Things to do in Namibia

25 things to do in Namibia

Listed in full below. The running order is set by votes and loads with the page.

• Watch sunrise from the crest of Dune 45

  Ascend this iconic star dune in the soft pre‑dawn light and watch the desert glow in shades of orange and red as the sun rises over the Namib sand sea.

  Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft Park

• Walk among the petrified trees of Deadvlei

  Stand on the cracked white clay pan surrounded by 900‑year‑old dead camel thorn trees, set against a backdrop of vibrant red dunes and deep blue sky.

  Deadvlei, Namib-Naukluft Park

• Climb Big Daddy dune for panoramic desert views

  Tackle Namibia’s tallest accessible dune, a 350‑metre sand giant that rewards hikers with a breathtaking 360° vista over Deadvlei and the endless dune fields.

  Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft Park

• Safari at the floodlit Okaukuejo waterhole in Etosha

  After sunset, watch black rhino, elephant and lion parade to drink at one of Africa’s most famous game‑viewing waterholes inside Etosha National Park.

  Okaukuejo, Etosha National Park

• Hike to the main viewpoint of Fish River Canyon

  Peer into Africa’s largest canyon from the Hobas viewpoint, where the contorted brown rock walls plunge 550 metres to the serpentine Fish River below.

  Hobas, Fish River Canyon

• Photograph the sand‑swallowed houses of Kolmanskop

  Wander through rooms half‑filled with wind‑drifted sand in a deserted diamond‑mining town, where decay and beauty collide in a ghostly silence.

  Kolmanskop, Luderitz

• Sandboard down the roaring dunes near Swakopmund

  Strap on a board and carve down steep, smooth sand slopes, then finish with a cold drink while the Atlantic fog creeps over the desert edge.

  Dune 7, Walvis Bay

• Skydive over the Namib Desert in Swakopmund

  Leap from a plane at 10,000 feet and free‑fall with views of the world’s oldest desert meeting the icy Atlantic, an adrenaline rush like no other.

  Swakopmund Airport

• Visit the enormous Cape Cross seal colony

  Stand amid a cacophony of over 100,000 Cape fur seals covering the rocks and beach, where the noise, smell, and sheer scale leave a lasting impression.

  Cape Cross, Skeleton Coast

• See thousands of flamingos at Walvis Bay Lagoon

  Walk the promenade and watch shallow waters turn pink with greater and lesser flamingos feeding, framed by cargo ships and desert dunes.

  Walvis Bay Lagoon

• Examine ancient rock engravings at Twyfelfontein

  Follow a local guide among thousands of Stone‑age petroglyphs of giraffe, rhino and human footprints, a UNESCO World Heritage site in a harsh dry valley.

  Twyfelfontein, Kunene Region

• Kayak alongside playful seals at Pelican Point

  Paddle in the calm bay where curious Cape fur seals swim right up to your kayak and bask on the sand at the tip of the long sandspit.

  Pelican Point, Walvis Bay

• Sip a sundowner at the Tropic of Capricorn sign

  Pull up at the lonely roadside marker deep in the Namib, pour a drink, and toast the crossing of latitude 23°S as the sun sets over the gravel plains.

  C14 highway near Solitaire

• Camp under the Milky Way at Spitzkoppe

  Pitch a tent among towering granite peaks and watch the stars explode overhead in one of the darkest skies on Earth, with natural rock arches framing the night.

  Spitzkoppe, Erongo Region

• Take a scenic flight over Sossusvlei dunes and the coast

  Soar in a small plane over the world’s highest dunes, shipwreck skeletons on the Skeleton Coast, and the abrupt meeting of desert and ocean.

  Sossusvlei, Namib Desert

• Search for desert‑adapted elephants in the Hoanib River

  Drive the ephemeral riverbeds of the remote Kaokoveld to spot rare elephants that have adapted to survive with little water, moving between scattered oases.

  Hoanib River, Kaokoveld

• Marvel at the thunderous Epupa Falls on the Kunene River

  A series of cascades plunges through a lunar landscape of baobabs and makalani palms, where you can swim in natural rock pools on the Angolan border.

  Epupa Falls, Kunene Region

• Walk through the towering red walls of Sesriem Canyon

  Descend into the cool, narrow gorge carved by the Tsauchab River, where you can explore pools and squeeze past towering conglomerate walls.

  Sesriem, Namib-Naukluft Park

• Quad bike across the sand dunes near Swakopmund

  Accelerate up and down the rolling dunes on a guided quad‑bike tour, feeling the rush of speed and the silence of the desert when you stop on a crest.

  Swakopmund sand dunes

• Learn Himba culture at a traditional village near Opuwo

  Walk through a homestead of ochre‑smeared women and learn about their nomadic pastoral life, fire ceremonies, and intricate hairstyles, with a local guide.

  Otjikandero Himba Village, Opuwo

• Browse Namibian crafts at the Namibia Craft Centre in Windhoek

  Fill your bags with authentic handmade jewellery, baskets and carvings from all corners of the country in a vibrant, fair‑trade marketplace in the capital.

  Windhoek city centre

• Dine on game meat at Joe’s Beerhouse in Windhoek

  Sink your teeth into oryx steak, zebra schnitzel or springbok carpaccio in a quirky open‑air bistro filled with memorabilia and cold Windhoek lager.

  Joe's Beerhouse, Windhoek

• Visit the Alte Feste museum in Windhoek

  Climb into the old German fort for a crash course in Namibian colonial history, with displays on the Herero and Nama genocide and independence struggle.

  Alte Feste, Windhoek

• Admire the German colonial Christuskirche in Windhoek

  Gaze up at the stained‑glass windows and Art Nouveau details of this sandstone Lutheran church, a landmark rising from the city centre since 1910.

  Christuskirche, Windhoek

• Dance to Afrobeat at Funky Lab in Windhoek

  Join the city’s youth at this buzzing nightclub where local DJs spin kwaito, Afrohouse and hip‑hop until late, with outdoor seating under fairy lights.

  Funky Lab, Independence Avenue, Windhoek