Namibia had been high on our bucket list for years and during our Southern Africa overlanding trip, we finally spent 20 days road tripping across the country. This is our complete Namibia budget breakdown including accommodation, fuel, camping, food, activities and overlanding costs.
The main thing we struggled with was knowing if Namibia was expensive or not. It honestly didn’t feel like there was much information out there. We figured it would be on par with South Africa. In some ways, it was. Fuel prices add up quickly when you’re driving massive distances and accommodation ranges from basic campsites to luxury lodges. So naturally, I tracked every single cent we spent while road tripping across the country.
This is our real Namibia travel budget breakdown after overlanding through the country with our own vehicle. No sugar coating. No pretending we survived on $15 a day while sipping sundowners in the desert. We travelled as a couple, mainly camping with the occasional lodge or chalet thrown in when we needed a reset, proper shower or break from rooftop tent life.
If you’re currently planning your own route, you can also read our full Namibia self-drive itinerary here.
How much did it cost to overland Namibia for 3 weeks?
Keep in mind, this was how much less money we had in our bank account as a couple after our Namibia section. As we had our own car, it doesn’t include car rental cost.
- Total spent: roughly £2476 / $3290 / €2890
- Trip length: 20 days
- Average per day: £124 / $165 / €145 EUR
- Travel style: Overlanding road trip with camping, self-driving, national parks and a few splurge experiences
Average per person per day: £62 / $83 / €72
One thing worth mentioning immediately is that Namibia is not really a “cheap backpacker” destination, especially if you decide to rent a car with a rooftop tent. Distances are huge, public transport can be limited outside major towns. Personally, a lot of the best experiences require a vehicle.
That said, it’s still possible to keep costs reasonable depending on your travel style.
Accommodation in Namibia
Total Accommodation Cost: £739 / $982 / €863
Average per day (for two):£37 / $49 / €43
Accommodation in Namibia varies wildly depending on where you are. Campsites inside or near national parks tend to cost more, while farm stays and smaller campgrounds are more affordable. We mainly camped throughout the trip with a mixture of campsites and chalets. Honestly, some of the campsites were so scenic they felt more luxurious than hotels anyway. We enjoyed camping in Namibia so much that I ended up writing an entire guide reviewing our favourites across the country. The prices below are rough averages per night for two people.
Here’s roughly what you can expect in Namibia per night.
- Campsites: £20 – 30 / $27 – 40 USD / €23 – 235
- Mid-range lodges or chalets: £40 – 90 / $53 – 120 / €47 – 105
- Luxury lodges: £100+ / $265+ USD / €234+
If you’re travelling during peak season, especially around Etosha or Sossusvlei, I’d strongly recommend booking ahead. Namibia gets busy.
Overlanding costs in Namibia
Fuel was one of the biggest ongoing costs because distances between destinations are massive. You can easily drive 300 – 500 km in a single day without realising it. If you’re renting a vehicle, especially a 4×4 with camping equipment, your Namibia budget will increase significantly compared to ours.
Total Overlanding Cost: £544 / $740 / €620
Average per day (for two):£27 / $37 / €31.
- Fuel: NAD 9462 / £385 / $512 USD / €450 EUR
- Firewood: NAD 277 / £11 / $15 USD / €13 EUR
- Car related expenses: NAD 3690 / £151 / $200 USD / €176 EUR
- Road taxes and border formalities
- Car washing
- Tyre replacement
The tyre replacement alone cost us almost £118 / $157 USD / €138 EUR, which is just part of the overlanding reality on Namibia’s gravel roads. And trust me… Namibia will test your tyres and your car in general. The roads are generally excellent by African overlanding standards but the sheer amount of gravel driving means punctures and tyre damage are incredibly common. We saw several rentals having tyre issues throughout the trip. A lot of people messing with their tyre pressures (when they aren’t used to it) and it lead to a lot of tyre damages.
Food & Drink in Namibia
Food in Namibia was honestly a pleasant surprise. There’s excellent meat/braai selection, decent supermarkets and surprisingly good coffee in certain places. We primarily did grocery shopping, + campsite cooking with a mix of coffee stops and eating out.
Some days were incredibly cheap when we cooked ourselves, while others quickly escalated after buying wine, beers and proper dinners after long driving days.
Total Food Cost: £544 / $723 / €635
Average per day (for two): £27 / $36 / €32
Our breakdown:
- Groceries: NAD 3466 / £141 / $188 USD / €165 EUR
- Coffee + Snacks: NAD 835 / £34 / $45 USD / €40 EUR
- Eating out: NAD 7831 / £320 / $425 USD / €373 EUR
- Drinks: NAD 1209 / £49 / $66 USD / €58 EUR
We mostly ate out when we were in towns/cities like Walvis Bay, Windhoek or after long driving days.
Activities & Adventures
Namibia is one of those countries where the landscapes and driving are the main attractions. Compared to other national parks, Etosha was fairly more reasonably priced especially if self driving.
Total Adventures Cost: £491 / $653 USD / €573 EUR
Average per day (for two): £25 / $33 USD / €29 EUR.
With a further breakdown to:
- National Parks & Entrance Fees: NAD 2624 / £107 / $142 USD / €125 EUR
- Etosha National Park fees
- Cape Cross Seal Reserve
- Sesriem National Park
- Kolmanskop ghost town
- Fish River Canyon
- Tours & Excursions: NAD 8300 / £339 / $451 USD / €396 EUR
The biggest splurge of the trip was Sandwich Harbour. The excursion alone cost us over £320 / $425 USD / €374 EUR, making it by far the most expensive activity we did in Namibia. But we didn’t want to chance driving the giant dunes ourselves. It was also a really incredible experience kayaking amongst the seals.
Some approximate attraction costs for two were:
-
- Etosha entrance fees: around £14 / $19 USD / €16 EUR per entry
- Spitzkoppe entrance: £13 / $17 USD / €15 EUR
- Sesriem National Park: £14 / $19 USD / €16 EUR
- Kolmanskop ghost town: £15 / $20 USD / €18 EUR
- Fish River Canyon: £16 / $21 USD / €19 EUR
If you’re trying to travel Namibia on a tighter budget, activities are probably the easiest place to save money.
Bits and Bobs
- Visas for UK + Norwegian Nationals: 3200 NAD / £131 / $174 / €153
- SIM card (Airalo): N/A
- Bribes: N/A
- Souvenirs: 650 NAD / £27 / $35 / €31
- Laundry: Free!!!! We handwashed everything using our Scrubba bag
Daily Budget By Travel Style
Okay, this will definitely vary person to person, so obviously, take this with a grain of salt! These are just estimates for what I would’ve assumed you would spend depending on your travel style. I would definitely say we are more comfort/flashpackers probably because we are taking a career gap and are used to the little luxuries. But you could definitely travel on a shoestring by taking public transport and eating at the local spots.
The prices below are per person. Our daily average per person was £62 / $83 / €72 excluding the car (add £17 / $23 / €20 per person for the car)
These are rough estimates based on what we experienced:
- Budget backpacker: £40 – 60 / $53–80 / €47–70 per day (think shared dorms in hostels, public transport, local markets).
- Mid-range self-drive traveller: £60 – 120 / $80–160 USD / €70–140 EUR per day (occasional chalets, excursions, safaris)
- Comfort traveller or with 4×4 rental: £150+ / $199+ / €175+
Ways we could’ve saved money in Namibia
Looking back, there’s definitely a few things we could’ve done differently.
1. Reduced driving distances
Namibia is enormous. Some of our route planning was a little overambitious and naturally resulted in higher fuel costs. But we also needed to get back to South Africa from Botswana so we naturally had to drive the length of the country regardless.
2. Fewer restaurant meals
Those “we deserve a proper lunch or dinner” moments added up quickly.
3. Skipped the Sandwich Harbour tour
But realistically… we wouldn’t. I enjoyed it a lot.
4. Avoided unnecessary vehicle expenses
The tyre replacement wasn’t avoidable but it’s a reminder to budget extra for unexpected vehicle issues.
Was Namibia worth the cost?
Honestly, this really depends on whether you’re renting a car and what season you’re travelling in. Namibia feels expensive because of the logistics rather than the daily basics. The huge driving distances, fuel costs, national parks and need for a vehicle all add up quickly. But once you’re actually there, accommodation and food can be fairly reasonable… especially if you camp and self cater regularly.
Compared to countries where you need expensive organised safaris every day, Namibia can actually work out cheaper if you’re comfortable self-driving. And honestly? It ended up being one of our favourite countries in Southern Africa.
I had built Namibia up in my head for years and somehow it still exceeded expectations. The landscapes genuinely feel unreal at times. One moment you’re watching elephants at a waterhole in Etosha then you’re driving through endless desert roads with absolutely nobody around for hours… The long driving days can be exhausting, but that’s also part of what makes Namibia feel so special. If you’re planning your own trip, our detailed self-drive itinerary breaks down exactly how we structured the journey.
If you ask me? I reckon it was.
Still curious about costs? Here are the most common questions I get about travelling Namibia:
FAQs about travelling in Namibia
Is Namibia expensive for tourists?
Honestly… yes and no. Namibia isn’t cheap in the same way Southeast Asia is, mainly because of the logistics. Distances are huge, fuel costs add up quickly and having your own vehicle makes a massive difference to the experience. But once you’re actually there, things like campsites, groceries and national park fees are more reasonable than people often expect. If you camp, self-cater and self-drive, Namibia can actually be surprisingly manageable budget-wise. Luxury lodges and organised tours, however, will absolutely destroy your bank account.
Is it safe to travel to Namibia?
In our experience, yes. Namibia felt like one of the safest countries we travelled through in Southern Africa. We never once felt genuinely unsafe. That said, petty theft can still happen in bigger towns and cities, especially around Windhoek and Swakopmund, so normal common sense still applies. The biggest danger honestly felt like the roads, wildlife crossings and tyre damage rather than crime.
What was your itinerary?
Read a detailed breakdown of our itinerary here.
We road tripped through Namibia as part of our Southern Africa overlanding route. We entered from Botswana, travelled through Etosha, Damaraland, Walvis Bay, Spitzkoppe, Sossusvlei and Fish River Canyon before eventually continuing south towards South Africa.
Honestly, Namibia is one of those countries where the driving itself becomes part of the experience.
What’s the cheapest way to travel around Namibia?
Public transport definitely exists, but it’s not the easiest country to travel independently without a vehicle. The cheapest option would be using minibuses and shuttle buses between major towns, but you’ll lose a lot of flexibility and some destinations become difficult or expensive to access without organised tours. Personally? I think Namibia is one of the best self-drive countries in the world.
How much does food cost in Namibia?
Honestly, food was cheaper than we expected. Self cooking and shopping at supermarkets, you can keep costs fairly low. Restaurant prices vary depending on where you are, with touristy spots like Walvis Bay and Windhoek being noticeably more expensive.
Coffee: around NAD 70–180 (£3–7 / $4–9 USD / €3–8 EUR)
Restaurant dinners for two: around NAD 600–850 (£25–35 / $33–47 USD / €29–41 EUR)
Beers: around NAD 35–50 (£1.50–2 / $2–3 USD / €1.70–2.30 EUR)
Groceries: usually NAD 170–975 (£7–40 / $9–53 USD / €8–47 EUR) depending on how much we needed to restock
Cash or card in Namibia?
Card payments are widely accepted across most of Namibia, especially in supermarkets, fuel stations, lodges and restaurants.
That said, it’s still worth carrying cash for campsites, smaller shops, park fees, tips and remote areas where card machines sometimes don’t work properly. We found Visa worked almost everywhere.
Is Namibia cheaper than Botswana?
For us, it definitely was. Botswana became significantly more expensive because we chose to do organised tours through the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park. Namibia felt much more manageable day to day, especially when it came to camping, groceries and self-driving.
Do you need a 4×4 in Namibia?
For certain routes and long stretches of gravel road, I’d definitely recommend one. You can technically do parts of Namibia in a normal vehicle, but a 4×4 makes the experience much more comfortable and practical!! Especially if you’re trying to keep costs down by camping or heading into more remote areas. Gravel roads are everywhere and tyre damage is incredibly common.
Is camping worth it in Namibia?
Absolutely. Namibia genuinely has some of the best campsites we’ve experienced in Southern Africa. A lot of them are incredibly scenic, well maintained and located in places where waking up to desert landscapes or wildlife feels completely surreal. I actually wrote a full breakdown reviewing every campsite we stayed at across Namibia because they ended up being such a huge part of the experience.
What was your biggest expense?
Overall, fuel and overlanding costs were our biggest expense throughout Namibia. The long driving distances really add up over time. After that, the biggest single splurge was definitely the Sandwich Harbour excursion, which ended up being one of the highlights of the trip.
Can you travel Namibia cheaply?
Yes, especially if you camp, self-cater and avoid luxury lodges. That being said, Namibia is difficult to make ultra-budget because the distances, fuel costs and logistics naturally add up. Even if you travel fairly simply, you still need to account for transport costs.
How much should you budget for Namibia?
For a comfortable self-drive trip with camping, I’d personally recommend budgeting around £120 – 160 / $160 – 213 / €140 – 187 per person per day if you’re going to be hiring a rental vehicle.
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