Sossusvlei and Deadvlei

Sossusvlei, in the heart of the ancient Namib Desert, is one of the most spectacular landscapes on earth, a vast sea of towering, star-shaped sand dunes glowing in brilliant shades of orange and red, among the tallest in the world. Its most iconic sight is Deadvlei, a stark white clay pan cracked and bleached by the sun, studded with the skeletal, blackened trunks of camel-thorn trees that died centuries ago, standing against the red dunes and blue sky in a scene of surreal, timeless beauty.

What you actually see

• Deadvlei - the white clay pan of blackened dead trees against red dunes.
• The great dunes - the towering red dunes like Big Daddy and Dune 45.
• The sunrise - the dunes glowing in the first light.
• Sesriem Canyon - the narrow gorge near the park gate.

When to go

April to October, the cooler dry season, for the most comfortable weather; go at dawn, when the low sun sets the dunes ablaze with colour and the light on Deadvlei is magical, and to climb the dunes before the fierce midday heat.

Honest expectations

It is fiercely hot by day, so the dunes are best climbed and Deadvlei visited in the cool early morning; the last stretch to Sossusvlei requires a four-wheel drive or a shuttle over deep sand. It is remote, a long drive from anywhere, so it needs an overnight nearby. Climbing the giant dunes is exhausting in the sand. The dawn light and Deadvlei, though, are unforgettable.

Nearby

The Sesriem canyon, the Namib desert and the town of Swakopmund are within reach.