Ultimate Guide to Self Drive Etosha National Park, Namibia

Wondering how to plan your self drive in Etosha National Park?

You will find an easy recipe for planning your trip in this article. Whether Etosha is the start of your Namibia trip, or anywhere along your journey, this article will help you arrive at the right gate, have your itinerary planned and make the most of your exciting Etosha self drive safari.

Etosha National Park is a must-visit destination in Namibia that covers an impressive 20,000 square km. I spent 2 days driving around Etosha on a self drive safari. In that time I was able to see a lion, elephants, giraffe, rhinos, zebras and many more animals. I wish I had planned more time to self-drive Etosha. My experience was amazing and truly unforgettable, and to be honest, I can’t wait to go back.

For many people, a self drive safari is a dream trip. For me it became a passion. There is no other experience quite like wandering around the wild not knowing what you may see around the next bend. The adventure is profound, and the experience is likely to stay with you for the rest of your life.

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If you are wondering if it is worth it to self drive in Etosha National Park, my honest answer is “YES!!!”

With a self-drive, you’re not restricted by tour schedules, allowing you to choose where to go and how long to stay at each location. This flexibility can enhance your overall experience, especially if you prefer a more intimate and personalized safari.

You can self drive Etosha National Park and see an incredible array of wildlife, including 4 of the big 5 (elephants, lions, leopards and black and white rhinos), over 100 animals, hundreds of varieties of birds, and dramatic landscapes. There are 21 different ecological vegetation environments within the park including bush, sand, grass and forest.

Etosha is famous for the great salt pan. The word “etosha” means “Great White Place”, and the Etosha Pan covers over 4,700 km2 of the 22,912 km2 (almost 9,000 square miles) park area. It is a vast plain that shimmers in the heat of the day, and provides ample opportunity for wildlife sightings and migration.

If you are considering to self drive Etosha National Park, you will find safari resorts, hotels and lodges, lookout points, protected rest areas, picnic and toilet areas, gravel roads and dirt roads for access. It is easy to spend a number of days exploring all the different areas of park and staying at different camps, lodges, resorts or hotels along your journey. Etosha National Park is huge, the size of New Jersey. You can see some highlights in a day, but you will need multiple days to take full advantage of the self drive safari experience.

In this self drive to Etosha National Park article we will cover:

• How to arrive at the park and a guide to the Etosha National Park gates
• What type of vehicle you will need and the driving conditions
• The best time to go on a self drive safari
• How long should you spend doing a self drive in Etosha
• What rules you must follow to stay safe in Etosha National Park
• What to expect for animal sightings and how to maximize your chances to see the animals you want to see
• Where to stay, both inside and outside the park
• Provisions for your self drive Etosha National Park safari
• The best tours to enjoy to get the most out of your experience

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If you are starting your adventure in Windhoek, you can easily rent a vehicle and make the 4-hour drive up to Etosha. The easiest entry from Windhoek is Anderson’s Gate on the south side of park.

To the west, there is Galton Gate which is convenient if you are coming from Swakopmund on the coast. And to the east of the park you have Namotoni Gate and King Nehale Gate on the northeast corner.

Gates below are marked in blue and in-park lodging in green.

The primary factor in choosing an entrance gate is where you will spend the night. You will want to make sure you plan your entrance based on your lodging. The gates open at sunrise and close at sunset. If you are staying outside the park, keep in mind that you will have to go through the gate with everyone else in the morning. The people at the gates are very efficient at getting people/cars through, but it will take time.

At the gate you will need to pay for a permit to self drive Etosha National Park. It costs $150 NAD per person per day and $20 NAD per day for the vehicle.

Will I need a 4X4 to self drive in Etosha National Park?

The quick answer is that a 4×4 is nice to have, but not necessary. You are not allowed to drive offroad in Etosha National Park. However, the roads are not paved and can be rough. If you are going in the wet season, you may encounter muddy conditions which would be easier with a 4×4, although you would still be able to get around in a regular car.

Make sure you read my complete article on How to Drive in Namibia and also, How to Rent a Car in Namibia. You can thank me later 😉

The ideal vehicle for a self drive in Etosha would:

• be comfortable enough to drive over gravel and bumpy roads all day long
• have adequate ground clearance for big potholes
• be tall enough to provide you with better visibility in spotting animals
• have a spare tire in the chance that you get a flat tire on the gravel roads
• have a large enough gas tank to allow you to spend the entire day driving
• have a cooler or refrigerator to keep food and cold drinks

I saw locals driving compact cars on a self drive safari in Etosha with no trouble. Since I was spending a month in Namibia and Botswana, I had a 4×4 pick up with a tent on top. I was grateful for the slightly higher ride height and the relative comfort the truck provided over the rough dirt and gravel roads.

If you plan to spend 3-5 days doing a self drive in Etosha, a better vehicle would be a worthwhile investment.

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What are the driving conditions on a self drive safari?

Etosha National Park’s tourist roads are a combination of gravel and dirt roads. There is a main gravel road that follows along the salt pan and the secondary gravel and dirt roads that branch off from that to the various watering holes.

All of the roads can be rough with deep potholes or ruts. During the dry season, you can expect a lot of dust to be kicked up from the vehicles. In the month that I spent doing a self drive safari in Namibia, I had 4-to 5 flat tires from the gravel rocks. The chance of getting a flat tire is pretty high, so make sure you are comfortable changing tires on whatever vehicle you rent (slower speeds and lower tire pressure can reduce your chance of a flat).

Most of the self drive safari in Etosha will be at slow speeds due to the speed limit (60 kph – 35 mph), road conditions, and searching for wildlife. You are not allowed to drive offroad, so sticking to the roads will keep you from getting lost.

All of the waterholes are on the map and have roads leading to them. You will spend much of your time travelling from one waterhole to another to see the wildlife around the water, and hopefully spotting some wildlife in between.

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Yes, it is safe to self-drive Etosha National Park. Of course, there are always risks, but if you follow the park rules (see below), you have little to worry about. Etosha is designed to be a safe experience with animals in the wild, and the park roads are well-marked and patrolled. There are safe rest areas to be able to exit your vehicle and use the toilet or have a picnic.

Perhaps the biggest risk in Etosha is malaria during the wet season, however, there are few documented cases. Prophylactic prevention of malaria is available and advisable if you go during the wet season. Better safe than sorry!

The wildlife in Etosha are accustomed to safari vehicles and typically ignore the “4-wheeled beasts”. Vehicles on the roads in Etosha are part of the natural environment for our four-legged friends. Several times I have come up on a lion, or lioness with cubs, or a hyena eating a fresh kill and I was completely safe in my vehicle. The animals paid no attention to me as I took pictures. Stay in your car and stay safe!

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Etosha National Park is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Namibia, and the good news is that you can self drive Etosha National Park year-round, however the best time of year to see wildlife is during the dry season, when animals congregate around the remaining watering holes.

The winter in Namibia (the dry season) is May to October, with the best time for self drive safari in Etosha from July to October.

The wet season (summer) is November to April when the rains bring increased vegetation, and wildlife spreads out across the park and often disappear into the brush. While you can still find animals, you may just have to drive more and potentially see them from a longer distance. Watering holes have road access, however when the watering holes aren’t the primary source of food and water, the animals disperse and you cannot drive offroad in Etosha.

Keep in mind that wet season can be relative. When I visited and did a self drive safari in Etosha in December, the region was in the midst of a drought. The wet season was in fact a dry season due to changing weather patterns. This is unfortunately becoming more common.

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How long you need for a self drive safari in Etosha depends on when you go (dry season or wet season), how much you want to see (of the wildlife and the park), and how long you have in Namibia. Given the denser concentration of animals around the watering holes in dry season, you may be able to see more in less time.

An Etosha National Park self drive can be done in as little as 1 day, but ideally you will want to have a minimum of 3 full days to explore parts of this vast reserve. As you can imagine, nearly 9,000 square miles is a lot of area to cover.

Etosha is approximately the size of the state of New Jersey. If you can picture doing a safari in the entire state of New Jersey at speeds between 20 mph to 35 mph, you can understand that the more time you have, the more you can see.

5 full days of self drive in Etosha will give you opportunities to explore the further reaches of the national park (where few visitors go), and the chance to stay in different sections of the park. The beauty of self driving is that you are free to wander where the wind takes you.

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Upon entering Etosha for a self drive safari, you need to get a permit to enter, which lists the regulations that you must follow (or risk a fine). I won’t list all the rules, but here is a summary of the rules that keep you safe:

• Stay in your vehicle unless you are in a designated safe area
• Do not drive off the tourist roads
• Follow the posted speed limits – 60 kph (35 mph) on the roads and 20 kph in the rest areas and camp sites
• Do not feed any wild animals
• No driving after sunset
• You can only spend the night in the park with a reservation at a campsite or resort

Keep in mind, these rules are to keep you safe, but equally important to keep the animals safe.

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You have a good chance of seeing many different animals whether you go in the dry or wet season. During the dry season (from April to October) a larger concentration of animals gather at the watering holes. Some of the watering holes are natural, but many are man-made and are easily accessible during a self drive safari. The watering holes are essential to life in Etosha National Park.

During the wet season, the animals are a bit more spread out as they have more food sources, water, and vegetation to hide in. The wet season is also the time when many of the animals are giving birth to their young, so you may have a chance to see babies being cared for.

Early morning and late afternoon just before evening tend to be the optimal times for seeing wildlife. Most animals rest during the heat of the day, and are more active at night or before or after the sun is at its peak.

To maximize your chances of spotting as much wildlife as you can, getting an early start is key. The park opens at sunrise, so make sure you are at the gate at sunrise if you are staying outside the park. If you are staying inside the park at one of the few camps or lodges, getting up early and starting your safari at sunrise will improve your chances of seeing a lot of activity.

During my self drive safari, I was able to see:

• a lion that had just fed (just before sunset),
• rhinos, including a rare white one
• a large number of elephants
• giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, springbok, and many other mammals

Some of the sightings were at watering holes, but many were when I was driving from one watering hole to another. As with any safari, keeping your eyes peeled is key.

Mid-day, during peak heat, is a good time for you to find a designated safe area and rest. Driving on rough roads all day is exhausting. Take a cue from the animals and make the most of the early morning hours and late afternoon temperature drop for game viewing. You can also use the peak afternoon time to traverse longer expanses of the park while keeping an eye out for wildlife along the way.

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The various accommodation options in Etosha National Park include the three main camps (Okaukuejo, Halali and Namutoni), each offering various types of accommodation from camping to chalets overlooking floodlit waterholes, restaurants, bars, swimming pools, gas stations and tourist stores. Situated deeper in the park are the more exclusive camps (Dolomite and Onkoshi and Olifantsrus) that provide a safari experience for discerning travelers.

For any of these camps inside the park you need to book well in advance. The number of rooms/tents available are quite limited and they get booked up quickly.

⛺ Okaukuejo Camp is 20 minutes inside of Anderson’s Gate and is perhaps the easiest to access and is also the most popular. Because it is situated in the middle of the park (east to west), it is a great location for a base to explore the park. Okaukuejo (like the other camps) has a watering hole that attracts animals at night.

⛺ Halali Camp is approximately 1.5 hours from Anderson’s Gate or Von Lindquist Gate. It is in the eastern part of the park and is conveniently located close to some of the most popular watering holes.

⛺ Namotoni Camp is 20 minutes inside of Nomotoni Gate in the eastern end of the park. What makes Namotoni unique is that it is an old German fort. This gives the camp a unique ambiance. Namotoni has 2 restaurants.

⛺ Onkoshi Camp is 1 hour from Namotoni Gate, and 30 minutes from King Nehale Gate. Onkoshi is situated on the edge of the Etosha Pan and features chalets with thatched roofs.

⛺ Dolomite Camp is 45 minutes from Galton Gate in the west. Dolomite is perched on a hill and features luxurious safari tents with thatched roofs. The camp is not fenced and animals can wander among the tents. There are personal escorts at the camp to ensure your safety.

⛺ Olifantsrus Camping is 1 hour from Galton Gate in the west, and 2 hours from Anderson Gate in the south. This is the newest camp and only offers camping, no chalets or rooms to rent. The camp offers ablution block (shower and bathroom) for the campers and a 2-story hide overlooking the watering hole.

The options outside the park are approximately 20-30 minutes from the entrance gate (not too far). Here are my top pick for you based on different budgets and customers review.

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Having the right equipment and the right supplies will make all the difference in your self drive safari. Below are some recommendations for what you should bring with you each day.

Equipment

• Binoculars
• A zoom lens
• Spare tire
• Spare gas tank
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• A cooler or vehicle run refrigerator
• GPS and map of the park
• Toilet paper
• Bug spray

Food & beverages

• Plenty of water – at least a couple of gallons per person
• Snacks – nuts or chips or hard boiled eggs
• Sandwiches or precooked meals in containers

Hoof and mouth disease is not uncommon in Namibia. When there is an outbreak, you are not allowed to transport meat out of the park. You will have to dispose of it at the exit, so be mindful of what you bring in to prevent avoidable waste. The same goes at border crossings into and out of the country when there is an outbreak.

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For a hassle-free adventure, consider hiring a professional guide for your safari to ensure you get the most out of your wildlife experience without the stress of driving yourself. Here are my top-pick for you:

1. TOP OVERALL PARK SAFARI: Full Day Safari with Local Guide

🏆 TOP TOUR: This Full Day Guided Safari offers a fun-filled adventure for the whole family. You’ll head out on a 9-seat 4×4 safari truck to see a variety of wildlife. The expert guides know the animals habits and habitats, and they know when and where to have the best chance to see them. Not only will you learn more about the animals, you will learn about the ecology and the park history.

⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 10 hours

⭐️ Rating: 5/5 (62 Reviews) | Details: Read more reviews now!

CHECK RATES & AVAILABILITY

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2. BEST HALF DAY TOUR: Half Day Safari with Local Guide

🏆 TOP TOUR: This Half Day Guided Safari offers a fun-filled adventure for the whole family. You’ll head out on a 9-seat 4×4 safari truck to see a variety of wildlife. The expert guides know the animals habits and habitats of the animals, and they know when and where to have the best chance to see them. Not only will you learn more about the animals, you will learn about the ecology and the park history.

⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 5 hours

⭐️ Rating: 4.5/5 (10 Reviews) | Details: Read more reviews now!

CHECK RATES & AVAILABILITY

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3. BEST MULTI-DAY PARK SAFARI: 3-Day Safari from Windhoek

🏆 TOP TOUR: This 3 Day Guided Camping Safari takes you from Windhoek to Etosha National Park and is includes transportation, meals and lodging. You will have an experienced guide and start your safari adventure on the first day once you arrive in Etosha. Your 2nd day will be a full day of guided safari and on the 3rd day you will return to Windhoek.

⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 3 days

⭐️ Rating: New Tour | Details: Start and end in Windhoek with all transportation lodging and meals included.

CHECK RATES AND AVAILABILITY

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I hope that this guide to self-drive Etosha National Park gives you the information you need to plan your next trip. There is so much to see and a discovery around every corner, and every bush. If you always dreamed of doing your own self-drive safari, Etosha is probably one the best options.

Keep in mind, while Etosha is large, there really are limited places to spend the night. If you plan well in advance, you can lock in great locations and make the most of your self-drive safari. Don’t hesitate to spend nights in different areas so that you can see more of what Etosha National Park has to offer.

If there is something I did not cover, feel free to reach out or leave a question in the comments below.

If you are planning a trip to Namibia, make sure you check out my other posts:

• How to Self-driving in Namibia – 20 Essential tips
• How to rent a car in Namibia
• Ultimate Namibia and Botswana Road trip itinerary
• 15 Must-visit places in Namibia: A photo journey