Hiking
Good walking in Namibia


Largely untouched scenery, majestic plateau mountains and extinct volcanoes, gentle dunes and coarse gravel plains, deep canyons and rugged mountain ranges. If you explore these landscapes on foot, you have the leisure and the opportunity to take a closer look at the many little - and not so little

- miracles which fill this arid country with life: plants like Bushman Grass, the stone plants (Lithops), the Quiver Tree and the Acacias; animals like the gracious Springbok, the majestic Kudu, the frugal Oryx, the shy Mountain Zebra or even the elegant Giraffe.

Whether you enjoy hiking, mountaineering, free-climbing or 'just' walking – you will find your perfect spot to do so. Namibia boasts two of the most famous and most challenging trails in southern Africa: The Fish River Hiking Trail through the winding gorge of the Fish River Canyon, which is several hundred
Mountaineering
metres deep, and the Naukluft Hiking Trail in the rugged solitude of the Naukluft Mountains. Those who aim for the top are drawn to Spitzkoppe ('Namibia’s Matterhorn’) or Brandberg with Königstein, the highest peak in the country. Even running enthusiasts will not be disappointed: there is an annual Bush Marathon... And if you want no more than a little exercise or a leisurely nature walk, you can follow the trails which many guest farms and lodges have set up with lots of loving care.

Hiking in national parks
Trails which come under the responsibility of the public nature conservation authority take hikers deep into areas to which other visitors do not have access. Some of the tours are only permitted with a professional guide, while others have to be tackled without. Furthermore, many hikes take several days with nights spent either in the open or in very rudimentary huts – which in some places are no more than a shelter of low walls. On these routes hikers thus have to carry all their provisions and equipment and enough water for at least one day. This alone requires an excellent physical constitution.

Public routes are often subject to various regulations, which are listed with the description of the trails following below.

A fee is due for most trails in national parks. Nowadays a so-called day visitor’s fee may also be charged. This is a utilisation fee which you pay in the rest-camp where your hike starts and ends, whether you use the facilities or not. Hiking trails as well as accommodation at the rest-camps should be booked well in advance. contact us at habari at habariafrica.com

courtsey Namibia Tourism Board