Be prepared for one of the most unique experiences of a lifetime, wake up early drive the tar road into the heart of the Namib Desert then watch the desert colours change over the gentle curves of the desert all around you.
Sesriem - the gateway to visiting the Namib Desert, Deadvlei Sossusvlei, Dune 45, Elim Dune, with its dramatic dunes and stunning landscapes. Best places to stay in and around Sesriem for visiting Namibias most famous attraction the Namib Desert.
The Namib Naukluft Park is the central part of The Namib Desert. Sossusvlei, Sesriem Canyon and Dune Forty Five being the most well known destinations. Sossusvlei's uniqueness, make it one of the most popular ‘ must sees' on any itinerary to Namibia. At 325m Sossusvlei's dunes are the amongst the highest in the world.
Visiting Sossusvlei One of Namibias most well known attractions the Namib Desert dominates parts of the country.
So how do you experience this amazing place?
Here is a simple breakdown
1/ Enter at Sesriem Gate, register at gate (opens at dawn closes at sunset)
2/ Pay park fees at MEFT office (can be done on departure)
3/ Drive 2km to Desert entrance gate (opens one hour before dawn closes one hour after sunset)
4/ Drive tar road into desert Dune 45 is along this road
5/ Arrive at 2x4 parking area where you have 3 choices:
A/ Walk into the desert from here
B/ If you have a 4wd and know how to drive in deep sand you can drive to the 4x4 parking area then walk from there
C/ Pay for a return 4wd ride in a NWR vehicle (N$180 return) these shuttle between the 2wd and 4x4 parking areas all day hop on hop off.
6/ From either the 2wd or 4x4 parking area you can walk to Deadvlei Sossusvlei and climb dunes like big daddy. Dune 45 is a rather unique sand dune close to the road on the way to the desert and is the easiest closest sand dune to explore.
7/ It will get hot so take plenty water, sunscreen and a hat, explore as long as you like before it gets too hot then head back to wherever you left your vehicle and drive back down the tar road to Sesriem.
That's a simplified version of how to visit the Namib desert of Namibia hope this helps you have a fantastic trip into the desert, take lots of photos and remember to send me one!
Any other questions not covered here just send an email, happy travels.
More detailed explanation for visiting Sesriem Sossusvlei Dune 45 and the Namib Desert
1/ Enter at Sesriem Gate, register at gate (opens at dawn closes at sunset) The gate at Sesriem is located on the junction of the C27 and D826 and whether you are coming from Windhoek, Swakopmund or from the south you will be driving some of the way on gravel roads but with care you can get to the gate in a normal sedan car, it might be a bit bumpy and slow in parts but every approach to sesriem is very scenic so plan in plenty photo stops. The gate into the National Park opens at sunrise and closes at sunset this means if you are staying at one of the many places to stay outside the park (link here to full list) you can only enter the desert at sunrise, this is not a problem as from the gate to the 2wd parking area can be done in around 50 minutes and the sun will be rising behind you (check this Info out (link) for how to get the best experience while staying outside the park). NOTE that if you are staying outside the park you will need to be leaving the park by sunset so you must depart from the 4x4 or 2wd parking area one hour before sunset.
2/ Pay park fees at MEFT office (can be done on departure) It's a National Park so if you go through the entrance gate you will need to pay the park fees which are per person per day plus vehicle per day. They will ask to see you receipt when you try and exit the park. Park entrance fees are payable at the MEFT (Ministry of Environment and Tourism) desk which is located inside the main building on the right 500 metres after the entrance gate along with the shop, restaurant, bar and toilets. The MEFT desk has limited hours so work out the best time to purchase it, then keep that receipt if you can't produce it on exit they will make you pay again !! Tips for buying your park permit. You can buy a permit for a future day so if you arrive late and don't intend to go into the desert that day, you can buy your permit that day but ask for it to be dated for the next day. That way when you arrive at the gate in the morning there is no delay you just drive into the desert. Park fee link here
3/ Drive 2km to Desert entrance gate (opens one hour before dawn closes one hour after sunset) Apart from the entrance gate into the National Park there is a second gate at the entrance to the desert this gate opens one hour before sunrise and closes one hour after sunset. So if you are staying inside the park at Sossus Dune Lodge, Dead Valley Lodge, Sesriem Camping or Sesriem Oshana camping you can set off into the desert early and stay there until sunset. NOTE that if you are staying outside the park you will need to be leaving the park by sunset do you must depart from the 4x4 or 2wd parking area one hour before sunset because the park gate closes at sunset.
4/ Drive tar road into desert Dune 45 is along this road Phew … seems way more complicated than it is but finally you are away into the desert, good news the road from Sesriem to the 2wd parking area is a tar road, if it is light enough when you set off you will see Elim dune (often referred to as sunset dune) on your right, if you set off in the dark you will see nothing but the road in your headlights (usually while your passengers sleep from getting up to early) the first three quarters of the journey is a wide flat landscape with occasional Oryx or Springbok meandering across the road so keep your eyes open then you come to Dune 45, this is a beautiful and quite unique sand dune 45 miles from camp (hence the original name dune 45…) this can be a great option for sunrise if you are later starting out or don't want to climb any big dunes as Dune 45 is very accessible its a steep but shorter climb than dunes further into the desert and gives views back towards Sesriem (direction the sun rises) but it doesn't have very good views into the desert. Dune 45 is nice to look at on the return trip when the sun is high in the sky.
5/ Arrive at 2x4 parking area where you have 3 choices:
A/ Walk into the desert from here There is three directions from the 2wd parking area to experience the Namib Desert on foot; First with your back to the sunrise (the road you just drove along) turn 45 degrees left and if its light enough you will see some very big sand dunes in the distance, grab your gear (camera, batteries, water, sunscreen hat and snacks) and head off this way, you are heading towards Big Daddy the biggest sand dune in the area (325 metres above sea level), the walk from here to the top will take 90 minutes for an averagely fit person but don't worry you don't need to go all the way. Along this route (there is no paths nor signs just amble your way) there is some lovely picturesque areas and you will soon come across your first dunes to climb… the little ones are easy it gets more difficult as you get to the bigger ones.. the route towards Big Daddy has a series of Sand dunes getting bigger as you walk further in, depending on your pace and time of day you can get good views from many of these dunes so select one that suits your fitness and settle down to watch as the sun rises over the desert, the colours changing as the sun gets higher. As the sun rises higher remember to apply sun lotion…. hope you didn't leave it in the car! The sun rises behind you along the flat area where you drove (an old riverbed) so often the actual sunrise is not that spectacular, more so is the light on the desert as you look into it. If you do make it to the dunes close to Deadvlei (Big Daddy overlooks Deadvlei) you will see that deadvlei doesn't get sun into it until 35 minutes (summer) to 90 minutes (winter) after sunrise this is a great time to watch the light crawl across the desert floor offering a myriad of shadows and colours changing all the time making the vlei very atmospheric.
B/ Follow the 4wd road to the 4wd parking area this is longer but mostly flat (with soft sand in patches) this will take about 40 minutes from the 4wd area you can follow the path to the left to get to Deadvlei (30 minutes from the 4wd parking) or right to Sossusvlei (45 minutes from the 4x4 parking area). Third Head off to the right of the 4x4 track (with your back to the sun) this is towards Sossusvlei and is a reasonably easy path to some medium sized dunes where you can climb up and admire the desert and the sunrise. As the sun rises head down the dunes and head left cross the 4x4 parking area then follow the path into Deadvlei or head right and into Sossusvlei. B/ If you have a 4wd and know how to drive in deep sand you can drive to the 4x4 parking area which is a few kilometres further into the desert from the 2wd parking area, BE AWARE there are some deep patches of sand so you will need to let your tyres down and as the day goes on and the sand becomes hotter and softer making it easier to get stuck, NWR vehicles will pull you out.. at a cost of NAD1000 !! At the 4wd parking area you can follow the path to the left to get to Deadvlei (30 minutes from the 4wd parking) or right to Sossusvlei (45 minutes from the 4x4 parking area).
C/ Pay for a return 4wd ride in a NWR vehicle (N$180 return) these shuttle between the 2wd and 4x4 parking areas all day hop on hop off. Third Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) run a shuttle service from the 2wd parking to the 4x4 parking area, its a hop on hop off service that shuttles up and down the 4 wheel drive track all day starting at dawn until dusk. Current cost is NAD 180 per person return trip buy your ticket at the car park and climb on the next NWR vehicle, the trip takes around 10 minutes and deposits you at the 4x4 parking area from here you can follow the path to the left to get to Deadvlei (30 minutes from the 4wd parking) or right to Sossusvlei (45 minutes from the 4x4 parking area).
To experience the big sand dunes and barren pans and dead trees in the heart of the Namib Desert you need to first get to Sesriem (which is not a town or even a village but just the entrance gate into the Namib Naukluft National Park). At the Sesriem entrance gate you will be asked to fill in a form giving details of number of people, nationality and whether you are day visiting or staying at one of the four places to stay inside the park, {hot tip for people staying outside of the gate here]. Now you are inside the National Park we shall call this area Sesriem, in this area there is a fuel station (500 metres down on your left as you arrive), a shop, bar, restaurant and toilets (on your right 500 metres down as you arrive) and four places to stay (2 camping 2 Lodges names and links here). The MEFT (Ministry of Environment and Tourism) office desk is in the building on the right where the shop, bar and restaurant are located, this is where you pay your park entry fees, the office is only open from 8am to 4pm and you must pay your park fees here before they will let you leave the National Park. Unless you are heading straight into the desert go pay your fees.
Here are a few explanations of places that you will hear about to help you understand the area and where all the must see places are: Sesriem Sossusvlei Deadvlei Elim Dune Dune 45 Dune 7 Sesriem Canyon Naukluft Sesriem entrance gate Park entry fees MEFT 2wd 4x4