Sossus on Foot

A Guided Walk at Sossusvlei

The Sossus On Foot Tours are a selection of day activities, that start and end in the Sesriem area. They are ideal for the individual or self-drive traveller who requires an expert tour of the dunes, and feel they would benefit from the personal experience of a specialist Sossusvlei guide.

These casual educational guided walks are mostly in the area of Deadvlei. Walkers are driven into Sossusvlei in the guide's or your own 4x4 vehicle.

The more energetic might like to climb the highest dune at Sossusvlei, affectionately called Big Mama by the locals. After catching your breath look out for:

Naravlei – named after the many !Nara plants found on and around the edge of the pan.
!Nara are cucumber-like melons, the preferred food for many desert inhabitants and a source of pride and sustenance for the Topnaar people living along the Kuiseb River.
South of Big Mama look out for Cessna Pan, visible over the dunes and Witberg, (White Mountain), it's rocky ridges creating a beacon for travellers in the desert.
South of Sossusvlei's highest dune is another famous desert landmark, Deadvlei or Dead Pan. Located just 1.1km from the parking area, Deadvlei has towering red dunes on 3 sides, that surround a flat, reflective white floor that is studded with dark, dead camelthorn trees, that are over 600 years old.

Look closely:

At Sossusvlei, there is life under the sand that has adapted to survive in these harsh conditions, scurrying over the dunes.
Follow tiny tracks at the base of the dunes. It might lead you to 1 of over 200 species of beetles living in the Namib.
Larger tracks in the sand might belong to the black-backed jackal, gemsbok, or might even be the two-toed track left behind by an ostrich.
On misty mornings, look out for the fog-basking beetle.
The gemsbok, (oryx) survives weeks without drinking water by not allowing moisture to escape from it's body. It simply stops sweating.