By air
Hosea Kutako International (WDH), ~5 h by road
Africa · Namibia
Sossusvlei, Namibia
Towering red dunes around a white clay pan
Getting there
Best time to visit
May to September — cooler days for dune climbs
Don't miss
Dune 45
Deadvlei
Big Daddy
Sesriem Canyon
Things to do
Climbing dunes at sunrise
Photographing Deadvlei
Scenic flights
Stargazing
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Giles Laurent · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, plenty of water, warm layers for dawn
A quieter corner
Sesriem Canyon, a narrow gorge cut by the Tsauchab River
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Sossusvlei?
May to September — cooler days for dune climbs. What to pack: Sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, plenty of water, warm layers for dawn.
How do I get to Sossusvlei?
Fly into Hosea Kutako International (WDH), ~5 h by road.
What is there to do in Sossusvlei?
Climbing dunes at sunrise, photographing Deadvlei, scenic flights, stargazing. A quieter find: Sesriem Canyon, a narrow gorge cut by the Tsauchab River.
What should I eat in Sossusvlei?
Lodge braais with game meat and fresh-baked breads.
About Sossusvlei
- Desert
Where it is
Sossusvlei is a salt and clay pan in the Namib Desert of Namibia, inside the Namib-Naukluft National Park and ringed by some of the tallest sand dunes on earth.
History
The name mixes a Nama word usually read as dead end with the Afrikaans vlei, meaning marsh, because the Tsauchab River ends here among the dunes. The area lies within the Namib Sand Sea, named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013.
People
Few people live in this desert, and most residents are lodge and park staff around Sesriem, many speaking Afrikaans, Nama or Oshiwambo.
Known for
- Red star dunes
- Dead camelthorn trees in Deadvlei
- Sunrise from Dune 45
- Dark night skies
Did you know?
The camelthorn trees in Deadvlei died centuries ago, but the air is so dry that their trunks have not decayed.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.