Sossusvlei has become one of Namibia’s main tourist attractions. It is located in the South Western part of the Country and the closest “town” is Sesriem. I say “town” because this literally only consists of a petrol (gas) station. Sossusvlei is located in the Namib Desert, the oldest and driest desert in the world. It is located at the end of a river which is called the Tsauchab. The Tsauchab river flows from the Naukluft mountains and ends where the dunes start to become bigger and bigger. Here for many years water collected and formed several clay pans among which are Deadvlei and Sossusvlei.
In order to hike up, which is probably the highest dune in the world, you should prepare ahead of time and take these things into consideration:
- sleeping inside the National Park to get an early start
- know how to get to the 4x4 only Parking spot
- be prepared with snacks and drinks
- know about the temperatures and take care of the sun
- find the best route up Big Daddy Dune
Namib Naukluft Park
The Namib Naukluft Park is a Nature Reserve. This implies that you need a permit to access any part of the Park, also it is not permitted to drive off any roads or collect anything from the Park and remove it.
The permit is issues upon arrival when entering the Park through the official gate at Sesriem. If you sleep over inside the National Park you can request a Permit for several days, otherwise a Day Visitor pass will suffice. If you want to hike up Big Daddy I do recommend that you sleep over inside of the National Park inorder to get a early start and enjoy the sunrise from Big Daddy. A Day Permit only allows you to enter the Park at sunrise and you will have to queue at the gate with everyone else that wants to enter just for the day.
Sleep inside the national Park
To my knowledge there are 2 options you have if you want to sleep inside the National Park, meaning you won’t have to queue at the Gate in Sesierm and wait for sunrise to be able to enter the Park.
The first option is the NWR Sesriem Campsite directly located behind the Nationals Park Gate. If you leave from here towards Sossusvlei you are allowed to leave 1 hour before sunrise.
The second and in my opinion the best option, is the Sossus Dune Lodge also operated by NWR. It is located a bit further away from the Gate and has some great views over the valley where the Tsauchab River flows towards Sossusvlei. It is very close by the Sesriem Canyon which is also worth a stop-over on your way out. If you sleep over here you will be able to leave as early as 4am in the morning and you are also allowed to come back to the lodge past sundown. This allows you to be able to enjoy the best sundowners (when it’s not too windy ;)) from inside the National Park on Elim Dune or even from Dune 45.
To get to the 4x4 parking
To get to the Vlei it takes about a 60-minute drive from the closest town, Sesriem. This is also where the Entrance Gate to the National Park is located. You can only enter with sunrise, and you have to exit, latest, by sunset. With a few exceptions, I mentioned above. From anywhere else you have to wait till the gate opens to enter. If you are coming to this part of the Country I highly recommend you to use one of the Accommodation options which are inside the National Park. This allows you to leave into the Vlei whenever you want, and it is possible to be hiking up the biggest Dune (Big Daddy) by Sunrise. This is the best way to experience this incredible part of Namibia. Also, you will be able to take the best photos in the early morning hours and with the sunbeams casting beautiful shadows across the ridges of the Dunes.
At the end of the tar road from Sesriem you will find yourself at the 2x4 parking spot. If you don’t have a 4x4 vehicle you should definitely park here and take a shuttle to the 4x4 parking spot. These start to drive at around 7 am and cost NAD 180.
It is possible to walk the last 4 or 5 kilometers towards the 4x4 parking but make sure you carry enough supplies and that your physical condition allows for this. Especially walking back when the sun is scorching hot it can be a daunting task.
For self-driving the 4x4 sections make sure you engage the 4x4 of your car, and it can also be helpful to deflate your tires inorder to not get stuck in the soft dune sand. Especially around lunchtime the sand gets so hot and soft that it can become difficult to drive through it. The best Tip i can give you is to deflate your tires to at most 1.8 bar. Should you get stuck anyway deflate your tires further to get moving again.
Once you reached the 4x4 parking spot you can get ready to start your hike.
What to except
Most people first visit Dune 45, which is on the way to Sossusvlei, and from here they continue to Dune 47, which apparently is the highest Dune in the World. Dune 47 is also called Big Daddy because of its size. I always recommend that you first go to Big daddy and if time allows you can go back to Dune 45 again later the day or the next day. By Dune 47 there are 2 Vleis, Sossusvlei and Deadvlei. Most people actually want to visit Deadvlei, as this is known for the dead trees in the white pan, surrounded by red dunes.
Sossusvlei is also very special, especially when the water reaches it in the rainy season. This does not happen very often so don’t count on it having water, but if it does call yourself lucky that you are able to appreciate this rare occasion.

Snacks and Drinks
Hiking up Big daddy can be exhausting, so it is absolutely necessary to pack some snacks as well as enough Water. For an average fit person the hike can take anywhere between 1 and 2 hours to reach the top. Depending on when you start the hike it is recommended to take at least 1 liter of water per person, if you start late in the day and the sun is hot already its better to take some more.
The sand gets hot
After 10 am the sand of the dunes gets too hot to walk barefoot on. If you only start this late I is absolutely necessary to pack some shoes or at least a pair of tick socks so you can protect your feet from the hot sand.
If possible try not to walk here in the middle of the day, the heat, especially during the lunch hours, can become quite exhausting and frankly dangerous to hike.
Find the best route up big daddy
The route I recommend to take, as it is the shortest route possible, is to first stay to the left of the official markers that take you to Deadvlei. Basically you go up from one dune behind Deadvlei. This allows you to first head up Big Daddy and from here go down into the Deadvlei and appreciate the old Camel thorn threes scorching in the sun. If you start your hike early you will also be down in the Vlei when the sun hits the first threes making for some of the best photos possible.
Here you can see the route marked on the following picture, taken from the 4x4 parking spot.
You can also download this GPX track if you have a device to load it.
Hiking up Big Daddy
From the 4x4 Parking spot head South to go in parallel to the Deadvlei. It will not be visible yet as it is hidden behind the dune on your right. The first dune can be skipped by walking past it towards the south and starting the climb from the next saddle heading up to big daddy. The saddle where you start going up the dune is about 1000 meters from the 4x4 Parking spot. Depending on how early you arrive you might see foot steps or people hiking up the dune already. If you are the first to start the hike see the marked way as a guide.
Hiking up a dune can be a challenge by itself, as it feels like for every step you take you fall back about half a step again. Also, it is easier to make small steps but more of them instead of making huge steps. If there are footsteps on the dune already the best advice is to step in the previous persons footsteps. This makes the hike sufficiently easier and you won’t slide down as much as if you are the first one to hike up. It is recommended to take regular breaks and save some energy as the hike tends to be longer than one expects.
If you start late in the day take some socks you can put over your feet to not have to burn your foot soles. Shoes are not necessary but if you feel uncomfortable to walk the first part through the pan barefoot take some sandals that you can put into your backpack once you reach the dune.