Most meals included – (B,L,D) denotes Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 1 – Arrival in Windhoek (D)

Welcome to Namibia! Upon arriving at Hosea Kutako International Airport, we'll transfer to our hotel in Windhoek, the country's capital and largest city. After settling in, we'll gather for a welcome dinner to meet our fellow photographers, discuss the journey ahead, and prepare for our adventure into the Namib Desert.

Day 2 – Journey into the Namib Desert (B, L, D)

After breakfast, we'll begin our journey southwest toward Sossusvlei and the heart of the Namib Desert. The drive introduces us to Namibia's remarkable scenery as we cross mountain passes, expansive gravel plains, and increasingly arid landscapes.

The Namib is considered one of the world's oldest deserts, and its dramatic scenery is unlike anything else in Africa. By afternoon, we'll arrive at our accommodations near Sossusvlei, our base for exploring the region's famous dunes. After settling in, we'll head out for our first photography session if time and conditions allow, looking for beautiful evening light across the surrounding desert.

Day 3 – Sossusvlei & Dead Vlei (B, L, D)

Today is dedicated to one of the most extraordinary landscape photography locations in the world. We'll get an early start to photograph the dunes of Sossusvlei as the first sunlight reaches their towering ridgelines. The low angle of the sun creates incredible contrasts between illuminated sand and deep shadows, revealing the elegant shapes and textures of the desert.

One of our primary destinations is Dead Vlei, an ancient clay pan surrounded by immense orange dunes. Here, the dark skeletons of centuries-old camel thorn trees stand against the bright white ground, creating some of Namibia's most recognizable and compelling compositions.

We'll explore additional locations around Sossusvlei, with opportunities to photograph sweeping dune landscapes, intimate sand patterns, and the remarkable colors of the Namib. During the middle of the day, we'll return to the lodge for a break before heading back out to take advantage of the evening light.

Day 4 – Swakopmund & the Skeleton Coast (B, L, D)

Leaving Sossusvlei behind, we'll travel west toward the Atlantic Ocean, passing through the rugged landscapes of the Gaub and Kuiseb Canyons. The scenery changes dramatically along the way as the mountains and desert plains gradually give way to Namibia's wild coastline.

Our destination is Swakopmund, a charming coastal town known for its German colonial architecture and unusual setting between the desert and the sea. The influence of the cold Atlantic is immediately apparent here, where coastal fog frequently rolls inland across the desert.

After checking into our hotel, we'll have time to relax and enjoy the coastal atmosphere before continuing our photographic exploration the following morning.

Day 5 – The Dunes of Sandwich Harbour (B, L, D)

Today we'll explore one of Namibia's most spectacular coastal landscapes during a guided 4WD excursion to Sandwich Harbour.

This remarkable stretch of coastline is where the enormous dunes of the Namib Desert descend toward the Atlantic Ocean. The meeting of sand, sea, and sky creates a landscape of extraordinary scale, with constantly changing light and endless opportunities for photography.

We'll travel along the coast in specialized vehicles, stopping at elevated viewpoints and scenic locations to photograph the towering dunes and ocean below. Along the way, we'll also explore the Walvis Bay region, where shallow lagoons and salt pans attract a wonderful variety of coastal birds, including flamingos and other shorebirds.

The combination of immense dunes, coastal textures, wildlife, and dramatic scenery makes this one of the most memorable landscape photography days of the workshop.

Day 6 – Cape Cross & Spitzkoppe (B, L, D)

This morning we'll travel north along the coast to Cape Cross, home to an enormous breeding colony of Cape fur seals. Thousands of seals gather along this stretch of shoreline, offering wonderful opportunities to photograph animal behavior, interactions, and the rugged coastal environment.

After our visit, we'll turn inland toward Spitzkoppe, one of Namibia's most distinctive natural landmarks. Rising abruptly from the surrounding desert plains, these ancient granite peaks are remnants of a much larger geological formation shaped by millions of years of erosion.

Spitzkoppe is a wonderful place for landscape photography. Massive granite domes, natural arches, weathered rock surfaces, and isolated trees provide countless compositional possibilities. We'll spend the afternoon exploring this remarkable area, finishing with sunset photography as the warm evening light illuminates the granite peaks.

Day 7 – Etosha National Park (B, L, D)

Today we'll head north toward Etosha National Park, one of Africa's premier wildlife destinations and a highlight of our journey.

Etosha is centered around an immense salt pan, a vast, pale expanse that dominates the landscape and gives the park much of its distinctive character. During the dry season, wildlife concentrates around permanent and seasonal waterholes, creating excellent opportunities to observe and photograph animals as they come to drink.

After entering the park through Anderson Gate, we'll begin exploring the southern waterholes. Elephants, giraffes, zebras, springbok, oryx, and numerous other species are commonly encountered in this region, while lions and rhinos are among the larger animals we'll hope to photograph.

One of Etosha's greatest advantages for photographers is its open landscape. With relatively sparse vegetation and long sightlines, we're often able to photograph animals against uncluttered backgrounds, making it an excellent destination for both intimate portraits and wider environmental compositions.

We'll spend the afternoon exploring the park before heading to our accommodations in the Etosha region.

Day 8 – Wildlife Photography in Etosha (B, L, D)

We'll devote the entire day to wildlife photography in Etosha National Park, concentrating on productive waterholes and areas with recent wildlife activity.

Water is central to life in Etosha, and during the dry season, the park's waterholes can attract an extraordinary variety of wildlife. It's not unusual to see several species sharing the same waterhole, creating wonderful opportunities to photograph animal behavior and interactions.

We'll take our time throughout the day, watching for interesting activity and working with the changing light. The park's open plains can provide beautifully clean backgrounds, while dust, warm morning light, and expansive African skies add atmosphere to our images.

Whether we're photographing elephants approaching a waterhole, giraffes moving across the plains, or predators resting in the shade, our goal is to spend quality time with the wildlife we encounter.
As the day comes to a close, we'll return to our accommodations after another rewarding day of wildlife photography.

Day 9 – Across Etosha to Onguma (B, L, D)

Today we'll continue our exploration of Etosha, gradually making our way from the western side of the park toward the eastern region.

Rather than treating the journey simply as a transfer, we'll spend much of the day on a game drive, stopping at productive waterholes and watching for wildlife along the way. Different areas of Etosha support a wonderful variety of animals and birds, and traveling across the park gives us the opportunity to experience its changing habitats.

The eastern region of Etosha offers its own distinctive scenery and wildlife opportunities, with open grasslands, mopane woodland, and numerous waterholes attracting a variety of species.

By late afternoon, we'll arrive at Onguma Private Reserve, located along Etosha's eastern boundary. Onguma is known for its beautiful natural setting and excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. Depending on our arrival time and scheduled activities, we may have an opportunity for additional wildlife photography before dinner.

Day 10 – Okonjima Nature Reserve (B, L, D)

After breakfast, we'll leave the Etosha region and travel south toward Okonjima Nature Reserve, our final destination in Namibia.

Set among rolling hills, open savanna, and rugged mountains, Okonjima is home to the renowned AfriCat Foundation, which has played an important role in the conservation of Namibia's large carnivores. The reserve supports a variety of wildlife and is especially well known for its leopard population.

After arriving and settling into our accommodations, we'll have an opportunity to explore the reserve during a scheduled wildlife activity. Our visit offers a chance to learn about the challenges facing Namibia's large carnivores while photographing wildlife in a beautiful natural setting.

Day 11 – Final Wildlife Photography & Departure (B)

We'll begin our final morning with one last wildlife activity at Okonjima, making the most of the early light before returning for breakfast.

Afterward, we'll begin our journey back to Windhoek and Hosea Kutako International Airport, where our Namibian photography adventure comes to an end.
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Over the past 11 days, we'll have experienced an incredible cross-section of Namibia, from the ancient dunes of the Namib Desert and the wild Atlantic coastline to the granite peaks of Spitzkoppe and the wildlife-filled plains of Etosha. Few destinations offer such a remarkable combination of landscape and wildlife photography, and we hope you'll return home with an unforgettable collection of images and memories.