Grand African Rail Journey

Depart the UK from London Heathrow with Emirates. Flights from London Gatwick and Manchester are available at no extra cost. We will stop en-route in Dubai before flying onwards to Cape Town.

We land in magnificent Cape Town, where our waiting coach will take us to the hidden gem of the Camps Bay Retreat. The rest of our day is at leisure to enjoy the facilities at the hotel or explore Cape Town.

Following breakfast, we transfer to Cape Town train station, where the glamorous Rovos Rail awaits our arrival. After check-in formalities, board and settle in for the adventure of a lifetime. Expect timeless décor, exceptional comfort and exquisite service as we first step into the world of Rovos Rail, ready to enjoy our 16-night all-inclusive adventure. We have the chance to freshen up in our suite before joining fellow travellers in the lounge and observation car for tea, while the train travels towards the Hex River Valley. Disembark at Matjiesfontein and enjoy a stroll through the historic village. Dinner will be served in the dining car.

After a leisurely breakfast, we enjoy a day onboard, indulging in the facilities on offer and wonderful views. The train traverses the Karoo, a semi-desert region, that was once a gigantic inland sea. Let the chefs onboard work their magic as your meals are all freshly prepared by experts, harnessing the flavours of local produce.

This morning, enjoy a tour of Kimberley’s Diamond Mine Museum and the Big Hole. In 1871, word spread that diamonds had been found at this site, so prospectors swarmed to the area looking to make their fortune. Armed with only picks they created the 200m(sq) hole we see today. We return to the train for lunch as we travel onwards to Klerksdorp.

On arrival at our next stop, we transfer to Pretoria for a city tour followed by lunch on the Rovos Rail Station platform. Pretoria, which is also known as Jacaranda City, is a fascinating place to explore. The city is named after Andries Pretorius, leader of the Voortrekkers, known for his victory over the Zulus in the battle of the Blood River. Afterwards, we enjoy a walking tour of Rovos Rail’s private station, before returning to the train for dinner as we travel to Zeerust.

After breakfast, we pack a small overnight bag and transfer to our lodge in Madikwe Game Reserve for a two-night stay. Madikwe is a Big Five wildlife reserve bordering Botswana. The region is host to an incredible diversity of species from both river and open plain ecosystems with a rich assortment of vegetation and more than 350 resident and migrant bird species. On our way, border formalities take place and then lunch is served upon arrival. In the afternoon, we enjoy our first game drive, where we have the opportunity to spot lions, leopards, elephants and much more within the reserve. This will be followed by dinner at the lodge.

Tour Highlight

This morning, we depart on an early morning game drive in this incredible game reserve. Lunch will be at the lodge before a further game drive to provide us with the best opportunities to see the Big Five. As well as the Big Five, there is a chance to spot some other incredible wildlife too, such as the Cape Buffalo and Hippopotamus. This will be followed by a sumptuous dinner at the lodge.

After our final early morning game drive, breakfast is served and we check-out of the lodge with wildlife memories to cherish. We transfer to our train at Gaborone in Botswana, where border formalities take place. Lunch is served in the dining cars while we watch the stunning views as the train crosses the Tropic of Capricorn and the eastern edge of the Kalahari Basin. Known as ‘Kgalagadi’ in Botswana, the Kalahari is commonly known as a desert, but in not technically a desert, as it experiences small amounts of rainfall.

Our day is at leisure. We may wish to join one of the lectures taking place throughout our journey in the lounge car. Whilst taking tea in the lounge, we pass Gwaai and Dete along one of Africa’s straightest stretches of railway line, and traverse the eastern edge of the Hwange National Park.

Tour Highlight

After breakfast, we arrive at the outstanding Victoria Falls, where we disembark with an overnight bag for our hotel stay tonight. We are welcomed to the hotel followed by lunch at Jungle Junction. Luggage will be delivered to our rooms in time to freshen up, ready for our sunset cruise on the Zambezi River. The grand Zambezi, the fourth longest river in Africa, is about two kilometres wide above Victoria Falls. The river cascades over the edge of the falls into a tight chasm, which creates an incredible spray seen from miles around, as well as a deafening sound as the water crashes to the floor of the falls. As evening arrives, we board our sunset cruise on the Zambezi River, offering picturesque views over the landscape as well as the chance to spot hippos and elephants at the river’s edge.

Today is at leisure to enjoy the wonderful Victoria Falls as we wish. Breakfast and lunch will both be served at the Jungle Junction Restaurant before we return to our train, ready for our departure to Zambia. Whilst we enjoy tea in the lounge and observation cars, we cross the Victoria Falls Bridge, a fantastic photo opportunity with stunning views of the falls – so have that camera ready!

We have a relaxing day on board, as the train travels across the Kafue Railway Bridge – an impressive 477-metre long steel girder truss bridge built in 1906. As we sit and dine on the fantastic cuisine offered onboard Rovos Rail, the train passes Zambia’s capital, Lusaka.

This morning, the train travels the TAZARA railway line, a monumental piece of engineering which took place during the 1970’s and took over 50,000 workers to build. A formal dinner will be served in the dining cars this evening en-route to Kasama.

This morning, we depart the train to take a pleasant walk to the rock pools at the base of Chisimba Falls. Chisimba Falls is a collection of three waterfalls named Mutumuna, Kaela and Chishimba and according to tradition, the spirit “Chishimba” lives in a cave behind the falls and no poor behaviour is supposedly allowed in this area. Iron Age artefacts including kilns, smelting pipes and iron ore deposits are found in the vicinity of the falls. Our journey continues as we climb to the border where Zambia meets Tanzania, located almost at the midpoint between Africa’s two Great Rift Valley lakes.

Wake up and enjoy a leisurely breakfast this morning as the train passes Baobab forests and descends the Rift Valley towards Mbeya. We view the Southern Highlands of Tanzania which are covered with savannas, woodlands and forests. Dinner is a formal affair this evening and served in the dining car.

After breakfast, we may enjoy an optional stroll through Makambako (time permitting), a town in the Tanzanian Southern Highlands. The train then travels towards the Udzungwa Mountains where we marvel at the dramatic viaducts and tunnels of the escarpment on our journey.

Early this morning a continental breakfast will be served as the train travels into the highlands towards Nyerere. After a delicious brunch, we enjoy a game drive in Nyerere National Park, the largest in Africa, where we have the chance to spot lions, elephants, rhinos and plenty more. Once we have returned to the train, dinner will be served in the dining cars en-route to Gwata.

This morning, enjoy the last of our views from the train as we travel east towards the coast. With our luggage ready, the train arrives at Tazara Station in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania where our journey onboard Rovos Rail will sadly come to an end. We are transferred to the comfortable Serena Hotel for an overnight stay and to enjoy our final evening with our travelling companions.

After breakfast, our time is spent at leisure until our flight to the UK.

We arrive at our chosen airport, after a change of aircraft in Dubai. After an epic three weeks of making memories to last a lifetime, our African adventure has come to an end.