Getting to Windhoek and Around by 4x4, Shuttle and LEFA

Situated near the geographic heart of Namibia where the paved north-south B1 highway intersects the east-west B6 corridor, Windhoek is the arrival and departure point for almost every visitor to the country. Knowing the difference between Windhoek's two airports and how rental 4x4 depots handle handovers will save you hours on your first day.

Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH) vs Eros Airport (ERS)

Windhoek is served by two separate airports forty-five kilometres apart:

• Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH, 45 km east): because Windhoek itself sits in a bowl of steep hills, the main international runway lies on the flatter plains 45 kilometres east along the paved B6 highway. Allow a full 40 to 45 minutes by road into Klein Windhoek or the city centre, and watch for warthogs and baboons grazing along the highway verges. Most major 4x4 rental companies operate dedicated courtesy shuttles from Hosea Kutako straight to their city depots in Windhoek rather than handing over complex rooftop-tent campers at the airport car park.
• Eros Airport (ERS, 5 km south of the centre): located just off the B1 inside the southern suburbs, Eros handles scheduled domestic flights (such as Westair / FlyNamibia services to Ondangwa, Katima Mulilo and Oranjemund) as well as private light-aircraft fly-in safaris to Sossusvlei, Damaraland and the Skeleton Coast.

Getting around Windhoek: walking, LEFA app cabs and radio taxis

Inside the historic core between Christuskirche, the Independence Memorial Museum, Post Street Mall and the Namibia Craft Centre, you can walk between stops in ten to fifteen minutes during the day. For trips between Klein Windhoek guesthouses, Joe's Beerhouse, shopping malls and Katutura, download the local LEFA ride-hailing app (Namibia's equivalent of Uber, which lets you book private transfers and airport shuttles) or ask your hotel reception to call a registered radio taxi. Shared street taxis cruise the main avenues honking for passengers, though pre-booked LEFA cars or hotel taxis are strongly recommended for visitors, especially after sunset.

TransNamib Desert Express and intercity shuttles

Historic Windhoek Railway Station on Bahnhof Street is the home of TransNamib services and luxury rail cruises, while daily air-conditioned minibuses connect Windhoek along the B2 highway to Swakopmund and Walvis Bay in roughly four hours.