Namibia Travel Information

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When to Go to Namibia

To get the most out of your next adventure it makes sense to consider some of the very local factors that combine to make up what you feel is the best time to travel to a destination. Many of these factors are very personal - some people prefer to travel when the weather is not too hot, or sites too crowded - others prefer to travel when a traditional local event is taking place. Taking into account the dates of public holidays can also make sense as these may have an impact on opening times of attractions, shops and restaurants, or might affect public transport or other services. Conversely public holidays can be a time of great local festivities and celebrations providing a feast of local expressionism and culture.

Climate

The cold Benguela current keeps the coast of the Namib Desert cool, damp and free of rain for most of the year, with a thick coastal fog. Inland, rain falls in summer. Summer temperatures are high while the altitude means that nights are cool. Winter nights can be fairly cold, but days are generally warm and pleasant.

Winter (May-September)
Temperatures in the interior range from 18C-25C during the day. Below freezing temperatures and ground frost are common at night.

Summer (October-April)
Average interior temperatures range from 20C-34C during the day. Temperatures above 40C are often recorded in the extreme north and south of the country. The coast influenced by the cold Benguela current, boasts a relatively stable range of 15C-25C. Heavy fog is fairly common at night.

Humidity
Humidity is generally very low in most parts of Namibia, but can reach as high as 80% in the extreme north during summer. The rainy season is from October-April. The everage annual rainfall varies from less than 50mm along the coast to 350mm in the central interior and 700mm in the Caprivi. The sporadic rains do not affect road travel significantly, however, tourists should exercise caution when crossing or camping in riverbeds during the rainy season, as flash foods are a common occurrence.

Information courtesy of: Namibia Tourism

Seasonality

It may be worth considering avoiding travel during the South African/Namibian school holidays, particularly if planning to visit some of the major National Parks and coastal resorts such as Swakopmund – these can get very crowded. For example, the coast tends to be a bit crowded around Christmas and New Year, when all the schools are on holiday, the universities are out and many local people take their annual leave. So, if you're looking for peace and quiet - this is not the time to visit. Another major peak is over Easter - when the schools are also on holiday and, once again, many people take their leave so they can spend holidays with their children.

National Holidays

Date	Description
21 Mar 08	Good Friday and Independence Day
24 Mar 08	Easter Monday
01 May 08	Workers Day
04 May 08	Cassinga Day
05 May 08	Cassinga Day - day in lieu
25 May 08	Africa Day
26 May 08	Africa Day - day in lieu
26 Aug 08	Heroes Day
10 Dec 08	Human Rights Day
25 Dec 08	Christmas Day
26 Dec 08	Family Day
01 Jan 09	New Year's Day

National Events

Event	Occurs	Description
Windhoek WIKA Festival	April
Swakopmund Carnival	June
Heroes Day	August	Heroes Day on the 26th is celebrated by thousands of Herero people in Okahandja with a colourful ceremony paying homage to their great chiefs.
Fish Festival at Henties Bay	September
Swakopmund Octoberfest Beer Festival	October