What it is
A section of the Namib-Naukluft Park entered through the Sesriem gate. A 60 km tar road runs from the gate through the dune field to a car park. The last 5 km to Sossusvlei itself is deep sand and needs 4×4 or the park shuttle. Deadvlei, the cracked white pan with the dead camelthorn trees, is a 1 km walk over a dune from that car park.
Why go
The dunes are enormous and the light on them changes minute by minute. Dune 45 is the roadside climb everybody does. Big Daddy, above Deadvlei, takes about an hour up and a few minutes to run down. Sesriem Canyon near the gate is a short walk and worth the half hour on the way out.
When to go
Go in at sunrise. The colour is gone and the heat is unpleasant by ten. Staying inside the Sesriem gate buys you an hour's head start on the traffic coming from outside, which is the single thing most worth paying for here. April to June has the clearest air. December to February is hot enough to make the walk to Deadvlei hard work.
Most people stay 2-3 nights.