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Best experiences:

Sand dunes of Sossusvlei

Namib-Naukluft National Park, Erongo Region, Namibia

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Bucket List Experience
Sand dunes of Sossusvlei

An otherworldly landscape of towering ochre dunes in an ancient desert. Climb Big Daddy for eye-watering views of a sandy sea stretching away to the Atlantic.

Best for ages 13+

Duration: 1-4 hours

Hot-air balloon flights over the Sossusvlei Dunes

Namib-Naukluft National Park, Erongo, Namibia

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Bucket List Experience
Hot-air balloon flights over the Sossusvlei Dunes

Float over towering ochre-red dunes of Namibia‘s Sossusvlei, a sea of crimson curves stretching to the horizon, suspended in serene stillness. The desert below humbles with its immense, undulating beauty and dazzles with colours that change with the sunrise.

Adult price: £450

Min age 7

Best for ages 7+

Duration: 4 hours

Safari in Etosha National Park

Etosha National Park, Oshikoto Region, Namibia

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Bucket List Experience
Safari in Etosha National Park

This park, set up to protect a vast and starkly beautiful desert pan, is one of the finest game reserves in Africa, packed with over 114 species of mammal. It’s Namibia’s top safari destination and one of the best in Africa. A multi-day safari here is a must for any visit to Namibia. See our Etosha destination guide to plan a trip.

Best for ages 6+

Duration: 2-3 days

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Skeleton Coast National Park

Kunene Region, Namibia

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Bucket List Experience
Ugabmund gate at Skeleton Coast National Park

This deserted corner of north-western Namibia hides myriad charms beneath a façade of sun-baked desolation. An enigmatic landscape of lonely beaches and shifting sands.

Adult price: £200

Best for ages 13+

Walvis Bay [boating & kayaking]

Walvis Bay, Erongo Region, Namibia

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Bucket List Experience
The Sossusvlei desert meeting Walvis Bay

This former whaling town is now a marine ecotourism hotspot. Birdlife is prolific, and close-up encounters with pelicans, flamingos Cape Fur seals, dolphins and penguins are all but guaranteed.

Adult price: £40

Best for ages 5+

Duration: Half-day

Sandwich Harbour

Namib-Naukluft National Park, Erongo Region, Namibia

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Bucket List Experience
Where the desert and the ocean meet near Walvis bay

A pristine and bird-filled wetland of international significance, backed by goliath sand dunes, on Namibia’s most dramatic and breathtakingly beautiful coastline.

Adult price: £75

Best for ages 13+

Skydive over the Namib Desert

Swakopmund, Erongo Region, Namibia

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Bucket List Experience
Man and instructor in tandem

One of the best places to skydive in the world, starting from 10,000 feet above unbeatable desert vistas.

Adult price: £150

Min age 16

Best for ages 16+

Duration: 2 hours

Desert Express

Windhoek, Khomas Region, Namibia

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Bucket List Experience
the front of the train with steam rising

A low-key luxury train offering a wonderful 22-hour overnight scenic journey between Windhoek and Swakopmund.

Adult price: £200

Best for ages 4+

Duration: 22 hours

Epupa Falls & Himba Tribes

Kunene , Namibia

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Bucket List Experience
a close up portrait of a himba woman pitctured with long hair and two necklaces

A remote desert landscape home to ancient Himba tribes, transformed by the rushing waters of the Kunene River and the glittering cataracts of the Epupa Falls.

Twyfelfontein

Kunene Region, Namibia

Bushman prehistoric rock engravings in orange and blue

One of just two World Heritage Sites in Namibia, Twyfelfontein in Damaraland is home to a remarkable collection of cave paintings and etchings dating back 10,000 years.

Best for ages 18+

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Cape Cross Seal Colony

Cape Cross, Erongo Region, Namibia

A large group of seals looking at the camera at Cape cross

One of the largest seal colonies in the world, Cape Cross is a worthwhile day out from Swakopmund, and the lonely 200km round-trip offers fantastic sea and desert panoramas.

Best for ages 4+

Duration: 1 day

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Independence Memorial Museum

Windhoek, Khomas Region, Namibia

Independence Memorial Museum

Locals dub this unusual building ‘The Coffee Machine’, but within the Independence Memorial Museum you’ll find stirring exhibitions and archives covering Namibia’s journey from colonialism through liberation struggle to independence. Entrance is free, and the top-floor café has excellent views of the city.

Best for ages 18+

Duration: 1-2 hours

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Kolmanskop

Karas Region, Namibia

The deserted Kolmanskop in the Namib desert

This enigmatic ghost town near Luderitz echoes the heyday of Namibia’s early 20th-century diamond boom. Today the desert is slowly, hauntingly, reclaiming what was one of the wealthiest towns in the world.

Best for ages 13+

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Wild horses of Aus

Aus, Karas Region, Namibia

Wild horses on their hind legs fighting in the desert

Mysterious herds of wild horses roam the sandy grasslands of the Namib Desert, rumoured to be descended from German army horses stationed here in World War I. Dozens gather each day at the waterhole near the settlement of Aus.

Best for ages 4+

Duration: 1-2 hours

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Namibia Craft Centre

Windhoek, Khomas Region, Namibia

Namibia Craft Centre

Set in the Old Breweries Complex in central Windhoek, the Namibia Craft Centre offers souvenirs and handicrafts from across Namibia. Home to more than 40 craft enterprises – largely community- or women-owned – you’ll find everything from Himba jewellery to hand-woven Zambezi baskets. Look out for the excellent collection of Namibian art and music too.

Best for ages 10+

Duration: 1-2 hours

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Spitzkoppe

Spitzkoppe, Erongo Region, Namibia

Spitzkoppe Mountain in an orange and yellow light, the mountain glowing red

This group of dramatic granite peaks soar 1728m above the rocky deserts of Damaraland in the Namib Desert, creating a wild, starkly beautiful paradise for hikers and climbers. There’s a campsite at the foot of the main peak, but you’ll need to be self-sufficient or book into nearby lodges.

Best for ages 18+

Duration: 3-4 hours

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National Botanic Garden of Namibia

Windhoek, Khomas Region, Namibia

National Botanic Garden of Namibia

More inner-city nature reserve than manicured garden, the 12-hectare National Botanic Garden of Namibia offers a selection of walking trails to explore. Useful information boards highlight key species, from endemic succulents to the enigmatic quiver tree. Open Monday to Friday. Free entrance.

Best for ages 10+

Duration: 1-2 hours

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Fish River Canyon

Ai-Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, Karas Region, Namibia

an aerial shot of the landscape of the canyon

The world’s second-largest canyon is a dramatic natural wonder in the south of the country. Tackle the 5-day, 85-kilometre hiking trail, or admire the canyon from viewpoints near Hobas.

Best for ages 18+

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Joe’s Beerhouse

Windhoek, Khomas Region, Namibia

the interior of Joe's Beerhouse

No visit to Windhoek is complete without a stop at this offbeat eatery where the Windhoek lager is always cold and the enormous portions of grillhaxe (pork knuckle) fly out of the kitchen. Take a wander to admire the quirky décor between courses.

Best for ages 13+

Duration: 2-3 hours

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Desert golf at Rossmund

Swakopmund, Erongo Region, Namibia

The green gold course at Roosmund

Set in the dry Swakop River, with the Namib Desert as a backdrop, the Rossmund Golf Resort offers an 18-hole par-72 layout with striking views, grassy fairways and wildlife to keep players on their toes.

Adult price: £12

Best for ages 8+

Duration: 2+ hours

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Hilton Skybar

Windhoek, Khomas Region, Namibia

Hilton Skybar

The rooftop Skybar at the Hilton Windhoek is the city’s finest sundowner spot, with glorious views and a particularly impressive gin menu, with a collection of Namibian craft gins infused with local botanicals.

Best for ages 18+

Duration: 1-2 hours

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Tiger Reef Beach Bar

Swakopmund, Erongo Region, Namibia

Tiger Reef Beach Bar

With Adirondack chairs set just metres from the sea, this rustic beach bar in the mouth of the Swakop River is the best place in Swakopmund for sundowners. Make like the locals and drink beer, not Bellinis.

Best for ages 13+

Duration: 1-2 hours

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McGregor’s Bakery & Solitaire Lodge

Solitaire, Khomas Region, Namibia

McGregor’s Bakery & Solitaire Lodge

Break the long journey from Sossusvlei to Swakopmund in Solitaire, a middle-of-nowhere settlement famous for the apple pie at McGregor’s Bakery. The Solitaire Lodge also offers 25 en-suite rooms and wonderful desert views.

Best for ages 13+

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The Tug

Swakopmund, Erongo Region, Namibia

The Tug

If you’re not devouring your weight in eisbein at the Brauhaus, beachfront seafood eatery The Tug is the best place to eat in Swakopmund. Phone ahead for a window seat.

Best for ages 4+

Duration: 1-2 hours

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