the desert meets the sea

2 nights · standard room · bed & breakfast

Bed & breakfast Sandwich Harbour A walkable seaside town

The Strand stands on Swakopmund's seafront: a palm-lined coastal town of German colonial buildings, between the Atlantic and the Namib dunes, and an easy town to walk. From here our own licensed guide takes you to Sandwich Harbour.

Your days here

Wed 7 JunOut of the desert to the coast. The evening is for the town: a walk on the seafront and a restaurant of your choice.
Thu 8 JunSandwich Harbour with our own licensed guide, timed to the tide: the dunes drop straight into the Atlantic, with flamingo lagoons and lunch out there. Sandboarding, if you'd like to add it, at no extra cost.

Included

Standard room, 2 nights
Breakfast
Sandwich Harbour with our licensed guide, with lunch and the permit
Sandboarding, if you'd like to add it, at no extra cost

Dinners in Swakopmund are your own, and the town has good choices: Café Anton, The Jetty, Altstadt and the Brauhaus among them. Pack a warm layer: the coastal fog can be cool, even on a sunny day.

Spitzkoppen Lodge · a chalet below the peaks

Fri 9 – Sun 11 JunBy road · about 165 km, 3 hours

Spitzkoppen Lodge · Spitzkoppe

Chalets on stilts below the Gross Spitzkoppe

2 nights · chalet · dinner, bed & breakfast

Dinner, bed & breakfast Rock Arch and San rock art Granite peaks

Spitzkoppen Lodge's chalets stand on stilts below the Gross Spitzkoppe, granite peaks rising about 700 metres above the plains, with ancient San rock art in the rocks around them. Staying two nights, you join the lodge's own tour of the highlights.

Your days here

Fri 9 JunA short drive inland from the coast, with the afternoon to settle in among the granite.
Sat 10 JunThe lodge's tour for two-night guests: Small Bushman's Paradise, the Zebra Pool, the Rock Arch and the Golden Snake painting, with lunch.

Optional · at the lodge

Guided mountain hike — for a closer look at the granite, with one of the lodge's guides.

About US$49 per person — booked and paid at the lodge, on arrival.

Included

Chalet, 2 nights
Breakfast and dinner
The two-night guests' tour, with lunch

Grootberg Lodge · the deck at sunset

Sun 11 – Tue 13 JunBy road · about 340 km, 7 hours

Grootberg Lodge · Damaraland

On the rim of the Etendeka Plateau

2 nights · stone-and-thatch chalet · dinner, bed & breakfast

Dinner, bed & breakfast Black rhino tracking on foot Community-owned

Grootberg's stone-and-thatch chalets stand on the edge of the Etendeka Plateau, above the Klip River Valley. Very few people get to see black rhino on foot, and the lodge itself belongs to the ≠Khoadi-//Hôas Conservancy, so your stay supports the people protecting them.

Your days here

Sun 11 JunA long day north into Damaraland, about 7 hours on the road. Arrive for dinner on the plateau rim.
Mon 12 JunBlack rhino tracking in the Klip River Valley: about three-quarters of a day, with an early breakfast. Wear muted colours, nothing white or shiny.
Tue 13 JunThe drive back to the airport, about 615 km and 7½ hours: a long last day, best with an evening flight. Your car goes back at the airport.

Recommended · through us

A last night at Okonjima — Okonjima, home of the AfriCat Foundation, breaks the long road to the airport: about 390 km (5½ hours) from Grootberg, then 270 km (3½ hours) to the airport the next day. It adds one night at Plains Camp with dinner and breakfast, the reserve's levy, and a day with the car. Leopard tracking can be added there.

US$1,078 for the two of you — added if you want it

Included

Stone-and-thatch chalet, 2 nights
Breakfast and dinner
Black rhino tracking in the Klip River Valley

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, and everything marked as included sits inside them.

Where you sleep and eat

US$8,739

Twelve nights in seven places, breakfast every morning, and dinner everywhere except Windhoek and Swakopmund, where the restaurants are yours to choose.

Your vehicle and the days

US$4,191

Your Toyota Fortuner 4x4 for all thirteen days, and every experience named in this look book: the evening drive at Burgsdorf, the Canyon Drive and sundowner drive, the guided Sossusvlei excursion, Sandwich Harbour, the Spitzkoppe tour and black rhino tracking.

Fuel and park fees on the road are yours to pay as you go.

US$12,930 for two travellers

US$6,465Per person

13 / 12Days / nights

≈US$995A day, for both

One invoice covers all of it: the lodges, the car, the meals and the experiences named above. Fuel and park fees are paid on the road, as you go.

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

We built it around the places you chose, with two nights at the canyon, the dunes, the coast, Spitzkoppe and Grootberg, so each has a full day in it. Windhoek to the Fish River Canyon is about 845 km, too far for one day, so your second Windhoek night moves south to Burgsdorf: it splits the drive and adds rhino at the waterhole. At Sossusvlei, The Desert Grace's own guides take you into the dunes, so the car stays parked for the day; Sandwich Harbour goes with our own licensed guide, timed to the tide; and Grootberg's rhino tracking has the two nights it needs.

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: Arebbusch Square luxury room, 1 night
Burgsdorf Guest Farm: Large Comfort room at the waterhole, 1 night
Canyon Lodge, Fish River Canyon: stone chalet, 2 nights
The Desert Grace, Sossusvlei: bungalow with a private plunge pool, 2 nights
Strand Hotel, Swakopmund: standard room, 2 nights
Spitzkoppen Lodge: chalet, 2 nights
Grootberg Lodge, Damaraland: stone-and-thatch chalet, 2 nights

What you eat

Breakfast every morning
Dinner at Burgsdorf, Canyon Lodge, The Desert Grace, Spitzkoppen Lodge and Grootberg
Brunch and refreshments on the Sossusvlei excursion
Lunch at Sandwich Harbour
Lunch with the Spitzkoppe tour

Your vehicle and support

A Toyota Fortuner 4x4 automatic for 13 days, less than three years old, collected and returned at Hosea Kutako airport
Insurance, a full tank to start, sat nav, a second driver, an emergency kit, a tool kit and a tyre compressor
Our own licensed guide at Sandwich Harbour
24/7 support from Sandura while you're on the road

What you do

Evening drive at Burgsdorf (a sundowner, or the rhino drive when it is running)
The Canyon Drive and a sundowner drive at the Fish River Canyon
The trail and sundowner walk from Canyon Lodge
Guided Sossusvlei excursion from The Desert Grace
Sandwich Harbour, timed to the tide
Sandboarding, if you'd like to add it, at no extra cost
The Spitzkoppe tour: Small Bushman's Paradise, the Zebra Pool, the Rock Arch and the Golden Snake painting
Black rhino tracking in the Klip River Valley

Fees

Park entrance on the Canyon Drive and the Sossusvlei excursion
The Sandwich Harbour permit

Bring your passports. Namibian park gates ask every visitor for photographic identification on the way in and on the way out. Keep them in the car 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, and park and community fees on the road, paid as you go
Lunches, other than at Sandwich Harbour, on the Sossusvlei excursion and with the Spitzkoppe tour
Dinners in Windhoek and Swakopmund
Optional: a second night at Burgsdorf on the way to the dunes, US$554 for the two of you
Optional: a last night at Okonjima before the airport, US$1,078 for the two of you
Optional at Spitzkoppen Lodge: the guided mountain hike, about US$49 per person, paid at the lodge
Drinks, other than those named in this itinerary
Travel insurance, personal expenses and gratuities

Seven · The season

Early winter, dry and clear

June is the start of the dry season: clear skies by day, and desert nights near freezing, with cold early starts. The coast is cooler and greyer under the Atlantic fog. Pack warm layers and a proper jacket alongside sun protection, often for the same day: closed shoes, long trousers, a hat, sunscreen and binoculars, and muted colours for the rhino tracking. June is popular, so it pays to settle the dates early.

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 driving yourself suits you, or whether you'd like one of our guides at the wheel.

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$3,879

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

Before you travelUS$9,051

The balance, 60 days before you travel

On the roadNothing

Except fuel and park fees on the road, lunches, dinners in Windhoek and Swakopmund, and drinks

Why is it non-refundable? The 30% deposit is what confirms every booking: the lodges, your car 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 Maurice Dobie and his fellow traveller 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