Windhoek travel guide
Namibia
Namibia's small, high-altitude capital, ringed by hills and dotted with German colonial buildings. Most travellers pass through to start a desert road trip, but a couple of days here is time well spent.
Essentials
- Language
- English (official); Afrikaans, Oshiwambo and German are also widely spoken
- Currency
- Namibian dollar (NAD), pegged to the South African rand, which is also accepted
- Plugs
- Types D and M, 220 V
- Emergency number
- 10111 for police, 112 from a mobile
- Tipping
- Around 10% in restaurants; a small tip for petrol attendants and car guards is customary.
Rough daily budget
Approximate spend per person per day, in US dollars:
- Backpacker: $35-55, with a hostel or shared room, street food and public transport.
- Mid-range: $90-150, with a private room and restaurant meals.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Where to stay in Windhoek
- Klein Windhoek: guesthouses, restaurants and a relaxed, residential feel.
- Central Windhoek: the Christuskirche, the Independence Memorial Museum and the main shops.
- Katutura: the township north of the centre, best visited with a local guide.
Getting around Windhoek
There is no metro; shared taxis run set routes and private taxis can be booked. Most visitors rent a car for the rest of the country, and walking alone after dark is best avoided.
Best time to visit Windhoek
May to October, the dry winter, with warm days and cold nights.
Top things to do in Windhoek
- Visit the Christuskirche and the gardens of the Tintenpalast, the parliament building
- Take the glass lift up the Independence Memorial Museum for the view over the city
- Shop for baskets, carvings and textiles from across the country at the Namibia Craft Centre
- Tour Katutura with a local guide, finishing with kapana at the Single Quarters market
- Hike among wildlife in the Daan Viljoen Game Reserve on the city's western edge
What to eat in Windhoek
- Kapana: thinly sliced grilled beef sold by the piece, with chilli salt
- Game meat: kudu, oryx and springbok steaks feature on many restaurant menus
- Biltong: dried, cured strips of meat, the standard road-trip snack
- Vetkoek: deep-fried dough, eaten with savoury mince or with jam
Day trips from Windhoek
- Daan Viljoen Game Reserve: hiking trails among zebra and wildebeest, about half an hour west
- Okahandja: a large wood-carvers' market, about an hour north
Local etiquette
A greeting comes before any request, even in a shop. Ask before photographing people, especially in townships and rural areas.
Staying connected
MTC SIM cards are sold at the airport and in town; coverage is good in Windhoek but patchy on remote roads, so download offline maps before a road trip.
Staying safe
Bag snatching and theft from cars happen in the centre, so leave nothing visible in a parked car and use taxis at night. Outside town, gravel roads and wildlife make driving after dark risky.
A local tip
Try kapana, grilled street meat with chilli salt, at the Single Quarters market in Katutura.
Visas:rules depend on your nationality and change often – check your own government's official travel advice before you go.
Meet people in Windhoek on Waypacker
Waypacker is a free travel community: stay with ID-verified local hosts, join meetups and city groups, and ask people who live in Windhoek for advice. We are new here, so if you live in Windhoek, you could be one of the first hosts.
Questions about Windhoek
- What currency is used in Windhoek?
- Windhoek uses the Namibian dollar (NAD), pegged to the South African rand, which is also accepted.
- What is the emergency number in Windhoek?
- In Windhoek, call 10111 for police, 112 from a mobile.
- When is the best time to visit Windhoek?
- May to October, the dry winter, with warm days and cold nights.
- How much does a day in Windhoek cost?
- Roughly $35-55 a day in US dollars on a backpacker budget (a hostel or shared room, street food and public transport), and $90-150 mid-range (a private room and restaurants). These are broad estimates, last reviewed October 2026.
- Is Waypacker free to use in Windhoek?
- Yes. Joining is free and stays with hosts carry no nightly rate or booking fee.
- Are Waypacker hosts ID-verified?
- Every host's ID and selfie are checked by hand by a real person before they can host. Nothing is sent to an AI service.
- Can I meet locals in Windhoek without staying with anyone?
- Yes. You can join meetups and city groups, or ask locals for tips, without booking a stay.
- Will anyone see my exact location?
- No. Hosts and meetups appear as a neighbourhood-sized area about a kilometre wide, and exact addresses are never stored.