Attraction
Independence Memorial Museum
Free museum in a five-storey glass building on Robert Mugabe Avenue that tells the story of colonial rule, resistance and Namibia's road to independence.
There are more things to do in Windhoek than its reputation as a gateway city suggests. Namibia's capital sits in a highland basin ringed by hills, and its compact centre packs in the story of the country: the Christuskirche and the Tintenpalast from the German colonial era, the Independence Memorial Museum, and Heroes' Acre on the hills to the south. Katutura, the township created by forced removals from the Old Location in the late 1950s and 1960s, adds a very different side of the city, with kapana grills at Single Quarters and craft projects such as Penduka.
Most visitors stay in the city centre, close to Independence Avenue, or in leafy Klein Windhoek, where guesthouses, cafés and the Am Weinberg Estate are concentrated. The food scene ranges from game dishes at Joe's Beerhouse and fine dining at Leo's at the Castle to traditional Oshiwambo cooking at Xwama. Two or three days is enough to see the main sights, add a morning walk in Daan Viljoen Game Park and prepare for a safari or self-drive trip to Sossusvlei, Etosha or the coast.
Attraction
Free museum in a five-storey glass building on Robert Mugabe Avenue that tells the story of colonial rule, resistance and Namibia's road to independence.
Attraction
Windhoek's best-known landmark, a sandstone Lutheran church consecrated in 1910, standing on a traffic island on Robert Mugabe Avenue opposite the Tintenpalast.
Attraction
The 1913 colonial administration building that now houses both houses of Namibia's parliament, set in lawned gardens popular with Windhoek residents.
Attraction
Namibia's national memorial to the heroes of the liberation struggle, opened in 2002 in the hills about 10 km south of Windhoek.
Attraction
Namibia's state art gallery, showing Namibian, African and European art from its permanent collections alongside changing contemporary exhibitions in central Windhoek.
Attraction
A 40-square-kilometre game park in the Khomas Hochland hills 24 km west of Windhoek, with hiking trails among zebra, kudu, oryx and around 200 bird species.
Café
Bakery, deli and restaurant on the Am Weinberg Estate, known for breakfasts, fresh bread and cakes, and since 2024 Italian-inspired dinners with Namibian flavours.
Café
Namibia's best-known specialty coffee brand, roasting in Swakopmund since 2011, with shops in central Windhoek and the Maerua and Grove malls.
Café
Café inside the Namibia Craft Centre at the Old Breweries, serving coffee, cakes and fresh light meals between rounds of craft shopping.
Café
Garden café and bistro in Klein Windhoek, set among old trees and water features, serving breakfast, daily specials, pizzas and fresh juices.
Hotel
Sixteen-room boutique hotel in a 1914 hilltop castle above central Windhoek, with a pool terrace, city views and the fine-dining restaurant Leo's at the Castle.
Hotel
Central international hotel next to Zoo Park, with an outdoor pool, the Mondjila Wellness Centre and a ninth-floor Sky Bar with sunset views over Windhoek.
Hotel
Large hotel on Independence Avenue with 173 rooms, a 24-hour casino, a gym and a 15th-floor rooftop infinity pool beside the Stratos restaurant and bar.
Hotel
Boutique hotel built around a heritage house on the Am Weinberg Estate in Klein Windhoek, with courtyard and loft rooms and a Sky Lounge overlooking the…
Hotel
One of Namibia's first backpacker hostels, open since 1995, with budget and private rooms, a pool, bar and kitchen, and an on-site safari and travel desk.
Hotel
Lodge of 19 chalets inside Daan Viljoen Game Park, about 20 km west of Windhoek, with a pool, boma restaurant, game drives and walking trails among…
Bar
Wine bar and specialist wine shop in a restored early Windhoek house on Windmill Hill, open since 2003 and known for sunset drinks and a deep…
Bar
Ninth-floor pool bar at the Hilton with sunset views over downtown Windhoek, craft gins and cocktails, and a lively Friday crowd.
Bar
Fifteenth-floor restaurant and cocktail bar at Avani Windhoek, beside the rooftop infinity pool, with glass walls overlooking the city centre and sunset.
Bar
Top-floor lounge at The Weinberg hotel in Klein Windhoek, serving cocktails, sparkling wine and sharing plates with views over the valley at sunset.
Bar
Central campsite with a self-service beer garden, popular with locals and overlanders for sunset drinks and dinner a short walk from Joe's Beerhouse.
Restaurant
Windhoek's best-known pub restaurant since 1991, serving game dishes, steaks, kapana and German classics amid a huge collection of Namibian memorabilia.
Restaurant
Fine-dining restaurant inside Hotel Heinitzburg, a 1914 hilltop castle, pairing Namibian game and Atlantic seafood with a wide wine list and city views.
Restaurant
Courtyard bistro in the Bougain Villas centre known for flame-grilled Namibian steaks and a deep list of South African wines, many served by the glass.
Restaurant
Restaurant on the fourth floor of the Independence Memorial Museum with balcony views over central Windhoek and a broad menu from game and Wagyu to vegetarian…
Restaurant
Restaurant, wine bar and live music venue of the Namibian Institute of Culinary Education, a chef-finishing school on the edge of Windhoek West.
Restaurant
Traditional restaurant in Wanaheda, Katutura, serving Oshiwambo dishes such as marathon chicken, oshifima, ombidi spinach and mopane worms in a homestead-style setting.
Thing to do
Around 40 small craft shops in Windhoek's yellow Old Breweries building, selling mostly Namibian-made baskets, leatherwork, jewellery, textiles and carvings since 1990.
Thing to do
Katutura's open-air kapana market, where vendors grill marinated beef over charcoal and sell it with fat cakes and spicy tomato sauce from late afternoon.
Thing to do
A dam in the hills on Windhoek's eastern edge, managed for recreation by the NGO Greenspace, with a paved accessible path, benches and mountain views.
Thing to do
A women's craft enterprise near Goreangab Dam in Katutura, making embroidery, batik and jewellery, with a shop, restaurant and simple accommodation.
Tour operator
Locally owned Windhoek operator since 1995, running small-group camping and lodge safaris to Sossusvlei and Etosha plus half-day city and township tours.
Tour operator
Windhoek-based safari operator founded in 1986, offering guided lodge and camping tours, self-drive packages and fly-in safaris across Namibia and Botswana.
Tour operator
Independent Windhoek-based safari company founded in 1996, running guaranteed small-group camping safaris with a maximum of ten people.
Two or three days covers the main sights, a visit to Katutura and a morning in Daan Viljoen Game Park, plus time to organise onward travel.
The city centre is best for walking to the main sights, while Klein Windhoek is quieter, with guesthouses, cafés and the Am Weinberg Estate.
Hosea Kutako International Airport is about 42 km east of the city; most visitors use a pre-booked transfer, a taxi or a hire car.
It is moderately priced by international standards, with good-value guesthouses and restaurants, although upmarket hotels and imported goods can be costly.
Most visits are trouble-free, but take normal city precautions: avoid walking alone after dark, use registered taxis and keep valuables out of sight.