Find places in Namibia

Must-Haves

• Joe's Beerhouse (Klein Windhoek)
  A rambling, quirky institution for game meat platters, Namibian beer and big group dinners.
• Am Weinberg (Klein Windhoek)
  Relaxed fine dining in a restored historic house with terrace views.

Great for Date Night

• Leo's at the Castle (Heinitzburg Hotel)
  Fine dining in a hilltop castle with sunset views over the city.
• The Stellenbosch Wine Bar and Bistro (Klein Windhoek)
  A stylish courtyard bistro with a long wine list and polished modern cooking.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Single Quarters Market (Katutura)
  The best place to try kapana, beef grilled by the strip with chilli salt, among locals.

Fun for Everyone

• Slowtown Coffee Roasters (Windhoek)
  Local roaster serving properly good coffee and light breakfasts.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Craft Café (Old Breweries Craft Centre)
  Healthy lunches and cakes above the Namibia Craft Centre.

Fun for Everyone

• Windhoek Country Club (Southern Windhoek)
  Resort with casino, restaurants and live shows, easy for a varied evening.

Must-Haves

• Christuskirche (Robert Mugabe Avenue)
  Windhoek's landmark sandstone Lutheran church, built in the early 1900s.
• Independence Memorial Museum (City Centre)
  A clear, powerful telling of colonial rule, genocide and the road to independence.

Fun for Everyone

• Alte Feste and Tintenpalast Gardens (City Centre)
  The old German fort and the parliament gardens make an easy historic walk.
• Heroes' Acre (South of Windhoek)
  A striking national memorial to those who died in the liberation struggle.

Off the Beaten Path

• Katutura township walking or cycling tour (Katutura)
  Local guides show the markets, music and history of Windhoek's largest township.

Must-Haves

• Daan Viljoen Game Park (West of Windhoek)
  Hilly bush with walking trails among zebra, kudu and wildebeest, close to town.

Fun for Everyone

• Avis Dam (Eastern Windhoek)
  Easy walking and birding trails around the city's old reservoir.

Off the Beaten Path

• Naankuse Wildlife Sanctuary (Near Hosea Kutako Airport)
  Conservation focused sanctuary visits with rescued wildlife and research stories.
• Windhoek Botanic Garden (City Centre)
  A quiet hillside garden of Namibian plants including aloes and desert succulents.

Must-Haves

• Namibia Craft Centre (Old Breweries, Tal Street)
  Dozens of stalls selling baskets, jewellery, textiles and art from across the country.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Post Street Mall curio market (City Centre)
  Street sellers with wooden carvings and crafts beside the Gibeon meteorites display.

Fun for Everyone

• Grove Mall (Kleine Kuppe)
  The largest modern mall, handy for supplies, SIM cards and outdoor gear.

Off the Beaten Path

• Penduka (Goreangab Dam)
  A women's craft project making textiles and embroidery by the lake.

Must-Haves

• National Art Gallery of Namibia (Robert Mugabe Avenue)
  The country's main collection of Namibian painting and sculpture.

Fun for Everyone

• National Theatre of Namibia (Robert Mugabe Avenue)
  Plays, dance and concerts by Namibian companies.

Great for Date Night

• Franco French Namibian Cultural Centre (City Centre)
  Film nights, exhibitions and live music in a cultural hub.

Must-Haves

• Windhoek Karneval (Windhoek)
  The city's long running German style carnival with parades and music, usually in autumn.

Fun for Everyone

• Windhoek Oktoberfest (Windhoek)
  A beer festival with German food and music, usually in October.

Must-Haves

• Hotel Heinitzburg (Heinitzburg Street)
  A boutique hotel in a historic hilltop castle with city views.

Great for Date Night

• The Olive Exclusive (Klein Windhoek)
  A design led boutique hotel with large suites and a fine restaurant.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Chameleon Backpackers (City Centre)
  Friendly, central backpackers with a pool and good trip advice.

Fun for Everyone

• Windhoek Country Club Resort (Southern Windhoek)
  A large resort hotel with pools and entertainment for families.

Must-Haves

• The Tug (Beside the jetty)
  Seafood in a converted tugboat, a coastal classic for sunset dinners.

Great for Date Night

• Jetty 1905 (Swakopmund Jetty)
  Dining at the end of the historic jetty with waves beneath you.
• Brewer and Butcher (Swakopmund)
  Craft beer brewed on site with good steaks and burgers.

Fun for Everyone

• Kücki's Pub (Tobias Hainyeko Street)
  A long running, cheerful spot for seafood, game and beer.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Napolitana (City Centre)
  Reliable pizza and pasta that suits families and budgets.

Must-Haves

• Village Café (Sam Nujoma Avenue)
  Colourful, quirky café for big breakfasts and coffee.

Fun for Everyone

• Café Anton (Schweizerhaus Hotel)
  A traditional German style café known for cakes and strudel.

Fun for Everyone

• Swakopmund Brauhaus (Brauhaus Arcade)
  German style beer hall serving local beers and hearty plates.

Great for Date Night

• Ocean Cellar (Strand Hotel)
  Seafood and wine bar in the Strand Hotel, right on the beach.

Must-Haves

• Living Desert Tours (Dunes south of town)
  Guides track the tiny creatures of the dunes, from chameleons to sidewinder adders.
• Scenic flight over the Namib (Swakopmund Airfield)
  Fly over dunes, shipwrecks and Sossusvlei for a once in a lifetime view.

Fun for Everyone

• Sandboarding in the dunes (Dune 7 area)
  Lie down or stand up boarding on huge coastal dunes, great fun for all ages.
• Quad biking in the dunes (Swakop River dunes)
  Guided quad trips across the dunes south of the Swakop River.
• National Marine Aquarium (Strand Street)
  Walk through tunnel tanks of Atlantic sea life and sharks.

Must-Haves

• Moon Landscape and Welwitschia Drive (East of Swakopmund)
  Eroded valleys and welwitschia plants that live for over a thousand years.

Off the Beaten Path

• Swakop River Valley (South of town)
  Quiet walks and birding among dunes and tamarisk trees.
• Cape Cross Seal Reserve (North of Swakopmund)
  One of the world's largest Cape fur seal colonies, noisy and unforgettable.

Fun for Everyone

• Swakopmund Mole and beach (City Centre)
  Walk the seafront and lighthouse area with fish and chips.

Must-Haves

• Kristall Galerie (Tobias Hainyeko Street)
  Home to a giant quartz crystal cluster and a gemstone shop.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Swakopmund street craft market (Near the lighthouse)
  Herero and Himba crafts and carvings sold beside the sea.

Must-Haves

• Swakopmund Museum (Near the lighthouse)
  Natural history, cultures and colonial history of the coast.

Fun for Everyone

• Woermann House (Bismarck Street)
  An ornate German era building with a tower and art gallery.

Off the Beaten Path

• Mondesa township tour (Mondesa)
  Meet local families and taste home cooking on a guided township visit.

Must-Haves

• Strand Hotel Swakopmund (The Mole)
  A large beachfront hotel with sea views and several restaurants.

Great for Date Night

• Swakopmund Hotel (Old Railway Station)
  A hotel set in the restored colonial railway station.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Desert Sky Backpackers (City Centre)
  Friendly, budget friendly base near the sea.

Must-Haves

• Pelican Point dolphin and seal cruise (Walvis Bay Waterfront)
  Seals climb aboard and dolphins ride the bow on lagoon cruises with oysters.
• Sandwich Harbour four by four tour (South of Walvis Bay)
  Huge dunes plunge straight into the Atlantic on this tide dependent drive.

Fun for Everyone

• Kayaking with seals at Pelican Point (Pelican Point)
  Paddle among curious Cape fur seals in calm morning water.

Off the Beaten Path

• Dune 7 (East of Walvis Bay)
  One of the tallest dunes on the coast, a sweaty climb with big views.

Must-Haves

• Walvis Bay Lagoon (Esplanade)
  Thousands of flamingos feed along the promenade for much of the year.

Must-Haves

• The Raft (Lagoon Esplanade)
  A restaurant on stilts over the lagoon, perfect for sunset and flamingos.

Great for Date Night

• Anchors at the Jetty (Walvis Bay Waterfront)
  Seafood by the water, popular before and after cruises.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Walvis Bay Waterfront crafts (Waterfront)
  Small craft sellers beside the cruise jetties.

Must-Haves

• Pelican Bay Hotel (Lagoon)
  A comfortable hotel facing the lagoon and flamingos.

Must-Haves

• Deadvlei (Namib Naukluft National Park)
  Black camel thorn trees on white clay under red dunes, best at sunrise.
• Dune 45 (Sossusvlei Road)
  The classic and easier sunrise dune climb.
• Sesriem Canyon (Near Sesriem Gate)
  A narrow, shady gorge carved by the Tsauchab River.

Fun for Everyone

• Big Daddy Dune (Above Deadvlei)
  A tough climb with a long, fun run down into Deadvlei.

Off the Beaten Path

• Elim Dune (Near Sesriem Gate)
  A quieter dune close to the gate for sunset.

Fun for Everyone

• Hot air balloon over the Namib (Sesriem area)
  Float above the dunes at dawn with a champagne breakfast.

Off the Beaten Path

• Duwisib Castle (South of Maltahöhe)
  An unlikely stone castle built by a German baron in the desert.
• Tropic of Capricorn sign (C14 near Solitaire)
  The classic road trip photo stop on the way to the coast.

Must-Haves

• Moose McGregor's Desert Bakery (Solitaire)
  A famous roadside bakery known for apple crumble.

Fun for Everyone

• Sossus Oasis (Sesriem)
  Fuel, supplies and simple meals at the park gateway.

Off the Beaten Path

• Solitaire General Dealer (Solitaire)
  A tiny desert settlement with old cars and a general store.

Must-Haves

• Sossus Dune Lodge (Inside Sesriem Gate)
  Namibia Wildlife Resorts lodge inside the gate for early dune access.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Sesriem Campsite (Inside Sesriem Gate)
  Campsite with early park access under huge skies.

Great for Date Night

• Wolwedans (NamibRand Nature Reserve)
  Remote, elegant desert camps in a private reserve.

Fun for Everyone

• Desert Homestead (Sossusvlei area)
  A farm lodge with horse rides among the mountains.

Off the Beaten Path

• Little Kulala (Kulala Wilderness Reserve)
  Luxury desert camp with rooftop sleep outs under the stars.

Must-Haves

• Okaukuejo Waterhole (Okaukuejo Camp)
  Floodlit waterhole famous for rhino and elephants after dark.
• Etosha Pan Lookout (Near Halali)
  Drive a short way onto the vast salt pan itself.

Fun for Everyone

• Moringa Waterhole (Halali Camp)
  A floodlit waterhole against a rocky hill, good for night viewing.
• Chudop Waterhole (Near Namutoni)
  Busy dry season waterhole for elephants and giraffe.

Off the Beaten Path

• Okondeka Waterhole (North of Okaukuejo)
  Often visited by lions on the edge of the pan.

Must-Haves

• Fort Namutoni (Namutoni Camp)
  A whitewashed German fort, now part of the eastern rest camp.

Fun for Everyone

• Guided game drive from the lodges (Outside Andersson Gate)
  Sunrise and night drives with guides who know the waterholes.

Off the Beaten Path

• Hoba Meteorite (Near Grootfontein)
  The largest known meteorite on earth, sitting where it fell.
• Otjikoto Lake (Near Tsumeb)
  A deep sinkhole lake with a curious wartime history.

Fun for Everyone

• Okaukuejo Restaurant (Okaukuejo Camp)
  Simple buffet meals close to the waterhole.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Outjo Bakery (Outjo)
  A popular stop for pies and breads on the way to Etosha.

Must-Haves

• Okaukuejo Resort (Inside Etosha)
  Namibia Wildlife Resorts camp beside the famous floodlit waterhole.

Fun for Everyone

• Halali Resort (Inside Etosha)
  Central camp with a pool and the Moringa waterhole.

Great for Date Night

• Onguma The Fort (Onguma Reserve)
  A striking lodge looking over a waterhole near the eastern gate.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Etosha Safari Camp (Near Andersson Gate)
  Fun, colourful camp with a shebeen style bar.

Off the Beaten Path

• Dolomite Camp (Western Etosha)
  Chalets on a rocky ridge in the quiet west of the park.

Must-Haves

• Twyfelfontein rock engravings (Twyfelfontein)
  Thousands of ancient engravings, including the Lion Man, on a UNESCO site.

Fun for Everyone

• Damara Living Museum (Near Twyfelfontein)
  Damara people demonstrate traditional crafts, songs and skills.

Off the Beaten Path

• White Lady rock painting (Brandberg)
  A famous rock painting reached by a guided walk up a gorge.

Must-Haves

• Spitzkoppe (Erongo)
  Granite peaks, rock arches and San paintings rising from the plains.
• Petrified Forest (West of Khorixas)
  Fossilised tree trunks millions of years old, with welwitschia.

Fun for Everyone

• Organ Pipes (Near Twyfelfontein)
  A gully of tall basalt columns.
• Vingerklip (Ugab Valley)
  A tall rock finger above a striking valley.

Off the Beaten Path

• Burnt Mountain (Near Twyfelfontein)
  A hillside of blackened, multicoloured rock.

Must-Haves

• Desert elephant tracking (Huab and Aba Huab riverbeds)
  Guided drives to find elephants that live along the dry rivers.

Off the Beaten Path

• Rhino tracking at Desert Rhino Camp (Palmwag Concession)
  Track black rhino on foot with community rangers.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Uis craft stalls (Uis)
  Crafts and semi precious stones sold by local sellers.

Must-Haves

• Mowani Mountain Camp (Twyfelfontein)
  Domed rooms among granite boulders.

Fun for Everyone

• Twyfelfontein Country Lodge (Twyfelfontein)
  A lodge built into the rocks near the engravings.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Spitzkoppe Campsite (Spitzkoppe)
  Community run camping among the granite domes.
• Madisa Camp (Near Twyfelfontein)
  A rustic campsite among boulders.

Great for Date Night

• Camp Kipwe (Twyfelfontein)
  Stylish rooms tucked between rocks.