11 of the best places to visit in Namibia

Sprawling beside the Atlantic but dry as a bone, rich in history and wildlife but famed for its empty spaces, Namibia is a bit of an enigma. Indeed, the skeletons of whales, seals and wrecked ships can be spotted along the dramatic Skeleton Coast, one of the top places to visit in a land known for unforgettable experiences.

Namibia is sometimes overshadowed by neighboring South Africa and Botswana, but its attractions speak for themselves. Amongst other superlatives, you can view Africa’s largest canyon, its oldest desert and some of its highest sand dunes around Sossusvlei, as well as the wild, dune-backed beaches that hem Namibia's 1500km-long (932-mile) coastline.

Despite the dry terrain, you'll find plenty of life in Namibia's national parks. The country's sun-baked deserts are nourished by fog that rolls in from the icy Atlantic, enabling these seemingly empty expanses to support a wide variety of drought-adapted plants and animals.

And with solid infrastructure and a well-developed tourism industry, exploring Namibia is a delight. For a taste of the country's highlights, here are the best places to visit.

1. Etosha National Park

Best place for a safari

Etosha is Namibia’s top safari destination, famed for huge herds of zebras, wildebeest, impalas and other African animals that gather around its many water holes during the dry season, as well as the huge flocks of flamingoes that make their way to the Etosha salt pan to breed during the rainy season.

Etosha is also notable for being home to one of Africa’s largest populations of critically endangered black rhinos. One of the best places to spot them is the floodlit water hole at Okakuejo, close to the Okakuejo Camp. Take a 4WD safari to get within snapping distance of wildlife all over the park.

Planning tip: Etosha is ideally set up for self-drive exploration, with a well-spaced network of bush camps and a good road network.

2. Windhoek

Best place to delve into Namibia’s history

No visit to Namibia would be complete without at least a brief stop in the country’s lively capital. Perched atop an inland plateau set at about 1700m (5577ft) above sea level, Windhoek is one of the world’s highest capital cities. It's also Namibia’s main urban hub and the best place in the country to buy crafts and stock up on supplies before setting off to explore.

Devote at least a day to exploring historic landmarks such as the Christuskirche church and the National Museum, with its displays on the country's path to Independence.

Detour: Surrounding Windhoek, and rising to between 1700m (5577ft) and 2000m (6562ft) in altitude are the Khomas Highlands. Come to admire the open grasslands and rolling hills, and check out the local wildlife at tiny Daan Viljoen Game Park on Windhoek’s western edge, or N/a'an ku sê Wildlife Sanctuary to the east.

3. Skeleton Coast National Park

Best place for solitude and desolate beauty

Stretching for 500km (310 miles) along Namibia’s northwestern shoreline, Skeleton Coast National Park is splendid in its desolation, with barren, wave-pounded sands that have long formed a graveyard for washed-up whales, seals, ships and even some hapless humans. But a visit to the seal colonies along the shore will remind you that there's life here still.

Permits are required to explore the park’s northern section, but you can get a good feel for the area in the lower portion of the park between the Ugab River entrance and the fishing center of Terrace Bay. The quiet is broken during the December to January high season, when this stretch of shore becomes a favored destination for anglers.

4. Swakopmund

Best spot for adrenaline activities

Dune boarding, skydiving and surfing are just some of the many activities possible in Swakopmund, Namibia’s adventure capital. With its chilled-out vibe, German-influenced architecture and numerous activity companies, the town has become an established stop on the travel circuit, and you'll find a good range of restaurants and accommodations.

Just 35km south is Walvis Bay, known for its flamingos and other wetland birdlife, and nearby is 383m-high (1256ft) Dune 7, Namibia’s highest sand dune. Further along the coast, don’t miss Sandwich Harbour with its bird-filled lagoon set dramatically against a backdrop of towering dunes.

Distances between attractions along the central coast aren’t too onerous, particularly if you have a rental vehicle. Even if you have time for just a week here, you’ll be able to get a good feel for many of Namibia’s highlights.

Detour: Don’t miss taking a day trip from Swakopmund north to Cape Cross Seal Reserve, where you can see, hear and smell thousands of Cape fur seals as they lounge on the beach and frolic in the waves.

5. Damaraland

Best for desert-adapted wildlife

Damaraland, nestled between Etosha National Park and the coast, is a hauntingly beautiful region where elephants and lions roam amidst craggy rock formations. Even the plants are adapted to the parched conditions – look out for gnarled Welwitschia mirabilis plants and quiver trees, once used by the San people to make quivers for arrows.

Damaraland is also the site of one of Africa’s most extensive collections of rock art. At Twyfelfontein you can view more than 2500 engravings depicting local wildlife and geometric patterns.

Detour: There’s more rock art several hours' drive to the south at Brandberg's Tsisab Ravine, or "fire mountain." Watch the sun set against the red rocks to see how it got its name.

6. Lüderitz

Best place for coastal wildlife

Lüderitz, the largest population center in southwestern Namibia, has an incongruous setting, sandwiched between the sea and the desert. With its busy port, single access road, and early 20th-century German-style architecture, the town has a time-warped, end-of-the-world kind of vibe.

About 20km (12.5 miles) west of Lüderitz around the bay is Diaz Point, a rocky, wind-buffeted outcrop known for its seabirds and seals. Southeast of Lüderitz is the evocative ghost town of Kolmanskop, a mining settlement that is slowly being taken over by the desert.

Detour: Stretching south from Lüderitz are the empty expanses of Tsau //Khaeb (Sperrgebiet) National Park, accessible on day trips from Lüderitz. This former diamond-mining region is a biodiversity hotspot with a diverse array of succulent plant species. On the park’s eastern edge, near the small town of Aus, look out for survivors of the area’s once-large population of wild horses.

7. Sossusvlei

Best place for photography

In the heart of the Namib Desert is the tiny enclave of Sesriem, the gateway to Namib Naukluft Reserve and the stunning dune panoramas around Sossusvlei and Deadvlei. The area's salt and clay pans are a photographer’s dream, with the sharp lines of the surrounding dunes standing in stark contrast to the clear blue skies.

Climbing these giant dunes is another must-do on a trip to Sossusvlei. Nearby are some lovely desert lodges, and not far away is NamibRand Nature Reserve, a designated dark sky reserve where you can take in a light-pollution-free panorama of stars.

Planning tip: Spend the night at the Sesriem campsite inside the main park gate or at one of the lodges inside the park to climb Big Daddy or nearby Dune 45 while the air is cooler and the sun is still relatively low in the sky. For another perspective on this humbling landscape, try a sunrise hot-air balloon safari.

8. Kunene Region (Kaokoland)

Best place for wild remoteness

In Namibia’s far northwestern corner is the remote and seldom visited Kunene region, home to isolated valleys, empty scrublands, rugged mountains and silent deserts. It's home to the semi-nomadic Himba people, known for their traditional lifestyle – and their custom of wearing red ochre paste on their skin and hair. You’ll have many opportunities here to meet members of the Himba community and learn about their culture.

Landscapes are the other appeal. Kunene is fringed to the north by the sandbanks and waterways of the Kunene River delta. East of here, the winding Kunene River, which forms Namibia’s border with Angola, flows past pretty Epupa Falls and some lovely riverside lodges.

Planning tip: Visiting Kunene is a proper adventure. Fully equipped 4WD excursions and fly-in tours are the main ways to explore the region’s remote expanses.

9. Southern Namibia

Best destination for a river adventure

The Orange River, which forms Namibia’s border with South Africa, is all about multi-day canoe adventures where you paddle by day, camp under the stars by night, and spend languid afternoons relaxing on the riverbanks.

The vineyard-fringed border town of Noordoewer is a popular base. Combine four or five days on the river with a visit to the viewpoints overlooking the vast and ruggedly beautiful Fish River Canyon. To the north is |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, a setting for self-sufficient, off-grid adventures.

Planning tip: Fancy a challenge? In the cooler months, put on your hiking boots for an unforgettable 85km (53-mile) hike along Fish River Canyon, finishing at the relaxing |Ai-|Ais hot springs.

10. Zambezi Region (Caprivi Strip)

Best for water-based wildlife watching

Northeastern Namibia is far away from Windhoek and much of the rest of the country, both in distance and in feel. Its languid waterways offer a complete contrast to the arid desert landscapes more prevalent in the south, and the far northeast is an ideal detour if you’re combining travel in Namibia with a trip to Victoria Falls, spanning the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The focus in northeastern Namibia is Bwabwata National Park, where you can soak in the sounds of the African bush in the area’s relaxed lodges and campgrounds, then spot hippos and elephants splashing along the banks of the Okavango River and Kwando River.

11. Northern Namibia

Best place for getting to know local culture

Densely populated northern Namibia is the cultural heartland of the Owambo people, Namibia’s largest ethnic group. You can learn about Owambo culture around the town of Ondwangwa, then visit the moving memorial marking the birthplace of Namibian independence at Omugulugwombashe.

For a deeper dive into the region's culture, attend a local festival such as Oshituti Shomagongo in March/April, devoted to the area's famous marula fruits, and sample some omagungu (mopane worms) and omboga (greens) at one of the region’s many small eateries.