Hike up the rippled caramel dunes of the Namib Desert and through the purple volcanic rock gorges of the Namib-Naukluft Park and watch the desert spring to life around you on a Namibia Safari on foot.

Dust off those walking shoes and take a hike through the pumpkin orange dunes of the Namib Desert, carved towers of the Spitzkoppe rock formations and lush green gorges of the Otavi Mountains to explore the unique natural wonders of a Namibia Safari.

Don’t let Namibia whiz by in a trail of dust outside your car window. Hiking tours are the perfect chance to appreciate the Namib Desert and Nature Reserves whilst learning about Namibia’s fascinating wildlife.

Here is Overlanding Africa’s guide to the top hiking trails for a thumping great Namibia safari experience.

Namib Desert Hiking tour

Slow it down and watch the desert come to life on your Namibia Tour as you explore the Namib Desert dunes around Swakopmund on a ‘Living Desert Tour’. Get yourself lost in amongst the towering caramel-ripple and rusty sand dunes of the oldest desert in the world, the famous Namib Desert, racing up the sheer faces and tumbling back down again.
Your passionate guide will show you all the fascinating wildlife underfoot, often missed in a car, as you learn about the weird and wacky creatures and plants that have adapted to the harshest environment on earth.

For more information or to book a Namib Desert Tour visit Tommy’s Tours and Safari’s.

Tok Tokkie Guided Hiking Tour

Explore the vastly different terrains of the desert as you hike through grassy gold plains past quirkily shaped acacia trees, up burnt orange dunes and over rocky mountainsides on the Tok Tokkie Hiking Trail. Starting at the popular Namibia travel spot Sossusvlei, the Tok Tokkie guided hiking tour leads you into the heart of the Namibland Nature reserve to uncover the secrets of the Namib Desert buzzing with life. Soak up the spectacular lunar mountain ranges, insane rock formations and the world’s tallest dunes sparkling in a bright sea around as you sip on a local beer or three.

For more information or to book a Tok Tokkie guided trail hike on your Namibia tour visit Tok Tokkie Trails

Mundulea Guided Hike

Calling all wildlife lovers and adventurous hikers the Mundulea guided hike through Namibia’s Mundulea Nature Reserve will go down a treat on your Namibia tour. Revel in the unspoiled Namibian bushveld as you trek through the lush greenery of the Otavi Mountains, making your way up rugged hills and steep gorges with never-ending views of the Waterberg Plateau before exploring Mundulea’s network of caves and the cool waters of the underground lakes.

Two hours from Namibia’s popular Etosha National Park, the Mundulea Nature Reserve is the chance to spot herds of wildebeest, eland and kudu as well as the elusive mountain leopard.  Your passionate Namibia tour guide will explain the unique wonders of the bush as you explore Namibia’s fascinating environment on your tailored walking safari in Namibia. After a rewarding full day hike, marvel at the clear desert night sky overhead as you sit around a blazing fire enjoying some hearty Southern African tucker.

More information on the Mundulea nature Reserves hiking trails here.

Namib Naukluft Park Hiking Trails

Your hiking shoes are the perfect way to explore the the purple-jagged mountains and rugged rocky trails of the Namib Naukluft Mountains rising up from the desert floor of the Namib Naukluft Park. There are plenty of trails which crisscross the Park, lasting from one to up to eight days.  The most popular trails are the Olive Trail (10 km/5 h) and the Waterkloof Trail (17km/7 h). Revel in the lunar landscapes stretching out endless panorama’s underneath you as you trek across plateaus, the dry Naukluft River bed and gorges with refreshing rock pools. Quiver Trees line the wide mountain valleys which are buzzing with the wildlife sounds of an epic Namibia safari. Keep your eyes peeled for the rare Mountain Zebra as well as klipspringer, kudu and rock hyrax’s galore as you soak in all the raw energy of the Namib Naukluft Park’s vast mountain ranges and desert floor.

Spitzkoppe Guided Hike

Enjoy proper bush camping on your Namibia travel experience and a guided tour from a friendly local community member who will expose you to the rock formations, history and culture of the towering granite peaks of Africa’s Matterhorn, the Namibia Spitzkoppe. Run by the local community, the campsite and guided tours are a chance for you to give back on your Namibia tour. Learn about the famous san rock paintings, the fascinating Spitzkoppe shapes carved by the wind and how to survive off the land. You can even learn to greet in the local Damara language.
Hike up one of the smaller rock formations at the campsite for sundowners as the sun sinks behind the Pontock Mountains and the sky burns in a bright rainbow of colours. At night camp in the shadows of the towering Spitzkoppe nothing but the quiet African bush around you.

For more information visit the Namibia Community Based Tourism Initiative.

Don’t despair! Prepare!

All the hikes require a solid pair of hiking shoes as well as plenty of water (min. 3 litres per person).  And don’t forget a hat and sunscreen unless you want to glow bright lobster red for the rest of your Namibia travel tour. A camera and pair of binoculars will come in handy as well.

Namibia Safari on foot

Whether it’s hiking up the caramel coloured dunes of the Namib Desert at Swakopmund or across the golden plains of the Namib Naukluft Park, using your feet will allow you to see and appreciate a lot more of the natural wonders and wildlife on your Namibia tour.

For more information on a Namibia safari to one of our Overlanding Africa experts or check out our tour page for Namibia tours.

Keep Discovering