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Home > Destinations > Etosha National Park

Etosha National Park Safari

The ultimate guide to your next Etosha National Park Safari

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A lone elephant stands at the edge of a shimmering salt pan, its silhouette etched against the backdrop of an endless sky. Like much of Namibia, Etosha National Park greets you with a dry, sandy embrace, typifying the harsh realities of desert life. Despite this, life thrives in the face of adversity, creating one of southern Africa’s finest safari destinations.

In the dry season, the waterholes of Etosha become a stage where nature’s great drama unfolds. Zebras and springboks quench their thirst as lions lurk in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Meanwhile, desert-adapted elephants drink their fill, wary that in Namibia, water is not promised.

When the rains come, the landscape transforms, and flocks of flamingos descend upon the vast pan, turning it into a pink-hued paradise. In Etosha, the beauty of the wild is both stark and spectacular, a reminder of nature’s raw and untamed power.

Why Etosha?

Unique Salt Pan Landscape: The vast, shimmering Etosha Pan provides a surreal backdrop to spectacular wildlife encounters.
Incredible Waterhole Sightings: Natural and artificial waterholes attract large herds of elephants, lions, rhinos, and antelope.
Self-Drive Safari Destination: One of the best parks in Africa for independent travellers, with well-maintained roads and infrastructure.
Rare & Endangered Species: Home to black rhinos, cheetahs, and the striking oryx.
Year-Round Game Viewing: Wildlife is visible in all seasons, with dry season sightings around waterholes being particularly rewarding.

Etosha National Park Gallery

Where to Go

Etosha National Park is divided into several distinct regions, each offering unique landscapes and wildlife experiences.

Central and Eastern Etosha

This is probably the best-known part of Etosha National Park; the expanse of land fringing the eastern and southern rim of the enormous depression is the ancient salt pan itself....

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Private Concessions in Etosha

It’s possible to combine the best of two worlds: Spend hours at some of Etosha’s most desirable waterholes, ticking off a Noah’s Ark-sized list of species – and then escape...

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Western Etosha

The western side of the Etosha National Park has its own character and appeal, plus the all-important wildlife encounters (although game is considered sparser). The only accommodations here, an NWR...

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When to Go

Etosha offers year-round safari experiences, with each season providing unique advantages.

Peak Season

Low Season

Shoulder Season

Etosha in January

Average temperatures hit a sticky 34°C. It’s rainy season: incredibly for a place one thinks of as arid, this can mean mud in patches! A 4x4 will be useful and comfortable, but it is a lot more costly, and the majority of Etosha’s roads remain accessible in an ordinary city car. Park authorities also tend to temporarily close roads that will be a problem. The weather is simply unpredictable: there can be clear sunny skies, but Etosha can also be overcast for days at a time, with the chance of some quite heavy rain. As such, potentially not the best...

Etosha in January

Etosha in February

The peak of the rainy season. Vegetation will be as lush as it gets in Etosha for the next month or two – which makes game viewing more challenging. If the rains have been good, there will be water in the pan itself (and migrant waterbirds); Fisher’s Pan near Namutoni could have turned pink with flamingos. All the details mentioned for January still apply in terms of the desirability of a 4x4, thunderstorms and potentially, patches of dodgy weather. Elephant and rhino will be more elusive, feeding in thicker bush while they have the chance to be further from the...

Etosha in February

Etosha in March

There still a chance of rain and the bush is thick and green and grasses tall… all very lovely, but it does make spotting animals that little bit more difficult! Not many people around, but as per February, not as much big game either, or not lolling around the waterholes waiting to be photographed. Our travel experts say this is a time for more seasoned travellers, rather than those with just one chance to tick Etosha off their bucket list. The game, however, is there, but as always, it’s a bit of a lottery as Tripadvisor notice boards can relate....

Etosha in March

Etosha in April

Still nice and quiet in beautiful Etosha, although there will be a spike in tourists around Easter, when rest camps will fill up. The seasons are changing, evenings and early mornings may be cooling down by the end of the month. A less predictable ‘shoulder season’ month, but often very good for Etosha. The herds should have started to move back towards the central areas by the end of the month, but this is still not prime game-viewing-at-waterholes season; driving around will be needed.

Etosha in April

Etosha in May

The land is drying out and long, warm sunny days will start turning the bush a million shades of brown. Average high temperatures are a delicious 29° Centigrade, with lows of 11°C. As things dry out, waterholes become the place to be once again, making it possible to pull up near one and see all sorts of action. By the end of this month, elephants are likely to be heading back to the central /southern areas of the park. It is still not prime holiday time for locals or international, so tourist numbers are low to moderate. A wonderful time...

Etosha in May

Etosha in June

Good sunny weather this month, with highs of 27°C and lows a surprisingly chilly 6°C. The dry season starts in earnest. Most of the park is considered to have good game viewing potential and visitor numbers are moderate. It’s the beginning of high season, and by the end of the month, pretty busy. The waterholes will be delivering the goods: lovely tableaux of species can gather at one hole. The elephant will be back at the waterholes, barging in as and when they please.

Etosha in June

Etosha in July

Full sunshine is the default weather forecast, with average highs of 27°C and lows of 6°C (it can and does occasionally hit 0°C). We’re now in peak season, and waterholes will be well attended by both big game and tourists! This means the central part of the park is optimum turf, and game viewing wherever there is a water source is extremely rewarding. Booking in advance is essential.

Etosha in July

Etosha in August

Peak season in terms of weather, international tourist numbers and waterhole action. August seldom sees a drop of rain, and average temperatures are rising: highs are 31° and lows 11°. It will be busy enough in the park for those allergic to crowds to consider staying in a lodge on a private reserve outside the park borders, or look to the less-visited Western side of the park. Acacia nebrownii trees flower by the hundred in August and September, each tree bearing “hundreds of thousands of yellow flowers that give off a lovely scent,” says wildlife photographer Mario Fazekas.

Etosha in August

Etosha in September

Still prime dry season game viewing time. Days are hot. Average highs are around 35°C, although a warm jacket may still be welcome on early morning game drives and when the sun goes down, believe it or not. It’s still peak season for Etosha for the first part of the month, and there will be traffic and some congestion at prime waterholes, which will be seeing all the big game action. The central section of the park will be buzzing. Not the African experience you imagined? Consider a lodge in a neighbouring private reserve and dip into the park itself...

Etosha in September

Etosha in October

One of the hottest months of the year, with high temperatures averaging 37°C. You’ll be able to tell it’s really warm when you see the tiny dik-dik breathing rapidly: it has an enlarged internal nasal area with lots of blood vessels and ‘nasal panting’ helps cool it down (elephants flap their enormous ears to do the same thing). Happily, humans have iced drinks! Visitor numbers tend to be high to moderate this month (it quietens down). As with August and September, herds are plentiful in the central areas. If pressed for time, this is the place to go and one...

Etosha in October

Etosha in November

One of the hottest months of the year, when average temperatures spike: it’s 35° to over 40°. November is the real start of the annual rainy season. Once showers have drenched the thirsty land, vegetation springs to life – giving herbivores the chance to move into new areas to feed and become less dependent on the waterholes. November is somewhat of a ‘shoulder’ season though and visitors will see animals, fear not. This is the month that sees most cloud cover (fully overcast days), yet that averages only five to six days. Much of the rainy season is partly cloudy,...

Etosha in November

Etosha in December

The rains should have arrived, and the game will be moving east to browse in the Namutoni area and further north, beyond the road network. The central waterholes quieten down and will no longer be visited much by elephant; rhino, too, may take some seeking out. Baby animals are born and shiver into action, able to walk in no time, but vulnerable for the first few days after birth. Visitor numbers soar in mid to late December as local holidays kick in. Book way in advance if you hope to travel at this time, for all accommodations inside and outside...

Etosha in December