Tour Overview
| Duration | 10 Days / 9 Nights |
|---|---|
| Country | Angola — Southern Coast, Namibe Desert & Lubango |
| Price From | $3,995 per person (twin share) |
| Tour Style | Expedition / Desert & Coastal Explorer |
| Data Source | Natural Selection Travel / YPT — 2026 |
Itinerary Highlights
Day 1: Arrive Luanda
Arrive and transfer to hotel. Evening briefing on the epic southern journey. Overnight in Luanda.
Day 2: Fly to Lubango — Tundavala Gap
Morning flight to Lubango, Angola’s second city set in the cool highlands. Afternoon: drive to the Tundavala Gap — a sheer escarpment dropping 1,000 meters to the plains below. The view is one of Africa’s most dramatic: the Serra da Leba escarpment stretching to the horizon while eagles soar on thermals rising from the valley. Visit the Christo Rei statue (30m), a smaller cousin of Rio’s Christ the Redeemer. Overnight in Lubango.
Day 3: Serra da Leba Pass
Drive the Serra da Leba Pass, one of Africa’s most spectacular roads — a series of tight switchbacks carved into the mountainside, dropping from the highlands to the coastal plain. Built by Portuguese engineers, it’s an engineering marvel and a photographer’s dream. Continue to the Namibe Desert. Overnight in Namibe.
Day 4: Welwitschia Mirabilis & Arco Lagoon
Full day in the Namibe Desert. Visit the ancient Welwitschia mirabilis plants — some are over 1,500 years old, living fossils that survive on nothing more than fog moisture. Explore the Arco Lagoon, a natural rock arch framing a turquoise lagoon against the desert backdrop — one of the most surreal landscapes in Africa. Overnight in Namibe.
Day 5: Iona National Park
Full-day safari in Iona National Park, Angola’s largest and most remote protected area (15,200 km²) bordering Namibia’s Skeleton Coast. The park is experiencing a remarkable revival after decades of conflict. Look for desert-adapted elephants, oryx, springbok, mountain zebra, and the critically endangered Angolan giraffe. The landscape — sand dunes meeting the Atlantic — is unlike any other African safari destination. Overnight at park lodge.
Day 6: Baía dos Tigres (Tiger Bay)
Drive to the ghost settlement of Baía dos Tigres, once Angola’s most important fishing port, now abandoned and cut off from the mainland by rising sea levels — you reach it only by boat. Explore the decaying colonial buildings being reclaimed by the desert. Walk the beaches littered with whale bones and shipwrecks — this stretch of coast is called the “Graveyard of Ships.” Overnight at camp near the coast.
Day 7: Flamingo Lodge & Pink Beaches
Drive to the Flamingo Lodge area where thousands of greater and lesser flamingos feed in the coastal lagoons. Visit the pink sand beaches created by crushed seashells. Afternoon: explore the fishing communities and their distinctive beach-launched pirogue boats. Overnight at coastal lodge.
Day 8: Return to Lubango
Drive back to Lubango via a different route through the Chela Mountains. Visit local Himba communities — semi-nomadic herders who still maintain their traditional lifestyle. Overnight in Lubango.
Day 9: Lubango Markets & Fly to Luanda
Morning at the Lubango market — one of Angola’s most colorful. Visit the Nossa Senhora do Monte church. Afternoon flight to Luanda. Farewell dinner. Overnight in Luanda.
Day 10: Depart Luanda
Transfer to airport.
Inclusions
- 9 nights (2 Luanda + 3 Lubango + 2 Namibe + 1 park lodge + 1 coastal)
- Daily breakfast + 6 dinners
- Luanda-Lubango round-trip flights
- 4×4 safari vehicle for entire southern route
- Iona National Park (full day safari)
- Serra da Leba Pass drive
- Baía dos Tigres boat trip
- Flamingo colony visit
- All park fees
- Airport transfers
