Planning your South Africa Namibia shore day

Cruise itineraries down this coast rarely repeat themselves. Ships calling in the South Africa Namibia region tie together three very different countries in a single voyage: the vineyards and Table Mountain views of the Western Cape, the Garden Route beaches around Mossel Bay, the game reserves inland from Port Elizabeth and Durban, the desert-meets-Atlantic scenery of Walvis Bay and Lüderitz, and the Portuguese-influenced streets of Maputo in Mozambique. Every port has its own character, and the drive times inland differ enormously, so the excursion that works beautifully in one harbour makes no sense in the next.

That is why we plan each South Africa Namibia excursion around your ship rather than around a fixed timetable. Tell us the vessel, the date and how many hours you have ashore, and we will put together a private tour that fits: a safari when the reserve is close enough, a coastal drive when it is not, a city tour with time for lunch when your call is short. You travel in a small private group with your own air-conditioned vehicle and an English-speaking guide who meets you at the cruise terminal and brings you back with time to spare.

Choose the country below to see every South Africa Namibia port we cover and the tours available in each one.

When to sail this coast

The seasons here are the reverse of the European ones, which catches people out. December to February is high summer at the Cape: long days, hot inland, and the best weather for the coast and the winelands. March to May brings clearer air and fewer visitors, and is arguably the finest time of year for a game drive, because the bush has thinned out and the animals gather at the remaining water. June to August is cool and wet in the Cape but dry and excellent for wildlife in the north and east, and it is also when whales come into Walvis Bay and along the Garden Route to calve. September and October bring the wildflowers along the Atlantic seaboard.

Whichever month your ship sails, the excursions on the pages below are arranged privately for your party, so the pace and the stops are yours to set rather than a coach operator’s.