Cape Town to Namibia
14-day Motorcycle Adventure
Cape Town to Namibia
14-day Motorcycle Adventure
Explore Cape Town & the Best of Namibia
Join us as we explore Namibia's breathtaking desert landscapes and rich wildlife on this 14-day motorcycle adventure
Tour Summary
Total Distance: 3300 km, Riding Days: 11
Average distance: 290 km per day
Riding Time per day: 4-6 hours
Level of Difficulty: Intermediate (tar and gravel/dirt roads, no deep sand)
Travel
14 days (including arrival and departure)
2 countries
Accommodation
13-nights, 3&4-star lodges and one tented camp
Meals
13 breakfasts, 1 welcome dinner, 2 dinners on tour
Itinerary
Day to Day Itinerary
We'll arrange for someone to meet you at Cape Town airport and take you to your hotel. Let us know your flight details if you would like us to organise that for you.
Weโll have the bikes ready in the parking area of the hotel by early afternoon. You are welcome to come check them out and get a start on pre-packing if youโd like.
We begin our adventure to Namibia with a taste of some of the best motorcycle riding in Africa. Our ride north from Cape Town today is filled with coastal roads, vineyards and four breathtaking mountain passes. We begin with a ride along the east side of False Bay with great views of the coast before turning inland towards Franschhoek through a beautiful fruit farming region. We then get to experience the famous Franschhoek pass (which you will probably want to go back and do again). We continue north through the town of Wellington and then enjoy a ride on another famous pass through Bains Kloof. Our final leg takes us up two more mountain passes as we ride through more fruit farms to our overnight stop in the wine-farming town of Tulbach.
Today we get to explore the rugged Cederberg mountains as we ride through the heart of the backcountry on good gravel roads. There are caves and ancient San paintings to explore, or you could just marvel at the rock formations and wilderness landscapes. After passing through the town of Clanwilliam we cross over the mountains on a fun, winding tar-road pass before connecting with the gravel roads again. We ride into the Great Karoo and up an escarpment before arriving at one of our favourite places to stay, in comfortable stone cottages on a working sheep farm.
Our ride today takes us north into the heart of South Africa's Northern Cape. First though, we get to enjoy the best breakfast on the continent and explore a local canyon carved out by an ancient glacier. Thereโs also an amazing motorcycle collection to explore and a fun ride down the famous Vanrhyns Pass. We then head north through some beautiful semi-desert landscapes in the Northern Cape before crossing the border and arriving at our overnight stop just outside the town of Springbok. If youโre keen for a more adventurous ride thereโs a gravel road route too.
Itโs a short ride on good tar roads to the Namibia border and then just 50km to our lodge on the banks of the Orange River. in the afternoon we have the option of taking it easy at the lodge or exploring a lovely gravel road that runs along the banks of the river and through the magestic Richtersveld
Today we switch back to good gravel roads as we encounter Namibia's breathtaking landscapes, riding past lush vineyards and through wide open landscapes towards the Fish River Canyon - second only to the Grand Canyon in size. After a detour to take it all in, its a short ride to our lunch stop at the iconic Canyon Roadhouse. Heading out from Canyon Roadhouse, we ride again on smooth gravel roads through more of Namibia's big-sky country and vast landscapes. There's plenty of time to stop and gaze at the breathtaking scenes that keep unfolding, and Springbok, Ostrich, Oryx and Kudu that we might see on the way. The last section is on a good tar road to our accommodation for the next two nights in the iconic town of Aus, gateway to the old diamond fields and home of Namibia's famous wild horses.
Toay we have the option of enjoying a rest day by the pool or exploring the hiking trails and World War 1 ruins. You could also get an early start to visit the old diamond mining ghost town of Kolmanskop, 120km away on the other side of the Namib desert. We walk through this fascinating settlement and get some photos of the buildings slowly being overtaken by the drifting sand. Weโll get lunch in the town of Luderitz and can visit a memorial to the Herero genocide. Then itโs back out on the road across the breathtaking landscapes of the Namib desert back to the lodge at Aus.
Our ride today is the longest stretch on gravel roads weโll do on this ride. We begin by riding north to the junction town of Helmeringhausen and a taste of some good Namibian apple pie. The road can be a bit sandy in places so weโll take it easy. We then head north-west into some breathtaking landscapes along the C27 road, stopping at Betta campsite for a lunch break. After that itโs the final leg through more wide-open landscapes into Sesriem.
It's an early start to get to the reserve gates at 7am and a guided 4x4 and walking tour of the famous dunes and dry lake beds at Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei, where weโll get to enjoy the spectacular views. Returning to the lodge we'll get lunch before a short ride to our lodge set in the hills of the scenic Gamsberg region.
Today we'll ride through the beautiful mountain landscapes of the scenic Kuisib canyon and across the Namib desert to the coastal resort town of Swakopmund. The gravel roads on this leg of the trip could be easy or more challenging - depending on when last the graders were there. After some time in the dry heat of the desert, you'll feel the cooler air as we approach the coast and enjoy a fun, smooth ride on a compacted salt road to Walvis Bay. We end the day with a short ride along the breaking waves of the Atlantic Ocean as we head north to Swakopmund.
Swakopmund is a scenic, historical, coastal town that is one of the highlights of a visit to Namibia. One of the best ways to experience the area is a morning tour of Sandwich Harbour - a unique place where the dunes and ocean meet. After lunch weโll set out along the famous Skeleton Coast past a shipwreck, before turning east into the desert at the coastal town of Henties Bay. We'll soon see the outline of the iconic Spitzkoppe rock formations, getting more imposing the closer we get. We'll have the chance to walk around these beautiful rocks, and see the sunset through the famous arch.
After breakfast we leave Spitzkoppe behind and ride along some gravel and then mostly tar roads to Omaruru Game Lodge. We'll get in there in time for a late-afternoon safari drive and enjoy dinner afterwards where we can watch the wildlife visit the waterhole.
There's the chance to go on a morning guided game safari. Afterwards, weโll have breakfast before setting out for our last day's ride to our destination, Windhoek. It's an easy ride south on good tar roads. In the evening weโll catch a taxi to Joeโs Beerhouse for dinner, and say farewell to those flying home tomorrow.
There are a number of daily flights from Windhoekโs Hosea Kutako Airport (WDH). Weโll arrange a transfer for you for your flight home.
Get in Touch
Contact us today to chat or book your tour, or simply fill in our contact form and weโll contact you.
Email: andrew@ridedownsouth.com
Whatsapp: +27 67 449 0570
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