Dar Es Salaam, Victoria Falls and the Pride of Africa

We depart from London Heathrow and fly via Dubai to Dar es Salaam, arriving on Day 2. We enjoy an excursion to a local craft market before dinner.

We board the Pride of Africa today, beginning an epic journey across Africa that takes in 5 different countries. After settling in, we leave Dar es Salaam and begin travelling through Tanzania. Our journey takes us across the vast plains of the Selous Game Reserve by rail - which was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 1982 thanks to its incredible indigenous wildlife. On Day 4, we enjoy a game drive in Selous Game Reserve, hoping to spot some of the wildlife Africa is famous for. Later, we return to the train and continue through the Udzungwa Mountains to Mlimba, where we stay overnight. On Day 5, we arrive in Makambako, a traditional Tanzanian town. After time to explore we traverse the Rift Valley on our way to Tunduma for the night.

Selous Game Reserve

Our journey on the luxurious Pride of Africa takes us across the wild plains of the Selous Game Reserve - Africa's largest park and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The park offers a vision of a timeless Africa; there are almost no roads through the area, and as such most visitors are flown in. Our trip by rail is a rare treat indeed as we try and spot elephants, hippos and buffalo.

Today, we descend from the valleys of Mbeya to the Zambian border. We disembark at Kasama for an excursion to the stunning Chishimba Falls. Later, the Pride of Africa delivers us to Mununga, where we overnight. Enjoy time to relax as we travel across Zambia on Days 7 and 8. Our on-board historian gives informative lectures about a fascinating range of subjects in the lounge car, or you can simply admire the views as we make our way through the wilderness and across a region of quaint mining towns known as 'the Copperbelt'. On Day 8 the train travels through Lusaka, Zambia's tree-lined capital. Afterwards we cross the Kafue Railway Bridge, a girder construction that spans the Kafue River.

We arrive in Livingstone today, continuing into Zimbabwe as we cross the border bridge that spans a gorge across Victoria Falls, one of the world's finest natural wonders. The falls combined with its width of 5,604 feet and height of 354 feet, result in the world's largest sheet of falling water, and are roughly double the height of Niagara Falls. We disembark and transfer to the 5-Star Victoria Falls Hotel. Later, we take a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River, home to an abundance of crocodiles. Day 10 is spent at leisure before returning to the train.

Victoria Falls

Spanning the Zambia-Zimbabwe border, Victoria Falls, also known as Mosi-oa-Tunya or 'the smoke that thunders' is an astounding natural wonder and one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world. Absorb its breathtaking beauty as we embark on a splendid cruise along the Zambezi River and enjoy time at leisure in the surrounds of the mighty, crashing waters.

Relax on board as we leave Zimbabwe and continue through Botswana, where wide open plains are dotted with traditional villages. The train crosses the Tropic of Capricorn on its route to Gaborone, Botswana's capital. On Day 12, we disembark and transfer to Madikwe Game Reserve. Boasting a diverse landscape, Madikwe is home to leopards, elephants, antelopes, rhinos, and lions. This afternoon we take our first game drive, and on Day 13, we have both morning and afternoon drives, increasing our chances of spotting wildlife.

After a final morning game drive, we return to the train, which runs alongside the dramatic Magaliesberg Mountains. We arrive in Pretoria, South Africa's administrative capital, on Day 15. We enjoy a guided excursion, then return to Rovos Rail Station for lunch and a tour of the locomotive workshops. This afternoon we continue towards Kimberley.

Today, we reach Kimberley, a city with a rich diamond mining history. Here we visit the 'The Big Hole' and Diamond Mine Museum. On Day 17, we reach Matjiesfontein. This historic village is officially a National Monument, and we have time at leisure to discover it. We return to the train for the final leg of our journey, arriving in Cape Town this evening, where we spend 4 nights.

Today, we visit some of Cape Town's best-loved attractions. We ascend Table Mountain by cable car to enjoy panoramic views (weather permitting), after descending we have a guided tour of Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. This afternoon we head  to Kirstenbosch for a tour of the botanical gardens. On Day 19, we travel by coach around 2 of South Africa's most celebrated wine regions - the Franschhoek and Stellenbosch Valleys. We sample some of the local wines during a tasting session, accompanied by tapas-style food pairings.

Premium Sout African Wine Tasting

Discover the famous Cape Winelands of South Africa on an excursion around the Stellenbosch and Franschhoek Valleys, known as 2 of the finest wine regions in the world. Soak up incredible views over verdant sloping vineyards before visiting Hout Bay Vineyards for a premium tasting of the local, award-winning wines, coupled with tapas-style food parings.

Today we travel to Cape Point, situated on the Cape of Good Hope at Africa's south-western tip. Here, we take the Flying Dutchman funicular railway up to a vantage point to admire the views. We also see the penguin colony at Boulders Beach. On Day 21, we board our flight to London Heathrow, arriving on Day 22.