Inside the park · at the Sossusvlei gate

Sesriem Campsite

Sesriem, Namibia

Forty-four campsites under old camel thorn trees, inside the park boundary with the Sossusvlei gate at the camp itself. There is a restaurant, a pool and a fuel station on site, which is more than most places out here manage.

The stay

Camping at the gate itself

The entrance to Sossusvlei is at this camp. That is the whole argument. Everyone staying outside has to queue at the outer gate at sunrise and then drive the 60 km in; camp here and you are already through, out on that road while the light is still worth photographing.

The sites are set well apart, most of them under the enormous camel thorn trees that grow along the dry watercourse, which is the only real shade for a long way in any direction. Some are enclosed by a low stone wall for a bit more privacy. Sizes vary: small ones for a couple or a solo traveller, and a handful of large sites set further out for groups travelling together.

Every site has a power point, a water point and a braai, and the ablutions are communal with solar-heated hot water. What sets this camp apart from the smaller places is what else is on site — a restaurant, a bar, a swimming pool, a shop for basics, and a fuel station with tyre repair just across the gravel road. In this part of Namibia that last one matters.

Sesriem Campsite under the camel thorn trees

A demarcated campsite with shade and braai

Where you will sleep

Accommodation at Sesriem Campsite

Forty-four sites, ranging from small and private to large enough for a group in convoy.

Sesriem Campsite under the camel thorn trees

A demarcated campsite with shade and braai

Low stone wall enclosing a campsite

Communal ablution block at Sesriem Campsite

Swimming pool and restaurant area at the camp

Dunes and desert around Sesriem

Sesriem Campsite under the camel thorn trees

A demarcated campsite with shade and braai

Campsite

A demarcated site with a power connection point, a water point and braai facilities, most of them shaded by the big camel thorn trees. Some are enclosed by a low stone wall.
Ablutions are communal and close by, with solar water heaters supplying hot showers. Recycling bins are spread through the campsite.
Sites are not all the same size. The smaller ones suit a couple, a solo traveller or a small family; the larger ones take a group and are set further out so that everybody keeps some quiet.

Bring your own tent and camping kit. Say how many of you there are and how you are travelling when you enquire, and we will ask for a site that fits.

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What to do

Why stay at Sesriem Campsite?

Position and self-sufficiency. You are inside the gate, so sunrise at Sossusvlei is actually available to you, and you are at the one place on this road with a restaurant, a pool, a shop and a fuel pump all within walking distance of your tent.

Forty-four sites also means this is by far the easiest in-park bed to get. The alternatives inside the park are Sesriem Oshana Campsite, which has twelve sites with private bathrooms, and Dead Valley Lodge if you would rather not camp. Both are much smaller, so when they are full this is usually still open.

The honest trade-off is the ablutions. They are communal here rather than private to your site, which is the main thing you are giving up against Oshana. The showers are solar-heated and the blocks are close to the sites, but at 44 sites in high season you will occasionally wait.

Two nights is the right length. One night means choosing between sunrise at the dunes and a proper look at Sesriem Canyon, and the canyon deserves the time — it is 30 m deep in places, and the Tsauchab only runs through it after heavy rain upstream.

Before you book

Bring your own tent and camping kit — sites are serviced, not set up
Ablutions are communal, with solar-heated hot water
Sites vary in size; tell us your group and we will ask for one that fits
Fuel and tyre repair are just across the gravel road
Park entry fees are payable separately at the MEFT office
Book two nights if you can — one is not enough for both the dunes and the canyon

Where the name comes from

Sesriem means “six thongs”. Early travellers had to knot six lengths of rawhide together to lower a bucket far enough to reach the water in the canyon pools. The canyon is a short drive from the camp and worth an unhurried afternoon.

Activities

Sunrise trips to Sossusvlei and Deadvlei, ahead of the gate crowd
Guided outings to Sossusvlei, Sesriem Canyon and Elim Dune
Self-drive day trips
Self-guided walking trails
Hot air balloon safaris
Fixed-wing scenic flights

Things to see

Sossusvlei, Deadvlei and Hidden Vlei
Big Daddy, Dune 45 and Elim Dune
Sesriem Canyon
Solitaire

Facilities

Restaurant and bar
Swimming pool
Shop selling basic supplies
Fuel station with tyre repair across the road
Communal ablutions with solar-heated hot water
Power and water point at every site, and recycling bins throughout

Getting there

Inside the Namib-Naukluft park boundary at Sesriem
The Sossusvlei entrance is at the camp itself
60 km from the camp to Sossusvlei, on tar most of the way
Bring your booking confirmation for the gate

Dunes and desert around Sesriem

Swimming pool and restaurant area at the camp

Photos

Sesriem Campsite in pictures

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Video

Sesriem Campsite on film

A look around Sesriem Campsite before you book.

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