27 Unmissable Attractions in Namibia

This ghost town was once a thriving diamond mining area but now lies semi-buried by the sands of time. Its haunting beauty is only overshadowed by the eerie feel of abrupt abandonment that whispers through the broken windows and down the lonely streets. We’ve found this fantastic 12-day camping safari of Namibia which let’s you experience highlights like Kolmanskop for yourself.

This magnificent canyon is the largest in Africa and one of Namibia’s most frequently visited attractions. Its enormous ravine houses the longest interior river in the country, and hot springs can be found near its lower reaches.

A post indicating the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern region of Namibia | © Netumbo Nekomba / Culture Trip

Namibia’s Skeleton Coast is a harsh and unyielding landscape where only the hardiest of desert-adapted animals survive. It is also notorious for its rough seas and thick fog that has claimed the lives of many sailors over the years. A coastline littered with shipwrecks attests to the treacherous conditions.

One of the best ways to take in all the scenic beauty that Namibia offers is on a plane ride. Charter flights cover numerous locations in the country and skim the sand dunes while passengers admire aerial views of the vast and solitary Namib Desert; Tsondabvlei, the only known breeding area of the Lappet-faced vulture in southern Namibia; and the highest shifting sand dunes in the world at Sossusvlei. Abandoned diamond mines, Cape fur seal colonies and old shipwrecks can all be included in your itinerary.

The protected waters of the Walvis Bay lagoon offer a gentle and serene boat cruise that is filled with abundant marine life. The excursion begins in the Walvis Bay harbour en route to Bird Island and then cuts across the lagoon to visit large colonies of Cape fur seals. Follow this with a visit to Pelican Point, where schools of bottlenose and Heaviside’s dolphins are endemic to the area.

Namibia is home to spectacular and unusual wildlife, with many species having made physical adaptations in order to survive in the arid desert conditions. In many cases, the scarcity of water is overcome by drinking droplets of condensed fog from plant leaves.

Taking some time for unrushed explorations is highly recommended in this spectacular area of Namibia where the vast landscape stretches from famous sand dunes to mighty canyons and rugged and beautiful mountain ranges. The enormous park covers approximately 50,000 square kilometres (19,305 square miles) and is one of the largest conservation areas in Africa, comprising stunning and unique desert scenery and amazing and unusual wildlife.

Some of the most iconic photographs of Namibia come from this area of the country. Dead Vlei is a clay pan characterised by dark, dead camel thorn trees that are believed to be over 900 years old, and stand in stark contrast against the white pan floor. Make sure to have you camera handy when visiting this exquisitely photographic site.

This intriguing museum is housed in Alte Feste, the oldest existing building in Windhoek, which was once a German fort. In times gone by the edifice stood as a powerful reminder of the German occupation of the area, but today celebrates Namibia’s varied and rich heritage. After a tour through the past, visitors can admire a collection of rock art that is located nearby the museum.

Keetmanshoop is the economic centre of south Namibia and one of the oldest settlements in the country. It has a small museum housed in the Rhenish Mission Church that is also a national monument, and its unique combination of gothic architecture cast in African stone makes it one of the architectural masterpieces of the country. The town is also famous for its quiver tree forest and Giants Playground, a massive collection of amazing Dolerite balancing rock formations piled up on top of each other.

This desert route is located in the northern corner of the Namib-Naukluft National Park and includes 13 numbered stone beacons at points of particular interest. The four-hour drive culminates at one of Namibia’s largest, and oldest, welwitschia plants, a strange and highly unique desert species.

This spectacular wildlife park is dominated by a massive mineral pan, part of the Kalahari Basin, the floor of which was formed over 1,000 million years ago and fills up only for a short period of time, when rains are heavy. For most of the year it is a shimmering mirage against which the long shadows of passing herds of game can be seen, providing a unique and stunningly stark landscape. Despite its aridness, the park is rich in wildlife and boasts the ‘big five’ and over 100 other mammal species, as well as thousands of birds that flock to the pan.

This remote region in northern Namibia is often considered one of the last true wilderness areas in Africa, where desert-adapted elephants roam the dry riverbeds in search of spring-fed waterholes, and the proud Himba people remain unaffected by changes to the modern world. Outside the capital of Opuwo there are no amenities, only a network of dirt roads that lead into a vast and isolated wilderness. The attraction of the area lies in its solitary beauty; it’s a rugged mountainous landscape that is sparsely populated and looks very similar to the way it would have appeared over 100 years ago.

The Hoba meteorite is the largest on the planet as well as the largest naturally occurring mass of iron known to exist on the earth. It was first uncovered in 1920 and remains in the exact location where it crashed into the earth’s surface over 80,000 years ago.

The Namib Desert claims the title of the oldest in the world and dishes up panoramic landscapes that are second to none. It is an immense expanse of relentlessly moving gravel plains and dunes that stretch along the entire Namibian coastline and holds evidence of human existence dating back to the Stone Age.

Amidst a mass a sandy dunes and dry desert landscape is a quirky little pit stop named Solitaire. It is mostly used as a refueling station and a place to stock up on refreshments, and holds a unique charm all of its own. It is also a favourite location for photographers due to the large number of old cars buried in the sand.

There are numerous important rock art sites scattered across Namibia, the best-known being the Brandberg Massif in Damaraland that showcases San hunter-gatherer rock art that is over 2,000 years old. Also in Damaraland is Twyfelfontein, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important rock engraving sites in southern Africa.

This natural canyon was carved by the Tsauchab River and is a popular attraction in the Sossusvlei area. Its name means ‘six belts’ and was given by settlers who had to attach together six belts in order to reach buckets down into the canyon to scoop up water. The canyon is still an important water source for wildlife today.

The Cape Cross Seal Reserve is home to one of the largest colonies of Cape fur seals in the world. They are only found along the southern coast of Africa and a visit to the reserve offers an interesting, if rather smelly, outing.

On the edge of the Namib dune desert and hidden within a remote valley lies Duwisib Castle. Built in 1909 by a German baron, today the castle houses a collection of 18th- and 19th-century antiques, armour and paintings.

Pretty as a picture, the scenic seaside town of Swakopmund breathes fresh salty air into the dry desert landscape. It is a popular stopover for visitors to Namibia and the quaint and pretty town offers plenty in terms of sights, places to eat and things to do.

Unlike the rest of Namibia, the Caprivi Strip is blessed with lush vegetation and abundant water. There are five protected areas within the Caprivi where big game can be found. The Popa Falls are popular for day trips and it’s a great area to do some bird spotting.

Namibia sports some of the most spectacular sand dunes in the world, that shift and change shape with the wind, transforming themselves into new visions of beauty every day. Climb them, sand board down them or simply admire them from a distance.

Lying south of Walvis Bay, this amazing protected natural site was once used as a port by whalers. It consists of a freshwater lagoon that laps the huge dunes of the Namib Desert and is home to a massive variety of marine birds and unique archaeological sites showcasing ancient animal tracks and old graves. It forms part of the Namib Sea Sand, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the biggest sand fields in the world. Entry to this area is only possible with a 4×4 vehicle, and visitors should be accompanied by a guide.

Here, mighty sand dunes dominate the terrain, dotted occasionally by unusual plants that survive despite the harsh and unyielding desert-like conditions. Tree skeletons stand out starkly against the red-hued landscape, renowned for some of the tallest and most beautiful sand dunes in the world, while the variation of the desert ecosystem continually amazes visitors with its unexpected sights. Soak up the picturesque dunes and the basalt mountains against the desert sunset, an astoundingly dramatically and glorious panorama.

Camels are synonymous with the desert. They are also supremely adapted to desert life, with large flat feet that refuse to sink into the sand, built-in temperature regulators and the ability to survive for days without any water. Taking a slow meandering camel ride across the magnificent sand dunes of Namibia is a one-of-a-kind experience and gives travellers the chance to admire the fabulous desert scenery and possibly even spot some wildlife of the smaller variety.