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Rovos Rail - Namibia to South Africa

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16 days From £9,465 per person
Independent

2025 On Sale

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2024 Tour code: RNI24

About the tour

Experience rail travel from a bygone era when you ride the Rovos Rail in absolute luxury. This once-in-a-lifetime journey begins in Walvis Bay and travels to Pretoria, taking in the rolling landscapes of the region and includes a trip to a cheetah conservation project, the fish river canyon, desert adventures and game drives. This epic adventure aboard this opulent vintage train takes you back to the golden age of travel, and to the towns and cities of this diverse and vibrant area.

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Unforgettable Experiences

Rovos Rail
Rovos Rail
Travel in Vintage luxury on the Rovos Rail.
Cheetah’s in Otjiwarongo
Cheetah’s in Otjiwarongo
Visit a Cheetah conservation project.
Etosha National Park
Etosha National Park
Experience a game drive in Etosha National Park.
Sand dunes of Sossuvlei
Sand dunes of Sossuvlei
Spend the night among the incredible sand dunes of Sossuvlei.

What’s included

Personalise your holiday

Outbound Travel

Day 1 – UK to Namibia

Your great adventure begins today when you take your overnight flight from London to Johannesburg. Relax as your epic journey gets off the ground.

Swakopmund

Day 2 – Arrive Walvis Bay, Namibia

Swakopmund

On arrival in Johannesburg you'll transfer to your connecting flight to Walvis Bay. Once in Walvis Bay you'll be transferred to your hotel in Swakopmund for the night.

Hotels

Rovos Rail

Day 3 – Rovos Rail

Rovos Rail

This morning you'll be transferred from your hotel to Rovos Railway station where you'll board this luxurious train. As the train sets off for Otjiwarongo lunch is served in the opulent vintage dining car. Relax on soft plush sofas in one of the observation cars and watch the stunning scenery go by, or spend some time in your luxury suite, which combines retro aesthetics with modern comforts perfectly. Dinner is served in the dining car and you'll spend your first night aboard the Rovos Rail.

Otjiwarongo

Day 4 - Cheetah’s in Otjiwarongo

Otjiwarongo

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast in the retro dining car, before you continue your adventure. This morning you'll visit a cheetah conservation project in Otjiwarongo. The cheetah conservation fund was founded in 1990 and is dedicated to saving cheetahs in the wild. Following this special visit, lunch is served back onboard as you make your way to Tsumeb. You can relax in the observation cars and watch the dramatic scenery pass by, before enjoying dinner in the dining car. You'll spend your second night aboard this magical train.

Game Drive in Etosha National Park

Day 5 – Game Drive in the Etosha National Park

Game Drive in Etosha National Park

Following a leisurely breakfast onboard you'll be transferred to Etosha where you'll spend the night. A tog bag has been left in your suite so you can pack a small overnight bag for your stay in Etosha. Following lunch at your lodge in Etosha you'll experience a thrilling afternoon game drive in the Etosha National Park. You'll then head back to your lodge for dinner and to spend the night.

Etosha National Park

Day 6 - Etosha National Park

Etosha National Park

This morning you'll wake up early with tea and coffee and proceed to a morning game drive in the Etosha National Park before breakfast. You'll then return to the lodge for a late breakfast, following which you'll be transferred back to the train at Tsumeb Station. You'll enjoy a relaxed lunch in the dining car onboard the train and you can then relax in the observation car or take a nap in your suite, before dinner is served in the dining car. Relax and enjoy a deep sleep as the train continues on to Kranzberg.

Sossusvlei Desert lodge

Day 7 – Sossusvlei Desert lodge

Sossusvlei Desert lodge

Take your breakfast in the dining car this morning as you journey on to Windhoek, enjoying the breathtaking scenery that drifts by your window. Pack a small overnight bag and you'll be transferred to the airstrip where a light aircraft waits to take you off to Sossusvlei. When you arrive at your lodge in Sossusvlei you can enjoy lunch in the onsite restaurant. You'll then experience a desert drive, and witness the changing appearance of the sand dunes as the light changes and the wind blows in different directions. Enjoy a special bush dinner after sunset and return to your lodge for your overnight stay.

Windhoek

Day 8 – Windhoek and the Kalahari Desert

Windhoek

You'll wake early this morning with tea and coffee and then you'll take a morning desert drive to see how different the landscape appears in the morning light. You'll take breakfast out in the desert before returning to the lodge to check out. You'll be transferred back to the airstrip where you'll take your light aircraft back to Windhoek. After lunch at Windhoek Country Club, you'll enjoy a city tour, including visits to the Trans-Namib Transport Museum, the Independence Memorial Museum, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and the Namibia Craft Centre. Back onboard the train you'll travel on through the incredible Kalahari Desert, and you'll enjoy dinner onboard as you make your way to Mariental.

Keetmanshoop

Day 9 - Keetmanshoop and Garas Park

Keetmanshoop

Wake up to a relaxed breakfast onboard this morning and spend a lazy morning watching the landscape roll by and cosying up with a good book in your suite. Lunch is served onboard before you arrive at Keetmanshoop and Garas Park, where you can see 300 species of prehistoric trees. Have your camera ready, as these unusual 'forked' trees are a spectacle to remember. Relax back onboard the train and enjoy dinner in the dining car, as you make your way to Aus.

Kolmanskop

Day 10 – Kolmanskop Ghost Town

Kolmanskop

Following a leisurely breakfast onboard, you'll visit the intriguing ghost town of Kolmanskop. You'll then take lunch in Luderitz, which is famous for its colonial architecture, museum, and interesting wildlife including seals, penguins, ostrich and flamingos. Head back to the train for dinner and enjoy some time in the observation car, as your journey continues to Holoog.

Fish River Canyon

Day 11 – Fish River Canyon

Fish River Canyon

Enjoy breakfast in the dining car this morning, before being transferred to your tour of Fish River Canyon. Second only to the Grand Canyon in size, this rocky landscape gives way to spectacular cliffs which are awe inspiring in their sheer size. This is definitely a sight you'll want to photograph. Lunch is served back onboard the train, in the dining car, and you can relax in the observation cars while you cross the border back into South Africa. Enjoy dinner in the dining car as you continue your journey on to Upington.

Orange River

Day 12 – Upington and the Orange River

Orange River

Breakfast is served early in the dining car this morning, and following your breakfast you'll enjoy a walking tour of Upington with a cruise on the Orange River. You'll then travel through the Karoo, a semi desert area that was once an inland sea. Lunch is served in the dining car and you can spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing in the lounge and observation car, or taking a nap in your suite. Dinner is served in the dining car as you watch the scenery drift by on your way to Kimberley.

Kimberley

Day 13 – Kimberley’s Diamond Mine and the Big Hole

Kimberley

Enjoy a relaxed breakfast in the dining car this morning, before it's time to take your tour of Kimberley. You'll take a tour of Kimberley's Diamond Mine Museum and the Big Hole where you'll learn about Kimberely's history of diamond discovery. You'll head back to the train for lunch in the dining car and then you can relax during the afternoon, watching the landscape go by your window, before it's time for dinner in the dining car. Tonight, you'll make your final leg of your journey as you make the climb to Pretoria.

Pretoria

Day 14 – Arrive Pretoria

Pretoria

Take your time over a leisurely last breakfast onboard this morning, as you travel through the goldfields of the Witwatersrand where waterfalls tumble from dramatic rocks. Lastly, you'll arrive at Rovos Rail Station in Pretoria, where you'll disembark the train and be transferred to your hotel. Choose from our handpicked 5* hotels, on a B&B basis.

Hotels

Inbound Travel

Days 15-16 – Johannesburg to the UK

Your adventure is almost over today as you are transferred from your hotel to Johannesburg airport for your overnight flight back to the UK.

Arrive back into London the following morning and take time to reflect on your once-in-a-lifetime journey.

Additional information

Mobility information

Due to the nature of our tours they are generally unsuitable for those with restricted mobility. If you’d like to discuss any particular holiday with us in this respect, then please don’t hesitate to call us.

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