Guided Excursions in Walvis Bay and Beyond

October 31, 2026

Choosing a guided excursion in Walvis Bay is easier if you start with what you want to see. Seals, flamingos, dolphins and dunes each have a different operator and a different time of day. Costs are in Namibian dollars (N$), tied one to one to the South African rand.

If you want seals and dolphins

Book a catamaran cruise from the Waterfront on Atlantic Street. Sailings usually start at about 09:00 and last 3 to 4 hours, and the rate is roughly N$1,200 to 1,500 per adult, so confirm the current price. Catamaran Charters, Mola Mola Safaris and Levo Tours all appear in listings, and Levo Tours is based at the Walvis Bay Tourism Centre on Union Street. Expect seals, pelicans and bottlenose, Heaviside’s and dusky dolphins. Sunfish and leatherback turtles turn up now and then, and humpback and southern right whales pass by from about July to November.

If you want to be on the water yourself

Pelican Point Kayaking runs half-day paddles that leave Walvis Bay at 08:00 and use a 4x4 for roughly 45 km of the trip. Mola Mola Safaris sells kayak packages with a catamaran transfer, a 4x4 leg and brunch, plus a Kayak Dune Day and a Marine Dune Day that mix water and sand. Ask both for current prices. Do not touch or feed seals and pelicans even if they approach, and note that sea conditions vary. Pelican Point Kayaking’s own site has the details.

If you want the big dune landscape

Sandwich Harbour, about 55 km south, is the main dune and coast tour. Only registered operators may take visitors there under a concession that started on 1 April 2026. Sandwich Harbour 4x4, based at the Waterfront, and Mola Mola Safaris are the named operators, with half-day, full-day and sunset options. The tide shapes the route and timing. A half day typically costs roughly N$2,700 per adult before ministry fees. Visit sandwich-harbour.com to see its tour list.

If you want birds

A guided wetland half day, listed as Walvis Wetlands by Sandwich Harbour 4x4, visits the lagoon’s feeding grounds. The lagoon is part of Ramsar site no. 742 and holds tens of thousands of Greater and Lesser Flamingos. The birds feed on the lagoon and on the salt works ponds, and they come closest around mid to high tide.

If you are in port for a day

Cruise ships dock at Walvis Bay, and shore excursions go to Swakopmund, Dune 7 and the lagoon. Pick one main outing and keep the rest of the time flexible.

Quick questions to ask any operator

Is the price per person, and what is included?
Are park fees included, or paid on the day?
What are the age limits and fitness requirements?
What time does the tour return?
What happens if fog or wind changes the plan?

Sights you see en route

On the road toward Pelican Point you pass the salt works, which cover about 3,500 hectares and make over a million tonnes of salt a year. It is an industrial site with no visitor programme, so you see it from the road or from a tour. The Pelican Point lighthouse, about 35 m high, is reached by 4x4 or boat.

Search for tours on GetYourGuide or Viator .