Sossusvlei, Namibia: red dunes and a white clay pan
Sossusvlei is a clay pan ringed by some of the tallest dunes in the Namib Desert. Go between May and September, when days are dry and mild.
Why go
Sossusvlei sits inside the Namib-Naukluft National Park, reached through the small settlement of Sesriem. The park gates open at sunrise, and the dunes glow orange in the first light. Visitors climb Dune 45 before the heat builds, then walk to Deadvlei, a white pan with dead camelthorn trees.
Sesriem Canyon lies close to the gate and makes a good afternoon walk, when the sun reaches the canyon floor. Solitaire, a tiny stop on the road in, is known for its bakery and fuel. Many lodges offer balloon flights, guided dune drives and hikes in the Naukluft mountains.
Plan it
- Best time
- May to September, when it is dry and cooler. Summer days can pass 40 degrees.
- From SA
- Fly from Johannesburg or Cape Town to Windhoek and check flights before you book. Then drive about 5 hours to Sesriem on tar and gravel, or take a charter flight to the Sesriem airstrip. A 4x4 suits the gravel. From Cape Town a long road trip via Aus and Luderitz is also possible.
- Visa
- South African passport holders do not need a visa for tourist visits. Check the Namibian immigration rules before you travel.
- Stay
- Lodges outside the park gate cost about R3,000 a night for a mid-range room. The Sesriem campsite is much cheaper and lets you enter the dunes before sunrise.
- Budget
- $$, Flights, car hire and lodges add up
- Good for
- Photographers, road trippers, desert walkers
Visa rules and prices change: check them before you book.