Start Planning
Related regions :
This journey commences in Walvis Bay, Namibia, traversing the Namib Desert to Otjiwarongo, where guests can observe desert-adapted wildlife in Etosha National Park. Experience the iconic red dunes of Sossusvlei and marvel at the quiver trees in Garas Park. Explore Luderitz for its colonial architecture and abundant wildlife, including seals and flamingos, before visiting the largest canyon in the southern hemisphere. Discover Upington and enjoy an exclusive cruise on the Orange River as you cross into South Africa to explore the Diamond Mine Museum in Kimberley.
Embark from Walvis Bay Station and begin the journey with a departure for Otjiwarongo. Guests are invited to freshen up in their suites before mingling in the lounge or observation car located at the rear of the train.
Lunch is served in the dining cars as the train traverses the expansive Namib Desert toward Otjiwarongo. Enjoy tea in the lounge and observation cars throughout the afternoon. Dinner is later served in the dining cars with a formal dress code.
The Namib Desert stretches over 2,000 kilometers along the Atlantic coasts of Angola, Namibia, and South Africa, characterized by sand seas near the coast and gravel plains further inland. This ancient desert, enduring arid conditions for 55-80 million years, derives its name from the Khoekhoegowab language, meaning "vast place."
Accommodation: Rovos Rail
Breakfast is available until departure in the dining cars. Transfer 60 minutes to the Cheetah Conservation Project in Otjiwarongo, founded in Namibia in 1990 by the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) to protect wild cheetah populations.
Enjoy lunch in the dining cars en route to Tsumeb. Tea is served in the lounge and observation cars, located at the train's rear. Dinner follows in the dining cars, with a formal dress code.
Accommodation: Rovos Rail
Prepare a small overnight bag for the stay in Etosha.
Breakfast is served until 10:00 in the dining cars. Transfer 60 minutes to a lodge within Etosha for check-in and lunch. An afternoon game drive of three hours offers the chance to spot diverse wildlife in Etosha National Park.
Dinner and overnight accommodations at the lodge are casual in attire. Etosha National Park spans 22,270 square kilometers, renowned for its extensive game viewing opportunities and the vast Etosha pan, a prominent salt pan within the Kalahari basin.
Accommodation: Etosha Lodge
Ensure your overnight bag is prepared and collected by 10:45 for the next destination.
Enjoy breakfast at the lodge followed by a morning game drive in Etosha National Park. Return to the lodge to freshen up and check-out by 10:45. Transfer 60 minutes to Tsumeb Station where lunch is served in the dining cars.
Tea is available in the lounge and observation cars as the journey continues towards Kranzberg. Dinner in the dining cars maintains a formal dress code.
Accommodation: Rovos Rail
Prepare a small overnight bag for the upcoming stay in Sossusvlei.
Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00 while en route to Windhoek. Transfer to the airstrip for a one-hour flight to a lodge in Sossusvlei. After check-in, lunch is served at the lodge's restaurant.
An afternoon desert drive and bush dinner follow at sunset. Overnight accommodations at the lodge are casual in attire. The red sand dunes of Sossusvlei, shaped by wind over millions of years, display varying hues throughout the day due to their iron-oxide content and star-shaped formations.
Accommodation: Sossusvlei Accommodation
Ensure your overnight bag is ready for collection before the morning drive.
Begin with an early wake-up call and enjoy a desert drive with breakfast in the vlei. Return to the lodge to utilize facilities, check-out, and transfer to the airstrip. Depart Sossusvlei by light aircraft for a one-hour flight to Windhoek.
Lunch at Windhoek Country Club is followed by a city tour, including visits to the Trans-Namib Transport Museum, Independence Memorial Museum, Evangelical Lutheran Church, and Namibia Craft Centre. The train then heads south through the Kalahari Desert. Dinner in the dining cars is formal in dress code.
Accommodation: Rovos Rail
Breakfast is served until 10:00, followed by lunch in the dining cars. Visit Keetmanshoop and Garas Park to observe 300 specimens of the Aloe dichotomy, known as quiver trees.
Tea is offered in the lounge and observation cars before departing for Aus. Dinner is served in the dining cars, with a formal dress code.
Accommodation: Rovos Rail
Enjoy breakfast in the dining cars before transferring 60 minutes to the ghost town of Kolmanskop for exploration. Lunch is served in Lüderitz, known for its museum, colonial architecture, and diverse wildlife.
Return to Holoog via the observation car, leading the train until after dinner. Dinner attire is themed "Africa" or smart casual.
Accommodation: Rovos Rail
Enjoy breakfast until departure in the dining cars. Transfer 60 minutes to the Fish River Canyon. Lunch is served in the dining cars, followed by tea in the lounge and observation cars. Border formalities with South Africa are conducted before dinner in the dining cars en route to Upington, with a formal dress code.
The Fish River Canyon, second in size only to Arizona's Grand Canyon, impresses with its vast cliffs spanning 161 kilometers in length, up to 27 kilometers in width, and nearly 550 meters in depth.
Accommodation: Rovos Rail
Start the day with breakfast in the dining cars, followed by a walking tour of Upington (optional) and a cruise on the Orange River. Travel through the Karoo, a vast semi-desert region that once formed a vast inland sea.
Lunch is served in the dining cars, with tea available in the lounge and observation cars. Dinner is served en route to Kimberley, with a formal dress code. The observation car leads the train until breakfast.
The Orange River, South Africa's longest at 2,432 kilometers, originates in the Drakensberg Mountains and flows westward through the country, forming borders with Lesotho and Namibia.
Accommodation: Rovos Rail
Enjoy breakfast until departure in the dining cars. Embark on a tour of Kimberley's Diamond Mine Museum and the Big Hole, commemorating the city's diamond discovery in 1871.
Lunch is served in the dining cars as the train heads back towards Pretoria. Tea in the lounge and observation cars is followed by dinner in the dining cars. Dress for dinner can either be a "1920s" theme or smart casual.
Accommodation: Rovos Rail
Ensure luggage is ready for collection 15 minutes prior to departure and have your passport ready.
Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00 while traveling through the goldfields of the Witwatersrand. Lunch is served in the dining cars before arriving at Rovos Rail Station, Pretoria, marking the end of this extraordinary journey.
Please Note: Limited departure dates are available.
Itinerary available in reverse on certain dates.
.png){kind=small}
November 20, 2024
Outstanding Experience! (Cape Town, Sabi Sands, Vic Falls)
After attempting to book this trip myself (a couple coming from the US), I gave up and reached out to Sara from Safari.com. I told Sara what I was thinking and by the next day she had created several wonderful itineraries! Based on her suggestions, we personalized the itineraries and within 7 days I was booked and all set!! Sara was available at all times (before, during, and after the trip). We are currently heading home and we are so happy with all the bookings Sara created for us! Everything went flawlessly. Her 3rd parties for tours and transfers were perfect (always early, professional, knowledgeable, and kind). The hotel acknowledged our anniversary thanks to Sara. We stayed at the Victoria & Alfred hotel in Cape Town, then off to Dulini Moya in Sabi Sands, and finally Victoria Falls Island Treehouse in Zimbabwe. I highly recommend all of them. Tell Sara what you envision your experience to be and your budget and she will make it happen!! Her knowledge was so helpful in assisting us to choose the perfect itinerary. It was comforting that she kept in touch while we were traveling throughout Africa. I feel so lucky to have had Sara arrange this trip and will certainly request her expertise again in the future!! You won’t have to worry about anything because she is on top of it all. Do not hesitate!! Book with Sara from Safari.com!
November 8, 2024
Sara was very helpful
Sara was very helpful, she answered all my questions, addressed all my requests and did so very quickly 😁
October 27, 2024
Sara is the best
Sara is the best! Believe me we had tons of questions about our upcoming safari and all were dealt with quickly and with detail and graciousness by Sara. Considering the 7 hr time difference, response time was as if she lived next door! Maybe she doesn't sleep. Sara's knowledge is also outstanding. We never received an "I don't know but will get back to you" response. We are so looking forward to our trip especially knowing that Sara is always available to help us out!
Dec 13, 2024
Leigh-Ann Croeser from Safari.com was fantastic
Leigh-Ann from Safari.com was great to work with to plan our group safari trip. She was able to get me on the priority waitlist for a lodge that I liked, which ended up working out for our group during my preferred dates. Leigh-Ann was responsive and provided various tour recommendations for us to decide on the best option for us. There were a few email and name typos from Leigh-Ann that I had to correct, but other than that, I had a great experience.
Dec 12, 2024
Dolan was terrific
Dolan was terrific. He got back to us immediately to answer all of our questions. And was so nice to hold a room for a couple of days because of my moms passing. It gave us time to finalize her arrangements and time to book our trip. I would highly recommend using him to book your trip!!
Dec 12, 2024
Great support and communication
I had great support from Lana, she has been helping to book the dream trip to Bostwana in a very efficient way. Great communication, very responsive and precise, could not wish for more. Highly recommend her.
Dec 12, 2024
Anja Is A Fabulous Travel Consultant
Anja Mayer was extremely knowledgeable, patient, prompt with her responses to questions, and always very helpful. She was also a pleasure to work with. I would highly recommend to anyone that asks that Anja is the right person to contact if they are interested in travelling to South Africa or Botswana.
Dec 12, 2024
Anja did a fabulous job!
Anja was knowledgeble, patient prompt with her responses to questions and always very helpful. In addition, it was a pleasure working with her. I would recommend her to anyone without any reservation.
Dec 10, 2024
Mel du Toit was the perfect person to…
Mel du Toit was the perfect person to arrange and organize our trip!! She was on the ball, made sure everything was in place and travel arrangements secured! I highly recommend her!!
Dec 9, 2024
Great support from Shann
Shann made the booking experience seamless - provided very helpful information to ensure we fully understood what the experience would be like and made sure we felt safe with experiences we have booked.
Dec 9, 2024
Quick & efficient
Very fast response, polite - impressive
Dec 7, 2024
Went through Newmarket travel and Hays…
Went through Newmarket travel and Hays travel ..information about flight changes hard to get..but on arrival the holiday was taken over Safari.com..amazing ..experience everything was fine tuned and the staff ..guides drivers fabulous and friendly ..lots of knowledge..lots of fun and the surprises they did was so lovely ...loved every minute ..Paris our guide was amazing..10/10 and Eric driver ..the waiters and waitress every and everyone in the hotels .smiling and friendly..Best holiday of my life
