Sample Rovos Rail Cape Town to Dar es Salaam

Depart from Cape Town

Depart Cape Town Station at 18h00 on the Rovos Rail Dar es Salaam Safari. Guests may freshen up in their suites before joining other guests in the midway Lounge car or the Observation carriage at the rear of the train. The train travels towards the Hex River Valley.

19h30 – Dinner is served in the dining cars. Dress: Formal

Matjiesfontein

Disembark at Matjiesfontein for an opportunity to stroll through the historic village. Of special interest is the museum on the platform and a collection of historic cars and railway carriages to the right of the Lord Milner Hotel.

Then, train traverses the Karoo, a vast semi-desert region that was once an enormous inland sea. Over millions of years, volcanic matter was ground down and deposited as silt upon the seabed to form what geologists call the Karoo system.

19h30 – Dinner is served in the dining cars. Dress: Formal

Tour of Kimberley

Lunch is served and then the train arrives in Kimberley. Here we disembark and proceed for a tour of the city, the Big Hole and the Diamond Mine Museum. Capital of the Northern Cape, Kimberley is well-known for the discovery of diamonds that led to its establishment in 1871. We leave Kimberley in the late afternoon. Ten minutes after departing Kimberley there is a shallow lake on the left-hand side facing forward. On most occasions, there are spectacular flocks of Flamingos (approx. 23,000) to be seen here. 

19h30 – Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Klerksdorp. Dress: Formal

Arrive in Pretoria

Transfer to Pretoria for a city tour followed by lunch on the Rovos Rail Station platform. Enjoy a walking tour of the station and locomotive workshops (weather permitting). Depart from Pretoria in the early evening and continue northwards.

19h30 – Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Zeerust. Dress: Formal

Madikwe Game Reserve

Arrive in Zeerust where we transfer by road into the Madikwe Game Reserve. Enjoy a two-night safari at one of the private safari lodges. Lunch is served on arrival.

Madikwe is a prime malaria-free Big 5 wildlife reserve bordering Botswana. It lies within a transition zone between the North West Province bushveld and Kalahari thornveld with enormous volcanic intrusions, wide open plains and the riverine environment along the Marico River. As a result, the region is host to an incredible diversity of species from both ecosystems with a rich assortment of vegetation and more than 300 resident and migrant bird species.

Enjoy an afternoon game drive (approximately 3 hours), after which dinner is served at the lodge. Dress: Casual

On safari in Madikwe Game Reserve

Early morning game drive and evening game drive in open 4×4 landrovers.

19h00 – Dinner at the lodge. Dress: Casual

Madikwe and then into Botswana

Today you have a final early morning game drive in the Madikwe Game Reserve before transferring back to the train by road for a 13h00 departure from Gaborone in Botswana. Border formalities en route.

The train crosses the Tropic of Capricorn and the eastern edge of the Kalahari Basin. Known as ‘Kgalagadi’ in Botswana, the Kalahari (which extends to 900 000km² and covers much of Botswana, parts of Namibia and South Africa) is not a true desert as it does experience small amounts of rain, with some areas enjoying up to 250mm. The surrounding basin covers over 2 500 000km² extending farther into Botswana, Namibia and South Africa and encroaching into parts of Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is part desert, part plateau. The only constant river, the Okavango, flows into a delta in the northwest forming marshes that are rich in wildlife.

19h30 – Dinner is served in the dining cars. Dress: Formal

Note on Victoria Falls (Day 10): It is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the list of activities available: Tour of Victoria Falls; helicopter over the falls; whitewater rafting; bungee-jumping; zip-lining; game walks; golf etc. You may book these excursions at the hotel OR beforehand with the on-board historian – today between 16:30-18:00.

Travel through Zimbabwe

After border formalities from Botswana to Zimbabwe, we travel through Zimbabwe with morning & afternoon lectures provided by the historian. Pass Gwaai and Dete along one of Africa’s longest stretches of straight railway line – 114 kilometres – and along the eastern edge of the Hwange National Park.

19h30 – Dinner is served in the dining cars. Dress: Formal

Note on Victoria Falls (Day 10): If you have decided to book activities through the on-board 
historian, please ensure you have done so before lunch.

Arrive in Victoria Falls

Arrive at the impressive Victoria Falls. Transfer from the railway station to the Victoria Falls Hotel. Enjoy a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River. At 18h30 there’s an optional African Spectacular Show. Dinner and overnight at the Victoria Falls Hotel.

Plunging over the lip of the Victoria Falls is the largest body of falling water on earth. The mighty Zambezi, fourth longest river in Africa, is about 2kms wide above the falls and cascades dramatically over a precipice 1.6km in length and 108m at its deepest, compressing the vast volume of water into a chasm 50m wide. The sound can be deafening, the aspect magnificent and the memory indelible. In autumn, the spray is so great it inhibits photography while in spring the seasonal flow considerably reduces leaving large slabs of brown basalt exposed on the lip.

Day at Leisure in Victoria Falls

Today you have the day at leisure. Optional tours include a tour of the Victoria Falls, a game of golf, Flight of the Angels, etc. Have lunch at Jungle Junction Restaurant. Transfer to the station for a mid-afternoon departure from the Victoria Falls for Zimbabwe and Zambian border formalities. En route you will cross the Victoria Falls Bridge.

19h30 – Dinner is served in the dining cars. Dress: Formal

Travel through Zambia

Today will be at leisure. Breakfast and lunch will be on board with lectures in the morning and afternoon. After breakfast, the train travels across the Kafue Railway Bridge – a 477-metre-long steel girder truss bridge of 13 spans each at 33 metres supported on concrete piers. The train passes through Zambia’s capital, Lusaka.

19h30 – Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Kapiri Mposhi. Dress: “Africa” Theme or Smart Casual

Travel through Zambia

Today will be at leisure. Breakfast and lunch will be on board with lectures in the morning and afternoon. The train travels the TAZARA railway line, an engineering tour de force and one of Africa’s best-kept secrets as it passes through remote territory.

19h30 – Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Kasama. Dress: Formal

Chisimba Falls

Disembark at Kasama for an excursion to Chisimba Falls where guests can take a pleasant walk down to the rock pools at the base of the falls or admire them from various viewpoints.

Chisimba Falls is a series of three waterfalls named Mutumuna, Kaela and Chishimba (Chisimba), which are separated over 300m along the Luombe River. According to Bemba tradition, the nature spirit “Chishimba” lives in a cave behind the falls therefore no bad behaviour (including fights, insults and arrogance) is allowed in this area. Though the Bemba people arrived here in the 17th century, they weren’t the first as the land surrounding the falls is dotted with evidence of Iron Age activities including kilns, smelting pipes and iron ore deposits.

Arrive at the Nakonde/Tunduma border for Zambian/Tanzanian border formalities in the mid afternooon. 

19h30 – Dinner is served. The train passes Baobab forests and descends the Rift Valley towards Mbeya. Dress: Formal
PLEASE PUT YOUR WATCHES FORWARD AN HOUR BEFORE RETIRING FOR THE EVENING.

Visit Makambako

Arrive at Makambako and enjoy a stroll through the town (time permitting). Then, the train travels towards the jungled Udzungwa Mountains and negotiates the dramatic switchbacks, viaducts and tunnels of the escarpment.

19h30 – Dinner is served in the dining cars. Dress: Formal

Selous Game Reserve

The train descends into the highlands and traverses the fertile lands of Tanzania towards the Selous. Brunch is served in the dining cars until 11:45. Enjoy a game visit in the Selous Game Reserve, the largest in Africa at 55 000km² (time permitting).

19h30 – Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Gwata. Dress: "1920s" Theme or Smart Casual

Arrive in Dar es Salaam

Travel in an easterly direction towards the coast. Arrive at journey’s end at Tazara Station in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.