Best Places to Visit in Namibia: Top 10 Attractions to See
Best Places to Visit in Namibia: Top 10 Attractions to See. Namibia is one of the world’s least populous countries due to the Namib Desert, which is also the oldest desert on Earth. Namibia is home to some of the most breathtaking vistas you will ever see, thanks to its vast sand dunes, some of which are the highest in the world, as well as its dry gravel plains and rocky terrain. Actually, there are parts of this fascinating nation that will make you think you’ve arrived on Mars.
Wildlife lovers will love a safari in Namibia, while those who like to travel independently will love the country’s well-developed infrastructure and relatively flat landscapes. Honeymooners will love the seclusion and privacy of their accommodations in Namibia, and families will love the country’s welcoming culture and excellent infrastructure.
10 Best Places to Visit in Namibia
Beautiful, distinctive, and out of the ordinary landscapes may be found in Namibia. There are countless attractions and activities to choose from. In this article, we will share our recommendations for the top 10 must-see attractions in Namibia.
Sossusvlei
This isn’t easy. What do we do now? | Sossusvlei Namibia
The breathtaking sand dunes of Sossusvlei in Namibia’s Namib Desert are commonly said to be the tallest dunes on Earth. Sossusvlei, one of Namibia’s most breathtaking landscapes, offers excellent photo ops, especially at sunrise and sunset, and is located in the largest conservation area in Africa, Namib-Naukluft National Park.
Why Go
- Visit the eerily beautiful Deadvlei (‘dead marsh’)
- Climb Dune 45 or Big Daddy (about 350 metres or 1 150 feet)
- Go on a hot-air balloon safari over the desert
Our advice: In order to escape the crowds, it is recommended that you consult with one of our Africa Safari Experts before visiting the dunes surrounding Sossusvlei.
Where To Stay in Sossusvlei
Kulala Desert Lodge
Located in the middle of the Namib Desert, Kulala Desert Lodge is encircled by crimson sand dunes, barren mountains, and gravel plains. The primary structures of the camp are a North African design, made entirely of clay bricks. They have a wrap-around verandah that looks out over a waterhole and the desert landscape beyond.
In addition to guided nature walks, wildlife drives, and quad bike paths in the lodge’s private reserve, guests can enjoy a guided excursion to the nearby famous Sossusvlei sand dunes for a one-of-a-kind desert experience. In the afternoons, you may cool yourself in the plunge pool while watching creatures like ostriches, jackals, oryx, bat-eared foxes and aardwolves drink from the waterhole in front of the main structure. A champagne brunch awaits you upon arriving from a hot-air balloon expedition, an option you can pursue one morning.
Wolwedans Dunes Lodge
Wolwedans Dunes Lodge strikes the ideal mix between a permanent lodge and a tented camp, situated on a dune platform in the middle of the NamibRand Nature Reserve. The lodge’s 360-degree views allow couples to take in the breathtaking scenery in all directions, making it the perfect getaway.
Embark on picturesque nature drives and walking safaris during the day to discover these stunning environs. Take a thrilling hot-air balloon ride or a gorgeous plane ride to Sossusvlei or the Diamond Coast for an adrenaline rush. Have picnics in the park, watch the sun go set over the dunes, and eat candlelit meals for two.
Etosha National Park
Etosha National Park Self-Drive | Overlanding Namibia | Full-Time Travellers
With its excellent roads, Etosha National Park in northern Namibia is a self-driver’s dream and, according to many safari enthusiasts, one of the best wildlife reserves in Africa. Covering an area of 22,270 square kilometres (8,600 square miles), it is a haven for a plethora of plains game, giraffe, cheetah, and four members of the Big Five: leopard, rhino, lion, and elephant.
The enormous mineral pan known as Etosha Pan—four times larger than Los Angeles—dominates the landscape of Etosha, thus the name “Great White Place.” The ideal time to go on a safari in Namibia is during the dry season, which lasts from May to October. That’s when you’ll see an abundance of animals at the temporary water holes in Etosha Pan, like in the Bible.
Why Go
- One of the best places in Southern Africa to see cheetah and black rhino
- Incredible game viewing between May and October
- Excellent accommodation in adjacent private reserves
- Easy and safe for self-driving
Where To Stay in Etosha National Park
Ongava Tented Camp
Etosha National Park is the best place to see wildlife in Namibia, and Ongava Tented Camp is part of a private reserve that is 30,000 hectares in size. The lodge, constructed of rock, thatch, and canvas, is located amid hill country in the reserve’s heart and looks out over a waterhole that is illuminated at night.
Experience the thrill of professional game drives in an open 4X4 at Ongava Tented Camp. Explore the Ongava Reserve, home to black and white rhino, and the Okaukuejo area of Etosha, where you can spot a multitude of antelope species, elephants, giraffes, and zebras. Predators like lions and cheetahs are widespread in this area, and visitors to the private reserve can enjoy thrilling activities like night drives and nature walks that are not permitted inside Etosha National Park.
The photographic hide at Ongava Lodge is available to guests of Ongava Tented Camp.
Etosha Mountain Lodge
In a place of seemingly infinite horizons, expansive savannah grasslands, enormous herds of elephant, and critically endangered black rhino, Etosha Mountain Lodge is situated majestically atop a dolomite hill. Located on the southwestern edge of the world-renowned Etosha National Park, in the heart of Etosha Heights, the largest private game reserve in Namibia, the resort offers breathtaking views of the desert landscapes that make up this pristine wildlife conservation region.
Discover the area’s emblems—the endangered rhino, big cats, and elephant—on morning and afternoon game drives in a virgin wilderness area of around 150,000 acres. Etosha Heights is a private reserve, so you can avoid the throng while still going on spectacular night game drives illuminated by spot lights and tracking wildlife on foot. Alternately, you could just relax at the waterhole in front of camp with a cool drink and watch the wildlife.
The original resort in Etosha Heights, Etosha Mountain resort, was constructed with the express purpose of accommodating private groups. This magnificent cabin is the perfect spot to get away from it all, reconnect with nature, and enjoy some peace and quiet.
Damaraland
Damaraland is a huge, wild, and dramatically gorgeous area in Namibia; it is also arguably one of the country’s most picturesque areas. This breathtaking wilderness provides an unparalleled adventure for the daring. Damaraland is typical, with its ancient water streams, expansive grasslands and plains, granite hills, and deep gorges. Westward, the landscape undergoes a drastic shift: the Skeleton Coast is where the seemingly endless sandy wastelands meet the churning Atlantic Ocean.
The exotic creatures that call Damaraland home have figured out how to live in one of the most hostile habitats on Earth. You might spot a few desert-adapted animals here, like ostriches, black rhinos, giraffes, oryx, and springboks (gazelles). Desert-adapted elephants forage for water and food up to 70 km (40 mi) every day without cutting down any trees, unlike their savannah-dwelling relatives.
Where to Stay in Damaraland
Damaraland Camp
Damaraland Camp, located on the northern side of the Huab River valley with a view south towards the majestic Brandberg Mountains, is considered to be Namibia’s most fruitful ecotourism endeavour. It’s also home to a wide variety of big game, and while the wildlife isn’t as concentrated as it is in Etosha, you can still spot the uncommon desert-adapted elephant, springbok, ostrich, and gemsbok (oryx) at Damaraland Camp. Additionally, black rhinos and lions are occasionally spotted.
In one of Namibia’s most picturesque wilderness regions, this welcoming camp provides guided nature walks and game drives. In your spare time, you can go mountain biking or see ancient Bushman rock art at Twyfelfontein, a World Heritage Site, instead of hunting wildlife.
Etendeka Mountain Camp
Located in northern Namibia, unspoiled Damaraland is home to a wide variety of animals, including the Big 5, African wildcats, aardwolves, Hartmann’s mountain zebras, and flat-topped mountains. The landscape is characterised by huge rocks, prehistoric lava flows, and flat tops. Etendeka Mountain Camp is located in the middle of this untamed beauty, which is adorned with crystals and semiprecious stones. Travellers and adventurers who know what it means to be “off the beaten track” love this little town because it is ideal for the harsh climate, where temperatures can soar during the day and drop dramatically at night.
During your days here, you can go on foot safaris in search of smaller species like black mongooses or elephant shrews, or you can hop in a 4×4 to view cheetahs, black rhinos, desert-adapted elephants, eland, and herds of sword-horned oryx. Those interested in birds should bring their binoculars in case they see an elusive long-billed lark or a snake-eagle catching a scorpion. As night falls, assemble around the telescope and use the complete darkness to study distant stars, Saturn’s rings, and other celestial marvels.
Kaokoveld
Filming in the KAOKOVELD DESERT of Namibia
The Kaokoveld is a magnificent mountainous region in Southern Africa that is home to some of the region’s last remaining wilderness regions. Lions, giraffes, black rhinos, oryx, and rare desert-adapted elephants all call this area home, much like Etosha. Kaokoveld is great for a fly-in experience because it is quiet, large, and mostly deserted. It is genuinely off the beaten road.
The Himba are a semi-nomadic pastoral group known for their capacity to thrive in arid and harsh environments; they make up roughly a third of the region’s inhabitants. There is only one person for every two square kilometres (0.8 square miles) of Kaokoveld.
Why Go
- Experience one of Southern Africa’s last untouched wilderness areas
- Track rare desert-adapted elephant, black rhino, giraffe and lion
- Cultural interactions with the local Himba people
Our advice: Be sure to take advantage of the chance to meet animal experts at the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and the Hoanib Research Centre, where they will be investigating the desert-adapted lion in particular.
Where to Stay in Kaokoveld
Hoanib Valley Camp
The isolated Sesfontein Community Conservation Area in Namibia’s Koakoveld is home to Hoanib Valley Camp. The Koakoveld is one of the remaining big unspoiled wilderness places in Southern Africa. From its vantage point in the camp, you can see the beautiful Hoanib River Valley, a verdant oasis that stretches across the world’s oldest desert, the breathtaking Namib.
Together with the residents of Sesfontein, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation—the world’s most renowned and longest-running giraffe study organization—built this magnificent eco-camp. In addition to keeping an eye on the elephants and other wildlife in the area, they are authorities on the Hoanib area’s desert-adapted giraffe species. Seize the chance to find out more about the foundation’s studies on these enormous creatures with lengthy legs.
Serra Cafema Camp
A remote camp called Serra Cafema is located in the Hartmann Valley, which is part of Kaokaland in northern Namibia. The only way to reach this camp is by light aeroplane or a 4×4 transfer across the Namib Desert. Wild and unspoiled, the lunar “moonscape” of towering dunes and volcanic rocks is home to desert-adapted animals such as long-billed larks, horned adders, and Cape foxes, which amaze and delight tourists. The eight tents at Serra Cafema offer breathtaking views of the Kunene River, which also serves as the boundary between Angola and Namibia.
Skeleton Coast National Park
Self drive the Skeleton Coast of Namibia
The Skeleton Coast is a mysterious location where the dunes of the oldest desert on Earth meet the tumultuous Atlantic Ocean to create one of the most spectacular coastlines on Earth. It is often linked with famous shipwrecks and tales of sailors who walked hundreds of miles in quest of water and food. ‘The Gates of Hell,’ was the name given by Portuguese explorers; ‘The Land God Made in Anger,’ was the name given by San Bushmen.’ However, the widespread belief is that the name was given to it because of the abundance of whale and seal bones found on the shores from bygone whaling and seal hunts.
Skeleton Coast National Park is home to just one establishment, the unique Shipwreck Lodge. At this location, you have the option to go on 4×4 excursions in search of desert-dwelling creatures or join guided beach walks to investigate the ruins of ships that perished in the Skeleton Coast’s treacherous currents, heavy fog, and shifting sandbanks hundreds of years ago.
Why Go
- 4×4 excursions into the Namib Desert and Hoanib River Delta
- Track desert-dwelling elephants, the elusive desert-adapted lion and brown hyena
- See the rich birdlife – nearly 250 species
- Scenic flights over a hauntingly beautiful coastline
Zambezi Region (Formerly Caprivi Strip)
Namibia’s Best Kept Secret – The Zambezi Region
The Caprivi provides an amazing opportunity for a water safari amidst its riverine woods and expansive wetlands; it is sometimes compared to Namibia’s version of the Okavango Delta. Elephants, buffalo, hippos, and crocodiles find refuge in the area because of its four perennial rivers: Chobe, Kwando, Linyanti, and Zambezi. Additionally, the area has recorded 600+ kinds of birds, making it an ideal spot for birding. You may go on boat safaris and breathtaking sunset excursions in Caprivi’s several private wildlife reserves, which are home to first-rate resorts.
Why Go
- Outstanding bird-watching destination
- Fantastic game drives, boat safaris and fishing excursions
- Excellent safari lodges in serene riverside settings
Where To Stay in Zambezi Region
Chobe Savanna Lodge
In the northern part of Namibia’s Chobe River, in the eastern Caprivi region, you’ll find Chobe Savanna Lodge. Guests of the lodge may take in breathtaking views of the African bush from their vantage point above the Puku Flats, a large floodplain in Chobe National Park. An impressive 270 degrees of view over the Chobe River and reserve, where antelope, buffalo and hippos are free to roam, may be enjoyed from the main thatched and open-sided house.
Unwind in the open boma while taking in the sights and sounds of nature, or spend the day swimming in the pool. Or, you may spend the day fishing and exploring the area on a boat tour, or you could join a guided nature walk.
Namushasha River Lodge
As it flows from Namibia into Botswana, the Kwando River passes through the verdant Caprivi Strip, sometimes called the Zambezi region, and Namushasha River Lodge is located on its banks. The 24-room thatched resort is nestled between towering riverfront trees and offers a view of a hippo pool. Guests with little children are welcomed in two family rooms.
Travellers in 4x4s travelling between Namibia’s famous Etosha National Park and the border town of Kasane, where self-drivers enter their way to Botswana’s Okavango Delta or Zambia’s Victoria Falls, will find this place to be a very comfortable stay.
Swakopmund
The Africa They DON’T Show You! NAMIBIA (Swakopmund)
One of Namibia’s most bizarre and one-of-a-kind places is the charming beach resort town of Swakopmund, which combines its unique African character with its peculiar German colonial background. Swakop is the ideal spot for self-drivers to refuel and relax; its palm-lined streets, beachfront promenades, and mild summer climate make it an ideal stopover during a Namibia safari.
Sandboarding, quad biking, and 4×4 driving on the dunes are just a few of the exciting activities offered in Swakopmund, which has emerged as the top adrenaline destination in Namibia. There are plenty of other things to do in Swakop, such as going on boat tours in search of dolphins and seals or just perusing the many eateries, cafes, galleries, and museums.
Why Go
- A great stop-over during your safari moving between Skeleton Coast or Etosha and the Namib Desert
- Explore quaint cafés, restaurants and art galleries
- Namibia’s adrenaline capital – enjoy activities like sandboarding and quad biking
- Guided tour to see the Little 5 of the Namib Desert: Namaqua chameleon, sidewinder snake, Namib dune gecko, Fitzsimons burrowing skink (a legless lizard) and the white lady dancing spider
The Fish River Canyon
Fish River Canyon Namibia | Ais Ais Resort & Hobas Viewpoint
Situated in southern Namibia, the Fish River Canyon has a gigantic ravine measuring around 160km (100 miles) in length, 27km (17 miles) in width, and nearly 550 metres (1,805 feet) at its deepest point. It is the second-largest canyon in the world. A level plateau abruptly descends half a vertical kilometre into a twisted kaleidoscope of colours created by erosion over millions of years; the enormity of this breathtaking sight is absolutely breathtaking.
Mammals, in addition to a plethora of reptiles, insects, and fish, find sanctuary in this breathtaking ecosystem. Pools of water created by natural hot springs on the canyon floor are home to a diverse array of water birds. Mountain zebras, kudus, oryx, and gazelles are among the other canyon dwellers. These animals entice predators such as brown hyenas, leopards, jackals, and bat-eared foxes.
Why Go
- Explore the world’s second-largest canyon on foot or by horseback
- Visit the popular Ai-Ais: natural hot springs on the canyon floor
- Some of the best hiking trails in Southern Africa
Kolmanskop
Luderitz Namibia 🇳🇦 Kolmanskop, Elizabeth Bay & Diaz Point
Located in the Sperrgebiet (meaning “forbidden territory”) in southern Namibia is the most well-known ghost town in the nation. There was a tremendous and frenzied diamond rush in Kolmanskop in the early 1900s, when fortune hunters flocked to the region following the discovery of a diamond. The sleepy little town quickly grew into a thriving metropolis with luxury mansions, a hospital, a ballroom, a school, a casino, and an ice cream factory. After a heyday in the 1920s, when diamond prices plummeted, the town began to decline following World War One.
In the span of forty years, Kolmanskop thrived and eventually perished. The deteriorating remnants of this once-proud town are being progressively consumed by the Namib Desert. Kolmanskop is now a popular location for film shoots thanks to its hauntingly beautiful photo opportunities.
Why Go
- Take a tour through a real-life ghost town
A one-of-a-kind photography experience
Our advice: We suggest lodging in Lüderitz, a seaside town around 15km (9 miles) away, if you would want to embark on a guided tour of Kolmanskop. To get into the Sperrgebiet, you need to book a trip in Lüderitz and get the appropriate permits.
Okonjima Nature Reserve
Lila and Cub | Okonjima Nature Reserve
Okonjima is an ideal intermediate stopover because it is located midway between Namibia’s capital, Windhoek, and Etosha National Park. Not only is the reserve famous for its excellent leopard and cheetah sightings, but it is also the headquarters of the non-profit organisation The AfriCat Foundation, which plays a pivotal role in the sustainable preservation of the natural habitats of Namibia’s big carnivores.
Why Go
- One of the best places to see leopard in Namibia
- Track cheetah and brown hyena on game drives
- Fantastic birdwatching destination
Ready To Go
You have planned out your ideal dates, created a wish list, and done your homework. One of our Africa Safari Experts has been to each of these places in Namibia, so now is the time to talk to them.
