Namibia is a vast country with tourist attractions spread throughout the country. Besides the country’s vast flora and fauna, you could easily fall in love with Namibia’s cultures and historical heritage.

The Namibia Tourist Information Page gives you a bird eye view of Namibia.

To locate the most popular tourist attractions, the country will be divided into four areas:

Central Area

Okahandja Rehoboth Windhoek Daan Viljoen Game Park Dordabis

Windhoek , Namibia’s capital is nestled among rolling hills, bounded by the Eros Mountains in the east, the Auas Mountain to the south and the Khomas Hochland in the west. Just outside Windhoek, on the way to Rehoboth is the Namibia Heroes Acre Monument.

Located centrally in an attractive green valley and is a town where modern cultural Africa meets German colonial Africa. The Capital offers delightful accommodation, pleasant restaurants and a variety of shopping options, but also museums, national archives, the National Botanical Garden, National Library and National Art Gallery. Windhoek is the starting point of an adventurous holiday for many visitors to the country and an ideal base from where to explore the rest of the country.

A mere 15km from Windhoek and situated in the hills of the Khomas Hochland, the Daan Viljoen Game Reserve is a must see for naturalists, where you can view the game typical of Namibia's highland region. It's a perfect overnight stop and can even be visited on a day trip. Along with several short day hikes, there is also the 34km Daan Viljoen Hiking Trail for groups of between three and 12 people.

Okahandjalies 70 km north of the city and the gateway to explore the northern and coastal parts of the country. Among its attractions are the Ombo Ostrich Farm, the Historic Rhenish Mission Church, informal craft markets and graves of the Herero leaders.

Situated some 90 km south of the capital, Rehoboth owes its existence largely to the thermal spring surfacing here.

The small settlement of Dordabis, southeast of Windhoek is the centre of the country’s karakul weaving industry.

Northern Area

Otjikoto and Guinas Lakes Hoba Meteorite Tsumeb Etosha National Park Waterberg Plateau Park Kaokoveld Nyae Naye Area Caprivi Kavango Ovamboland Twyfelfontein

With contrasting landscapes, ranging from the arid mountain desert of the Kaokoveldto lily carpeted waterways in the east, the Northern Region of Namibia is one of the most popular tourist destinations.

Waterberg Plateu Park, southeast of Otjiwarongo is a popular en route stop.

Close to Grootfontein, visitors can view the 60 tonne Hoba Meteorite, the largest of its kind in the world.

Just outside Tsumeb are the well-known Otjikoto and Guinas Lakes .

Etosha National Park is one of Africa’s great game parks. The world renowned park features the full spectrum of African wildlife species and a variety of birds. There are enormous amounts of sprinbok, and protected species such as the black faced impala and black rhino. To the northwest of Etosha lies the arid, but scenic Kaokoveld and the Epupa Falls.

Northeastern Namibia is a mosaic of woodlands, forests, swamps and rivers. Off the beaten track destinations include the Nyae Naye area.

Among the many other attractions west of Khorixas are the Petrified Forest, Burnt Mountain, the Organ Pipes and the World Heritage Site- Twyfelfontein

The Khaudum Game Park, further north is likewise only accessible by four wheel drive vehicle. The park is home to herds of elephants, roan, eland, kudu, gemsbok (oryx), blue wildebeest, wild dog and lion.

The Mudumu and Mamili national parks in eastern Caprivi can, likewise only be explored in a four wheel drive vehicle.

Two destinations that are however, accessible by sedan car are Popa Falls , a series of rapids in the Kavango River, and the nearby Mahango Game Park. The park offers outstanding birding and also renown for its large numbers of elephant, red lechwe, sable, roan, buffalo, blue wildebeest and gemsbok.

Impalila Island in the far north east is described as “The One Island in Africa Where Four Countries Meet.” The Zambezi River offers superb tiger fishing, while the island and surrounding area are of the top birding spots in Namibia.

Southern Area

Sossusvlei Dowisib Castle Fish River Canyon Kolmanskop Namibia's Desert Horses

Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean and in the Namib Desert in the west and the orange dunes of the Kalahari in the east, Southern Namibia is a land of wide open spaces and solitude. It offers a diversity of unique attractions ranging from historical buildings and ghost towns to fossils and quiver tree forests.

The main attraction of the southern region is the spectacular Sossuvlei , a clay pan formed when the shifting dunes of the Namib smothered the course of the Tsauchab River as well as the breathtaking Namib Naukluft Park. It is also home to some of the rarest and strangest plant and animal species in the world - like the Hartmann's Mountain Zebra, Enormous fields of lichen and the living fossil, Welwitscia mirabilis which can live for over a thousand years. At the entry to Sossusvlei is Sesriem Canyon where centuries of erosion have incised a narrow gorge about 1 km in length.

Duwisib Castle is another well-known attraction in the south of the country. It lies 250 km northeast of Garub and was built in the early 1900s by Baron Hansheinrich von Wolf. This red sandstone structure still boast some of its original furniture and artworks, and a collection of firearms.

The area surrounding Keetmanshoop is renowned for its quiver tree forests. The Quiver tree forest which is a mysterious looking and extremely photogenic landmark can be found on the farm Gariganus near Keetmanshoop.

The Fish River Canyon is the second largest canyon in the world.

Built amongst rocky outcrops along the southern Namib coast, Luderitz owes its existence to the discovery of diamonds in 1908. With the wealth of German colonial buildings, Luderitz has survived time and elements, unlike the former mining settlements at Kolmanskop, Elisabeth Bay and Pomona which became ghost towns. Just outside Luderitz you will find the historic site where Batlomeus Diaz erected a cross, this is known as Diaz Cross.

When travelling between Luderitz and Aus, you will see the legendary desert horses.Various theories on their origin abound the most popular being that they are descendants of the Baron's breeding horses. These horses have managed to adopt to the harsh environment and against the magnificent backdrop of the desert, they are a photographer's perfect subject.

Hardap Dam Resort north of Mariental is situated on high cliffs overlooking the country’s largest dam.

Coastal Area

Spitzkoppe Brandberg Cape Cross Namib Desert Swakopmund Walvis Bay Henties Bay Skeleton Coast

Swakopmund, Spitzkoppe, Brandberg , Cape Cross, Namib Desert , Henties Bay , Skeleton Coast Park and Twyfelfontein are some of the most popular tourist destination in Namibia.

Measuring 1200km by 400km, the Namib Desert is the oldest desert on earth. It stretches from the Kunene River in the north to the Orange in the south and has the Atlantic Ocean as one great watery border in the west. If it was not for the cold Benguela current that sweeps down the African continent and helps create a morning fog over the Namib, many of the area’s plants and animals wouldn’t manage to survive.

The seaside town of Swakopmund with its palm trees and promenades boast a good selection of colonial architecture. It’s a good base from which to venture into the Namib on day trips. If you’ve already eaten some of the mouth watering Namibian biltong, you’d do well to wash it down with a pint of well-crafted Namibian beer at Swakopmund brewery, check out the tannery for leather products or visit the local museum.

Just south of Swakopmund is the whaling town of Walvis Bay which was discovered by whalers as a rare deep water bay on a shallow coastline. Today, it provides a sanctuary for 40% of South Africa’s pink flamingos and a variety of other sea bird species. Its lagoon is considered the most important wetland area for southern African coastal birds.

Swept by cold sea breezes, and regularly cloaked in fog, the Skeleton Coast derives its name from the scattered bones and shipwrecks of those that didn’t survive this desolate and often treacherous part of the Namibian coastline. Still, the Skeleton Coast attracts adventurers to its shoreline every year – if not for the dramatic scenery, then for the sport fishing. The Skeleton Coast falls within a national park, but only the southern section is open to the general public.

The magnificent granite Spitzkoppe inselberg are also conveniently close to Windhoek and should surely be on every Namibia's things to see in a lifetime list. The place is also a rock climbing mecca and since the seventies climbers have been delicately tip toeing and fingering their way up the crack systems and rock slabs of Spitzkoppe's smooth spires.

At 2574m, the Konigstein peak is the highest peak in the Brandberg massif, and the highest in Namibia. Due to the mineral feldspar in the mountain, the late afternoon sun makes it appear as if it is on fire. It is also home to the famous cave painting known as the White Lady of the Brandberg. The white lady stands 40cm tall and is painted in four colours. She holds a strange goblet or scepter like symbol in her right hand, and a white bow and arrow in the other. In 1948, Abbe Henri Breuil, a post war authority on prehistoric rock art, wrote an article on her postulating she might be of Egyptian or Cretan origin. However, most authorities believe that the figure actually portrays a young, indigenous Herero man daubed with white clay, undergoing some rite or ceremony.

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