Namibia volunteering vacations guide
Namibia is on the radar of many keen travelers, beloved for its dramatic landscapes, adventure sports and superb wildlife viewing. It’s less well known as a volunteering hotspot, yet as our Namibia volunteering guide explains, this desert nation has some really exciting wildlife conservation options.
Volunteering takes you deep into Namibia – working with its wildlife, exploring its wild terrain and promoting peaceful co-existence between its animals and people.![]()
You can volunteer at a wildlife sanctuary, or join a cheetah or elephant conservation project that takes you into the desert or mountains to track these beautiful creatures. Whatever you choose, your work will help alleviate human-wildlife conflict, directly benefitting local people as well as indigenous animals. This is a chance to learn more about the challenges both Namibia’s wildlife and people face, to get down and dirty feeding African wild dogs and walking orphaned baboons, and to bond with new friends over a braai and a beer at the end of the day.
Our Namibia volunteering Vacations
Namibia wildlife sanctuary volunteering vacation
Care for rescued animals in Namibia
From
£945 to £5445
15 days
ex flights
Namibia carnivore conservation & research project
Assist the team as a Big Cat Conservation Volunteer!
From
£1340
17 days
ex flights
Namibia elephant conservation
Help protect and research the desert elephants
From
£1195
12 days
ex flights
Elephant conservation vacation for families, Namibia
Elephant conservation volunteering project for families
From
£999 to £1249
11 days
ex flights
Elephant conservation project in Namibia
Preserve the beautiful desert elephants of Namibia!
From
£945 to £4395
11 days
ex flights
Family volunteering in Namibia, desert elephants
Family trip to research and conserve desert elephants
From
£995 to £1295
10 days
ex flights
Elephant conservation volunteering in Namibia
Elephant conservation volunteering in stunning Namibia
From
£1199
14 days
ex flights
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Our top Namibia volunteering Vacation
Namibia wildlife sanctuary volunteering vacation
Care for rescued animals in Namibia
From
£945 to £5445
15 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
This trip departs every Monday and Thursday throughout the year
This trip departs every Monday and Thursday throughout the year
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Namibia volunteering or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.
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What do Namibia volunteering vacations entail?
How long are the trips?
All the Namibia volunteering vacations on our site require a minimum stay of between 10 days and two weeks, with usually a maximum of 12 weeks. Most trips start on set dates, but with departures typically once or even twice a week, you can start your volunteering at almost any time you like, and trips run throughout the year. Usually, only specialist family volunteering breaks are tailor made, and on these you can travel when you like.What’s the work like?
Volunteering work in Namibia can be quite physical. Long walks to track big cats and construction work to protect water supplies from desert elephants demand a degree of physical fitness. On a wildlife sanctuary, expect to roll up your sleeves and get dirty, helping with caring and feeding for animals, and all kinds of maintenance work around the site. Working days are pretty full, although there’s usually a long break for lunch and evenings free for relaxing. On some projects you may be expected to help prepare the evening meal, too. Within a two-week placement, you can expect one day off or two half days.
You’ll be working in – or on the fringes of – the desert, so factor in its harsh climate. In November, December and January the mercury can climb into the 30°Cs while in the Namibian winter – June, July and August – it’s incredibly dry. Nighttime temperatures can drop to freezing and the dryness can be uncomfortable.
You’ll be working in – or on the fringes of – the desert, so factor in its harsh climate. In November, December and January the mercury can climb into the 30°Cs while in the Namibian winter – June, July and August – it’s incredibly dry. Nighttime temperatures can drop to freezing and the dryness can be uncomfortable.
Do I need experience?
No specialist qualifications or experience are necessary to volunteer in Namibia. The projects that run here simply demand an enthusiasm for wildlife conservation and a willingness to get stuck in. Inductions and training are always provided and you’ll have the support of the local team throughout, so enthusiasm is generally more vital than experience.Why do I need to pay to volunteer?
Although volunteering breaks involve you giving your time and energy to a project, they are not free to join. You are booking onto an organised vacation, via a specialist operator that has spent time building a relationship with each project in Namibia and vetting it carefully, to be sure it delivers genuine benefits to local people, the environment and wildlife. The cost goes towards your food (usually all meals are included), accommodation, training and valuable pre-trip and in-country support. Often, a portion of your fee also goes towards funding for items such as building materials and medications for the animals.A volunteering vacation is a chance to travel to remote corners of Namibia, to meet local people and see a great deal of wildlife. When you take all this into account, a volunteering is an economical way to immerse yourself in Namibia.
More about Namibia volunteering
Wildlife conservation and reducing human-wildlife conflict is the main driver of volunteering trips in Namibia, and joining one will bring you close to the country’s big elephants, big cats and big landscapes.
Wildlife sanctuary volunteering is an incredibly popular option in Namibia, and is your chance to be hands on with some of the country’s most beautiful wildlife.
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