Sesriem

Sossusvlei, Namibia

The gateway settlement and entrance to the Namib-Naukluft Park, home to the dramatic Sesriem Canyon.

Places in Sesriem

Sossusvlei Lodge dining terrace A dining terrace overlooking a floodlit waterhole, with continental and full English breakfast and buffet dinners.
&Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge dining Lantern-lit dining with an impressive walk-in wine cellar amid serene desert luxury.
Sesriem rest camp cafe A simple rest stop cafe at the park gate, useful before an early dune climb.
Acacia Beer Garden A relaxing atmosphere under centuries-old trees, with ice-cold lager on tap and views toward a floodlit waterhole.

Best time to visit: May to October brings cooler, dry desert days, ideal for dune climbing before the afternoon heat sets in.
Getting around: A rental 4x4 or lodge transfer is necessary; distances between the park gate, the dunes, and Deadvlei are significant and best tackled at first light.
Currency: Namibian Dollar (NAD); South African Rand accepted
Language: English (official); Afrikaans and German widely spoken.
Timezone: CAT (UTC+2)
Current trends: The neighbouring NamibRand Nature Reserve's designation as an International Dark Sky Reserve has turned stargazing into as much of a draw as the dunes themselves, with several lodges adding dedicated observatories.

Sossusvlei pan — The clay pan at the heart of the dune field, ringed by some of the world's tallest sand dunes.
Deadvlei — A stark white clay pan dotted with centuries-old blackened camel thorn trees against a backdrop of red dunes.