A country · 61 places · 9 regions

Namibia, all of it.

61 curated places across 9 regions — photographed, mapped, and noted with the season each is best in.

Sossusvlei · via Wikimedia Commons

The 4 biggest regions — Khomas Region, Karas Region, Erongo Region and Hardap Region — read below as chapters, with 5 more waiting past them.

Chapter I · Khomas Region · 10 places

Khomas Region

Namibia's relaxed highland capital blends German colonial-era landmarks such as the Christuskirche with modern African city life and a notable craft beer tradition. Most journeys through the country start here, and its museums and Katutura township tours give useful context before heading into the desert.

Windhoek

Khomas Region, Namibia

✦ April to October for dry, sunny days and cool evenings · $$

TransNamib Railway Museum

Khomas Region, Namibia

✦ April–October · $

Alte Feste

Khomas Region, Namibia

✦ April–October

All 10 places in Khomas Region →

via Wikimedia Commons

Chapter II · Karas Region · 7 places

Karas Region

Fish River Canyon in southern Namibia is the largest canyon in Africa and the second largest in the world after the Grand Canyon, stretching 160 kilometres in length and reaching 550 metres in depth. The rim viewpoints near Hobas offer sweeping panoramas of the sinuous river far below. The 87-kilometre hiking trail through the canyon is among the most demanding multi-day walks in southern Africa and is only open during the cooler winter months.

✦ May to September · $$

Meet Fish River Canyon All 7 places in Karas Region →

Chapter III · Erongo Region · 5 places

Erongo Region

Swakopmund on the central Namibian coast was developed as a colonial resort and now serves as Namibia's adventure tourism capital, positioned between the Namib Desert and the cold Atlantic. The town's German-influenced architecture, wide streets, and seafront promenade create an incongruous European streetscape in the heart of the desert. It acts as a base for quad-biking on the dunes, skydiving, desert tours, and ocean kayaking with fur seals.

Swakopmund

Erongo Region, Namibia

✦ April to October · $$

Brandberg Mountain

Erongo Region, Namibia

✦ May to September to avoid extreme heat · $

Walvis Bay

Erongo Region, Namibia

✦ October to April for flamingo numbers and milder sea fog · $$

All 5 places in Erongo Region →

via Wikimedia Commons

Chapter IV · Hardap Region · 5 places

Hardap Region

Sossusvlei is a clay pan surrounded by the towering star dunes of the Namib-Naukluft National Park, where some of the highest dunes on earth rise above 300 metres. The classic photographic composition from the ridge of Dune 45, shot at sunrise when warm light rakes across the red sand faces, has become emblematic of the Namib Desert. The adjacent Deadvlei pan preserves skeletal camel-thorn trees set against white clay and deep blue sky.

✦ April to October · $$$

Meet Sossusvlei All 5 places in Hardap Region →