We drove 1,580.3 miles (2,543.2 km) around Namibia in March and April 2025. The petrol cost £193.19. Here is what the rest of a self-drive trip cost us, how the distances compare with what the guidebooks and Google say, and what I’d tell you before you pick up the keys.
The numbers first
- Distance: 1,580.3 miles (2,543.2 km)
- Fuel used: 221.5 litres
- Fuel cost: N$4,780.95 (£193.19)
- Price per litre: N$21.58 (£0.87)
- Economy: 32.4mpg in a Toyota Forwarder 4×4
The Namibian dollar is pegged one to one with the South African rand, and I was working on about R23.5 to the pound. The bureau de change at Windhoek airport bought pounds at N$23.2 and sold them at N$23.8, so the gap is small. The airport had one cash machine and it only gave out rand. That’s fine, because rand is spendable in Namibia.
How we did it
We had a guide set up the trip as a guided self-drive with Cullinan Tours. That meant a Toyota Forwarder 4×4, a one-off driving lesson before we set off, and a booklet of routes. The package price was £3850 and included car hire, insurance, and some amazing accommodation. We then paid for fuel, food and park entry ourselves – a very modest additional cost.
We flew from Manchester to Addis Ababa to Windhoek, which made for a 36 hour day. The plane stopped to refuel on the way, with nobody getting off.
Where we slept
- Windhoek: Elegant Guesthouse and Olive Grove
- Sesriem: Sossusvlei Lodge
- Swakopmund: Villa Margarita (two nights)
- Mushara Outpost Lodge
- Okonjima Plains Camp
The distances: booklet, Google and real life
This is the bit I’d have wanted before we set off. The tour booklet’s distances and times weren’t always right, so I kept my own notes. Here are the three longest days.
| Leg | Booklet | What we did | Gravel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windhoek to Sesriem | 360 km, 6h30 | 306 km, 4h17 | 353 km, 6h11 | 103 km |
| Mushara Outpost Lodge to Okonjima | 345 km, 5h | 339 km, 3h31 | 340 km, 4h | 22 km |
| Okonjima to Windhoek | 270 km, 5h | 224 km, 2h30 | 253 km, 2h30 | None |
On the Windhoek to Sesriem day we took the C14 through Naukluft instead of the D854, because there had been torrential rain and the D854 had a flood risk. It was the right call, but it made the day long. We saw about 20 other cars in the last four hours.
On the last day we lost about 30 km to a road closure and a pointless detour, but we did stop in Okahandja at Bakkerei Dekker, which I’d go back for.
Google is much too optimistic on gravel. The booklet is too cautious on tarmac. I’d plan on the middle.
Driving on gravel
We were given three different speeds. The guide said 80 km/h, the car hire company said 70 km/h and the practical maximum is 90 km/h. After the rain the roads were in a bad way, so I’d go with the slower numbers and keep both hands on the wheel. Give any oncoming car a lot of room, because the dust and stones fly.
The tarmac roads have limits you need to watch. I was stopped doing 108 in a 100 zone. The fine was N$300 (about £25), but I was let off. I’m told fines start at 106, so there’s very little leeway.
What things cost
- Beer: N$25 to N$45 (91p to £2)
- Steak and chips: about £7.40
- Margherita pizza: about £4
- Ribs and wings: £10.75
- Meat pie and chips: £2.75
- Crisps from Spar: 30p
- 1.5 litre bottle of water: 66p
- Red Bull: 75p
Contactless worked in nearly every place we tried. I used a Santander Zero card.
So what did it cost?
Just over £4,000 per person. Fuel was the smallest bill of the lot. At £193.19 for 1,580 miles, it works out at around 12p a mile.
Fuel was N$21.58 a litre, and the crisps at Spar were 30p. Not bad for a country that big!