Sossusvlei and the Namib
Sossusvlei's red dunes are the image of Namibia, and Deadvlei's dead camel-thorn trees on a white clay pan are the most photographed thing in the country.
Namibia.
Desert beauty. Starry skies. Dunes. Adventure. Wildlife.
Southern Africa · 5 of 6
Photo Joe McDaniel / Unsplash
Discover the spellbinding allure of Namibia—a land of striking contrasts and untouched beauty, where vast, sculpted deserts unfold into a dramatic and unspoilt coastline, creating landscapes of haunting elegance and timeless grandeur.
Traverse ancient terrains etched with captivating San rock art, offering a profound and evocative insight into one of the world’s oldest living cultures. Here, in these stark yet beautiful environments, extraordinary desert-adapted wildlife endures and thrives, embodying nature’s remarkable resilience within a nation globally celebrated for its forward-thinking conservation ethos.
Complete your experience with the exceptional game viewing of Etosha National Park, one of Africa’s premier safari destinations, where expansive salt pans and abundant wildlife create unforgettable moments at every turn.
Best time to travel
May – Oct
The cool dry winter is best: game gathers at the Etosha waterholes and the desert light is at its cleanest. Summer is hot, with short and dramatic rains. An indicative pattern rather than a forecast; conditions vary year to year.
Start planning
Start planning your adventure
Please answer these few short questions to give us an idea of what kind of a journey you have in mind.
The guide
Namibia in full
Namibia is the one country in the region where the landscape, not the wildlife, is usually the reason to go. It is enormous, empty and geologically extraordinary — the oldest desert in the world meeting the Atlantic along a coastline of shipwrecks and fog.
It is also the region's great self-drive country. Roads are good, distances are long, traffic is almost absent, and a Namibian itinerary is typically a route rather than a set of camps reached by air.
Etosha
Etosha is Namibia's principal game park, built around a salt pan so large it is visible from space.
The Skeleton Coast and Damaraland
The Skeleton Coast is where the desert meets a cold Atlantic, and Damaraland inland holds desert-adapted elephant and ancient rock art.
Swakopmund and the coast
Swakopmund is a German colonial seaside town between the desert and the Atlantic, and the base for the country's adventure activities.
The Caprivi and the Zambezi Region
The narrow strip in the far north-east is green, riverine and completely unlike the rest of the country.
Gateways
- WDH — Windhoek — Hosea Kutako InternationalThe main international gateway, and where most self-drive itineraries collect a vehicle.
- ERS — Windhoek — Eros AirportThe light-aircraft airport for fly-in itineraries and charters.
- WVB — Walvis BayThe coastal airport serving Swakopmund and the central Namib.
Getting around
- Self-drive is the default, and Namibia is built for it. Distances are long, fuel stops need planning, and most of the driving is on gravel — which is why itineraries allow far fewer stops than the map suggests.
- Fly-in itineraries exist and suit shorter trips or the Skeleton Coast concessions, where driving is not permitted.
- Two-wheel drive is enough for the main routes in the dry season; the north-west and the Kunene need proper four-wheel drive and experience.
In pictures
Namibia
Photo Bernd 📷 Dittrich / Unsplash
Photo Bernd 📷 Dittrich / Unsplash
Photo Thomas Chizzali / Unsplash
Photo Taylor Wright / Unsplash
Photo Joe McDaniel / Unsplash
Photo Bruna Afonso / Unsplash
Planning Namibia
Namibia — the questions we are asked
When is the best time to visit Namibia?
May – Oct. The cool dry winter is best: game gathers at the Etosha waterholes and the desert light is at its cleanest. Summer is hot, with short and dramatic rains.
Which Famous Africa journeys include Namibia?
Famous Africa plans Namibia as a tailor-made itinerary rather than a fixed departure, on its own or combined with neighbouring countries. Nothing is sold as a set package, so the routing, lodges and length are decided with the traveller.
What is Namibia known for?
Discover the spellbinding allure of Namibia—a land of striking contrasts and untouched beauty, where vast, sculpted deserts unfold into a dramatic and unspoilt coastline, creating landscapes of haunting elegance and timeless grandeur. Desert beauty, Starry skies, Dunes, Adventure, Wildlife.