3-Day Etosha Safari from Windhoek: Big Five and waterholes

Sunrise game drives and nights at the waterhole

A 3-day guided safari from Windhoek to Etosha National Park with private transportation, two nights' accommodation at Okaukuejo Lodge inside the park, and sunrise and afternoon game drives. The tour includes a private vehicle and English-speaking guide. Pickup from your Windhoek hotel is included, and children from age 7 are welcome. You'll search for the Big Five, watch herds at waterholes, and spend evenings at the floodlit waterhole where wildlife comes to drink.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Travel to Etosha and afternoon safari

• Pick-up from Windhoek
• Scenic drive to Etosha
• Lunch stop in Outjo
• Check-in at Okaukuejo Camp
• Afternoon game drive
• Dinner and overnight at Okaukuejo

Day 2: Full-day Etosha safari

• Sunrise game drive
• Breakfast at lodge
• Visit waterholes Nebrowni and Okondeka
• Visit Etosha pan
• Drive back to lodge
• Drop-off at hotel

Day 3: Morning safari and return to Windhoek

• Sunrise game drive
• Breakfast at lodge
• Drive back to Windhoek
• Shopping time
• Drop-off at hotel

The experience

You're picked up from your Windhoek hotel at 7am for a scenic drive northwest to Etosha, with a lunch stop in Outjo. By mid-afternoon you're checked into Okaukuejo Lodge, which sits inside the park itself. The reason the itinerary can run two full game drives instead of one. That first afternoon you're out in the vehicle searching for lions, elephants and giraffes, then back for dinner. After dark, the lodge's floodlit waterhole becomes a viewing platform. Animals come to drink through the night, so you can watch from the terrace without leaving the property.

Day two starts before sunrise. The early drive is when predators hunt and move between waterholes, so it's the best time to spot them. After breakfast you head out again, this time to the Nebrowni and Okondeka waterholes and across the Etosha pan itself. The vast salt flat that gives the park its name. The third morning follows the same rhythm: sunrise drive, breakfast, then a final game drive before the drive back to Windhoek, with time for shopping before your 4pm hotel drop-off.

Your guide is English-speaking and travels with you the whole three days in a private vehicle, so the pace and stops are yours to shape. Dinners are included at the lodge. Lunches are on your own. The two nights' accommodation at Okaukuejo means you're not commuting in and out each day. You're based inside the park where the wildlife is.

What’s included

• Private vehicle and English-speaking guide for all three days.
• pickup from your Windhoek hotel at 7:00 AM on day one.
• two nights' accommodation at Okaukuejo Lodge inside Etosha National Park.
• dinners at the lodge.
• sunrise and afternoon game drives on days two and three.
• drop-off at your Windhoek hotel by 4:00 PM on day three.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (12 to 96 years) · Child (7 to 11 years) · Under 7: can't be included in the booking

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 31 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for heart conditions

Operated by Cheap Safaris

Is this one for you?The early starts (sunrise drives begin at 6:30 AM) are what make the predator sightings possible, and staying inside the park means you're not losing hours to commute. If you're arriving in Windhoek with a free afternoon or evening before, the 7:00 AM pickup on day one gives you time to settle in.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (7 to 11 years). Under 7: they can't be included in the booking.

What time do I need to be ready for pickup on the first day?

Pickup from your Windhoek hotel is at 7:00 AM on day one, so you'll need to be ready by then for the scenic drive to Etosha.

Where do I stay during the safari?

Okaukuejo Lodge sits inside Etosha National Park, and you stay there for two nights. The lodge has a floodlit waterhole where you can watch animals drink in the evening and after dark.

What are the game drives like, and when do they happen?

You have a sunrise game drive each morning, the best time to see predators, and an afternoon drive searching for the Big Five and herds at waterholes. Both are in your private vehicle with your guide, and the timing is set by the itinerary.

Is lunch included, and what about meals at the lodge?

Dinners at Okaukuejo Lodge are included, along with breakfast. Lunches during the day are not included, so you'll arrange those yourself or pack something for the vehicle.