When to go to Namibia
Namibia is best visited from the end of March to October. The seasons are the inverse of Europe, so Christmas is in the middle of the summer when it gets very hot. The Easter holidays are a great time to visit, as are the European summer holidays in July and August.
Winter, from May to October, is the dry season with almost no rain. It will be cold at night and on early morning game drives but this is an excellent time to visit. The wet summer season, from December to March, can get very hot in the north around Etosha, with heavy rain at times. However, the coastal and desert areas such as Swakopmund and Sossusvlei are temperate all year round – with occasional mists and fogs rolling in off the ocean.
January
This is the rainy season. Although it rains far less in Namibia than in most countries in Africa, there is a chance of afternoon thunderstorms and it can be hot and humid away from the desert areas. Coastal areas around Swakopmund may be foggy in the morning, sunny in the afternoon and windy for most of the day.
February
This is the rainy season. It will be hot with the chance of afternoon thunderstorms particularly in the north. Coastal areas around Swakopmund may be foggy in the morning, sunny in the afternoon and windy for most of the day.
March
This is the rainy season although the rain diminishes as the month goes on. It will be hot with the chance of afternoon thunderstorms particularly in the north. Coastal areas around Swakopmund may be foggy in the morning, sunny in the afternoon and windy for most of the day.
April
This is the end of the rainy season. Generally the weather is excellent so this is a great time to visit. It will be hot and there may still be some lingering afternoon thunderstorms particularly in the north. Coastal areas around Swakopmund may be foggy in the morning, sunny in the afternoon and windy for most of the day.
May
This is the beginning of the cool, dry season. There will generally be good weather throughout the country with the usual foggy/sunny conditions on the coast. Wildlife viewing is made easier as the animals congregate around the waterholes. Nights will be cool. This is the optimum time to visit in terms of low visitor numbers.
June
This is the cool, dry season. There will generally be good weather throughout the country with the usual foggy/sunny conditions on the coast. Wildlife viewing is made easier as the animals congregate around the waterholes. Nights will be cool.
July
This is the cool, dry season. There will generally be good weather throughout the country with the usual foggy/sunny conditions on the coast. Wildlife viewing is made easier as the animals congregate around the waterholes. Nights will be cool. This is a very popular time to visit so both lodges and camps book up a long way in advance. Try to book early.
August
This is the cool, dry season. There will generally be good weather throughout the country with the usual foggy/sunny conditions on the coast. Wildlife viewing is made easier as the animals congregate around the waterholes. Nights will be cool. This is a very popular time to visit so both lodges and camps book up a long way in advance. Try to book early.
September
This is the cool, dry season. There will generally be good weather throughout the country with the usual foggy/sunny conditions on the coast. Wildlife viewing is made easier as the animals congregate around the waterholes. Nights will be cool.
October
This is towards the end of the cool, dry season. There is generally good weather throughout the country although in the north there is the chance of rain and temperatures are also starting to rise. There will be the usual foggy/sunny conditions on the coast. Wildlife viewing is made easier as the animals congregate around the waterholes. Nights will be cool in the south.
November
This is a month of change as the cool dry season ends and the wet season begins. If you are travelling during November you should expect a bit of everything, although the likelihood of rain increases as the month progresses.
December
Although this is the start of the rainy season there is often good weather throughout the country. In the north there is the chance of rain and temperatures are also starting to rise but showers are often short and sharp, in the late afternoon. There are the usual foggy/sunny conditions on the coast. The beginning of the month is the optimum time to visit in terms of low visitor numbers. However during the Christmas holiday period visitor numbers soar.
Call us and we will be happy to provide you with a free-of-charge no obligation itinerary and quotation designed for you.
01728 752751
Namibia in pictures
