This route is not a loop. It starts in Windhoek, runs via Sossusvlei, Swakopmund and Twyfelfontein into Etosha and then east through the narrow Caprivi Strip to Kasane in Botswana. In all it is about 2,600 kilometres, almost 1,600 on tar and about 1,000 on gravel. Almost all the gravel comes in the first half. From Namutoni onwards it is tar all the way.
And because it is not a loop, it means a one-way rental across a border. If you drop the car in Kasane or at Victoria Falls, the rental company charges a one-way fee and quotes it on request. Ask about the one-way fee and cross-border permission for Botswana and Zimbabwe before you book. For comparison, Britz's terms, valid until the end of October 2026, charge a one-off N$ 7,000 for Windhoek to Cape Town or Johannesburg. Its cross-border permit costs N$ 1,000 per rental, another company charges around N$ 445 (as of July 2026), and Britz wants the paperwork a week or more in advance. You pay the road levy in cash at the border.
The longest day is day fifteen, 517 kilometres from Rundu to Katima Mulilo, six and a half to seven and a half hours, with plenty of potholes as far as Divundu. Swap your second night in Rundu for a night near Divundu at Popa Falls. You then drive a little over 200 kilometres one day and about 315 the next. Refuel in Rundu, Divundu or Kongola. From Kongola the C49 leads to Mudumu and Nkasa Rupara, which as Zambezi Region parks charge N$ 200 per adult per day. Etosha and Namib-Naukluft are N$ 280 (both as of October 2026).
Our tipFrom Kasane it is 95 kilometres to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe via the Kazungula Road border post. For getting home, a link added in March 2026 helps: Proflight Zambia flies three times a week from Lusaka via Livingstone to Windhoek. And take malaria seriously: by the end of March 2026 the Zambezi Region had recorded more than 10,000 cases and was a focus of the outbreak.
Day by day
| Day | Stage | km | Overnight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive in Windhoek | Windhoek, 1 night | |
| 2 | Windhoek to Sesriem | 342 | Sesriem and Sossusvlei, 2 nights |
| 4 | Sesriem to Swakopmund | 350 | Swakopmund, 3 nights |
| 7 | Swakopmund to Twyfelfontein | 336 | Twyfelfontein, 2 nights |
| 9 | Twyfelfontein to Etosha (Andersson Gate) | 330 | Etosha South (Andersson Gate), 2 nights |
| 11 | Okaukuejo to Namutoni | 155 | Etosha East (Von Lindequist Gate), 2 nights |
| 13 | Etosha (Von Lindequist Gate) to Rundu | 432 | Rundu, 2 nights |
| 15 | Rundu to Katima Mulilo | 517 | Katima Mulilo and Zambezi, 3 nights |
| 18 | Katima Mulilo to Kasane | 125 | Kasane (Botswana), 3 nights |
| 21 days, 2,587 km, 36 to 42.5 hours at the wheel | |||
Distances and times as of October 2026, driving time without stops or detours.
Etosha, Caprivi and Victoria Falls in 21 days: frequently asked questions
Can I drop a rental car from Windhoek in Kasane or at Victoria Falls?
Dropping a Windhoek rental car in Kasane or at Victoria Falls is a cross-border one-way rental. The rental company quotes the one-way fee on request, and you also need a cross-border permit and pay a road levy at the border.
How long is the drive from Etosha to Kasane?
From Namutoni in Etosha to Kasane via Rundu and Katima Mulilo is a little over 1,070 kilometres of tar. The route spreads it over three driving days, the longest being Rundu to Katima Mulilo at 517 kilometres.
Where should I stay between Rundu and Katima Mulilo?
A night near Divundu at Popa Falls works well between Rundu and Katima Mulilo. It splits 517 kilometres into a little over 200 and about 315 kilometres.
How high is the malaria risk in the Caprivi?
The German Foreign Office rates the malaria risk in northern and north-eastern Namibia as high all year, and the Zambezi Region was a focus of the outbreak with more than 10,000 cases by the end of March 2026. See a doctor before you travel.