Sossusvlei, Namibia: The Most Extraordinary Desert in the World
Sossusvlei Namibia is one of the most unique destinations we have ever visited, and itโs truly a photographerโs dream.ย
Nestled in the heart of the Namib Desert, this extraordinary gem features towering red dunes, stark white salt pans, and a mesmerizing contrast of colors and textures.ย
Whether youโre climbing the famous Dune 45, exploring the eerie beauty of Dead Vlei, or capturing the endless desert vistas, Sossusvlei offers a one-of-a-kind experience that will leave you in awe.
In our travel guide for Sossusvlei, Namibia we'll be sharing everything you need to know for visiting this incredible destination, from how to get there and explore on your own, to sharing must-know tips for getting the best photos there.
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๐ Where is Sossusvlei Located?
Sossusvlei is tucked away in the Namib desert in central/south west Namibia, and it's part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park.
๐ช Where is the Gate to Sossusvlei?
Sossusvlei is located inside a gated area of the national park. From the gate of the park, Sossusvlei is another 60 km west, which is a 45 minute drive. This is in Sesriem, which is at the crossroads of highways C27 and D286.
Deadvlei is also inside the same exact area, and is just past Sossusvlei. (Don't worry we'll go into further detail about the difference a bit later in the article).
๐ What is the Nearest Town to Sossuvlei?
The nearest town to Sossusvlei is technically Sesriem, although we wouldn't really consider it a town. It's the area where the entrance to park is, and the only thing there is a gas station and some camp sites.
Outside of the gate entrance to Sossusvlei is an area of desert where you'll find plenty of desert resorts, but you won't find shops or anything else really nearby.
The closest real cities to Sossusvlei include Windhoek, Walvis Bay, and Swakopmund. Windhoek is the capital of Namibia, and is 300 km northeast of Sesriem. Walvis Bay is 315 km north west of Sesreim along the coast, and Swakopmund is just another 30 km straight up the coast from Walvis Bay.
How Do I Get to Sossusvlei, Namibia?
Now that you have an idea of where Sossusvlei is located in Namibia,ย
โ๏ธ Can You Fly to Sossusvlei?
Unfortunately, you cannot fly to Sossusvlei, or very close to it for that matter. The closest airport to Sossusvlei is Windhoek, which is 4 hours away.
๐ค How Do I Get to Sossusvlei? The Different Options
Traveling through Namibia feels like another planet, and it truly is a fascinating place. But I do think it's important to note that it's certainly not the most fun and easy country to get around.
While it will be a long journey to get to Sossusvlei, Namibia, we can at least say it was well worth the hours and money put into making it there.
There are three options for getting to Sossusvlei:
- Renting a car in Windhoek and driving (we'd recommend a 4x4)
- Taking a multi-day tour to Sossuvlei (any potentially other places too)
- Taking a shuttle from a private company
๐ Renting a Car to Visit Sossusvlei, Namibia
Renting a car in Namibia isn't necessarily the most budget friendly option, but it certainly is the best if you want to travel on your own terms.
As photographers, and creators who work and travel simultaneously, we need the flexibility, so it was really the best option for us.
We rented a car from South Africa for a much larger road trip, but the easiest option is to rent a car from Windhoek, where all of the international flights get into. Rentals do go get booked up early, so you'll want to book your car as far in advance as possible!
Driving at Sossusvlei allows for flexibility exploring.
๐ป Do You Need a 4x4 to Go to Sossusvlei, Namibia?
You won't need a 4x4 to drive from Windhoek to Sesriem, nor will you need it to drive the main road through the park once you get to the gate. However, you WILL need a 4x4 if you'd like to make it to Deadvlei.
As we wanted to get there for sunrise, we ended up having to walk from the Sossusvlei lot to the Deadvlei lot, which was an hour walk through really thick sand.
If you don't care about getting there absurdly early, you can make use of the (paid) shuttle service between the two. (Don't worry we'll get a bit more into that later in the article).
๐ Tours to Visit Sossusvlei, Namibia
If you don't feel comfortable renting a car, or simply would rather choose comfort and convenience, then the next best option is to book a tour to Sossusvlei.
Most tours leave from Windhoek, and are a full 3-5 day experience with everything included. So if you're not an experienced traveler, traveling solo, or simply want less of a headache, then take a look at the options below.
๐ Shuttles to Visit Sossusvlei, Namibia
Namibia is truly not a DIY country when it comes to getting around. There aren't public buses and trains going all over the country, and that's one of the challenges, especially when getting anywhere other than the capital.
That being said, we did read that there is a shuttle run by Go2 Travel that you can take for 790 Namibian dollars each way. They leave at 7 am every morning, and we'd recommend booking your ticket online in advance. ย
Visiting Sossusvlei, Namibia: What to Expect & Things to Do There
Now that you know how to visit Sossuvlei, Namibia, it's time for the fun stuff! Here are all of the details for visiting one of our favorites areas of Namibia.
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โฃ๏ธ Places to Visit in Sossusvlei, Namibia
Sossusvlei has so much to offer! The entire area is full of stunning dunes and other worldly landscapes. You can either drive and experience the points of interest from below, or you can hike up the dunes and around the hauntingly beautiful trees of Deadvlei.
Dune 45ย
This is the one of the most photographed dunes in Sossusvlei, and is 45 km from Sesriem. It's mostly visited during sunrise or sunset when the shadows hit one side and perfectly bounce the red hues from golden hour.
It was pretty crowded with people climbing up to the top, so we opted to take a quick picture and enjoy sunset from another nearby dune.
Other Nearby Dunes
While Dune 45 is the most popular dune en-route to Sossusvlei, there are actually quite a few other dunes on the way that you can enjoy! We don't really remember what km marks they were at, but you can't miss them since they have parking lots and signs.
Big Daddy Dune
This is the highest and most famous dune of Sossusvlei, Namibia. It's located right next to Deadvlei, and can be reached by walking about 20 minutes from the Deadvlei parking lot.
While it is a litttle intense getting up, it has incredible views of the surrounding dunes.
Deadvlei
Deadvlei is definitely the number one highlight in Sossusvlei! It's a desert area full of petrified trees on white clay grounds surrounded by bright red dunes. It's one of the most striking landscapes in the world, and deserves to be visited with all different types of lighting.
In order to get to Deadvlei, you'll have to drive from the Sossusvlei parking lot to the Deadvlei parking lot. However, it is CRUCIAL that you have a 4x4, and are experienced at driving in the sand, as countless cars end up getting stuck along this 5 km sandy stretch.
For this reason, there were also shuttles operating between the two.
Even bigger trucks got stuck in the sand going to Deadvlei!
๐ Shuttles to Deadvlei
Shuttles to Deadvlei start running around 6 am and go until the late afternoon. As we got there after the sun set, we had to walk the entire way, which was an intense 1 hour hike through the thick, soft sand.
โ๏ธ Update to the Deadvlei Shuttle Operation
PS: We just read an update from the NWR that may affect how these shuttles run.
"EFFECTIVE 15th October 2024, Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) has announced an essential change in its shuttle service operations in the Sossusvlei area, sharing that it will cease to operate the shuttle from the 2ร4 area in Sossusvlei and will now exclusively run the shuttle from the Sesriem Campsite."
We believe this change means that if you don't have a 4x4 you will not be able to simply leave your car in the 2x4 parking lot, and would have to drive your car all the way back to the Sesriem campsite. So if you plan on visiting Dune 45 and other nearby attractions, then you may want to consider walking instead.
The shuttle departure point was in a 2x4 lot at the end of the paved road.
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Amenities at Sossusvlei
Now that you the highlights of Sossusvlei, Namibia, let's go over the different amenities, so that you can be best prepared to enjoy the area.
๐ฝ Bathrooms at Sossusvlei
There are bathroom stalls set up throughout the park at the major highlights, typically right next to the different parking lots.
Most of them do not have toilet paper or sinks to wash your hands, so we'd recommend bringing your own.
๐ด Food & Drink at Sossusvlei
Sossusvlei and Deadvlei do not have any food options, so you'll have to eat before your visit at your lodge, or you can go to Sesriem restaurant, which is the main campsite once you enter the first gate of Sesriem.
We ate eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner there, and found that they had good coffee and breakfast sandwiches, and also decent plated options for lunch/dinner such as burgers, sandwiches, salads, fish, and lamb chops, as well as a full bar to get both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
We'd recommend bringing snacks and plenty of water with you while exploring, as we ended up spending many more hours there than we originally planned for, and also walked a TON.
๐ถ Wifi/Cell Service at Sossusvlei
Sossuvlei, as well as a lot of the other epic places in Namibia are smack dab in the middel of nowhere, which can pretty much guarantee you'll be without much signal.
We had a tiny bit of signal with the local Namibian SIM card up until Dune 45, and anything past that was pretty much zero signal.ย
The Sesreim restaurant does have wifi though! While it's not the BEST, it definitely was enough for us to work a little bit and do basic things like answer emails.
Sossusvlei is in the middle of nowhere and doesn't have much signal.
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Price & Timetable for Sossusvlei, Namibia
Now that you know what to expect in terms of sights and ammenities, let's cover some important details for when you can visit Sossusvlei, Namibia, and the costs that come along with it.
๐ What are the Opening Hours of Sossusvlei?
There are two gates to get into Sossusvlei. The first gate is the one that accesses the different campgrounds and lodges, and then just up the road from there is a second gate with access to the main road that leads to Sossusvlei and Deadvlei.
As long as you are inside the second gate, you can pretty much stay as long as you'd like.
We were the only ones who stayed the whole night (we stayed in our car), as most people drive back to where they are staying. We wanted to do some astrophotography, and also be there for sunrise, so didn't really want to drive 45 minutes to an hour each way.