The bucket list riding adventure of a lifetime.
Namibia Horse Safaris
Imagine leaving cellphone signal, work emails and life in general for just a bit. Your days are one seamless flow of riding, eating and sleeping, and on each you’re becoming more connected to this new reality. You’re tired, but the good tired.
The one that comes from being outdoors and using your body, ensuring that you fall asleep each night within minutes as you melt into your stretcher bed, wrapped in a cloud-like feather duvet on a soft mattress – a type of camping you never thought was possible, in the middle of nowhere. And it’s all capped off with visions of the star-studded sky.
In the morning, you can hear small movements as fellow riders and crew begin to wake up and join the day, passing out hot coffee around the crackling dawn fire. The horses are eager on the picket line, nodding their heads and gently stamping their feet. Breakfast is hearty and delicious – everything that Rayne cooks out here is a blessing, with a variety and standard one wouldn’t expect to find in the desert, but rather your favorite local restaurant, with food sourced and utilized as it should be.
And then you’re off, astride a horse with whom you’ve created that incredible bond only a horse and rider can describe. The horses here are open-minded and full of life, living at liberty in a large herd in open fields for most of the year. Loose horses pass, trotting up ahead of the group and then looking back to see if we’re following. They form a small gang, confident amongst themselves and cocky in their freedom. And then your guide calls for a faster pace. Your horse knows already, his stride quickening until your eyes are streaming and the world flashes by in a tunnel vision of exhilaration.
The landscapes are staggeringly vast and change every few kilometers, revealing more and more of Namibia desert treasures as it subtly converts you into a devotee, offering resounding praise to its beauty and silence that none but fellow Namibian travelers understand.
- Namibia, Africa
- Set Departures
- 10 nights
- Advanced
- Wild Camping
- from $ 6600
The Riding
Most of the Namibian rides cover approximately 250km+ over 7 or 8 days of riding.
Trip pace is largely determined by the terrain on any given day. Plenty of long scenic canters to cover ground as well as a few ‘let ’em loose’ gallops that this company is renowned for.
Cross desert plains, ephemeral rivers, rolling dunes and vast canyons with sightings of elusive desert wildlife along the way.
The Horses
Agile and ready to take on the day! Carefully selected trail horses built for long treks and light-seated riders with soft hands.
Hardy and sure-footed, the horses are mixes of Arabs, Boerperds (a South African trail + working breed), Thoroughbreds, Warmbloods + farm ponies, most with lighter frames better suited for desert climates. Ranging in height from 14.3 to 16.2.
The Rider
You’re riding fit and ready for long days in the saddle. These Namibian horseback safaris are not for the faint of heart, requiring stamina and a flexible demeanor. For the adventurous yet mindful and attentive experienced rider, these horse safaris will provide a once-in-a-lifetime trip that you’ll want to do again. You need not be an accomplished rider but you must be completely comfortable at a canter with soft hands in a large group of other cantering horses!
The Riding
Most of the Namibian rides cover approximately 250km+ over 7 or 8 days of riding.
Trip pace is largely determined by the terrain on any given day. Plenty of long scenic canters to cover ground as well as a few ‘let ’em loose’ gallops that this company is renowned for.
Cross desert plains, ephemeral rivers, rolling dunes and vast canyons with sightings of elusive desert wildlife along the way.
The Horses
Agile and ready to take on the day! Carefully selected trail horses built for long treks and light-seated riders with soft hands.
Hardy and sure-footed, the horses are mixes of Arabs, Boerperds (a South African trail + working breed), Thoroughbreds, Warmbloods + farm ponies, most with lighter frames better suited for desert climates. Ranging in height from 14.3 to 16.2.
The Rider
You’re riding fit and ready for long days in the saddle. These Namibian horseback safaris are not for the faint of heart, requiring stamina and a flexible demeanor. For the adventurous yet mindful and attentive experienced rider, these horse safaris will provide a once-in-a-lifetime trip that you’ll want to do again. You need not be an accomplished rider but you must be completely comfortable at a canter with soft hands in a large group of other cantering horses!
Welcome to Camp Life.
Your first and last nights will be spent in a lodge and/or beautiful beach house – safari dependent! The 8 nights in between are blissfully spent sleeping under the stars. Lush linen with goose feather duvet and a soft mattress bedroll are rested on a stretcher. Riders can opt to sleep in a tent rather than out in the open, if they wish (but we really don’t recommend it – give it a try sleeping completely outdoors!).
Your luggage is transported for you by the camp vehicles which meet you at lunch stops and the overnight camps. Hot bucket showers are setup in the evening for you to wash away the dirt and dust, either before or after dinner.
You’ll enjoy 5* food, cooked over a fire (no, seriously). Award-winning Chef Rayne will prepare 3 delicious and well-rounded meals for you each day. Dietary requirements can of course be catered for. Riders won’t go thirsty on trail either. Stay hydrated with two 1 liter water bottles attached to your saddle, refillable at lunch stops. Welcome in a new day with coffee or tea, and toast to a day well done. All your beverage needs are provided.
The Namibia Rides on Offer
This Namibia horse safari iconic trail is one of the most challenging and coveted on earth. It’s high up on any adventurous trail rider’s bucket list, and takes you over endless plains dotted with welwitschia plants, through & over canyons, from sossusvlei to the sea.
Mountain passes , arid river crossings and a dip into the kuiseb canyon, followed by fast riding across the plains with plenty of the long scenic gallops that the namibia horse safari company is renowned for.
Each day will see you riding for a few hours in the morning after breakfast, a long rest at a delicious lunch to refresh, then another few hours in the afternoon before reaching your camping spot (and a well-earned cold drink) for the night. Welcome to the oldest, and one of the most scenic deserts on earth, the Namib.
2022 AVAILABLE DATES
19 – 29 April / On Request
26 May – 5 June / 2 Saddles Open
19 – 29 July / 2 Saddles Open
2023 AVAILABLE DATES
1 – 11 April
19 – 29 April
26 May – 5 June
22 July – 1 August
28 August – 7 September
A desert horse safari that combines two incredible routes into one. Your first night sees you meeting the crew and fellow riders at the welcome dinner in a beautiful lodge just outside of Windhoek. In the morning, you’ll depart for the first camp on the Skeleton Coast with a lunch stop in Swakopmund and a visit to shipwreck en-route.
The next morning, you’ll meet your horse for the trail and starting along the barren, inhospitable Skeleton Coast, the trail leads inland. As the days progress, you’ll cross undulating terrain and otherworldly landscapes – the Damaraland has an intense geological history. Riding through the ephemeral Ugab river onto wide open plains, there will plenty of opportunity with the terrain for fast and exciting riding.
Converging at alien-like Koppie Alleen and crossing the White Sands, you’ll reach the wild sea back at the Skeleton Coast. After 8 blissful nights slept under the stars, your last night will be spent at our favorite luxury beach house in Henties Bay.
2022 AVAILABLE DATES
11 – 21 November / 10 Saddles Open
2023 AVAILABLE DATES
15 – 24 March
4 – 13 October
Dramatic geography, big game encounters and the most remote of landscapes define this horse safari in Namibia. Not for the inexperienced rider, this is a demanding + rewarding trail spanning a few hundred kilometers on horseback.
Namibia’s most inaccessible and remote landscape, the Damara is an extremely rugged and colorful terrain, and seemingly unsuitable for a horse safari in Namibia. This ancient area is a juxtaposition of the unfriendly with the impossibly delicate.
From Twyfelfontein to the Skeleton Coast, the sheer remoteness of this challenging horse riding safari makes it unsuitable for inexperienced riders since encounters with Elephant, Rhino and even Lion are possible.
This horse safari in Namibia covers incredible ground over 7 days on horseback. Riders will enjoy a first night in the a charming Windhoek lodge, eight nights sleeping under the stars and your final in a stunning private house perched along the coast.
2022 AVAILABLE DATES
1 – 11 July / 3 Saddles Open
26 August – 5 September / Sold Out
2023 AVAILABLE DATES
14 – 24 June
9 – 19 August
Availability + Price
Cost: $6,600 USD per person (2022)
- Airport transfers + on-safari ground transport
- All accommodation, meals + drinks
- Your amazing safari horse
- Flights to Windhoek International Airport, Namibia
- Any extra en-route to destination
- Extra horse charge for riders over 85kg in riding gear
- Single supplement if unwilling to share during lodge nights
- Staff gratuities
- Any covid travel tests
Let's Ride.
Contact us via the general inquiry form here.
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Namibia Horse Safari Reviews
SUPERLATIVE IN EVERY SENSE … HORSES, STAFF, FOOD LOGISTICS
“I’ll be talking about crossing the Namib Desert with Hagar (the horse), a band of merry travelers, and an incredible compliment of staff and horses until the day I die. They’re that good. If you enjoy days of riding (with exceptionally well-cared for horses), sleeping under the stars and indescribably beautiful scenery, go ahead and book.”
A TRUE ADVENTURE, FANTASTIC HORSES, A HARDWORKING TEAM
“The ride exceeded my expectation big time … The performance of the horses was unbeatable. I could not imagine what a cook could do with simple kitchen appliances on a simple campfire until I came here The culinary suprises were amazing… Comparing this safari with the other 12 rides I have done, I would consider this the best.”
THE HORSES WERE BEAUTIFULLY PRODUCED AND ACCURATELY MATCHED TO EACH GUEST.
“Camp staff and guides were professional at all time whilst always patiient and kind. The food was outstanding. All aspects of camp had been very carefully thought out in detail down to the best bedrolls with high quality branded bed linen. Communications were consistently clear…The safari developed a gentle and deeply happy rhythm…Experience was suberb, exceeded expectations and I would recommend it to those with a hunger for the remote.”
SUPERB!
“Camp life provides you with everything you need but nothing you don’t. It feel like such a relief to leave behind all the non-essentials… Camp was always set up to look so inviting when riding in after a long day… smiles, snacks and alcohol to greet you! The horses were well beyond my expectations. They had such big hearts and loads of stamina. I come from a hunt background and enjoy riding Thoroughbreds at speed and was not disappointed. This is a real adventure (and) worth every penny…just do it!”
Horse Safari FAQs
What is a Namibian horse safari?
An African horse safari in Namibia is unlike any other horse riding holiday on the planet. It isn’t just an experience but rather a feeling.
To ride a horse across the ancient Namib desert, through million-year-old craters, canyons and rivers to the unforgiving Skeleton coast, or whichever route you so choose – is a practice in pure, raw emotion. A Namibia horse safari is both exhilirating and challenging as well as peaceful and unhurried. It is an experience that will stay with you for life.
From smooth windswept sands that beg for a gallop to rough and rocky terrain and deep canyon descents and ascents where you’ll walk side-by-side with your trail horse, the landscapes and visual experiences of Namibia are various and each as beautiful and awe-inspiring as the last. The Namib desert, Damaraland, Skeleton Coast to the interminable dunes of Sossusvlei.
The safari operator in Namibia has been riding these routes for over 20 years yet with little trace of ever stepping foot (or hoof) on the landscape. A small and dedicted team of professionals with a dry sense of humor and a come-what-may attitude, ensure guests will have a meaningful. safe and thoroughly enjoyable experience both on and off their horses.
Though Namibia itself is a rather large country, it is the least populated country in Africa. It is a sparsely populated country of just 2.1 persons per square kilometer and a population of ~ 1.8 million. You’ll likely encounter not a single other soul on your trail ride across Namibia other than your fellow riders and crew – as well as the elusive (or occassionally imposing) wildilfe of the desert landscape.
You’ll not spend a moment indoors for most of your trip. Nor will you have a cell phone or email pinging for your attention. The effect this will have on your body, mind and soul is almost indescribable. Eat, sleep, shower and ride with only the vast Namibian sky as your ceiling.
The trails across Namibia are mostly 10 night adventures, traveling from camp to camp on this mobile safari. Riding only from April through November, the safaris in this desert landscape are only suitable for the confident and fit riders with strong intermediate to advanced riding skills and above. Riders will spend long hours in the saddle for several consecutive days. Don’t just be fit, but be riding fit ready to keep a light seat and a soft hand. You should be riding 2-3 times per week in preparation for these riding trails and to ensure you have the best experience possible.
What is a typical day like on these trails?
You’ll be allocated a horse for the duration of your safari based on your in-depth rider form answers and personal conversations with the safari company before and with the guide himself at the pre-ride briefing upon arrival.
Riders will take care of their horse too, grooming and tacking up in the mornings as well as untacking after the afternoon ride to let their horse roll, drink and be tied to the picket line (and in that order!) for dinner.
Your luggage is transported for you via the truck which transfers and sets up camp each day. Small tents can be put up for those who wish, however most guests certainly prefer the opportunity to sleep out under the stars only found in an uncluttered African sky. We also strongly encourage riders to forgoe the tent and marvel in the rest afforded only to those who sleep in open-air.
Each day will begin with riders waking up with the sun, to attend to the loo, get dressed for a day of riding, and head to the breakfast campfire where hot coffee and tea awaits. You’ll mount up by about 8am to set off for the first half of your day, ridng between 3-5 hours in the cool of the day before reaching the next camp for lunch. Stretch your limbs and rest beneath the shade of the camp truck while lunch and refreshingly cold beverages are served. The midday break is between 2-3 hours, allowing you to nap in peace, chat with riders and re-apply sunscreen.
The riding continues after lunch for a further 2-3 hours, arriving at your overnight camp thirsty, dusty and ready for an early night. Days average 30-60km in the saddle over varying terrain and often only a tiny bush to be had for a loo stop, and thus a sense of humor should be packed along with your riding boots.
Arrive into camp in the early evening, take a hot bucket shower under the stars and delight in putting on fresh non-riding clothes to gather around the camp kitchen and fire for a meal worthy of a 5* restaurant. Chef Rayne produces incredible field-kitchen culinary feasts for guests 3 times per day, and there is never a cold beer or refreshing soda or sparkling water too far from your hand (or a refill).
Then it’s off to your stretcher bed and a surprisingly luxe sleeping bag / bed roll for a restful sleep under the stars.