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Sossusvlei

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Why Go?

Sossusvlei Namibia

Silent sentinels of the Namib Desert, the giant dunes of Sossusvlei look out over a rolling ocean of sand. As the sun rises they change colour from purple to peach to orange – surreal backdrops to skeletal trees and bone-white saltpans. It’s a photographic feast, and if you look closely enough, animals appear – antelope, beetles, birds and lizards.

A Sossusvlei safari is the centrepiece of most Namibia tour itineraries, whether fly-in or overland. The region receives barely any rain all year, the malaria risk is negligible and the experience combines easily with Namibia’s other must-see destinations such as Etosha and Damaraland. And thanks to Namibia’s infrastructure, Sossusvlei can be included on a self-drive adventure.

There is no accommodation at the mighty dunes themselves but the area is home to lodges ranging from honeymoon hideaways to private family villas. Several welcome self-drivers. Some lodges are within an hour’s drive of Sossusvlei; others are set further away on private reserves. Besides tours of the dunes, guests enjoy activities ranging from game viewing and quad biking to hot-air balloon flights and hiking; at night you’ll sit down to star-gazing & fine food.

Browse our accommodation recommendations and list of packages that include Sossusvlei. We offer a range of tours that appeal to many traveller types – honeymoon, family, budget and exclusive-living – as well as self-drive tours with everything organised for you. And if you can’t find what you’re looking for, simply contact us for a tailor-made itinerary.

If you are planning a self-drive safari, please note that although a 2-wheel drive vehicle will be fine for most of the road to Sossusvlei, a 4X4 is needed to go all the way. For travellers not on a tour and without 4-wheel drive, a 4X4 shuttle is available for the final few kilometres.

Sossusvlei on the map

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What To Do

Activities to Look Forward to

1. Visit the Dunes

Sossusvlei’s dramatic dunes are best seen at dawn; their sweeping shapes & shifting colours make for fantastic photography. Kick off your shoes at Dune 45 & walk to the top for sunrise over the Namib.

2. Fly High

Whether it’s by light aircraft or hot-air balloon, a flight over Sossusvlei is the best way to grasp the scale of this ocean of red sand. Dawn balloon safaris end with a champagne breakfast!

3. Discover the Wildlife

Expert guides reveal what lies just out of sight; jackals in the shade, hidden birds & secretive reptiles plus bizarre plants. Several lodges lie on private reserves, adding antelope, zebra, hyena & ostrich to the list.

4. Sit Back & Stargaze

The night skies above the Namib deliver world-class stargazing. There’s no light pollution, barely a sound & the stars stretch between the horizons. Some lodges have telescopes & ‘star guides’ to steer you through the cosmos.

5. Hike, Bike or Ride

Lodges on private reserves offer opportunities to lace up your hiking boots or settle back & let horse power do the rest: with reins & saddle or from behind the handlebars of a quad bike.

6. Visit Sossusvlei & Dead Vlei

World-famous Sossusvlei is the name of an enormous clay pan, flanked by the famous sand dunes that flush red in the early morning sun. Dead Vlei, another pan where water once flowed, but now all that remains are the skeletons of trees reach up out of the cracked earth.

7. Sleep under starry skies

Sleep out under the starry starry skies of the Namib and be lulled to sleep by the sounds of Africa on the roof or your unit. The Namib is known for its clear night skies, and with no light pollution it is the ideal spot to enjoy the stars and planets.

8. Search for Critters

After dark, another realm of the Namib Desert awakes. Night walks around the lodges reveal some of these captivating critters such as dancing white lady spiders and scorpions which fluoresce under UV lights.

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Reviews

An incredibly well organised tour with no hassles whatsoever.

Safari Online understood our needs and was able to present us with sensible options to choose from. It was evident that this tour operator has knowledgable and experienced agents who can arrange a seemless tour. We were provided with a professional online itinary which was comprehensive and easy to use, knew exactely what to expect, and encountered no stumble blocks along the way.

Gwen (AU)
Very helpful good suggestions for holiday ideas always available for questions good organising

Excellent service and they supplied good suggestions for our holiday they also organised all internal flights and arranged check in for us so we had no worries while on holiday. We have had a most memorable holiday staying at wonderful places thanks to Sabrina and Safari Online. Would recommend Safari Online to organise your holiday.

Lorraine (UK)
Professional, patient, efficient and responsive. Met all our travel needs and requirements spot on

Communication was excellent – I asked A LOT of questions and did a ton of research myself and Walter was extremely patient with me and very responsive. he was straight forward and extremely professional. Tour itself was excellent – an incredible experience and one never to be forgotten. Everything was spot on.

Neena
Walter has always been an excellent communicator and has supported us fully

We have been to Africa for 24 of the last 27 years so know a bit about what is involved. Walter has arranged the details for the last couple of years, and has done a superb job. He is always quick to respond and comes up with answers immediately……..no evasive tactics, always head-on!

Roger (UK)
Best trip I have ever been on. Highly recommend.

Would highly recommend. Safari online asked questions when booking and were efficient and knew exactly what we were looking for in terms of accommodation and animals were wanted to see. Gave advice on a few little extras with no pressure, which we did and am very grateful which make trip even more exciting. Would definitely recommend booking with them.

Safari Online made our fantastic family holiday dream come true!!

Safari Online have been nothing but professional and incredible from the time we made our first enquiry to the last day of our stunning holiday. Nothing was too much trouble for Walter. We are now starting to plan our next family Safari for 2019. Guess who we will be booking with??? Safari Online we hope you are ready!!!!!

Penni (AU)
Safari Online were extremely efficient and absolutely charming to work with.

Our 28-day itinerary took us to South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana. A magnificent and unforgettable adventure. Everything ran smoothly and efficiently from the flights, transfers, rides, connections, etc. Absolutely wonderful! Can’t thank them enough!

Ann and Mario (Canada)
It was a safari of a lifetime and exceeded all of our expectations!

Our mom grew up in Central and South Africa so we had visited the continent many times. My sister and I wanted to take our teens and husbands to Africa to experience the magic. We had a limited budget but big and specific expectations and by some miracle Walter was able to manage both.

Heather (USA)
Professional, quick and top of the edge service!!!

From the very first contact we’re very happy about the respond time and quality of information from safari-online.com. Based on the received first tailor-made quote, which is a weblink with all the details about the flights, photos of the lodges etc. we knew that this is “our” partner for this trip. Our expectations were excelled!!!

Lukas (Germany)
Karina was absolutely instrumental to our safari success.

Our experience with Safari Online was excellent. After becoming very frustrated trying to search for a safari destination on our own, we turned to Karina for help and she was a lifesaver.  We had an amazing safari adventure at the lodge–the experience of a lifetime–and are so grateful for her help. We literally couldn’t have done it without her!

Chris (USA)