Sperrgebiet National Park — Entry Fees & Practical Info

The Sperrgebiet National Park, officially Tsau ǁKhaeb National Park, protects a vast and legendary stretch of the southern Namib Desert along Namibia's southwestern coast. Its German name means 'forbidden zone', a legacy of the diamond rush of the early twentieth century when the entire region was sealed off to all but licensed mining companies. Paradoxically, this century of restricted access turned the Sperrgebiet into one of the best-preserved arid ecosystems on Earth, an untouched wilderness of shifting dunes, rugged mountains, gravel plains and dramatic coastline. It forms part of the Succulent Karoo, a global biodiversity hotspot, and supports an astonishing wealth of endemic succulents and flowering plants, alongside brown hyenas, gemsbok, springbok and rich coastal birdlife. Scattered across the desert are haunting, sand-filled ghost towns such as Kolmanskop, once-lavish diamond settlements now slowly being reclaimed by the dunes. Access remains carefully controlled and is generally only permitted on guided tours, allowing visitors to explore this evocative landscape of desert beauty, extraordinary flora and poignant mining history.

Entry fees

Activities

Opening hours

Guided tours only

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