Experience the best of Swakopmund
Swakopmund is a German-founded seaside town on Namibia's Atlantic coast, set between the cold ocean and the dunes of the Namib Desert.
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Swakopmund was founded in 1892 as the main port of German South West Africa, and its centre still has half-timbered houses, a lighthouse and colonial buildings such as the Woermann House with its tower. A long jetty reaches into the cold Atlantic, palm-lined avenues run inland, and cafés serve German cake and coffee. The cold Benguela Current brings sea fog to the shore, so mornings are often grey even when the desert beyond is hot.
The Namib Desert begins at the edge of town, with dunes for sandboarding and quad-biking, the lunar canyon landscape known as the Moon Landscape, and the Welwitschia Plains, where the strange, ancient welwitschia plant grows in gravel. To the south, Walvis Bay has a lagoon where flamingos and pelicans gather, and the tall Dune 7 stands nearby, while to the north the Skeleton Coast runs towards Cape Cross, where a large colony of Cape fur seals breeds.
Seafood leads the menus: oysters from Walvis Bay, kingklip and fresh fish, and German bakeries serve Black Forest cake and strudel. Game meats such as oryx, kudu and springbok are grilled, and Namibian lager is brewed to German purity rules. Rain is almost unknown here, the days are mild and the nights cool, and summer from December to March is the warmest.
- Free cancellation on 88% of experiences
- 4.8 across the top 11
Outdoor and adventure activities in Swakopmund
11
10% offFree cancellation
Go beyond Swakopmund
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Walvis Bay · 28 kmKuiseb Pass
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Windhoek · 262 kmDeadvlei
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Windhoek · 262 kmEtosha National Park
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Victoria Falls · 1,290 kmChobe National Park
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Victoria Falls · 1,290 kmVictoria Falls Bridge
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Livingstone · 1,294 kmMosi-oa-Tunya National Park
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Livingstone · 1,294 kmDevil's Pool
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Cape Town · 1,306 kmBoulders Beach
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Cape Town · 1,306 kmCape of Good Hope
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Stellenbosch · 1,320 kmDelaire Graff Estate
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Stellenbosch · 1,320 kmSpier Wine Farm
Questions about Swakopmund
- What are the top attractions in Swakopmund?
- Ranked by the experiences that visit them, the top attractions in Swakopmund are Cape Cross, Swakopmund Jetty, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Woermannhaus.
- What is the most popular experience in Swakopmund?
- By number of traveller reviews it is "Scenic Sandwich Harbour Tour", rated 5.0 out of 5 from 507 reviews.
- How long do tours and tickets in Swakopmund take?
- The typical experience in Swakopmund lasts about 4 hours; the middle half run between 4 hours and 7 hours.
- Can I cancel a booking in Swakopmund?
- The operator lists free cancellation on 88% of the 111 experiences we hold for Swakopmund. The cut-off differs by experience and is shown on each product page before you choose a date.
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