Rocky Desert Tour

Moonlandscape, Swakop River Valley & Welwitschias

This Desert Day Tour takes you past the Moon Landscape, through the Swakopmund River Valley, and into the Welwitschia Plains.

Over Millions of years water flow contributed to the formation of the lunar-like landscape called the Moon Valley. According to Geologists, the group of hills was pushed through the earth's surface about 500 million years ago and eroded by the Swakop River into an otherworldly landscape ever since. This valley is rich in biodiversity and is a photographer's haven.

This tour follows the Swakop River under huge Acacias and Ana trees lined by Salvadora shrubs along the riverbanks. This linear oasis where water flows beneath the dry surface sand provides an oasis for several bird species and desert-adapted animals. Once on the plain the most notable feature of this area is the presence of the high concentrations of Welwitschia Plants (Welwitschia mirabilis) in the area. Not only is the Welwitschia endemic to the Namib Desert but it is also taxonomically very distinct, being the only representative in its family, and only one of three species in the order Gnetales.