---
type: "Article"
title: "Sossusvlei: Famous sand dunes and dead trees in Deadvlei"
description: "The \"Sossusvlei\" valley is world famous for its spectacular sand dunes and the dead trees of the \"Deadvlei\". Here are my travel tips."
resource: "https://travelmemo.com/namibia/sossusvlei-sand-dunes-deadvlei"
author: "Walter Schaerer"
publisher: "Travelmemo"
photo_count: 21
tags: ["Nature", "Namibia"]
entities:
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/namibia"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/nature-tourism"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/lodge"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/air-travel"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/landscape"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/review"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/safari"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/author/walter-schaerer"
timestamp: 2026-07-04T13:15:02+00:00
---

# Sossusvlei: Famous sand dunes and dead trees in Deadvlei

> Sossusvlei in Namibia's Namib-Naukluft National Park is world-famous for its towering orange sand dunes and the eerily preserved dead camel thorn trees of Deadvlei, set within a UNESCO World Heritage–listed sand sea.

## Destination
Sossusvlei valley, Namib-Naukluft National Park, southern Namibia.

## Getting there
Fly about one hour by small turboprop from Windhoek Eros Airport or Swakopmund airstrip to a lodge near the valley, or drive approximately five hours by car from either city. The road into the valley is paved for most of the route; only the final kilometres are a soft sandy track requiring a 4x4. From the end parking area, white posts mark a 20-minute walk over the dunes to Deadvlei.

## When to go
Travel books recommend early morning to avoid afternoon heat. The authors visited in late September in the late afternoon and found the best light, very few tourists, and tolerable temperatures. Note that visitors staying outside the national park must leave by sunset, while guests at camps inside the park may stay later.

## Why visit
The valley offers a surreal combination of enormous iron-oxide-red dunes, a dry clay pan, and centuries-old dead trees that decay extremely slowly due to the arid microclimate — all within a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

## What to see
- **Deadvlei (Valley of Death)** — A clay pan dotted with iconic dead camel thorn trees, backdropped by the 380-metre Big Daddy dune; the dry microclimate preserves the trees slowly.
- **Big Daddy (Crazy Dune)** — The highest dune in Sossusvlei at 380 metres, forming the dramatic backdrop behind Deadvlei.
- **Dune 45** — A spectacular named dune at kilometre 45 from the valley entrance, popular for climbing and sundown views.
- **Dune 1** — The first large dune at the entrance to the Sossusvlei valley.

## What to do
- **Climb the dunes** — Hiking up dunes such as Dune 45 is a key activity, with sweeping desert views rewarding the effort.
- **Walk to Deadvlei** — A 20-minute walk through soft sand from the end parking area, guided by white posts, leads to the dead-tree pan.
- **Sundowner at Dune 45** — Watching sunset from Dune 45 is possible for visitors with enough time, though those from outside the park must leave by sunset.

## Good to know
The orange sand colour comes from iron oxide; black areas on the dunes are oxidised magnetite. Dunes are numbered from the valley entrance if they are large enough. Visitors staying at lodges outside the national park must exit by sunset, giving an advantage to guests at state camps inside the park.

## Photos

```yaml
photos:
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/sossusvlei-namibia-travelmemo-4.jpg"
    caption: "Tote Bäume des Deadvlei"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/sossusvlei-namibia-travelmemo-28.jpg"
    caption: "Sanddünen am Ende des Tales Sossusvlei"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/sossusvlei-namibia-travelmemo-27.jpg"
    caption: "\"Big Daddy\" Düne von Sossusvlei aus gesehen"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/sossusvlei-namibia-travelmemo-10.jpg"
    caption: "Toter Kameldornbaum vor \"Big Daddy\""
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/sossusvlei-namibia-travelmemo-12.jpg"
    caption: "Dead trees at Deadvlei"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/sossusvlei-namibia-travelmemo-23.jpg"
    caption: "Tote Bäume des Deadvlei bei tief stehender Sonne am Nachmittag"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/sossusvlei-namibia-travelmemo.jpg"
    caption: "Düne Nummer 1 am Eingang zum Sossusvlei"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/sossusvlei-namibia-travelmemo-30.jpg"
    caption: "Wanderer auf der Düne 45"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/sossusvlei-namibia-travelmemo-35.jpg"
    caption: "Kameldornbaum bei Düne 45"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/sossusvlei-namibia-travelmemo-36.jpg"
    caption: "Starker Wind bei Düne 45"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/sossusvlei-namibia-travelmemo-6.jpg"
    caption: "Katja alleine im Deadvlei"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/sossusvlei-namibia-travelmemo-15.jpg"
    caption: "Katja im Tal des Todes"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/sossusvlei-namibia-travelmemo-9.jpg"
    caption: "Tote Bäume des Deadvlei"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/sossusvlei-namibia-travelmemo-5.jpg"
    caption: "Tote Bäume des Deadvlei"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/sossusvlei-namibia-travelmemo-17.jpg"
    caption: "Tote Bäume des Deadvlei"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
```