Namibia adventure travel offers breathtaking landscapes, wildlife encounters and cultural exploration. Experience vast deserts, towering sand dunes and rugged canyons among others.
Take in wildlife in Etosha National Park and visit Twyfelfontein UNESCO World Heritage Site to witness ancient rock engravings. Or enjoy mountain biking through Namibia’s rocky landscapes!
Sossusvlei
Sossusvlei is one of the top attractions in Namibia’s Namib-Naukluft National Park and one of the country’s main tourist spots, drawing visitors with its giant, apricot colored sand dunes that reach 300 meters tall and are among the world’s tallest – coupled with white clay pans that form its vleis, Sossusvlei creates an otherworldly and unforgettable landscape.
Dunes derive their vibrant red hue from iron oxides and garnet particles present in sand that has been exposed to air over millions of years since once covered by glaciers. Over time, wind and water sculpt the dunes into their current forms; Big Daddy covers an area the size of Belgium with an elevation reaching nearly 3 kilometers at its summit.
Travel from Windhoek to Sossusvlei from Sesriem will take approximately 4 – 5 hours by car, where travellers will find lodges and campsites located within Sesriem Park – this can be advantageous for photographers hoping to climb Dune 45, reach Deadvlei/Big Daddy for sunrise photography, or avoid crowds altogether.
Sossusvlei Lodge, Desert Camp and Hoanib Wilderness Lodge are among the most favored accommodations within the National Park, providing access to activities within it as well as being great options for travellers wanting to explore beyond vleis; in particular the dunes beyond them.
Other popular activities in the park include hiking, horseback riding, 4×4 driving and guided walks. Welwitschia Drive provides an opportunity to see some of the rare plants found throughout the park while other drives can explore moonscape dunes or visit ghostly camel thorn trees at Deadvlei.
Visit Sossusvlei early morning or late afternoon when the light is softest, when colours appear more vibrant. Travellers should bring plenty of sunscreen and water as Namibia is notoriously hot.
Etosha National Park
Etosha National Park, popularly referred to as the “Great White Place”, boasts one of Africa’s premier safari reserves where springbok, zebra and elephant herds roam freely among thick vegetation – as well as numerous species coming for waterhole drinks! Etosha’s varied habitats of dried salt pans and dense vegetation makes for one of the finest safari experiences available – where four out of the Big Five species may be seen; stay for some of Etosha’s private game reserve camps for an even greater wildlife experience!
Namibia offers unforgettable thrillseeking adventures for thrill-seekers of all kinds. Explore Fish River Canyon, trek the red sand dunes of Namib Desert and summit Table Mountain; then there’s Sossusvlei with its impressive scenery; Skeleton Coast offers unnerving desertscapes; and Etosha National Park offers endless desert plains.
Etosha National Park should be visited between June/July and October for optimal experiences, when animals return to its remaining waterholes for sustenance. Entrance fees must be paid separately when entering the park unless part of an organized tour package that includes entrance and game drives.
No matter your travel preference, our selection of Namibia adventure tours offers something to meet every traveller’s taste. Enjoy breathtaking scenery by aerial light aircraft flight or dive beneath its surface into its pristine marine parks; or join a hiking tour through Namibian wilderness on foot and camp under stars while learning its history through Himba and San communities for an intimate cultural encounter.
With breathtaking natural landscapes and unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime experiences, Namibia holidays have often been described by our clients as truly magical. Experience its iconic landmarks through our luxury touring itineraries or get in touch with us to arrange a custom journey tailored specifically for you by experts in African travel.
Skeleton Coast
Namibia’s Skeleton Coast is an extraordinary stretch of wild coastline. Drawing its name from the bones of seals and whales that litter its beaches, this inhospitable stretch defies expectations about Africa: wildlife is plentiful while civilization virtually nonexistent here.
The landscape varies from gravel plains to rocky desert, becoming more remote as you move farther north. A highlight is a flourishing colony of Cape Cross seals – visit between November and January to witness pups with their mothers, while male seals battle over territory and blubber. Birding here can also be rewarding, with rare species like flamingos, jackals, and vultures gathering to scavenge shipwreck remains.
Luderitz marks the southern end of Namibia’s Skeleton Coast and boasts one of its thriving diamond mining industries. Sandwich Harbour provides a glimpse into history, with the remains of marooned ships still visible today; also noteworthy are Henties Bay’s ghostly shipwrecks; here you might spot copper sharks, cow sharks or line fish such as kob and steenbras!
There are a number of companies offering 4×4 safaris into remote sections of the Skeleton Coast National Park, stretching from Kunene River in Namibia all the way southwards to Ugab River. Some operators, including Africa Travel Resource and Wildspace Adventure, have special permission to operate road-based tours all the way up to Kunene River so you can experience this untamed coastline rich with natural and historical treasures.
Though driving through the Skeleton Coast can be done throughout the year, the peak travel season for many visitors is from June to October when conditions are most ideal and sunlight shines brightest – although winter days can still be cold.
Fish River Canyon
Namibia’s Fish River Canyon is one of the country’s premier attractions, offering breathtaking sights from every vantage point. As one of the largest canyons in Southern Hemisphere and second most spectacular in the world, its immense scale strikes all senses from every direction. An adventurous traveller’s favourite stop, this breathtaking destination can often be found as part of group tours to Namibia or independent vacation plans.
Fish River Canyon hike is widely recognized by experts as a challenging one – typically part of a guided tour with accommodation available along the route, this epic trek will put your navigational and endurance skills through rigorous trials over multiple days!
Travel to Sossusvlei in South Africa for an out-of-this-world landscape experience and you may feel transported into another dimension. Sossusvlei’s iconic sand dunes stand out, but there’s plenty more to do here – climb Big Daddy (the highest dune of Sossusvlei), or take to the skies and see this dreamlike desert from above!
However, this area features more than dunes and sand – it also boasts numerous rocky outcrops and gorges scattered throughout. Visitors to this location can enjoy walking alongside the Fish River’s clear waters cascading over rocks, or exploring its desert where barking baboons echo off rocky outcrops while klipspringers dart up gullies.
There are a number of lodges and camps located throughout this part of Namibia that serve as ideal bases for hiking adventures, with Hobas being home to one such lodge – where Fish River Canyon hike starts – as well as Ais-Ais further south being where hiking trail ends. Both areas feature conservation parks containing rare species like African elephants. Richtersveld National Park of South Africa was linked up with this massive protected area by way of cross border park collaboration to form one huge protected zone.
