Namibia attraction

Sossusvlei and Deadvlei

Red dunes, a white clay pan, and trees that cannot rot.

About this place

Sossusvlei is a salt and clay pan in the Namib Sand Sea, ringed by some of the highest dunes on earth; Big Daddy stands roughly 325 metres above the pan floor. Deadvlei, a short walk away, is the photograph everyone comes for: a bone-white pan holding blackened camelthorn skeletons that died when shifting dunes cut off the river feeding them, and which are too dry to decompose. The Namib Sand Sea is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

What to do

Climb Big Daddy or Dune 45 at sunrise (start at gate opening, it is brutal after 9am)

Walk into Deadvlei, about 1.1km from the 4x4 car park

Sesriem Canyon in the late afternoon

Hot-air balloon over the dune sea

Scenic flight over the sand sea towards the Skeleton Coast

Practical information

Stay inside the park gate at Sesriem if you can: the inner gate opens an hour before the outer one, which is the difference between shooting the dunes in first light and arriving after the shadows have gone. The last 5km to Sossusvlei is deep sand and needs a 4x4 or the park shuttle. Entry is charged per person per day plus a vehicle fee, and we confirm the current rate when we quote.

Combine with

Swakopmund and the coast

Damaraland

Etosha

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Experiences here

All experiences
Sossusvlei & Deadvlei Day Excursion
multiday 603 views

Sossusvlei & Deadvlei Day Excursion

1 Day (day trip). Namib-Naukluft National Park, Sossusvlei, Deadvlei, Dune 45, Sesriem Canyon.

  • Professional guide
  • road transfers in air-conditioned safari vehicle
  • bottled water
★ 0.0 1 Day (day trip)
$300.00
3 Days / 2 Nights Sossusvlei Express
multiday 577 views

3 Days / 2 Nights Sossusvlei Express

Windhoek, Kalahari or Khomas Hochland en route, Namib-Naukluft National Park Sossusvlei, Deadvlei, Sesriem.

  • Accommodation as per tier
  • all meals from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on the final day
  • twice-daily game activities with a licensed guide
★ 0.0 3 Days / 2 Nights
$3325.00
15 Days / 14 Nights Namibia, Botswana & Victoria Falls Overland
multiday 523 views

15 Days / 14 Nights Namibia, Botswana & Victoria Falls Overland

Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Damaraland, Etosha, Namibia's Zambezi Region, Chobe National Park, Victoria Falls.

  • Accommodation as per tier
  • meals as stated per leg
  • all guided activities listed
★ 0.0 15 Days / 14 Nights
$6525.00
10 Days / 9 Nights Sossusvlei, Swakopmund & Etosha Classic
multiday 470 views

10 Days / 9 Nights Sossusvlei, Swakopmund & Etosha Classic

10 Days / 9 Nights. Namib-Naukluft, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Cape Cross, Damaraland, Twyfelfontein, Etosha National Park.

  • Accommodation as per tier
  • all meals from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on the final day
  • twice-daily game activities with a licensed guide
★ 0.0 10 Days / 9 Nights
$4050.00
multiday 450 views

7 Days / 6 Nights Sossusvlei, Swakopmund & Damaraland

7 Days / 6 Nights. Namib-Naukluft, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Cape Cross, Damaraland, Twyfelfontein, Spitzkoppe.

  • Accommodation as per tier
  • all meals from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on the final day
  • twice-daily game activities with a licensed guide
★ 0.0 7 Days / 6 Nights
$2850.00
multiday 427 views

9 Days / 8 Nights Central Namibia Highlights

9 Days / 8 Nights. Kalahari, Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukluft, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Spitzkoppe, Erongo Mountains, Okonjima.

  • Accommodation as per tier
  • all meals from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on the final day
  • twice-daily game activities with a licensed guide
★ 0.0 9 Days / 8 Nights
$3750.00
Editorial

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