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A self-drive Namibia is the ultimate outdoor experience for adventurous souls and is on top of the bucket list of many people, including mine.
There are just so many amazing places to visit in Namibia from a self-drive safari in Etosha National Park to hiking up Dune 45 or visiting a Himba Tribe in Damaraland.
It is not the cheapest country and therefore, one of the most asked questions is, how expensive is Namibia or is it possible to travel to Namibia on a budget?
I was able to visit this beautiful country twice in the same year as part of my world trip and I was able to keep a record of all my expenses to make a total cost breakdown of the budget you’ll need for a self-drive in Namibia
READ ALSO: The Best 14-day Namibia self-drive itinerary
Self-drive Namibia budget
During the 14 days I traveled through the country, I made a list of all the costs and expenses and divided them into 5 categories. For every category, I will explain how much I spent in total and my average costs on a daily base, which will make it more helpful to plan your visit.
Whether you plan to travel around for 2 weeks or only 10 days in Namibia, this blog post gives you a very good idea of the average costs of tours, transportation, accommodation, and food.
What is not included in this budget for Namibia
Because I had already purchased my backpack, flights, and insurance in advance, I will not include these costs in this budget breakdown. The cost for flights depends on where you will travel from but the average prices to fly to Windhoek in Namibia are between €750 and €1500 for return flights from European countries. From other continents, it might be even more expensive (or cheaper if you are lucky).
I searched also to depart from airports near my hometown and found an amazing flight through Skyscanner from Cologne in Germany for only €280 per person for a one-way ticket.
Nevertheless, the cost of these expenses can be helpful to give you an indication of when you want to buy comparable flights, the same equipment, or insurance, so I will share them with you here.
- International flights: I bought a one-way ticket from Cologne in Germany to Windhoek in Nambia for €280 per person with Eurowings
- Travel insurance – InsuredNomads
- Purchase of backpacks: I paid €250 for my Deuter Aircontact 75L and €227 for my camera bag from Wandrd (read at the end of this article what’s in my camera bag)
Accommodations in Namibia
Accommodation was one of the most expensive parts of my self-drive in Namibia as the total cost for 14 days was €633, which is an average of €45 per day for 2 persons. The campsites in Namibia are beautiful and spacious with mostly a BBQ, a sink, and a private ensuite bathroom.
I spent as much time as possible camping to keep the costs down. Although, you can expect to pay between €30 – €50 per campsite in Namibia.
During my road trip, I also decided to treat myself to stay in a luxury glamping in Windhoek on the last day of the trip and in a private safari resort near Etosha National Park where I experienced a game drive in the private reserve.
This is probably the reason why the cost of accommodation is more expensive than I had estimated, however, the experience was well worth it!
- 8 nights on campsites in Namibia – average € 28/night per campsite
- 2 nights in guesthouses – average € 56/night
- 2 nights in a hostel – average € 26/night
- 1 night glamping – average € 45/night
- 1 night in a luxury safari lodge – average € 200/night
READ MORE: 12 x the best campsites in Namibia
4×4 hire in Namibia
A self-drive in Namibia is probably the best way to explore this beautiful country! This gives you enough freedom to go where you want and when you want as the public transport in the country is not really developed.
The biggest cost was definitely the 4×4 rental in Namibia as I spent a total of €1710 for 14 days including a rooftop tent, camping gear, windscreen insurance & tire coverage (which I’m glad I had), and fuel.
Most roads are corrugated dirt or gravel roads and there are many awesome campsites in Namibia in the remote areas, so I highly recommend renting a 4×4 with a rooftop tent and exploring all the amazing places at your own pace.
You can still decide to stay in a luxury lodge as some extra luxury is always nice after a few days of camping.
- 4WD with a rooftop tent, equipped for camping for 2 people – €1162
- Extra tyre & windscreen insurance – €249
- Petrol – €299 ($0,8 – $1/liter)
Food & groceries in Namibia
On arrival in Windhoek, I did groceries in the Foodlovers Market and stocked up as much as I needed for the next week as I prepared most meals myself on the campsites in Namibia.
Although, I had some pastries at the bakery in Solitaire, Otjiwarongo and I went out for dinner in Swakopmund and on the last day in Windhoek.
In 14 days camping in Namibia, I spent about €579 on all groceries such as fruits, vegetables, water, gas canisters, firewood, and going out for dinner.
- Eating out – €164,3
- Groceries – €414,78
Activities and entertainment in Namibia
There are so many amazing things to do in Namibia and during these 2 weeks driving around the country, I was able to experience some of the most fantastic adventures myself and spend about €330 for 2 persons on activities.
From Kayaking in the Orange River & Hiking up Dune 45 to a self-drive safari in Etosha National Park, which was one of my favorite activities during my Namibia road trip itinerary.
However, If I go back to Namibia, I would definitely do a hot air balloon flight over the Sesriem desert and visit the abandoned houses full of sand in Kolmanskop.
- Entrance fee for Naukluft National Park (Dune 45, Deadvlei, Sossusvlei, …) – N$80 per person ($5) + N$10 for the jeep
- Jeep shuttle to Big Daddy Dune and Sossusvlei – N$170 per person ($11)
- Visit a Himba tribe in Damaraland – N$200 per person ($13,5)
- Entrance fee for Etosha National Park – N$80 per person ($5) + N$10 for the jeep
- Private sunset game drive in Eagle Tented Lodge – N$500 per person ($33)
- Guided Bushmen painting tour in Spitzkoppe – N$370 per person ($25)
- Quad safari in Swakopmund – N$962 per person ($65)
READ ALSO: The Best 14-day Namibia self-drive itinerary
Other expenses
When you travel to another country, there are always some extra costs for various stuff such as laundry, sim-card & data, Visas, etc,… For my trip to Namibia, I spend only €12 on souvenirs, a sim card, and some gadgets in 14 days.
I was able to do the laundry for free in the guesthouse in Walvis Bay and upon my arrival in South Africa. (I flew to South Africa after 2 weeks camping in Namibia)
- Visa – The visa-on-arrival for Namibia is free for 30 days for Belgian Citizens, however, you can check your visa requirements here
- SIM cards & data package from “MTC” – N$50 (€ 3) for 2GB and topped up in Swakopmund for another 2GB
- Souvenirs – € 6 bought a bracelet from the Himba people
Total cost breakdown for 2 weeks in Namibia
The total cost breakdown for a 2-week self-drive in Namibia comes out at €3594,6 in total for 2 people, which is an average daily budget of around €128 per person.
The 4×4 hire in Namibia is by far the biggest cost as it includes your transport, part of your accommodation, and all the gear you need to go camping in Namibia, and besides that, you need to book a campsite.
Also, the nights in the luxury clamping, the stay at the private gate reserve, and the activities increased the budget but these are things I wouldn’t save money on as it was part of the adventure and experience.
TIP: If you want to spend less money, you can consider going camping with a 2WD vehicle and a set-up tent (which is cheaper than a 4×4), do self-drive safaris in Namibia & not private game drives and don’t stay in hotels or lodges as these are pretty pricey.
Now you know how much things will cost and how much money you’ll need to travel around, so, I hope this can help you to make a budget for your trip.
Are you surprised by this cost breakdown for a 2-week road trip in Namibia? Do you have tips on how to travel cheaper or do you have any questions regarding this road trip, let me know in the comments.
SAVE THESE PINS FOR LATER
Use my favorite travel apps to plan your budget for Namibia
To plan my adventures, I use these FREE websites and apps as they provide the best information, the best deals, and they are user-friendly.
- Skyscanner – Flight deals
- Booking.com – Hotels and accommodation
- TourRadar – Group trips
- TripAdvisor – Reviews and activities
- HostelWorld – Hostels
- GetYourGuide – Activities and excursions
- RentalCars – Car rental
- Omio – Transport
- iVisa – Travel documents
- Wise – Money transfer
- InsuredNomads – Travel Insurance
PICTURES AND EDITING
All the pictures on this page are made and owned by me. If you are interested in some pictures to use for your magazine, website, blog, or any other purpose, just send me an email and we’ll figure it out.
Do you like the edits? My Presets will be online soon so you can edit your pictures in just one click!
The camera gear I used for this trip
I never go out without my camera and many people ask me which gear I use. So to make it quite easy, I listed all the gear I used for this trip below.
Most of the time, I travel with the Sony A7III and the Sony 24-105mm/f4 as my primary lens but depending on the location, I change to another setup. However, I love the Tamron 17-28 to shoot in the big cities.
