Swakopmund lies on the central Namibian coast, roughly 362km (225mi) from the capital, Windhoek, and its nearby airport, Hosea Kutako International. Visitors can either rent a vehicle or join an organised tour, for a drive that takes up to 5 hours to complete on paved roads. It is possible to charter a flight directly to the Swakopmund airfield, but most make use of the scheduled flight to nearby Walvis Bay, which receives daily arrivals from Windhoek, South Africa and a few other destinations. Walvis Bay is 35km from Swakopmund. There is no public transport available, with taxis being the only option. The town is small enough to walk to most attractions.
Swakopmund can be visited at any time of the year. The cold Benguela Current that runs northwards along the coast has a profound cooling effect on the air, despite the town technically lies within the Namib Desert. Temperatures typically range between 15-25 °C (59-77 °F) throughout the years—less than 20mm (0.8in) of rain falls annually. The region does, however, experience up to 180 days of coastal fog per annum, reaching up to 140km (87mi) inland. This can make driving hazardous at times.
