About this trip
This 3 day accommodated safari runs from Swakopmund to Windhoek through the Namib, the oldest desert on the planet. You leave the coast behind and cross gravel plains, mountain passes and the Tropic of Capricorn before reaching the dune fields at the desert's heart.
A pre-dawn start gets you to Dead Vlei's white clay pan and skeleton trees in the early light, then on to Sossusvlei itself. Along the way you keep an eye out for oryx, springbok and the smaller desert-adapted creatures that make this landscape one of the most biodiverse deserts on earth.
There's a stop at a cheetah conservation project near Solitaire before the drive back over the Khomas Hochland mountains to Windhoek.
What you'll do
- Cross gravel plains and the Tropic of Capricorn on the drive inland
- Pre-dawn drive to catch sunrise over Dead Vlei
- Visit Sossusvlei at the end of the ancient river course
- Climb one of the towering dunes, such as Dune 45 or Big Daddy
- Spot oryx, springbok and other desert-adapted wildlife
- Stop at the Solitaire cheetah conservation project
- Early, pre-dawn starts are part of the plan to catch the light at Dead Vlei
- Most days involve long stretches of driving through changing terrain
- Climbing the dunes is optional but there if you want the view from the top
Worth it if you want knowledgeable guides and stunning desert scenery. Think twice if you're sensitive to bumpy rides or get car sick on long drives.
- Guides are genuinely knowledgeable, professional, and caring about your experience and safety.
- Back row seats on the 5-hour desert drive are significantly bumpier; front seats fill up first daily.
- Well-paced itinerary with excellent food cooked by your guide; the landscape itself is genuinely astonishing.
- Some reviewers felt guides didn't always allow enough free time at certain stops to fully explore.
Distilled from real traveller reviews on TourRadar — we don't edit out the bad bits.
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Getting there
Opens Trip.com, pre-filled — one-way so you can book your return whenever. Prices & booking shown there.
Where to stay
A night before your tour in Swakopmund · 25 Jul – 26 Jul
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