About 35 kilometres east of Swakopmund the Swakop River has cut into the Namib and left a maze of bare ridges and gullies. This is the Moon Landscape. You see it from two viewpoints on the Welwitschia Drive, a route in the north of the Namib-Naukluft Park. The track is marked with 13 numbered stones. At the end stands a welwitschia said to be more than 1,500 years old.
- numbered stops on the Welwitschia Drive
- 13
- return trip from Swakopmund
- about 160 km
- estimated age of the giant welwitschia
- over 1,500 years
- welwitschias on the Welwitschia Plains
- 5,000 to 6,000
Leave Swakopmund on the B2 towards Windhoek and turn onto the C28 gravel road just outside town, then left a few kilometres on onto the D1991, where the route begins. The return trip is about 160 kilometres, roughly four hours with stops. According to a 2026 report you do not need 4x4, but ground clearance helps. After rain the Swakop can flow. Then the route is closed.
You may not drive the track without a permit. You get it in the yellow building on the corner of Bismarck Street and Sam Nujoma Avenue in Swakopmund, along with a map of the 13 stops. Sources disagree on whether the Moon Landscape viewpoint itself is covered. So always get the permit first, ideally the day before.
Lichens, wagon tracks and a camp from 1915
The first stops look like nothing much. At stops 1 and 5 lichen fields lie on the gravel, grey and black crusts that look like dead plant matter. They live on moisture from the fog that drifts inland from the coast at night. Stay on the track: stop 3 shows how long damage lasts. The ox-wagon ruts on the old Baaiweg are decades old and still have not grown over.
Stop 2 has dollar bush and pencil bush. Stop 7 is an old camp of South African troops who passed through in 1915, during the First World War. Rusty remains still lie about, the largest a section of track from a tracked vehicle. Then come dolerite dykes on the ridges and, in the Swakop valley, camel thorn and tamarisk trees living on groundwater.
The welwitschia at the end of the track
Beyond the Swakop the Welwitschia Plains begin. Between the Swakop and the Khan an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 of these plants grow. A welwitschia has only two leaves its whole life. They keep growing from the base, split into strips over the years and end up looking like a heap of frayed ribbons. It was long said that the plant drinks fog through its leaves. Research shows, however, that the leaves take up hardly any water.
At stop 12 stands the giant welwitschia, fenced off so that nobody treads on its roots. A ministry brochure from around 1990 put it at about 1,500 years. That is an estimate. Radiocarbon dating gave 500 to 600 years for the plants tested, and the largest are extrapolated to up to 2,000 years. The species is named after the botanist Friedrich Welwitsch, who found it in Angola in 1859. Today it appears on Namibia's coat of arms.
Goanikontes and camping by the Swakop
Roughly halfway along lies the oasis of Goanikontes, with a rest camp, cold drinks and a pool. You can stop there for lunch or stay the night. If you want to camp, there are official sites by the Swakop with no water and no staff. The permit covers one night. Two cost double. Bring your own water and food, at least two litres per person.
- Time needed
- half a day, about four hours for some 160 kilometres
- Cost
- permit N$ 280 per person and N$ 60 per vehicle, prices since 1 April 2026 (as of October 2026)
- When
- in the morning, before the heat builds inland; not when the Swakop is flowing after rain
Our tipGet the permit the day before. Reports say the office opens Monday to Friday with a lunch break, and at weekends only in the morning or not at all. Drive the stops in the order on the map, then the numbers make sense.
Places to stay in Swakopmund
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Crossroads Luxury Accommodation
Equatorial Street
- Kitchen
- Parking
- Air conditioning
- Pets allowed
from €160per night on 18 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
An Der Mole Apartment
Ludwig Koch Street
- Kitchen
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €136per night on 23 November 2026
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Cornerstone Guesthouse
40 Hendrik Witbooi street
- Breakfast
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €101per night on 15 November 2026
Check prices on trivagoMoon Landscape and Welwitschia Drive: frequently asked questions
Do you need a permit for the Moon Landscape near Swakopmund?
Namibia's environment ministry requires a permit from its Swakopmund office for the Welwitschia Drive, which passes the Moon Landscape. Sources disagree on whether the viewpoint itself is covered, so get the permit first.
Can you drive the Welwitschia Drive without 4x4?
Travellers drove the Welwitschia Drive in 2026 in an ordinary car with good ground clearance, though some forums still recommend 4x4. When the Swakop River is flowing after rain, the route is impassable.
How old is the giant welwitschia on the Welwitschia Drive?
The giant welwitschia at the end of the Welwitschia Drive is estimated at about 1,500 years. That is an estimate. Radiocarbon dating gave 500 to 600 years for welwitschias tested, and the largest plants are extrapolated to up to 2,000 years.
How long does the Welwitschia Drive from Swakopmund take?
The Welwitschia Drive is about 160 kilometres return from Swakopmund. With stops at the 13 markers it takes around four hours.