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Gosh I have to tell you now, that travelling to Sossusvlei standing in Deadvlei Namibia felt like I genuinely was on another planet. For me it felt like I was in Mars like I wasn’t even on planet earth. It was truly mesmerising on another level.
The bright orange dunes in Namibia are just spectacular, along with the deep blue skies and the cracked white clay pan and black with twisted trees that have been dead for over 900 years just didn’t make sense to me. Despite seeing both Sossusvlei and Deadvlei online on my Pinterest, Instagram and TikTok my brain just couldn’t process the view in actual real life it was breathtaking and doing it solo just made it a surreal experience for me.
It is honestly worth visiting if you ever get a chance, because the photos online just don’t do any justice, but I’m going to try anyway. If you’re planning a trip to Sossusvlei and Deadvlei, here’s everything you need to know and more.
Related Post: 10 Perfect Days Solo in Namibia Travel Guide: Where to Stay, Eat & Do.
About Namibia
Namibia is a country that has so much history; it’s a country in Southern Africa that gained independence in March 1990. First from German rule which ended in 1915, and then South Africa then ran the country, and independence came in March 1990. It is a country that relies heavily on imports from South Africa for goods, with the exception of farming. Tourism and cattle farming are the two main industries, and with the amount of meat Namibians eat, you see why.
The population of Namibia is approximately 3.17 million people as of 2026, which is insane because there is genuinely more land than people here, including in the desert where Sossusvlei and Deadvlei are and you will feel that vastness every single day while travelling thought the country.
General Advice Before Going to Namibia
You find all this intel in my general Namibia travel guide but thought worth sharing here in case this is the first post you land on below:
- Internet: You’ll definitely want internet while exploring the country. 10 days in Namibia is not a small feat so I would advice getting an eSIM on arrival at the airport, with MTC for less than 20 euros, which gave me around 30GB.
- Travel Insurance: Please get it. I recommend that anyone travelling should have travel insurance, which you can get via SafetyWing here.
- The British High Commission: The Embassy is in Windhoek. Here is the address British High Commission, 116 Robert Mugabe Ave, Windhoek, Namibia. You can always check your country’s embassy/High Commission on Embassies.info. You should always do this before you travel.
- Load shedding: There is some load shedding in Namibia. I saw a couple of power cuts happen while I was staying in lodges and at the airport when I was flying to Zimbabwe. My advice would be to carry a power bank regardless of your trip, which you can purchase here.
- Plugs/Outlets: Namibia uses the same plugs as South Africa, the large three round-pin plugs (Type M) and the smaller three round-pin (Type D), and the voltage is 220V. Your UK, US or European plugs won’t fit, so make sure you pack a universal travel adapter, which you can purchase here.
- Quick note: Type M is the one you’ll see most, but some lodges have the smaller Type D sockets too, so a universal adapter that covers both is safest. UK devices are fine on 220V, but US readers should check their chargers say 100–240V (most phone and laptop chargers do).
Where are Sossusvlei and Deadvlei?
A lot of people (I’m people) use the names Sossusvlei and Deadvlei interchangeably because they are both in the Namib-Naukluft National Park in southwest of Namibia, which is part of the Namib Sand Sea UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The main gateway to these wonders is in the small settlement of Sesriem, 60km down the road which is where I stayed for a night at Hammerstein Lodge, and is located about a 5 to 6 hour drive from Windhoek the capital city of Namibia.
Sossusvlei and Deadvlei are two distinct side by side geographic features:
- Sossusvlei is a massive salt a clay pan completely surrounded by stunning towering red sand dunes in Namibia like Big Daddy, Dune 45.
- Deadvlei is a separate clay pan sitting right next to is is a the globally famous thorn trees that are estimated to be over 900 years old.
How to Visit Sossusvlei and Deadvlei
I hired a driver/tour guide to get to these iconic landscapes as when I was planning I saw that it required a lot of logistical planning, which I didn’t want to think about to much:
There are two gates at Sesriem, the outer main gate opens at sunrise and closes at sunset. I would highly recommend staying at a near lodge close by so that you can leave early in the morning and get in through the inner gate which opens one hour earlier at around 7 am giving you plenty of time to catch the sunrise over the dunes and to walk on the Big Daddy which is cool before the sun comes out.
You can drive the tarred road for about 60km from the Sesriem gate to the main Dune to the 2×4 car park.
The last part of the park is 5km deep and you have to have a 4×4 vehicle. If you don’t have a 4×4, take the park shuttle. My drive was driving a 4×4 so we parked in the 4×4 car park, which is roughly a 1km walk across the sand to Deadvlei if you are missing the Dunes. You can do this both solo or book the same tour here.
Things to Do at Sossusvlei and Deadvlei
My only focus was going to Deadvlei because it was what I had seen online and it is truly one of the biggest highlights of the trip but there are other amazing things you can add to your itineary and make it an overall experience.
Big Daddy
I started out at Big Daddy which is one of the tallest dunes in Namibia of that area at around 325 meters. I started first thing in the am, and was done before 10 am. It took me well over an hour and was not easy at all. I would highly recommend wearing trainers and if you get there before the suns out walking bare foot because the sand is still very cool.
Once you climb to the top you can then run down, or walk slowly like I did into the side straight into Deadvlei. I was soo scared, but honestly the experience was soo good and I’m glad I did it with a trusted tour guide.
Deadvlei
After Big Daddy I walked down into Deadvlei, you would need to put your shoes back on. This is where the globally famous thorn trees that are estimated to be over 900 years old sit and are very necessary to see. I would highly recommend getting there early as once the sun hits it is very hard to stand in the open air in the heat and the light in the morning makes the trees look incredible against the orange dunes.
Dune 45
I passed through Dune 45 after spending the early morning and afternoon at Big Daddy and Deadvlei. The Dune 45 is 45kilometers from Sesriem gate (hence the name), this is the most famous dune to climb for sunrise. It’s steep in places but very doable.
Accommodation in Sossusvlei
Staying near the park gate is the best way to be first at the dunes for sunrise. I stayed at Hammerstein Lodge, which is about 40 mins away from the inner gate.
I left out just before 6 am as a early starter this was pretty easy for me. Guests are usually lining up before you get inside so worth getting there early so you are not the last ones there.
I had also looked at Desert Quiver Camp, which would have been much nicer for me but it was fully booked early, I have added a map below so you can see where other lodges are to the gate:
Tips for Visiting Both Sossusvlei and Deadvlei
- Get there early: I feel like I have mentioned this a few times, I started the day early leaving before 6 am I think it was still dark when I left my lodge. I would say you want to aim to finish climbing any Dunes before 10am as any time after that would be way too hot.
- Packing items: Wear proper shoes, a hat and sunscreen, once you are in Deadvlei you will want to wear your shoes, I wore open toe sandals, but saw a lot of people wearing trainers (note: that sand can get into them). If you get there after 10 am you will certainly feel like the desert sand is hot which will not be good for your feet. You will also need sunscreen I wear SPF 50+ every single day so this was no brainer.
- Stay hydrated: Bring at least 2 litres of water to trek Deadvlei, staying hydrated is not a joke and there’s no shade at Deadvlei so you need to be hydrated always.
- Getting Petrol/Gas: My driver was very mindful about filling up on fuel regularly and in Sesriem which made sense as there wasn’t many petrol stations something I wouldn’t have been able to pick up on if I self-drived.
See You Soon: Conclusion
There are so many places in the world that I have been too but Sossusvlei and Deadvlei were the moment my Namibia trip went from great to unforgettable. It was beyond my imagination.
I aim to go back to both Sossusvlei and Deadvlei in my lifetime and maybe I will go back in 2027 because I am thinking about taking a small group with my travel company Ayoviama.
If this is something you would be interested in coming then let me know in the comments, and if you have any questions do not hesitate to contact me via email – info@mybreakingviews.com and I will be more than happy to help.
And subscribe as I will be breaking down all the areas I travelled through in Namibia.
Speak soon,
MBV xx
