Sossusvlei, Namibia Travel Guide: Best Way to See Sossusvlei Dunes
Travel Guide for Sossusvlei
What is Sossusvlei?
Sossusvlei is a salt and clay pan located in Namibia surrounded by red sand dunes. The larger tourist region that encompasses the Big Daddy Dune, Big Mamma Dune, Dune 45, and Deadvlei is commonly referred to as Sossusvlei, as well. In this blog, I’ll be using Sossusvlei to describe the larger region.
I was lucky enough to experience the magic of Sossusvlei when my friends and I took a weekend trip from our base in Windhoek. Here is what I learned from my visit to Sossusvlei…
Where is Sossusvlei?
Sossusvlei is located in southwestern Namibia about a 5 hour drive from Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. Sossusvlei is roughly a 6 hour drive from Hosea Kutako International Airport (the primary International airport in Namibia).
How to Get to Sossusvlei?
The roads on the way to Sossusvlei are a mix of paved, gravel, and brick so you will need a vehicle with enough clearance and power to make it there safely. We opted to rent a 4x4 with roof top tents for our adventure to Sossusvlei. You could also hire transport directly from the airport/Windhoek if you’d prefer not to drive. (This would be for if you’re staying at a lodge as they will transport you around the park once you arrive).
On the drive to Sossusvlei we opted for a scenic route through the mountains via C26, D1275, C19, and D826. Solitaire is a great stop-off town about 1 hour away from the Sossusvlei entrance gate.
On the way back from Sossusvlei, we took C24 through Rehoboth for a change of scenery and stopped at Conny’s Coffee Shop. After driving through largely uninhabited stretches of land, this hidden gem of a spot appeared and we felt like we had entered the magical town of Spectre from Big Fish, with its charm, quaintness, and smiling hosts. Gunther runs Conny’s Coffee Shop and makes delicious pour over coffee for his guests. He and the other staff there also have a beautiful garden and bake all of the food in a solar oven! Just mind the “slow coffee, slow food, slow life” sign as you enter – this certainly isn’t a quick fast-food stop!
How much does it cost to go to Sossusvlei?
The cost to visit Sossusvlei is $80 NAM (~$6USD) per person per day and $10 NAM (~$1USD) per vehicle per day. Other costs include the truck and camping gear or lodge stay, gas/transport costs to the park, food, and optional tours within the park (like the shuttle out to Big Daddy Dune and the actual Sossusvlei Salt Pan, which costs $180 NAM (~$12USD) round trip).
How many days do you need in Sossusvlei?
At minimum, you will want 2 nights and 3 days in Sossusvlei. There is so much to see and the dune hikes take a lot longer than you might expect! After visiting, I realized I could’ve easily spent a week there for the photography opportunities, but what we did was enough to experience it all at least once.
Where to Stay in Sossusvlei?
You have a lot of options when deciding where to stay at Sossusvlei. There is rustic camping, luxury glamping, and lodge stays. We opted to stay at Sesriem Campsite right within the park gates. The sites were nicely equipped with a fire pit area, electrical outlets, trash bins, and nearby bathrooms with showers. They also have a pool area, restaurant, and little shop for basics.
What to do in Sossusvlei?
There are so many things to do in Sossusvlei! Within the park there are an incredibly wide variety of landscapes and accompanying activities to do. We created the following loose itinerary for our stay and it worked out perfectly:
Day 1:
Arrive by the afternoon, cook dinner while setting up camp and then enjoy sunset under the stars!
Day 2:
Wake up early (5am) and drive to the parking lot for Sossusvlei (this is the parking for Big Daddy Dune, Deadvlei, and Sossusvlei salt pan itself). You can opt to hike Big Daddy (a strenuous hike through the sand dune but with incredible views!) or continue in the shuttle directly to Deadvlei. I opted for the latter and, as a photographer, it was so cool to have Deadvlei to myself with such incredible morning light!
After you reach the summit of Big Daddy Dune, you can run down the dune in about 2 minutes (which is super fun) to reach Deadvlei and then loop back to the shuttle pickup site at Deadvlei parking lot.
From there, the shuttle will take you to Sossusvlei Salt Pan where you can take some photos and walk around but it doesn't take long.
For the afternoon, we opted to nap by the pool at our campsite since there’s not much else you can do during the heat of the day – the sand gets incredibly hot!
At 5pm we left our campsite to head to Dune 45 for sunset. This turned out to be my favorite experience on the trip, so I’d highly recommend it! We hiked the dune and enjoyed some drinks and snacks as we watched the sun set behind the dunes. Be sure to stick around after sunset itself because that’s when the true show started. The post-sunset colors in the sky were unbelievable for another hour or so!
Day 3:
Then on the final day, we watched sunrise and had coffee as we packed up our tents + supplies. We took our time driving back and stopped in Solitaire and at Conny’s Coffee Shop.
The Top 3 Things to do in Sossusvlei:
Visit Deadvlei to see the drastic contrast between the dead trees, white clay + salt pan, red sand dunes, and blue skies! I recommend getting there as early as possible for amazing lighting and fewer people!
Hike Dune 45 for sunset and bring some drinks, snacks, and your camera! The hike is steep but luckily short and running down afterwards was incredible. I’d recommend arriving around an hour before sunset and sticking around after for the color show in the sky!
Hike Big Daddy Dune for sunrise! If you can beat the crowds and get to the Big Daddy Dune shuttle before 7am, ask them to take you to the shortcut and you can hustle to make sunrise from the top. Definitely a strenuous hike so bring enough water and lots of energy!
Where to Eat in Sossusvlei?
The dining options within Sossusvlei are quite limited. All of the lodges and camps have food options on site so you can try any of them that allow outside day-visitors. We enjoyed cooking over the fire (be sure to buy firewood when you arrive as they can sell out early!) and having the other meals at the Sesriem Campsite restaurant. They had limited but solid options like burgers, steaks, salads, etc for dinner and a lighter menu for lunch. They also offer espresso drinks and some breakfast options so you don’t necessarily need to bring food along.
Is Sossusvlei Worth It?
Totally worth it! I will never forget spending sunset at Dune 45 surrounded by friends and the incredible views! Deadvlei was also an incredible place to explore. I would 100% recommend this as a destination if you love adventure and/or photography!