To help inspire or plan your trip to Namibia, some of its major attractions for travellers are shown below, including some of the best natural, historical, cultural and adventure sites in the country. These include all of UNESCO World Heritage Sites for Namibia which represent the best of the world's cultural and natural heritage.
Click on the icons below to focus on specific types of features (click again to return to all).

NaturalHistoryWildlifeTrekkingCitiesReligious MonumentBoat
Journey
Rail
Journey
DivingCulturalAdrenalineUNESCO WHS

Natural attractions in Namibia

Etosha National Park
Etosha National Park
Etosha National Park

Etosha National Park is Namibia's premier wildlife sanctuary and one of the best game reserves in Africa, covering a huge 22,000 km². Its terrain is a mixture of bush and grassland centred around the huge, flat, dazzling white expanse of the Etosha Pan, a dried up former lake. Over 340 bird species and 100 mammal species are present in the park including all the major game and predators, as well as the rare and endangered black rhinoceros, black-faced impala, Hartmann’s mountain zebra and the tiny damara dik-dik. Etosha is renowned for its floodlit waterholes that allow you to view herds of animals drinking at night.

Sossusvlei and Sesriem Canyon
Sossusvlei and Sesriem Canyon
Sossusvlei and Sesriem Canyon

The Namib-Naukluft Park, at almost 50,000 km², is the fourth largest nature conservation area in the world and contains the world's oldest desert, the Namib Desert. The sand dunes at Sossusvlei are its biggest attraction and one of the most evocative and beautiful sites in Africa. The dunes are deep red in colour and up to 300m high and the views of the surrounding desert are spectacular. Climbing up one of these immense dunes, especially at sunrise or sunset to witness the dramatic and changing colours, is one of the quintessential Africa experiences, while running and jumping down the steep sides provides an exhilarating and quick trip back to the bottom. The isolated Dead Vlei, hidden behind sand dunes, is even more dramatic - its 600 year old dead tree trunks lie in a white parched surface and contrast beautifully with the surrounding red dunes and bright blue skies. Nearby are the small but dramatic rock formations of the Sesriem Canyon gorge.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Namib Sand Sea

Damaraland
Damaraland
Damaraland

The beautiful area of Damaraland contains some striking mountain scenery including that of Brandberg, Namibia's highest peak at 2573 metres, and Spitzkoppe, a distinctly shaped granite rock formation, 1728 metres high and referred to as the "Matterhorn of Africa". Both locations contain numerous examples of Bushmen rock art and are wonderful locations for camping under the African stars.

Fish River Canyon
Fish River Canyon
Fish River Canyon

Fish River Canyon is the world's second largest canyon, a spectacular chasm 161km long, 27 km wide and 550 metres deep. The outer canyon was formed by tectonic activity and the inner canyon by erosion from the Fish River. There are breathtaking views from atop the escarpment edge and excellent hiking opportunities along and within the canyon.

Waterberg Plateau National Park

The Waterberg Plateau is a flat-topped sandstone mountain that rises 200 metres over the surrounding plains and is 50 kilometres long and 16 kilometres wide. The plateau was the site of the decisive battle between the Herero and German colonial forces but today is a national park that is the home to many rare and endangered animals including leopard and roan and sable antelope. The park also has great hiking trails with spectacular views.