Walk through a dry riverbed surrounded by rock walls

Sesriem Canyon is a 1 km long and 30 m deep riverbed of the Tsauchab. As the canyon is dry apart from a few waterholes, you can climb down and explore the gorge with its high rock walls.

Sesriem Canyon was formed over millions of years by erosion. The erosion was caused mainly by the Tsauchab River, which flows through the canyon bed after heavy rainfall. Although the river is dry for most of the year, it can quickly swell after rain and fill the gorge with water. The water in the gorge collects in natural pools and in the past served as an important water source for early settlers. This is also where the name of the gorge comes from: “Sesriem”. Sesriem means “six straps”, which indicates that six straps (or leather thongs) had to be tied together to lower a bucket deep enough to draw water.