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In plain English
The Fish River Canyon Trail is a walk down the bottom of a huge canyon. There are no huts and no shops. You carry everything you need and sleep on the riverbed each night, then finish at a hot-springs resort. The only regular beds are at the start and at the end.
The company that runs the resorts, Namibia Wildlife Resorts, lists the resorts around the canyon as Ai-Ais Hotsprings and Spa, Boplaas Campsite and Hobas Lodge.1 Between them lies the trail itself. The page says the trek takes about five days, but the exact days depend on your permit and the river.
The river is what makes this more than a long hike. If it runs high, the trail closes. That happened in July 2026, when NWR said river levels were too high and the trail was not safe, then reopened it a week later once levels dropped.2,3 A closure can arrive close to your dates, which is why it helps to keep some flexibility in your plans. Pack as if you may need to be self-reliant for the whole walk.
The Fish River Canyon Trail is a roughly five-day, self-sufficient wilderness trek down the floor of one of the world's largest canyons, in southern Namibia's Ai-Ais/Fish River Canyon area. There are no huts, no resupply, and no easy way out once you're on the canyon floor, so you carry everything and wild camp beside the river each night. The lodging picture is simple: a camp near the start, a hot-springs resort at the finish, and roughly five unsupported nights in between.
Why hike here
What makes this hike different is scale and solitude together: for days you walk along the floor of a canyon carved into ancient rock, walls rising far above, with numbers on the trail kept deliberately low so you rarely see another group. There's no fixed camp each night; you choose a spot on the riverbed, pitch, and follow the water on in the morning. The trek ends at Ai-Ais, where a natural hot-springs resort waits at the bottom of the descent, turning days of heat and effort into one of the more satisfying finish lines in canyon hiking anywhere. It's raw, remote, self-reliant hiking, not a resort trek with scenery attached.
Getting there
There's no shortcut to the Fish River Canyon. It sits in Namibia's far south, a long drive from both Windhoek and the closer town of Keetmanshoop. Most hikers fly into Namibia's main international airport near Windhoek, then self-drive or arrange a shuttle south, a trip that takes the better part of a day on good but long roads. Build that travel time into your plans on both ends, since the start and end points are hours apart by road and onward transport needs to be arranged in advance.
Where to stay
The realistic options, closest-to-the-trail first. Book through the official links — we don't list prices or availability because they change all the time.
For example: Self-sufficient wild camping along the canyon floor — there are no facilities on the trail
Every hiker — the trail is a committing, unsupported wilderness route.
A permit, a group, and a doctor’s medical certificate are required to start.
Trail permit (Namibia Wildlife Resorts)For example: Camp/lodging at Hobas near the start and the Ai-Ais hot-springs resort at the finish
Hikers the night before and after the trek.
Hobas is the start point; Ai-Ais and its hot springs mark the end.
Namibia Wildlife Resorts
Permits & rules
The multi-day Fish River Canyon Trail requires a permit, a minimum group size and a recent doctor’s medical certificate, and only opens in the cooler months. It can also be closed when the river is high: Namibia Wildlife Resorts notices closed it on 10 July 2026 and reopened it on 17 July 2026 with a slippery-crossing warning, so check NWR notices before you go. It is fully self-sufficient — you carry everything and there is no exit until the end, so be honestly fit and prepared.
Gear you'll want for this trip
Matched to the terrain and conditions here. Real products — check current price on Amazon.
Closures, and what the page leaves out
NWR's news notice of 10 July 2026 said water levels in the Fish River were still receding but remained too high for the trail to reopen, that the trail was not yet safe for hiking and remained temporarily closed, and that NWR was monitoring the situation with the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism.2 The notice of 16 July said the trail would reopen on 17 July after a water assessment found river levels and flow suitable for hiking, that hikers should take extra care at river crossings because rocks and other surfaces may still be slippery, and that NWR and partners would keep monitoring weather and river conditions through the hiking season.3 Some guides say the trail is open in the cooler months and closed the rest of the year, and leave out high-river closures within the season.
That gap matters for booking. A permit and travel plans can be set months ahead, while the river is a live condition. Confirm bookings, rules and closures with Namibia Wildlife Resorts and the ministry before you go, and ask what happens to your booking if the trail is closed on your dates.
What the ministry's precautions mean for how you camp
Namibia's Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism publishes a one-page precautions sheet for the trail. It says to avoid stepping on loose rocks when descending, follow trail markings on the rocks, assist each other when crossing, and not cross still standing water because it might be deep.4 It says fires are not allowed, littering is not tolerated, and hikers should not take shortcuts where there are no tracks.4 It also says that if you walk more than 8 kilometers without seeing any water, you are lost and should turn back.4 Those rules explain the nature of riverbed camping: you choose a spot, but you cannot light a fire, so cooking and warmth come from your gear.
The sheet lists emergency exits at Hikers Point, Sulphur Springs, Low Water Bridge and Four Fingers, with vehicles patrolling those routes, and advises that in a medical emergency one person stays with the injured person while the other finds help.4 It also tells hikers to dig a hole in soft sand for human waste and bury it together with the toilet paper.4 The US National Park Service's Leave No Trace guidance differs: it says to dig catholes 6 to 8 inches deep at least 200 feet from water, camp and trails, and to pack out toilet paper and hygiene products.6 Follow the local rule for this canyon, and ask NWR if anything is unclear.
Water, heat, and the weight you carry
You will sleep beside a river but should not assume that water is safe. The CDC says water from a clear stream can still contain germs and is generally not safe to drink untreated, and that most portable filters remove parasites but not viruses or bacteria.5 Boiling for 1 minute is best.5 Heat is the other issue on an exposed canyon floor: the CDC's Yellow Book says sweat rates can reach 1 liter per hour and dehydration is the most important predisposing factor in heat illness besides weather and exercise intensity.7
With no resupply, food dominates the load. Washington Trails Association says a 50 to 70 liter pack suits trips of 3 to 7 nights, and Deuter states people can carry a maximum of 20 to 25% of their body weight.8,9 One laboratory study found that walking energy use rose roughly linearly with backpack load, by about 7.6 watts per extra kilogram.10 That is why the page's advice to be honestly fit and prepared is more than a slogan, and why cold nights call for a sleeping bag chosen by comfort rating, as NEMO explains.11
Common questions
Do I need a permit to hike the Fish River Canyon Trail?
Yes. The trail is managed by Namibia Wildlife Resorts, and hikers need a permit, must go in a group of at least the required minimum size, and must carry a recent doctor's medical certificate confirming they're fit for a multi-day unsupported trek. These rules exist because the canyon floor has no facilities and no quick way out once you've started down.
Where do you actually sleep on the trail?
You wild camp on the riverbed each night through the roughly five-day descent; there are no huts or shelters along the route itself. Hikers typically base near Hobas before starting, and the trek finishes at the Ai-Ais hot-springs resort, so the only fixed lodging sits at either end, with unsupported camping filling the days between.
When can you hike the canyon?
The trail is open only in the cooler months, roughly May through September (confirm exact dates with Namibia Wildlife Resorts), when daytime heat on the exposed canyon floor is more manageable. Even in season it can close when the river runs high: Namibia Wildlife Resorts closed it on 10 July 2026 and reopened it on 17 July after a water assessment, with a warning about slippery crossings. Also, expect hot days, cold nights, and no easy exit if weather, water levels, or your own fitness turn against you partway through.
Complete gearsets for this trip
Full curated kits built for exactly this kind of hike — what to bring, why, and links to similar gear.
Lodging details are compiled from official parks, refuge associations and reservation systems and can change without notice. We publish no prices, availability or ratings — always confirm current information on the official site before booking or setting out. Product links and the accommodation map are affiliate links: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you; product prices and availability are shown on Amazon, and accommodation prices on the booking site. See our affiliate disclosure.