Namibia holiday
Travel tips, best time to visit & highlights for your Namibia holiday in Africa
Namibia is the land of endless space: The rust-colored dunes of Sossusvlei are among the highest in the world, the Etosha National Park offers fantastic self-drive safaris, and the Skeleton Coast is eerily beautiful. Namibia is sparsely populated, safe, well-organized, and thanks to its German colonial history, surprisingly familiar in parts.
Capital
Windhoek
Language
English, Afrikaans, German
Currency
Namibia Dollar (NAD)
Time zone
UTC+2
Flight time from DE
approx. 10–11 hours
Entry requirements
Passport, 90 days visa-free
Top hotels & accommodations in Namibia
Selected hotels and holiday accommodations in Namibia — with images, reviews, and direct booking links with our partners.
Heinitzburg Boutique Hotel
Windhoek, Namibia
Safari Court Hotel
Windhoek, Namibia
Le Mirage Desert Lodge & Spa
Sesriem, Namibia
Hansa Hotel
Swakopmund, Namibia
River Crossing Lodge
Windhoek, Namibia
GocheGanas Lodge & Nature Reserve
Goche Ganas, Namibia
Hotel Windhoek Country Club Resort
Windhoek, Namibia
Hilton Windhoek
Windhoek, Namibia
Top 5 highlights in Namibia
The places you absolutely must not miss.
Sossusvlei
Up to 300m high orange-red sand dunes – Dune 45 at sunrise is unforgettable.
Etosha National Park
Huge salt pan with waterholes where elephants, lions, and rhinos drink.
Skeleton Coast
Shipwrecks, seal colonies, and foggy desert by the Atlantic – surreal and lonely.
Fish River Canyon
The second largest canyon in the world (160 km long) – hike possible in 5 days.
Swakopmund
German colonial town by the sea: breweries, adventure activities, and colonial architecture.
Hotels in Namibia
Vergleiche tausende Hotels, Apartments und Resorts auf Expedia – mit Bestpreis-Garantie, kostenloser Stornierung und Bonuspunkten.
* Weiterleitung zu Expedia.de. Es gelten die dortigen Nutzungsbedingungen.
Reise-SIM für Namibia
Prepaid-SIM mit Datenvolumen für Namibia. Einfach einlegen und sofort lossurfen – keine Roaming-Gebühren.
* Weiterleitung zu travSIM.de. Es gelten die dortigen Nutzungsbedingungen.
Reiseversicherung abschließen
Rundum-Schutz ab 9,90 € auf TravelSecure.de
Pauschalreisen & Rundreisen
Berge & Meer – 170 Tage Cookie
Best time to visit Namibia
Recommended travel time
May–October (dry season, best safari)
Summer
25–35°C
Winter
10–25°C
How much does a holiday in Namibia cost?
Average cost per person per day (excluding flight)
Budget
50–80€
Hostel, street food, public transport
Mid-range
80–150€
Hotel, restaurant, excursions
Luxury
150–400€
Boutique hotel, fine dining
5 travel tips for Namibia
Insider knowledge to make your holiday better.
Self-drive safari is very possible in Namibia – good roads and signage
4x4 vehicle with rooftop tent is the classic way to travel Namibia
German is partially spoken in Swakopmund – surprise!
The starry sky in the Namib Desert is among the clearest in the world
Water is precious – use it sparingly, especially in the desert
Food & drink in Namibia
These dishes you must try!
Discover Namibia
4 regions, cities and highlights in Namibia
National parks
Fish River Canyon
The Fish River Canyon in southern Namibia is the second largest canyon in the world and a natural wonder of immense beauty. Over 160 km long, up to 27 km wide, and 550 m deep, the gigantic gorge stretches through the barren desert landscape. The multi-day Fish River Canyon Hiking Trail is one of the most legendary hikes in Africa. The nearby hot springs of Ai-Ais and the endless silence of the Namib Desert make this remote place an experience for adventurers and those seeking tranquility alike.
Sossusvlei
Sossusvlei in the Namib-Naukluft National Park is home to the highest sand dunes in the world — some over 300 meters high — in colors ranging from bright orange to deep red. The Namib is the oldest desert on Earth (80 million years), and Sossusvlei is its most dramatic expression. The most famous dune, "Big Daddy" (325m), offers a strenuous climb with a reward that makes every step worth it: the view over the endless dune landscape and the white Deadvlei with its 900-year-old dead camel thorn trees — one of the most photographed subjects in Africa. At sunrise, when the dunes glow in red and orange and the shadows create knife-like contrasts, it is clear why photographers from all over the world flock here. The surrounding Sesriem and Sossusvlei lodges offer a luxury safari feeling in the middle of the desert.
Cities
Swakopmund
Swakopmund is Namibia's most charming coastal town — a surreal place where the oldest desert in the world meets the cold Atlantic Ocean, and German colonial architecture, palm-lined avenues, and a vibrant adventure scene create a unique mix. Between dunes, fog, and sea, Swakopmund feels like a piece of the German Empire that has wandered to the Namibian Atlantic coast. The half-timbered houses, the Art Nouveau facades, the Hohenzollernhaus, and the old courthouse tell the story of the German colonial period (1884-1915). Even today, many residents speak German, bakeries sell rye bread and apple strudel, and at the brewery by the sea, there is freshly tapped beer according to the German purity law. The dunes of the Namib Desert begin just behind the town: Dune 7, one of the highest dunes in the area, offers sandboarding and quad tours over endless orange sand mountains. The Moon Landscape — an erosion area of granite and gneiss — looks like the surface of an alien planet. The Skeleton Coast north of Swakopmund is one of the loneliest and most dramatic stretches of coastline on Earth: shipwrecks rust in the fog, Cape Cross seal colonies host over 100,000 animals, and the cold Benguela Current creates mystical banks of fog that roll over the desert. Whale swimming and dolphin tours in Walvis Bay, kayaking among pelicans and flamingos in the lagoon, as well as skydiving over the desert make Swakopmund Namibia's adventure capital.
Windhoek
Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, is located at 1,650 meters in the central highlands and surprises as one of the cleanest and safest capitals in Africa. The city combines German colonial architecture — the Christ Church, the Ink Palace, and the breweries — with African flair and modern Namibia. The Craft Centre at the old train station and Joe's Beerhouse are institutions. Windhoek is primarily the gateway to the spectacular landscapes of Namibia: the dunes of Sossusvlei, the Etosha National Park, the Skeleton Coast, and the Fish River Canyon. The German-Namibian connection is omnipresent: streets bear German names, Windhoek Lager is the national beer (brewed according to the German purity law), and German is still spoken in Swakopmund. A safari in Namibia almost always begins and ends in Windhoek.
Complete guide for Namibia
Regions, attractions, food, routes, costs & practical tips — all in one digital guide.
Open guideReady for Namibia?
Plan your Namibia holiday now with our free tools.
Plan a holiday in Namibia
Namibia is one of the most popular travel destinations in Africa, offering Nature, Safari, Desert and much more. The best time to visit Namibia is May–October (dry season, best safari), when the weather is ideal for exploration and relaxation. With a daily budget starting from 50–80€ (Budget) to 150–400€ (Luxury), Namibia is suitable for various travel budgets.
From the capital Windhoek, Namibia can be excellently explored. The official language is English, Afrikaans, German, and the currency is Namibia Dollar (NAD). From Germany, you can reach Namibia in approx. 10–11 hours. Whether you want to try culinary highlights like Biltong, Potjiekos, Kapana, visit top attractions, or simply enjoy the atmosphere: Namibia has something for every type of traveller.
Use our free travel tools to prepare your Namibia holiday perfectly. With the holiday finder, you can discover if Namibia is the right destination for you. The budget calculator helps you plan costs realistically, and with the packing list, you won't forget anything.
Suitable holiday types for Namibia:
More travel destinations in Africa:
All countries in Africa