Africa

Namibia in January

Green season: storms, lush plains, calving, and top birding. Game spreads out away from Etosha's waterholes; desert heat is intense.

TradeoffsHot, highs near 90F (32C) inland, afternoon thunderstorms in the north

Sossusvlei, Namibia — NamibiaPhoto: Giles Laurent, CC BY-SA 4.0

The straight answer

January is a month of real tradeoffs in Namibia. Green season: storms, lush plains, calving, and top birding. Game spreads out away from Etosha's waterholes; desert heat is intense.

Weather: Hot, highs near 90F (32C) inland, afternoon thunderstorms in the north
Crowds: 2 of 5
Prices: 2 of 5

What January is like in Namibia

January is Namibia's green season. Inland highs are near 90F (32C), and the north gets afternoon thunderstorms that turn the plains fresh and green. It is calving time, so you will see newborn springbok and zebra, and migrant birds fill the bush. Game spreads out away from Etosha's waterholes, so sightings take more patience. Crowds and prices are low.

January suits birders, photographers who love stormy skies and return visitors who want to see a different side of the country. First-timers hoping for easy, dense wildlife sightings should aim for June through September. Desert heat at Sossusvlei is intense, so plan every outing for dawn.

Make the most of January

What is especially good about Namibia this month.

Calving season

Fresh grass brings newborn springbok and zebra, and predators follow. It is a lively time on the plains.

Top birding

Migrant birds arrive with the rains, making January one of the best months of the year for birders.

Storm-light landscapes

Towering clouds over green plains and red rock make for dramatic photos, especially late in the day.

What to pack for January

Light, breathable long sleeves for sun and bugs
A rain shell for afternoon storms in the north
Binoculars and a bird guide
Insect repellent, and ask a travel clinic about malaria for the north

Our timing tip

Start game drives at gate opening and plan to be back in camp before the afternoon storms and heat build.

Book Namibia for January.

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Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in Namibia
Opens a hotel search for Namibia in January, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
Hotels for January
Vacation rentals. Vrbo
Vacation rentals in Namibia
Whole homes, condos and villas. Usually the better deal for families and groups, with a kitchen and room to spread out.
Rentals on Vrbo
Tours and tickets. Expedia
Tours and tickets in Namibia
Timed-entry tickets, day trips and guided tours in Namibia for January. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
Tours and tickets

What's on in January

Green season and calving

Roughly January through March

Rains bring fresh grass, newborn springbok and zebra, and migrant birds. Game spreads out, so it is less predictable, but the landscapes are at their most dramatic.

Things to do in Namibia

Full guide

Etosha National Park

Stay at least two nights, ideally split between the west (Okaukuejo) and east (Namutoni). The camp waterholes are floodlit at night; the rest camps are run by Namibia Wildlife Resorts.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

Sossusvlei and Deadvlei

Gates at Sesriem open at sunrise; lodges inside the park boundary get an earlier start to the dunes. Climb Big Daddy or Dune 45 before the heat and sand turn brutal.

Tickets and tours →

Swakopmund and Walvis Bay

Cool, foggy coastal towns with German-era architecture, dune adventure sports, and kayak trips among the Cape fur seals and flamingos of Walvis Bay lagoon.

Tickets and tours →

Damaraland and Twyfelfontein

Desert-adapted elephants in dry riverbeds and Twyfelfontein's UNESCO-listed rock engravings, some thousands of years old.

Tickets and tours →

Fish River Canyon

One of the largest canyons on Earth. The multi-day hike runs only from about late April or May to mid September because of summer heat and flash floods; the viewpoints are open year-round.

Tickets and tours →

The Skeleton Coast

Shipwrecks, fog, and a seal colony of tens of thousands at Cape Cross. Remote, raw, and best combined with Damaraland.

Tickets and tours →

Beat the crowds

Book lodges inside or right at the edge of the parks (Sossusvlei and Etosha) first; they sell out months ahead for July and August and buy you the dawn gate advantage.
Go in June or September instead of July and August for the same dry-season wildlife with fewer European families on the roads.
Avoid the mid December to early January and Easter windows at the coast, when South African and Namibian holidaymakers fill Swakopmund.
At Etosha, drive out at gate opening and camp at a quiet waterhole rather than chasing sightings; the animals come to the water, and the crowds come to the famous pools.

Know before you go

The Fish River Canyon multi-day hike is open only from roughly late April or May to mid September; the rest of the year it is closed for extreme heat and flash-flood risk.
Park gates open at sunrise and close at sunset, and night driving outside the camps is not permitted in Etosha. Plan drives to reach camp before the gate closes.
In the rainy season, some gravel roads and river crossings in the north and in Damaraland can flood after storms. Check road conditions daily before long drives.
Business and town shops close early on Saturdays and are largely shut on Sundays outside Windhoek and Swakopmund, so stock up on fuel and groceries before weekends.

Namibia in January, quick answers

Is January a good time to visit Namibia?

January is a month of real tradeoffs in Namibia. Green season: storms, lush plains, calving, and top birding. Game spreads out away from Etosha's waterholes; desert heat is intense.

What is the weather like in Namibia in January?

Hot, highs near 90F (32C) inland, afternoon thunderstorms in the north.

Is Namibia crowded in January?

January is one of the quieter months in Namibia; most sights can be done without long waits.

What is happening in Namibia in January?

Green season and calving (roughly january through march).