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The Christuskirche on its roundabout in central Windhoek, seen from above, with office towers and the hills of the Khomas Hochland behind
The Christuskirche from above · the city sits at about 1,700 metres
Town brief · 22.5700°S 17.0836°E

Windhoek

Keep your free day in Windhoek for the end of the trip, when you can walk a compact centre, eat kapana at the Katutura grills and see zebra on foot half an hour out of town.

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Why you should go

Ninety seconds on Windhoek

How long
A night at each endone to collect the car, one to see the city
Getting around
On foot by day, taxi at nightno Uber; book through LEFA or your guesthouse
When
May to Octoberdry and clear, with cold winter nights; rain mostly November to March
Language
English, Afrikaans on the streetOshiwambo is the most spoken at home
Money
The Namibian dollarpegged to the rand, which is accepted across Namibia
Airports
Hosea Kutako WDHabout 45km east; Eros ERS in town for domestic flights
How long

How many days do you need in Windhoek?

One full day covers the city. Most self-drive trips spend a night here at each end: the arrival afternoon goes on collecting the hire car and stocking up for the road, which takes about two hours, so the sights are best left for the last day.

Getting around

Is Windhoek walkable?

The centre is, by day: the Christuskirche, the parliament gardens, the Independence Memorial Museum and the craft centre are all within a few blocks. After dark, a booked taxi is the safe way to move, even over short distances. There is no Uber; local apps such as LEFA and Yango book cars, and shared taxis run fixed routes by day.

When

When is the best time to visit Windhoek?

May to October, the dry season, when the skies are clear and the days mild. At about 1,700 metres the city gets cold at night in winter, with July nights averaging around 6°C and occasional frost. Rain falls mostly from November to March, often as afternoon storms, and February is the wettest month.

Language

What language is spoken in Windhoek?

English is the official language and is used on signs and in hotels. Afrikaans is the common language between communities on the street, and Oshiwambo is the most widely spoken home language. German is still heard in the centre and appears on older street names and shopfronts.

Money

What currency is used in Windhoek?

The Namibian dollar, pegged one to one to the South African rand. Rand notes are accepted everywhere in Namibia, but Namibian dollars are not accepted in South Africa, so they are best spent before leaving. Cards work in malls, hotels and the craft centre; the kapana grills and market stalls take cash.

Airports

How far is Windhoek airport from the city?

Hosea Kutako International (WDH), which handles all international flights, is about 45km east of the centre, roughly 40 minutes by road. Transfers are best booked ahead through a guesthouse or a shuttle company. Eros Airport (ERS), about 5km south of the centre, handles domestic and charter flights, including fly-in safaris.

The sights of the centre sit within a few blocks of the Christuskirche, so one morning on foot covers them. Walk through the parliament gardens behind the church, then cross to the Independence Memorial Museum, which is free and closed on Sundays. The old fort next door is shut for repairs.

For lunch, head out to Katutura and eat kapana at the Single Quarters market. Go with a guide from the township rather than alone: residents run the walking tours. Weekends are the busiest time at the grills.

Two places need wheels. Heroes' Acre is 10km south on the Rehoboth road, and Daan Viljoen, 24km west, is the park where you can walk among zebra and giraffe without a guide. Go to the park early, before the heat, and carry water.

Stay in the centre if you have no car: the sights are a walk away by day, though the streets empty after dark. With a car, stay in Windhoek West or Klein Windhoek, where the guesthouses are on quiet residential streets with parking. From June to October, book the room and the car well ahead.

Do not walk anywhere after dark, even a few blocks: take a taxi booked through your guesthouse or an app. Keep your phone out of sight on Independence Avenue, where pickpockets work the crowds. Many shops close over the Christmas holidays.

Things to do

13
  1. Independence Memorial Museum

    Independence Memorial Museum

    Museum · 1.5 hr

    Windhoek's Independence Memorial Museum is where you follow Namibia's road to independence, one stage to a floor, told mostly in photographs. Ride the glass lift up the outside of the building to the top floor for a view over central Windhoek.

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  2. Alte Feste

    Fortress

    Look at it from the pavement beside the museum: the fort is closed for repairs, and the genocide memorial in front is the part you can visit.

  3. Christuskirche

    Church · 30 min

    Start your walk of the centre here: the church stands on its own traffic island on Robert Mugabe Avenue, opposite the parliament, and the door is often open in daylight.

  4. Daan Viljoen Game Reserve

    Park · 3 hr

    Half an hour west, take the 3km or 9km marked trail on foot through mountain-zebra country. Carry water.

  5. Gibeon Meteorites

    Landmark

    Stop for fifteen minutes on Post Street Mall to see about thirty pieces of a meteorite on steel columns, outdoors and free.

  6. Heroes' Acre

    Monument · 1 hr

    You need a car or a taxi for this one, 10km south with no public transport. Climb the stairway for the view back over the city.

  7. Katutura

    Neighborhood · 3 hr

    Spend a morning on a resident-led walk through the township's markets and streets.

  8. Naankuse Wildlife Sanctuary

    Park · 4 hr

    Book the carnivore feeding tour and you watch lions, cheetahs, leopards and wild dogs fed 45 km east of Windhoek, with guides who tell you where each animal came from.

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  9. Namibia Craft Centre

    Market · 1 hr

    Namibia Craft Centre puts baskets, ostrich-eggshell jewellery and root carvings from rural craft enterprises in front of you, in the old brewery buildings of central Windhoek. It is the largest craft market in the country, so you see the whole range in one place.

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  10. National Art Gallery of Namibia

    Gallery · 1 hr

    Essential if you want to see what Namibia's own artists make, the National Art Gallery of Namibia hangs John Muafangejo's linocuts and changing contemporary shows beside its permanent collection.

  11. National Botanic Garden of Namibia

    Garden · 1.5 hr

    Worth a morning before you head for the desert, this hillside garden in central Windhoek lets you walk among Namibia's own aloes, quiver trees and succulents before you meet them in the wild.

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  12. Single Quarters Market

    Market · 1 hr

    Eat kapana where it is grilled: point at the meat, buy salsa at the next stall, and come at lunchtime.

  13. Tintenpalast

    Palace · 30 min

    Walk through the parliament gardens behind the Christuskirche on a weekday, and ask ahead if you want to see the chamber inside.

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Sources 1

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