This is Africa’s largest game park. 49,768 square kilometers. Bigger than Switzerland. It’s the fourth largest national park in the world.
The park has three main sections. The Namib Desert on the west side. Naukluft Mountains in the east. And Sandwich Harbour lagoon up north.
Entry Fees
Foreign adults pay 100 Namibian dollars per person per day. That’s about 5.50 USD. SADC residents pay 60. Namibians pay 30. Vehicle fee is separate. Around 10 Namibian dollars. Kids under 16 get in free.
You pay at the gate or book through Namibia Wildlife Resorts ahead of time. Fees are valid for 24 hours from when you enter.
Permits You Need
Sandwich Harbour and Welwitschia Drive need special permits. You can’t just show up. Get them from the Ministry of Environment Forestry and Tourism offices in Windhoek or Swakopmund before you go.
Sesriem Canyon
Small canyon near the main entrance. Only 1 kilometer long and 30 meters deep. Some parts are just 2 meters wide. One section has water year round. Good spot to cool off for 30 minutes before heading to the dunes. Free to visit with your park entry fee.
Naukluft Hiking Trails
The main trail is 120 kilometers over 8 days. Tough hike through mountains. You can do just the first half which is 58 kilometers in 4 days.The trail only opens March 1st to mid October. Too hot for the rest of the year.
Starts on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays only. Groups need minimum 3 people, maximum 12. Each hiker needs a medical report. They check fitness because the trail is hard. Book through Namibia Wildlife Resorts. It fills up fast during peak months.
Sandwich Harbour
This is up north on the coast. The lagoon is surrounded by massive dunes that drop straight into the ocean.
Hundreds of thousands of birds stop here. Flamingos, pelicans, cormorants. It’s a wetland site. You need that special permit. And a 4×4 is required. The sand is deep and soft. Tour operators from Swakopmund run day trips if you don’t want to drive yourself.
Welwitschia Drive
Self drive route that shows you welwitschia plants. These things live for 2000 years. They only grow in the Namib Desert nowhere else on Earth. The plants look dead but they’re not. Drive is about 2 hours. Gravel road. You need that permit for this too.
Where to Camp
Sesriem Campsite has 18 spots with basic toilets and showers. There is no electricity, so you need to bring your own food and firewood.
You cannot camp at Sossusvlei. It is for day visitors only.
Naukluft Campsite is near the mountains and is a good base for hikers. It is even more basic than Sesriem.
The central Namib area has 52 campsites spread out. There are no facilities at all, so you must bring everything, including water, food, and firewood.
Lodges Outside the Park
Many lodges are located just outside the park boundaries and are much more comfortable than camping. Most of them are near Sesriem.
Prices go from budget to very expensive. It is best to book early, especially from May to October.
Some lodges have their own airstrips, so you can fly in from Windhoek on a small plane.
Park Rules
Stay on marked roads. Don’t drive off into the dunes. You’ll get stuck and damage the environment. No pets allowed anywhere in the park.
Gates close at sunset. If you’re at Sossusvlei you need to be back at Sesriem gate before dark.
The speed limit is 60 kilometers per hour on gravel roads. 80 on paved roads. Rangers check and fine people.
Do not feed the animals and do not pick the plants. These are standard park rules.
Best Route Through the Park
Most people enter the park through Sesriem Gate. The main attraction is Sossusvlei and Deadvlei, so it’s best to visit them first.
Sesriem Canyon is worth a stop, either on your way in or on the way out.
If you have more time, you can drive up to Sandwich Harbour. It is a full-day trip from Sesriem. Welwitschia Drive is better done as a day trip from Swakopmund because it is on that side.
The Naukluft Mountains are for serious hikers only. They attract a different crowd than the dune tourists.
Other Animals
Hartmann’s mountain zebras live in the rocky areas. Harder to spot than plains zebras.
Black backed jackals, bat eared foxes, and cape foxes are around but mostly at night.
Leopards and cheetahs live here but sightings are super rare. They hide during the day.
There are over 200 bird species. Ostriches are easy to see. The dune lark only lives in this desert. Raptors like eagles hunt in the mountains.
After good rains, flamingos and other water birds appear at the pans.
How Long to Stay
Two or three days is enough to see Sossusvlei and deadvlei. That’s what most people come for.
if you want to hike in the naukluft mountains or visit sandwich harbour, you will need a few more days. The park is very big. You could easily spend a week here.
if you are also going to etosha national park up north, it is best to visit namib-naukluft during the same dry season.
