12-Day Rovos Rail Namibian Safari

Itinerary

Day 1: Departing Pretoria

Please check in at least one hour before departure. If you'd like to visit the museum or take a site tour at Rovos Rail Station, we suggest arriving two hours prior. Depart from Rovos Rail Station, Pretoria, traveling south across the goldfields of the Witwatersrand. Freshen up in your suites before joining fellow travelers in the lounge or observation car. Lunch is served in the dining cars, followed by tea in the lounge and observation cars. Dinner is served en route to Kimberley, with a smart casual dress code. 

Ensure the Train Manager or Administration Deputy has your passport.

Day 2: Experience Kimberley

After a delicious breakfast in the dining car, get ready for a tour of the Diamond Mine Museum and the Big Hole. Known for its diamond discovery in 1871, Kimberley is the capital of the Northern Cape. Lunch is served in the dining cars, with the observation car leading the train until after tea. Travel through the Karoo, a vast semi-desert region, then enjoy tea in the lounge and observation cars. Dinner is served en route to De Aar, with a smart casual dress code.

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Day 3: Walking Tour of Upington and Sundowner on The Orange River

Enjoy breakfast in the dining cars until 10:00. Lunch is served in the dining cars. On arrival at Upington, guests will gather at the meeting point for a walking tour of Upington before an exciting sundowner cruise on the Orange River. Dinner is served in the dining cars with border formalities with Namibia, and a smart casual or "Africa" theme dress code. The Orange River, the longest river in South Africa, forms part of the borders between South Africa and Lesotho, and South Africa and Namibia.

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Day 4: The Fish River Canyon

Wake up to enjoy another breakfast in the dining cars until 10:00, followed by lunch as the train travels along the southern reaches of the Kalahari Basin. Your arrival at the Fish River Canyon will be around 60 minutes.

Dinner is served en route to Aus, with a smart casual dress code.

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Day 5: Kolmanskop and Lüderitz

After breakfast in the dining cars, your trip to the ghost town of Kolmanskop will be 60 minutes, followed by lunch in Lüderitz. Known for its museum, colonial architecture, and wildlife, Lüderitz offers sightings of seals, penguins, flamingos, and ostriches. Return to the train for departure to Keetmanshoop, with dinner in the dining cars and a smart casual dress code.

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Day 6: Keetmanshoop and Garas Park

Start the day with breakfast in the dining cars, followed by a visit to Keetmanshoop and Garas Park to see the Quiver Trees. Return to the train for lunch and depart for Mariental. Enjoy tea in the lounge and observation cars, with dinner en route to Rehoboth and a smart casual dress code.

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Day 7: Stay in Sossusvlei

You can use the tog bags that were placed in your suite to pack a small bag for the stay in Sossusvlei.

Breakfast is served en route to Windhoek, followed by a transfer to the airstrip for a flight to a Sossusvlei lodge. After check-in, enjoy lunch and an afternoon at leisure, followed by a desert drive and bush dinner. Overnight at the lodge with a casual dress code. The dunes of the Namib Desert, over five million years old, offer changing colors throughout the day.

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Day 8: Flight Back to Rovos Rail

Enjoy an early wake-up call with tea and coffee, followed by a desert drive with breakfast in the vlei. Return to the lodge to check out and transfer to the airstrip for a flight to Windhoek. Enjoy lunch at Windhoek Country Club, followed by a city tour. Visit the Trans-Namib Transport Museum, the Independence Memorial Museum, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and the Namibia Craft Centre. Depart for Kranzberg, with dinner in the dining cars and a smart casual dress code.

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Day 9: Cheetah Conservation Project Visit

Enjoy breakfast in the dining cars until 10:00, followed by lunch. Meet the representative who will transfer you to the cheetah conservation project in Otjiwarongo. Founded in Namibia in 1990, the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) is dedicated to saving the cheetah in the wild.

Depart for Otavi, with dinner in the dining cars and a smart casual dress code.

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Day 10: Etosha National Park Stay

Remember to pack a small overnight bag for your stay in Etosha National Park.

Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00, followed by a transfer to an Etosha lodge. Enjoy lunch, relax by the swimming pool and the lodge facilities before check-in, and prepare for an afternoon game drive. Dinner and overnight at the lodge with a smart casual dress code. Etosha National Park offers excellent game viewing with diverse wildlife.

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Day 11: Return to Rovos Rail

Enjoy the last breakfast at the lodge followed by a game drive in Etosha National Park. Return to the lodge to freshen up and check out. Meet the representative who will assist you with luggage and transfer to the train at Tsumeb Station. Upon arrival, prepare for a delicious lunch in the dining cars, with the observation car leading the train until tomorrow.

Enjoy tea in the lounge and observation cars, with dinner served as the train travels southwest towards the Atlantic Ocean. Dress code: "1920s" theme or smart casual.

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Day 12: Day of Departure

Ensure your overnight bag is ready for collection. Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00. Enjoy the final trip through the Namib Desert, a stunning wonder that stretches for more than 2,000 kilometers along the Atlantic coasts of Angola, Namibia, and South Africa, as you head towards Walvis Bay.

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Arrive at the journey’s end in Walvis Bay, Namibia.

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