10 Most Epic Places To See In Namibia With Kids In 2024
Namibia is an incredible country known for its varied and often desolate but stunning landscapes. There are just so many beautiful places to see in Namibia with kids that it has captured many people’s hearts.
Namibia has been top of our list of favorite countries since we first visited in 2010.
We visited again in 2023 and although there have been changes, it is still one of the least populated countries in the world. In fact, its population of seals is larger than its human population.
We have included all of the most popular places to visit in Namibia for families as well as some lesser visited hidden gems.
If you need any help in planning your Namibia itinerary, we have a very detailed self-drive Namibia road trip post that includes a lot of these destinations.
It is a 2-week itinerary and so you wouldn’t be able to include all of these places to visit in Namibia but you can probably include most of them!
Tip – we’ve saved the best for last….
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Places to see in Namibia with kids
Namibia is an incredible country with such a diverse landscape and huge array of wildlife.
It is one of the most tourist-friendly destinations in Africa and while the roads can sometimes be a challenge (with a large proportion of them being gravel roads), it is still easy to self-drive.
It is such a friendly country and you will find lots of western touches in the larger cities of Windhoek, Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.
We have put the most visited tourist attractions in Namibia towards the top of the list and then the lesser visited towards the bottom.
There are so many beautiful places in Namibia that it is hard to limit this list to just ten, but these are the ones that really should make your Namibia bucket list.
These are the highlights of Namibia and what have made Namibia one of our top destinations in the world to visit.
But before we list the best places to visit in Namibia, we wanted to let you know that if you don’t plan on doing a self-drive holiday, we can recommend contacting Go2Africa who can plan a tailor-made itinerary for you. We have used them several times for African trips and they are amazing.
1. Etosha National Park
Etosha National Park is one of the top destinations in Namibia and should be included in any Namibian itinerary.
Etosha is perfect for self-drive safaris, which means you can keep the cost of your safari right down. See our tips on safaris on a budget
It is easy to reach on paved roads from Windhoek and most of the gravel tracks within the park are accessible even in a 2WD car.
If you prefer to have a guide, you can book this guided full-day or half-day game drive.
If you are visiting Namibia with kids and not sure whether you can take them on safari, you might like to read our guide to taking kids on safari in Africa.
You can find the most up to date information on Etosha National Park here and find out when we think is the best time of year to visit Etosha.
2. Fish River Canyon
Fish River Canyon is located in the south of Namibia close to the border with South Africa. It is one of the most popular attractions in Namibia and the best places to visit in the south of Namibia.
At around 160km long and 27km wide in places, Fish River Canyon is the second largest canyon in the world and the largest canyon in Africa.
The best view point of Hell’s Bend pictured below is around 10km from Hobas. You can drive all the way to the observation deck. Entrance fee is around $11 per person and a $1.50 fee per car.
The 90km Fish River Hiking Trail can only be accessed between April and September due to the extreme temperatures in the summer months. Permits need to be obtained and people need to be medically fit to attempt the 4-5 day hike.
3. Twyfelfontein
Twyfelfontein (officially known as ǀUi-ǁAis in the Damara language) is located in Damaraland and is Namibia’s first World Heritage Site. It is one of the must-see places in Namibia.
With 2,500 rock carvings dating back as far as 10,000 years, it is the largest site in Africa.
You used to be able to wander around at your leisure but now you must take a guided tour which is included in the price of your entrance ticket.
The best time to visit Twyfelfontein is in the morning. It will be cooler with less people and the light for photography is better.
Nearby there is also Burnt Mountain and the Organ Pipes. In our opinion, these can be skipped if you are on a budget. They are the same price at Twyfelfontein and will take just a few minutes to view.
4. Sossusvlei
Located in the Namib-Naukluft National Park, Sossusvlei is a large, white salt and clay pan surrounded by enormous red sand dunes.
In fact, Sossusvlei boasts some of the world’s biggest dunes.
The most popular dunes to visit are Big Daddy, Big Mama and Dune 45. Big Daddy is very aptly named, standing at almost 325 metres tall.
The main gate to Namib-Naufluft National Park is at Sesriem which opens at sunrise and closes at sunset. For the best photography experience, you should aim to visit at sunrise or sunset.
If you want to reach the dunes before sunrise, you need to stay at Sesriem Campsite, the only campsite in the park. You will have access to the park one hour before the main gate opens.
From the gate you need to drive a further 45km to reach Dune 45.
The first 65 kilometer drive is accessible by any vehicle but you will need a 4×4 for the last 5km (or take the shuttle bus).
5. Deadvlei
Whilst you are in the Namib-Naukluft National Park, you should not miss visiting Deadvlei. Deadvlei is at the foot of Big Daddy and translates as ‘Dead Marsh’.
It was formed thousands of years ago when the Tsauchab River flooded, creating pools of water that encouraged camel thorn trees to grow.
Centuries later, a severe drought killed the trees leaving the black skeletons that you see today, which are made to look all the more magnificent by the contrasting white clay pan.
It literally looks like a graveyard for trees and is just spectacular. Definitely one of the most unique places in Namibia to visit.
6. Swakopmund
Swakopmund is the fourth largest town in Namibia after Windhoek and Walvis Bay. It is located directly west of Windhoek and is easily accessed via a tarred road in around 4 hours.
Founded by the Germans in 1892, you will see lots of evidence that it was a former German colony from the architecture to the street names.
Swakopmund has a lovely holiday resort vibe with a great beach as well as a large selection of hotels, restaurants and shops.
There are lots of things to do in Swakopmund – from desert wildlife tours to camel rides and quad biking in the oldest desert in the world.
Our favorite tour in Swakopmund was a Living Desert Tour. We were driven into the Dorob National Park outside of Swakopmund and searched for little desert animals such as snakes, lizards, geckos and chameleon.
This was probably one of the most child-friendly things to do in Namibia that we tried.
The weather in Swakopmund is noticeably cooler than the rest of Namibia with a sea mist that hangs around most mornings.
If you are planning on including Swakopmund in your list of best places to see in Namibia, make sure to pack some layers.
7. Walvis Bay
Walvis Bay is on the coast about 30 miles south of Swakopmund so it makes sense to visit both places if you can. It is the second largest town in Namibia but it feels a lot smaller than Swakopmund.
The main reason people come to Walvis Bay is beacause it is one of the best places in Namibia to see seals. It is also an excellent place to see both lesser and greater flamingos who come for the mineral rich waters.
At Pelican Point there is a colony of around 2 million seals. The best way to see the seals is to take a kayak tour. The seals are very curious and will swim right up to you and even nibble on your paddle. This is a great one if you are looking for things to do in Namibia with kids.
If you don’t like the idea of kayaking, you can take a Walvis Bay catamaran cruise to see them.
8. Skeleton Coast National Park
The Skeleton Coast stretches 500km on the Namibian coast from Swakopmund to the Swakop River near the border with Angola.
This inhospitable land is shrowded in fog for most of the year and with strong currents out at sea, many a ship has run into trouble here.
It was not only ships that got into trouble. Huge numbers of whales have been stranded with their bones littering the coast. This is perhaps where the Skeleton Coast got its name.
Despite its inhospitable nature, a large variety of wildlife live here including desert-adapted elephants, lions, rhinos, brown hyenas, giraffes, seals and more.
The Skeleton Coast Park is divided into a northern and southern part.
The southern part, which stretches from the Ugab River up to Torra Bay, is freely accessible. You can enter via Springbokwasser Gate in the north or Ugabmund Gate in the south. Permits can be purchased at the gate.
The drive consists of long stretches of not very much with the odd wreck dotted about, including an old oil rig.
Almost half way between Torra Bay and Swakopmund is the Cape Cross Seal Reserve where you can find one of the largest Cape Fur seal colonies in the world.
We drove the southern part in a 2WD VW Polo but if you want to access certain shipwrecks, a 4×4 would be advisable.
The northern part from Torra Bay up to the Kunene at the Angolan border can only be reached with a tour operator.
If you decide not to drive the Skeleton Coast, you can still see a shipwreck just outside of Hentiesbaai – the Zeila Shipwreck.
9. Kolmanskop
This eerie ghost down near Luderitz was once a thriving diamond mining community. After the first diamond was discovered in 1908, a small town was built and mining began in earnest.
Once the diamond supply began to deplete in the 1920s, the demise of the town began and by 1956, it was completely abandoned.
The desert has reclaimed the town and the half buried houses are now just a photographer’s dream.
Kids will have a great time exploring the abandoned buildings and playing in the giant sandpits.
Tropic of Capricorn
It may not be one of the most epic places to see in Namibia so I haven’t given it a number but it is quite cool to pass over the Tropic of Capricorn.
If you are driving from Walvis Bay to Sesriem or vice versa, you will pass the Tropic of Capricorn sign on the C14 near the small town of Oase.
So many people have stuck stickers on the sign that it is barely legible.
Other places to visit in Namibia with kids
Saving the best for last. The Hoanib Valley is now my new favorite place in the world and deserves a section of its own.
It is one of the lesser known places to see in Namibia because it is quite a trek to get there. But it is worth the trek!
10. Hoanib Valley
The scenery is breathtaking and the fact that you are one of only a handful of people visiting makes it all the more special.
The Hoanib River is an ephemeral river, meaning that it only flows very occasionally. For the majority of the year, it is a dry riverbed and yet somehow, the annual rainfall manages to sustain a thriving ecosystem.
The plants and animals have adapted to desert life and their story is incredible. This is one of the best places in Namibia to track desert adapted elephants.
There are two places to stay in the Hoanib Valley: Hoanib Valley Camp and Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp.
The other alternative is to camp (although there are no campsites). You will need to have all of your supplies with you and you must not camp in the riverbed as there could be a flash flood.
You will feel like you are in one of the most remote places on earth. Getting away from the main tourist destinations is sometimes what its all about.
We hope you enjoyed our list of best places to see in Namibia with kids. Remember to take a look at our 2-week Namibia itinerary to see how you can incorporate most of these Namibian attractions into your trip.
