After twenty minutes you hear nothing at all. No car doors, no voices, just your own steps in the sand. White posts mark the way, and the tracks between them have usually blown over already.
- Walk from Sossusvlei
- about 4 km
- Route markers
- white posts
- Walking time
- no reliable figure
Hiddenvlei lies about four kilometres from Sossusvlei and is the least visited of the four pans in the area. Dead trees stand here too, and in the late afternoon their shadows stretch far across the ground. Beyond that there is little to say honestly, because almost nothing about Hiddenvlei is documented, neither the size of the pan nor how long the walk takes. If you know the trees and want them without other visitors, your chances are better here.
- Time needed
- half a morning there and back
- Cost
- covered by the park entry fee
- When
- late afternoon, for the shadows
- From Sesriem gate
- 65 km, 75 minutes
Our tipCarry more water than four kilometres would seem to need, and tell somebody where you are going. On the way to Hiddenvlei you often meet nobody for hours, and there is no shade anywhere along it.
Hiddenvlei: frequently asked questions
How far is Hiddenvlei?
Hiddenvlei is about four kilometres from Sossusvlei, along a route marked with white posts. There is no reliable figure for how long the walk takes, because hardly any source describes this pan in detail.
Is the walk to Hiddenvlei worth it?
Hiddenvlei near Sossusvlei is the quietest of the four pans and has dead trees of its own. If you want silence and would rather avoid the crowd at Deadvlei, go, but do not expect anything more spectacular than Deadvlei.
Do you need a guide for Hiddenvlei?
The route to Hiddenvlei is marked with white posts and can be walked without a guide. What it takes is plenty of water, solid shoes and a willingness to meet nobody on the way.