I am extremely grateful to Tribal Tracks for all their hard work and support to make this such an amazing experience from start to finish. It could not have been better!
DebsLocation
Difficulty
Accommodation and Meals
Desert Wild Camping, Lodge
Duration
8
Meeting Point
Walvis Bay
Annual Leave
5 days
Group Size
Up to 16
Seasons
Spring
Walking Distance
100km
The most incredible, inspiring thing I have ever done!
Jessica WatsonDiscover what is believed to be the oldest desert on earth
Trek in one of the most inhospitable environments on the planet
Discover unique flora and fauna that have adapted to living in the severe desert environment (jackals, seals, oryx, hyenas, birds)
Fireside dining under dark starry skies
Witness the Eduard Bohlen and Shawnee Shipwrecks
Watch the colonies of Cape Fur Seals that gather along the coastline
A fully supported trek, you only need to carry your daypack whilst trekking
All the info you need
Trip Details
Experience a life-changing five-day hike covering over 100 km through one of the planet's most pristine wilderness areas. This trek takes you across the vast sand dunes of the Namib Desert, the oldest desert in the world, and along the vibrant Sandwich Harbour lagoon, teeming with sea and bird life. As part of the greater Skeleton Coast, you'll encounter ancient history, from old diamond claims to sun-bleached whale bones and mysterious shipwrecks shrouded in mist.
Flights are not included and you will need to source your own flight to Walvis Bay, Namibia. British Airways have the most direct routes. The outbound flight departs in the evening from London Heathrow, flying via Johannesburg and onto to Walvis Bay arriving at lunchtime the following day. The return flight departs Walvis Bay at 1340hrs, flying via Johannesburg, and arrives into London Heathrow very early the following morning. Return flights are from £1200 per person.
Trip Details
Distances are estimates as precise distances rely on the weather and exact camp locations. We will be trekking between 6 - 7 hours for the first 4 days of the trek and the final day will be roughly 3 - 4 hours trekking. There will be no access to WiFi on the trek but we will carry a Sat Phone. There will be a charging battery in camp for topping up your power banks and phones/watches.
Flights are not included in the price of this itinerary, and you will need to source them yourself. You will be met when you arrive tomorrow in Walvis Bay.
Accommodation and Meals
NA
Welcome to Namibia
Arrive in Walvis Bay, where you will be met by our friendly ground team, who will transport you to your Lagoon Chalet accommodation. We'll have time to relax before our first meal together, and then we'll have a team briefing about the trek ahead.
Accommodation and Meals
Overnight Lagoon Chalet and dinner
22-23km, 411m elevation
After breakfast, we'll transfer from Lagoon Chalets, on the edge of the desert, to meet the 4x4s (with their experienced drivers), which will take us approximately one hour to our trek start point. From here we trek to Sandwich Bay. We will soon discover the abundant bird and sea life that thrive in and around the micro-climate of Sandwich Harbour Lagoon, a bird lovers paradise. We'll quickly dispel the myth that the desert is devoid of life and we may even follow the tracks of animals that will remind us we're not alone. This is an otherworldly environment, where the towering sand dunes roll straight into the ocean.
For the last leg of the day, we can choose whether to trek over the dunes or follow the lagoon's shoreline to Sandwich Bay.
Accommodation and Meals
Camping and full board. (There will be access to showers and a chemical toilets in the campsites for the next 4 nights)
23 - 24 km, Elevation 72m
Today, you'll pass massive seal colonies on your way to the Langewand. Walking the Langewand is only possible at low tide. The cathedral-like formations of the dunes, sculpted by the sea, sand, and wind will leave you in awe. Along your journey, you'll encounter the wreck of the Shawnee, which was stranded in 1976. The skeletal remains of this wreck serve as a poignant reminder that this coastline is a living memorial, telling tales of hopes, dreams, and lives lost to the Stormy South Atlantic Ocean.
Accommodation and Meals
Camping and full board
20 - 21 km, Elevation 258 m
Today's route takes you along the shore, scattered with ancient oyster shells the size of your hand. You'll encounter white-washed whale bones and driftwood from mysterious origins, all set against the backdrop of the continuous rolling waves. Tonight, you'll camp on a dune right next to the ocean.
Accommodation and Meals
Camping and full board
19 - 20 km, Elevation 95 m
Today, you'll witness a completely different side of the Namib. We head inland to walk into the impressive Namib dunes. Descending from the dunes to a grit plain, you'll be amazed by its micro life, from the dancing white lady spider to the tiniest of succulents. You can see long stretches of scattered white quarts of exposed lava fields. Your camp tonight will be near an old diamond mining settlement, where wind-worn buildings are gradually being claimed by the Namib sand.
Accommodation and Meals
Camping and full board
13 - 14 km, Elevation 113 m
This morning we will have ample time to explore the deserted buildings and imagine life as it was a hundred years ago.
We then turn back toward the sea, crossing pink salt pans. You’ll catch sight of the wreck of the Eduard Bohlen in the distance, beckoning you closer. The Bohlen was stranded on 5 September 1909, and it is here where our hike concludes.
After celebrating the end of our trek, we will start our drive back to Walvis Bay. The journey in 4x4 vehicles retraces the route you have hiked over the past few days. We expect to arrive in Walvis Bay around 18:00.
You will be dropped off at your hotel, where a hot shower and a soft bed await. This evening, we'll enjoy a farewell dinner together as a group.
Accommodation and Meals
Lagoon Chalet and full board
Return Home
After breakfast, we'll transfer back to Walvis Bay Airport in time for your departure flight. Most flights will land the following day.
Accommodation and Meals
NA, breakfast
Trip Details
International return flights to Walvis bay, Namibia are not included in the price of the trip.
| From/To | Nights | Total Cost (includes non-refundable deposit) | Non-refundable Deposit |
Fundraising Commitment |
Places | Enquiry | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sep 21, 2025 Sep 29, 2025 |
8 | £2595 | £500 | £1000 | Places Available |
Trip Details
In a nutshell, almost everything!
This is what you will need to buy/source yourself.
It is important that you read the itinerary carefully, and take account of the rating we have given it.
Although our challenges are not technical, they do require a good degree of physical fitness. The conditions will require stamina and strength, which you should recognise and train for. This will be a much better experience if you are fit and prepared. You should feel comfortable walking 6-8 hours per day.
In setting the maximum size of our groups, we take a number of factors into account.
Altitude, degree of difficulty, the terrain, the climate and time of year, all determine the maximum group size. Sometimes it will be 20, sometimes it will be 8-14, but safety is always our priority.
You will be accompanied by a Tribal Tracks UK Leader, Mountain Leader qualified, as well as supported by our local, in-country guides.
It is a requirement of Tribal Tracks booking terms and conditions that each supporter must hold their own travel insurance which covers the trip and the activities they are doing.
We advise you to put insurance in place as soon as possible. Your insurance must be valid and in date, covering the entire period that you are travelling for, including the return journey home. It should cover medical and personal accident risks, and should include repatriation costs and air ambulance or helicopter rescue services, where appropriate. We are happy to help you if you have any queries about this or have any difficulties.
Tribal Tracks has 100% Financial Protection and has a trust account with the Protected Trust Service, member number 5566.
This means that all client monies paid to Tribal Tracks are held in our dedicated trust account, which is supervised by an independent trustee. This means that in the very unlikely event that Tribal Tracks ceases to trade, your money is safe. For more information, please visit this link. Any flights booked for you by Tribal Tracks will be ATOL protected under our own ATOL certificate.
Tribal Tracks considers the safety of all of its participants and staff to be a top priority, and as such we have thorough safety systems in place.
In the event of an injury, we have an evacuation plan in place for all elements of the trek route. We do ask that you look after yourself during the trek in the following way, as this will help avoid unnecessary problems:
We know that the unexpected can happen.
While you are away, things can happen at home and people may need to get in contact with you. This can be tricky when you are in remote areas. So, shortly before departure, we provide you with an Emergency Procedure document to distribute to your nearest and dearest. This sets out how to contact Tribal Tracks and the steps Tribal Tracks will then take to get in contact with you.
It is really important that you are well prepared for your physical challenge and that you are confident that you will be able to fully participate.
Although our leaders are well trained to deal with different capabilities, if they have any concerns about someone’s ability to safely partake in the trek, or their impact on other people’s enjoyment, we authorise them to take necessary action which, in some circumstances, may involve asking someone to step out of the trek. Although this is a very rare occurrence, by booking this trip you agree to section 11 of our Booking Conditions which clearly states that our leaders have the authority to do this. In these circumstances, we will ensure anyone sitting out is safely provided for and offered alternative options where possible. Refunds will not be provided for activities missed and customers may be liable for additional costs incurred.
At Tribal Tracks, Responsible Travel is enormously important to us, and our commitment to responsible travel is evidenced in every itinerary that we prepare.
Core to our business is the belief that holidays can and should be enjoyable to the traveller but should be conducted in a socially, environmentally and economically responsible manner which brings benefit to local communities. This is implemented through a variety of measures which can be found in our Responsible Travel policy - http://www.tribaltracks.co.uk/responsible-travel-policy. We encourage you to read this and to play your own part in travelling responsibly.
Trip Details
Trip Details
The trek is a challenge. We will be walking for a long time over sometimes challenging terrain with steep ascents and descents.
The best way to build endurance fitness is to start with some gentle walks and gradually build up both the distance and duration over the next few months. In the last 2 months, we would recommend to go out and do long days, ideally in the hills, to build up the strength in your legs. About a week before the trek, limit any training to short walks – you want to have fresh legs at the start!
For the trek you should be comfortable trekking between 6 - 8 hours per day, but remember we have all day to achieve the distances and will not be going at racing snake pace. It may sound obvious, but make sure that you are walking properly, hitting the ground with your heel first, then rolling onto your toe, which pushes you onto the next step (this will help reduce the risk of shin splints and tendon pulls). Walk with your head up, eyes forward and shoulders level.
It is a good idea to develop a level of cardiovascular fitness (exercising and strengthening your heart and lungs). This comes from running, cycling or swimming for between 20 minutes and an hour, and will really help develop your endurance fitness. Three sessions a week is normally advised, increasing time and distance over time.
Replicate conditions in training i.e., use all the kit you will be using and try your walking poles if you want to use them.
It is important to pack so that you know where everything is. Separating kit into different packing cubes, or even plastic bags can really help with this. You can pack by item (eg socks and pants in one cube, tops in another etc) or by day, putting your entire outfit for that day together in one place. Taking an extra bag or cube to separate dirty kit is a great idea.
You will have two bags on the trip - your main bag and your back pack.
You should operate on the basis that you will not have access to your main bag during the day and while you are trekking. This means that it is important to have everything you need in your back pack. Waterproofs should go in the bottom, together with an extra layer, sunscreen and sunglasses, plus hat and gloves (if you are in a colder climate). You should also have your water bottles, and any specific snacks, medicines or first aid items you want to take, such as zinc tape and blister plasters. Baby wipes/toilet roll and nappy sacks are also essential for going to the toilet while you are trekking - we will explain more in the pre-departure briefing!
In the event of an injury, we have an evacuation plan in place for all elements of the trek route. We do ask that you look after yourself during the trek in the following way, as this will help avoid unnecessary problems:
We will brief you in the pre-departure briefing as to the catering specifically for your trip. However, as a guide, each morning you will be provided with a very filling local breakfast, usually accompanied by tea or coffee. Lunch will be during your trek and will be prepared by the team of cooks or we will utilise local restaurants or teahouses. Food will always be ample and tasty. If wild camping, dinner will be in the dining tent and will be traditional, freshly prepared food. If you are staying in a hotel or teahouse, dinner will be served there. Water, tea and coffee will be served and alcohol will usually not be available, although there will be some exceptions. We will provide 4 litres of drinking water per person per day. You will need to fill up 2 litres at breakfast and another 2 litres at lunchtime.
Please ensure that you have notified us before departure if you have any specific dietary requirements or allergies as we can cater for most.
Please inform us of any dietary requirements or allergies before you travel, and preferably at the time of booking. We can cater for almost all diets, so please just let us know. We can't cater for you if we don't know what you need!
You will sleep in shared tents (unless a single supplement has been requested). Mattresses are provided, which makes it much more comfortable! There will be a central dining tent available with rugs and lights where the group can get together in the evening, share stories and enjoy meals. There will also be an open fire wherever it is possible.
Sleeping bags are designed to work by trapping your body heat in the down surrounding you. If you wear lots of layers, your body heat will not be able to escape as effectively, and you will be cold. Wearing a thin thermal layer is ideal. It does sound counter intuitive, but we promise that it works!
Putting your clothes for the next day in the bottom of your sleeping bag will also help with warmth, as it will fill up any spare space around your feet, and it will mean your clothes are nicely warmed up in the morning.
If you find it difficult to sleep without a pillow, we recommend that you take a travel pillow and a regular pillowcase with you. Put your pillow in the pillow case, and use your down jacket/layers to fill out the pillowcase, you will end up with a pretty decent pillow!
And as for stuff or roll when it comes to packing your bag away? We are very much in the stuff camp!
There will be early morning starts, typically around 0600 - 0700hrs, so that the team can set off on the trek in good time. It is important that you pack up your kit before breakfast and leave your bag outside your tent or accommodation so that the crew can load them onto the jeeps and/or mules. There will be a freshly cooked lunch provided on your trek route. The aim is to get into camp before sunset if possible, when you can enjoy a hot drink and snacks. It is important that you change into your thermals and put layers on when you get into camp as the temperatures can drop sharply and you need to keep warm.
In the morning, the Tribal Tracks leader will wake up the group. When you hear the call, please begin to get ready, and pack all your kit away in your 'main bag' before breakfast. Put this bag outside your tent or accommodation as the crew can then begin to break down the tents/load the luggage. Ensure that you have all that you need in your backpack for the day, as you will not have access to your main bag until the next camp (see 'What do I put in my backpack?).
When you arrive into camp, it is important to get changed into different clothes, usually the ones that you will be wearing the next day. Even if you have had dry weather, you will have been sweating, and your clothes will be damp. As the sun sets and the air cools, you will quickly feel cold. Before this, you will want to freshen up and we recommend the 'baby wipe bath'. As there are no showers while on the trek, having a freshen up with a baby wipe will help keep you clean and will make you feel much better, before you put your clean clothes on. Unpack your sleeping bag and get everything out that you need for nighttime, such as your warm hat, jacket, head torch and book. Sort out your back pack for the next day by removing rubbish and replenishing snacks etc.
Doing this before dinner will mean you can get into your sleeping bag quickly, when it is likely to feel cold.
There will be a toilet tent and water supplied for washing in the morning where we can. There are no shower facilities provided during the trek and there will be no toilets either, but there will be a toilet tent in camp in the evenings and mornings. In the pre-departure briefing, we will tell you all that you need to know about how to deal with this.
For up-to-date vaccinations information please visit the NHS website ‘Fit for Travel’ at: http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk. The Tribal Tracks team are travel professionals, but we are not medical experts, and we would encourage you to visit your GP or travel nurse to discuss vaccination requirements. Please remember to take your itinerary with you so that they can see where you will be travelling. You should make an appointment at least 3-4 months before you travel.
In addition, please note that information on vaccinations can change at short notice; we recommend that you contact your Medical Professional or a Travel Health Clinic at least 8 weeks prior to departure for the most up to date information.
We recommend that you bring a multi-region adapter plug with you. There will be no facility to recharge electrical items on the trek, so we recommend you bring a power bank to top up the charge. We also recommend putting your phone on Airplane mode during the day to save on power.
Using your mobile overseas can sometimes attract unwelcome, very high tariffs. We recommend that you check with your network provider before you travel, but if in doubt, keep your phone switched to Airplane mode and use it only when there is WiFi. Reception can also be patchy, and unreliable, particularly in remote areas, which is why we carry a satellite phone with us. Please let your nearest and dearest know about this, and warn them that you may not be able to be in regular contact.
We ask that your luggage is kept to the absolute minimum. We will tell you the weights that you should not exceed, but usually, your main bag should not exceed 23kgs in weight.
It is important that you wear, or take your trekking boots with you in your hand luggage on the flight, as they are vital for the trek and cannot be replaced in the event of lost luggage.
We recommend leaving behind items such as high value jewellery, watches etc. Your passport and money should be always kept on you.
Trip Details
If you want to extend your stay in Namibia, please let us know and we would be happy to tailor make an itinerary for you.
Let’s get you on the right track!
