Overview: Ballooning in the Namib Desert
After a flight of up to an hour, you’ll drift back down to terra firma. On landing you will be met with a champagne breakfast, set up amongst the dunes. Expect plenty of bubbles and a traditional Namibian breakfast buffet complete with cold meats, cereals, fruit and muffins.
After breakfast your pilot will present flight certificates to each of the participants before you depart on a relaxed nature drive back to your lodge or meeting point.
For those less keen on heights we can arrange for you to join the ground crew and enjoy breakfast in the dunes with your travel companion(s).
Please note: Expert Africa can only arrange this Ballooning excursion as part of a full, Expert Africa itinerary.
See the Holiday ideas, below, for examples of such itineraries.
- Start location
- Depending on where you are staying you will be collected 30–45 minutes before sunrise and transferred to your launch site.
- End location
- After your champagne breakfast you will be transferred back to your accommodation or meeting point.
- Meals included
- A champagne breakfast is included.
- Duration
- Half day, including breakfast
- Maximum group size
- Balloon sizes vary, but each balloon can hold up to eight or 16 people, and there can be up to three balloons out at a time.
Ballooning over the Namib Desert: Picture Gallery
What to look forward to.
Once your flight is over you drift gently back to earth...
Ballooning over the Namib Desert is a truly remarkable and memorable experience...
...arrive just before sunrise to watch the balloons inflating...
...before taking off and drifting up into the sky...
...for a birds eye view of the sun making its daily appearance.
Your flight will last up to an hour...
...as you drift, on the breeze, over the dunes...
...and mountains of the Namib Desert.
...to enjoy your Champagne breakfast amongst the dunes.
Ballooning in the Namib Desert reviews
4 independent first-hand comments from our travellers.
Holiday ideas which can include this ballooning excursion in the Namib Desert
Add this experience to these trip ideas or contact us to start planning your own tailor-made holiday to Namibia.
Bateleur Fly-in Safari
7 days • 4 locations
WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT
Classic fly-in Namibian safari staying at excellent camps. Explore Sossusvlei’s dunes and track Damaraland’s desert elephants before a safari in Etosha. Incredible scenery, good wildlife viewing and authentic cultural experiences.
US$6,940 - US$9,190 per person
Caracal Self-drive Safari
14 days • 8 locations
WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT
The quintessential Namibian self-drive adventure exploring the highlights from Sossusvlei and the Namib Desert to Damaraland’s wilderness and a safari in Etosha. A great mix of accommodation and excellent value.
US$3,020 - US$4,120 per person
Brown Hyena Self-drive
14 days • 8 locations
WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT
The perfect trip for those who want to mix the adventure and freedom of a self-drive with some of our favourite luxury camps in Namibia and a great mix of activities.
US$8,840 - US$9,880 per person
Black Wildebeest Self-drive Safari
19 days • 10 locations
CAPE TOWN AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT
Journey from South Africa’s cosmopolitan Cape Town to central Namibia’s Okonjima Nature Reserve during this self-driven safari. The route passes through a stunning variety of landscapes, offering access to this beautiful continent’s rich diversity.
US$4,140 - US$4,250 per person
Pelican Fly & Drive Safari
10 days • 5 locations
WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT
A unique itinerary visiting the must-see highlights combining the adventure of a classic Namibian self-drive with the ease and spectacular views of a fly-in safari.
US$7,160 - US$8,580 per person
Goshawk Fly-in Safari
12 days • 6 locations
WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT
Discover Namibia’s remarkable landscapes, fascinating wildlife and unique cultures on this luxury adventure flying between a selection of the very best camps and lodges in the country.
US$12,000 - US$19,700 per person
Flamingo Fly-in Safari
6 days • 3 locations
WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT
Short on time but big on experience, this luxury fly-in safari takes in Sossusvlei’s famous dunes and Etosha National Park’s captivating wildlife with stays at two excellent luxury lodges.
US$5,640 - US$6,750 per person
Quiver Tree Self-drive Safari
14 days • 7 locations
WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT
An offbeat Namibian self-drive adventure exploring the epic Fish River Canyon and fascinating Kolmanskop ghost town in the south, before turning north via the classic highlights of Sossusvlei, Swakopmund and Damaraland.
US$3,060 - US$3,670 per person
Namaqua Chameleon Self-drive
12 days • 7 locations
WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT
A classic 12-night self-drive adventure around the highlights of eastern and northern Namibia taking in Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Damaraland, Etosha and a final stop at Okonjima. Comfortable lodges and great value.
US$4,030 - US$5,130 per person
Rock Agama Self-drive Safari
9 days • 6 locations
WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT
Big on experience and light on time, this self-drive trip packs in Namibia’s highlights while staying in a selection of luxury camps and lodges for an unforgettable 10 days.
US$8,890 - US$14,290 per person
Rock Hare Self-drive Safari
20 days • 12 locations
WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO VICTORIA FALLS AIRPORT
An in-depth look at Namibia from the Namib Desert to the Caprivi, with additional stops in Botswana and Victoria Falls. This three-week adventure includes an unrivalled mix of environments and is great value.
US$6,560 - US$8,330 per person
Chongololo Self-drive Safari
21 days • 11 locations
WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT
This self-drive safari focuses on the best walking experiences in Namibia. Get your boots ready for the apricot dunes of the Namib Desert and the ancient hills of Damaraland.
US$8,840 - US$9,900 per person
Dune Lark Fly & Drive Safari
14 days • 8 locations
WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT
A combination fly-in self-drive exploration of Namibia, with quick, easy and scenic flights in and out of Sossusvlei before a classic road trip adventure of the country’s rugged north.
US$5,270 - US$5,760 per person
Cape Fox Guided Safari
13 days • 7 locations
WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT
A classic clockwise circuit around Namibia’s northern highlights with a private guide and vehicle. We can’t think of a better way to see more in this timeframe.
US$11,450 - US$13,330 per person
Monteiro's Hornbill Fly-in Safari
9 days • 5 locations
WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT
Stay in four of Namibia’s most famous environments on this fly-in safari. It would be hard to pack more variety into a trip of the same length.
US$10,860 - US$14,240 per person
Hoopoe Fly-in Safari
11 days • 4 locations
WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT
This relaxed fly-in safari reveals Namibia at its best. Generous timings and a wide choice of activities help travellers to enjoy the best of the country’s most spectacular areas.
US$7,080 - US$10,240 per person
Looking for inspiration on where to travel next?
Visit our trip chooser to explore your options and find inspiration for your perfect African adventure
Inspire meOther excursions in Namibia
Inspiration and great ideas for other experiences in Namibia to include in your holiday.
Coast and Sandwich Harbour
Full day
Experience this usually inaccessible part of the Skeleton Coast, where the dunes of the Namib plunge into the Atlantic Ocean. One of our top recommendations, this is an adventurous 4WD trip, guided by experts. You'll explore the Kuiseb Delta and (tides permitting) traverse dunes and the beach to reach Sandwich Harbour, a remote freshwater lagoon with abundant birdlife.
More about Coastal tour
Kayaking with seals
Morning incl. tea, coffee & sandwiches
Get up close and personal with a colony of Cape fur seals on a kayaking excursion from Walvis Bay. Enjoy a gentle morning’s paddle in Walvis Bay Lagoon as seals surround and interact with you and your kayak. If you’re lucky you may even catch a glimpse of some Heaviside’s or bottlenose dolphins.
More about Kayaking with seals
Hoodia Sossusvlei excursion
Full day, including lunch
Escape the crowds and experience the iconic and beautiful Namib Sand Sea with an experienced guide from Hoodia Desert Lodge. The approach is personal and the guiding knowledgeable, making your introduction to the highlights of the Namib-Naukluft National Park, including Sesriem Canyon and the famous pans of Sossusvlei and Deadvlei, both interesting and unhurried.
More about Hoodia excursion
Dolphin and seal cruise
Half-day inc brunch
A boat cruise around Walvis Bay lagoon is a must for lovers of wildlife and the great outdoors. Seek out the ‘marine big five’ – from Cape fur seals to bottlenose dolphins – and marvel at the range of bird species for whom this haven on the Skeleton Coast is home. Then round off the morning with an oyster brunch.
More about Dolphin & seal cruise
Desert tour
Variable, depending on the tour
Discover the unexpected on a trip into the desert surrounding the coastal towns of Swakopmund and Walvis Bay. A must for wilderness lovers, this extraordinary landscape encompasses the Welwitschia Plains, sculpted dunes, the magic of the Kuiseb Delta – and much more. There are plenty of options, each with its own unique focus.
More about Desert tour
Halifax Island boat trip
2 hours
Climb aboard the comfortable catamaran Zeepaard in search of the marine life of Namibia’s wild coastline – among them Cape fur seals, Heaviside dolphins, African penguins and perhaps even humpback whales.
More about Halifax Island trip
Scenic flights in Namibia
Variable, depending on the flight
Namibia is famed for its stark beauty and boundless desert vistas and there is no better way to soak these in than from the air. A scenic flight gives you a unique perspective on this stunning and varied country, and may even provide a bird’s-eye view of areas that are out of reach to those restricted to terra firma.
More about Scenic flights
Fish River Canyon day trip
Half-full day (starting early morning)
An exhilarating descent down into the canyon, marvelling at the stunning geographical features of this vast canyon, followed by lunch and a dip in the natural rock pools – this day trip is exciting and enlightening!
More about Fish River Canyon trip
Sperrgebiet tour
Full day, including lunch
Discover the hidden gems of the Sperrgebiet National Park on this exceptional all-day trip. There may no longer be diamonds for the taking, but in their place you’ll find ghost towns, the rusting relics of the diamond industry, geological formations, and extraordinary desert flora, largely untouched for generations.
More about Sperrgebiet tour
Windhoek City Tour
three hour Windhoek City Tour
Windhoek city tours offer a mix of history, culture, and local flavour, showcasing Namibia’s colonial landmarks, vibrant markets, and cuisine.
More about Windhoek City TourNamibia fact file
Useful information to help you prepare for your trip in Namibia
Flights to Namibia
Advice on how to get to Namibia
LGBT travel in Namibia
Attitudes, the law & our experiences
Namibia general info
Essential travel info on Namibia
Self-drive - car types
Which car type to rent
Self-drive - driving tips
Tips to make driving in Namibia easier
Self-drive - hire groups
The different car hire group to rent
Self-drive - road types
Including pictures & descriptions of roads
Tipping in Namibia
Expectations & guidelines for tipping
Wildlife - cats & dogs
Including cheetah, lion, leopard, jackal & hyena
Wildlife - large antelope
Including sable, eland & blue wildebeest
Wildlife - large herbivores
Including elephant & black rhinos
Wildlife - smaller antelope
Including klipspringer & common duiker
Wildlife - primates
including Chacma baboon & Lesser bushbaby
Wildlife - small mammals
Including banded mongoose & pangolin
Weather & climate
The best time to visit Namibia