Sossusvlei Holidays

Your camera, your walking shoes, and your favourite book are all equally important when you visit the remote but spectacular Sossusvlei Desert. Stay two nights and spend one sunrise climbing dunes and another floating over in a balloon. Keep your eyes peeled for springbok, gemsbok, and gecko in Hiddenvlei. Grab photos in the eerie petrified forest of Deadvlei. Hike through the cool shade of Sesriem Canyon.

Grab a pastry in the tiny town of Solitaire. When the day gets too hot for outdoor adventures, retreat to the pool, viewing deck, or spa at your desert lodge, take a reviving nap, or watch for wildlife in the distance over the page of your travel novel. After sunset, fine dining and local cuisine is a highlight of Sossusvlei accommodations and unspoiled skies make for incredible stargazing every night.

It’s worth getting up early when you visit Sossusvlei. The desert dunes are majestic at any time but there’s something special about the way the sun hits the rippling sands at first light. It’s also the ideal time to indulge in a little dune climbing. A short hike from the 4x4 accessible car park, Big Daddy stands 325 metres high and looms above the landscape for incredible views. Looking back from the other side of the Sossusvlei salt pan is the 200 metre-high Big Mamma, a gentler challenge in a less-visited area for a more serene adventure.

Prefer to appreciate the rising sand from ground level? Dune 45 is an Insta-perfect formation right beside the car park. Unlike other desert locations, where sand-boarding and quadbike tours interrupt the quiet, Sossusvlei is a protected national park and its tranquillity is preserved to ensure an unspoiled otherworldly atmosphere.

The nearest city and resort locations of Windhoek and Swakopmund are five hours’ drive from Sossusvlei so staying in or near the desert is essential. Most accommodation is clustered around Sesriem with a choice of lodges and hotels both inside and outside the park gate. Stay in sustainable luxury on the sand at Sossusvlei Desert Lodge. Choose a mountainside chalet with panoramic views and candlelit dinners at the Desert Homestead Outpost.

Relax beside the cool pool and tranquil gardens of the Elegant Desert Lodge. Enjoy a warm welcome and a communal atmosphere at Kulala Desert Lodge. Go eco at the solar-powered Little Kulala with private pool suites, indulge in blissful pampering and fine dining at Le Mirage Resort & Spa, or camp in style with the convenience of your own kitchenette at Dead Valley Lodge.

The Sossusvlei Desert is an all-year destination with ever-present heat and almost no rain so the best time to visit will depend on your preferences and plans. June to September is the coolest period with temperatures averaging around 20°C during sunlight hours. Nights can be cold at this time and warm layers are recommended, especially if camping.

Temperatures rise steadily from October and regularly exceed 30°C for several months with a peak as high as 40°C between March and May when dawn and dusk are recommended for outdoor activities. If you’re planning to add a Namibia safari in Etosha, or a Botswana safari in Chobe, June to November is an excellent time to visit.