Every Dunes to Delta itinerary starts in Windhoek. Here's exactly what the first leg of the trip actually looks like.
Roughly 430-500km depending on which of Etosha's three main gates you enter through (Andersson's/Okaukuejo is the most common approach from Windhoek).
About 5-6 hours on mostly tarred B1 highway, longer with stops. Most itineraries break the drive with a stop in Otjiwarongo or a similar town along the way, rather than driving straight through.
The B1 is tarred the whole way; the final stretch into the park is well-maintained gravel. A standard 2WD is fine for this specific route.
Charter flights to Ondangwa or private airstrips near Etosha exist and save time, but cost significantly more and skip the scenery most travelers actually want to see.
This specific leg (Windhoek to Etosha) is one of the easiest drives in Namibia — tarred road, well-signed, no 4x4 needed. It's a genuinely reasonable one to self-drive even if you go guided for the more remote parts of a longer itinerary later. See our full self-drive vs guided comparison for the rest of the trip.
Every Dunes to Delta itinerary starts in Windhoek and handles this leg (and everything after it) for you.