Erongo
Brandberg Mountain National Heritage Site
A granite massif and a landscape of rock art. Namibia’s highest mountain is also a protected cultural place.
Nature & Attractions Namibia
A country.A thousand curiosities.
Follow the contours of Namibia: extraordinary landscapes, living heritage and places worth a closer look.
Find your next discovery
Find your next discovery
42 places to discover
Rock, sand & open horizons
Granite, dunes and geological time
6 places to discover
Sossusvlei · Hardap
Hidden Vlei
A dry clay pan in the Sossusvlei area, within the Namib-Naukluft landscape. It is a distinct place and should not be confused with Deadvlei.
Grootfontein · Otjozondjupa
Hoba Meteorite National Heritage Site
A meteorite preserved where it was found, near Grootfontein. This geological heritage site makes an encounter with material from space possible.
Hardap · Erongo · ǁKaras
Namib-Naukluft Park
Dunes, gravel plains and the Naukluft Mountains belong to one vast protected landscape. Sossusvlei and Sesriem are parts of the park, not its whole extent.
Khorixas · Kunene
Petrified Forest National Heritage Site
Fossilised tree trunks form a geological heritage site near Khorixas. The remains tell a story of ancient landscapes rather than a living forest.
Spitzkoppe · Erongo
Spitzkoppe
Granite domes rise above open desert plains. The rock arch, rock-art places and community-managed visitor area invite different ways of discovering the massif.
Water in unexpected places
Springs, rivers and inland waters
8 places to discover
ǁKaras
/Ai-/Ais Hot Springs Game Park
Hot springs meet the great gorge of the Fish River. The park also extends into the rugged Huns Mountains.
Gross Barmen · Otjozondjupa
Gross-Barmen Hot Springs
Mineral hot springs feed the thermal facilities near Okahandja. The site combines an indoor thermal hall, outdoor pool and birdwatching surroundings.
Hardap
Hardap Game Park
A dam landscape with savannah, game and important pelican breeding habitat. The reserve also documents walking trails and freshwater angling.
Grootfontein · Oshikoto
Lake Otjikoto
A karst lake formed when the roof of an underground cavity collapsed. Its history also connects to military equipment deposited here in 1915.
ǁKaras
Naute Game Park
A reservoir fringed by sandy bays and islands in the Nama Karoo. The official park information documents camping, angling and boating permits.
Warmquelle · Kunene
Ongongo Waterfall
A spring-fed pool and waterfall tucked into a rocky canyon. Day visitors are welcomed by the campsite operator; access into the gorge requires particular attention to the vehicle used.
Kavango East
Popa Falls Game Park
A quartzite ledge breaks the Okavango into rapids around riverine islands. Popa Falls is a series of rapids, not a towering waterfall.
Von Bach · Otjozondjupa
Von Bach Game Park
A strategic reservoir surrounded by highland vegetation. Water sports, picnic places and angling are documented uses; fishing requires a permit.
A closer look at the living world
Protected areas and conservation
15 places to discover
Kavango East · Zambezi
Bwabwata National Park
River habitats and Kalahari woodlands connect across a park shared with resident communities. Its conservation zones include Mahango, Buffalo and Kwando.
Cape Cross · Erongo
Cape Cross Seal Reserve
An Atlantic breeding colony of Cape fur seals, with a coastal heritage site alongside it. Viewing concerns wild animals in their own habitat.
Otjiwarongo · Otjozondjupa
Cheetah Conservation Fund · Visitor Centre
Meet the conservation work behind the cheetah: a visitor centre, museum and guided education programmes near Otjiwarongo.
Otjiwarongo · Otjozondjupa
Cheetah Conservation Fund
Meet the conservation work behind the cheetah: a visitor centre, museum and guided education programmes near Otjiwarongo.
Khomas
Daan Viljoen Game Park
Highland wildlife and walking trails just west of Windhoek. The reserve protects the shrubland ecosystem of the Khomas Hochland.
Erongo
Dorob National Park
The central Namib meets the Atlantic: gravel plains, dunes and sensitive lichen fields. Cape Cross remains a separate reserve within this coastal landscape.
Gobabis · Omaheke
Harnas Wildlife Foundation
A wildlife sanctuary and volunteer project managed by the N/a’an ku sê Foundation. Its work centres on animals in need and community support.
Kavango East
Khaudum National Park
Deep Kalahari sand and fossil river valleys shape this remote park. It protects habitat for elephants, roan antelope and African wild dogs.
Mangetti · Kavango West
Mangetti National Park
Ancient dune ridges alternate with wooded valleys. Mangetti combines wildlife conservation with joint management and benefits for neighbouring communities.
Zambezi
Mudumu National Park
Kwando riverine habitats meet dense mopane woodland. This unfenced park forms an important elephant corridor between southern Africa’s conservation areas.
Zambezi
Nkasa Rupara National Park
Reed channels, lagoons and floodplain islands shape Namibia’s largest protected wetland area. Access conditions change with river levels.
Skeleton Coast · Kunene
Skeleton Coast Park
Cold Atlantic fog, gravel plains and volcanic canyons define a vast coastal wilderness. Access rules vary by sector; the northern wilderness is not an unrestricted self-drive destination.
Khomas
National Botanical Garden
This reserve is better known as Namibia’s National Botanical Garden. Indigenous vegetation, labelled plants and the Desert House bring the country’s flora into focus.
ǁKaras
Tsau //Khaeb (Sperrgebiet) National Park
A formerly restricted diamond landscape protecting exceptional Succulent Karoo biodiversity. Rock arches and desert habitats form part of a park with controlled access.
Waterberg · Otjozondjupa
Waterberg Plateau Park
Sandstone cliffs rise above permanent springs and savannah. The plateau has played a major role in breeding rare species for conservation elsewhere in Namibia.
Places that carry stories
Museums, heritage and community places
13 places to discover
Twyfelfontein · Kunene
Damara Living Museum
A community-run open-air museum presents Damara cultural knowledge near Twyfelfontein. Demonstrations and visitor programmes support the people who run it.
Khomas
Heroes’ Acre
A national memorial inaugurated on 26 August 2002. This is a place of remembrance connected to Namibia’s independence history.
Grashoek · Otjozondjupa
Ju/'Hoansi-San Living Museum
The Ju/’Hoansi have run this open-air museum independently since 2004. Cultural demonstrations are explained by a guide who translates into English.
Mutc'iku · Kavango East
Khwe Living Museum
The Khwe community shares cultural knowledge through demonstrations, craft and guided programmes in northern Namibia. Papyrus work and tracking feature in its published activities.
Lüderitz · ǁKaras
Kolmanskop
Sand moves through the rooms of a former diamond-mining town. Guided visits and a voice tour reveal the history behind its remarkably preserved buildings.
Simgalamwe · Zambezi
Mafwe Living Museum
A community museum on a hill overlooking the Kwando. Mafwe hosts demonstrate cultural practices, including craft, with interpretation into English.
Lake Samsitu · Kavango East
Mbunza Living Museum
On Lake Samsitu, the Mbunza community presents Kavango knowledge of fishing, cultivation and craft. Programmes include pottery, weaving and blacksmithing.
Ondangwa · Oshikoto
Nakambale Museum
The former Rautanen family residence now presents northern Namibian history. Exhibits connect Olukonda, everyday objects, musical instruments and regional political history.
Outjo · Kunene
Omapaha Himba Village
A guided visit to a Himba community near Outjo. Hosts explain daily practices, architecture and cultural etiquette; the cultural visit is distinct from a stay at the restcamp.
Windhoek · Khomas
Omba Gallery
A temporary exhibition space inside the Namibia Craft Centre. Discover work by local and international artists; check the current programme before planning an exhibition visit.
Omusati
Omugulugwombashe National Heritage Site
A national remembrance site associated with the attack on 26 August 1966 and the beginning of Namibia’s armed liberation struggle.
Swakopmund · Erongo
Swakopmund Museum
Natural history and cultural collections meet beside the Mole. Explore minerals, archaeology, indigenous plants and Namibia’s many cultural histories in one museum.
Kunene
Twyfelfontein /Ui-//aes World Heritage Site
Rock engravings turn sandstone into an archive of human expression. This UNESCO World Heritage site preserves animal figures, tracks and traces of hunter-gatherer ritual life.