Dar Es Salaam, Victoria Falls & The Pride of Africa

We depart from London and fly to Dar es Salaam, arriving on Day 2. On reaching Tanzania's largest city and cultural heart, we transfer to the 5-Star Serena Hotel. This afternoon we enjoy an excursion to a local craft market, before tasting an aperitif overlooking the ocean. Later we return to the hotel, and enjoy dinner together.

After a relaxed morning, today we board our luxury train, the Pride of Africa. We join in Dar es Salaam for the epic rail journey across Africa, taking in five countries during our time on the train. After settling in, we leave Dar es Salaam and make our way through Tanzania. During the afternoon, our journey 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 is a rare treat as we try and spot elephants, hippos and buffalo.

This morning we enjoy a game drive in the Selous Game Reserve, during which we hope to see the diverse creatures that live here. Later we return to the train and continue through the Udzungwa Mountains to Mlimba, where we overnight. On Day 5 we arrive in Makambako, a traditional Tanzanian town set on a dusty plain overlooked by the country's Southern Highlands. After time to explore, we traverse the Rift Valley to Tunduma for an overnight stop.

Today we descend from the valleys of Mbeya to the Zambian border. We then cross into Zambia and disembark at Kasama for an excursion to the stunning Chishimba Falls. Here the Luombe River tumbles over a succession of rapids cut into the deep valley, offering a beautiful photo opportunity. Later we take the train to Mununga, where we overnight. Enjoy some truly relaxing time on the train as we travel across Zambia on Days 7 and 8. Our on-board historian gives informative lectures about a fascinating range of subjects on both days; otherwise you can simply admire the views as we make our way through the Zambian wilderness and across a region of quaint mining towns known as 'the Copperbelt'. On Day 8 the train travels through Lusaka, Zambia's treelined capital. Afterwards we cross the striking Kafue Railway Bridge, an ambitious girder construction which carries the track high across the Kafue River.

A real highlight of the tour awaits today as we arrive in Livingstone. From here we travel into Zimbabwe, crossing the border bridge that spans a gorge in the incredible Victoria Falls. Known as "the smoke that thunders", the falls are generally seen as one of the world's finest natural wonders. Here we disembark the train and transfer to the 5-Star Victoria Falls Hotel for a night. Later this afternoon we take a cruise on the immense Zambezi River, just upstream from the magnificent falls - and home to an abundance of crocodiles. Day 10 is free for you to explore the area at your own pace. Our hotel is just a ten-minute walk from the falls via its own private pathway, and if you're feeling adventurous, you could admire this stunning sight from a helicopter (payable locally).

Relax on board today as we leave Zimbabwe and continue through Botswana. With a very small population, Botswana is primarily rural, with wide open plains stretching out towards the distant desert landscape, dotted with small traditional villages. During the day the train crosses the Tropic of Capricorn on its route southwards to Gaborone, Botswana's compact capital.

Leaving the train in Gaborone, today we transfer to the Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa for two nights at the TAU Lodge. Boasting a diverse landscape of forests, grassland and bushveld, Madikwe is naturally home to a variety of rare creatures including leopards, elephants, antelopes, rhinos and lions. This afternoon we take our first game drive, and on Day 13 we contrast both early morning and afternoon drives, to increase our chances of spotting these fascinating creatures.

After a final early morning game drive, we leave the lodge and return to the train. We travel through the glorious scenery of South Africa, running alongside the dramatic Magaliesberg Mountains, a sharp ridge of peaks that tower above the tracks. We arrive in Pretoria, South Africa's administrative capital, on Day 15. On arrival we enjoy a guided tour of the colourful city, then return to Rovos Rail's private station for lunch and a tour of the locomotive works workshops (weather permitting). 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' mine museum - a recreated townscape and museum which houses many artefacts from the diamond rush that led to the huge mine's creation. On Day 17 we reach Matjiesfontein. This historic village is officially a National Monument, and we discover its attractions on a self guided tour. Later we return to the train for the final stretch of our journey across five countries, arriving in Cape Town this evening. We spend four nights at the 5-Star Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel.

Today we visit some of Cape Town's best-loved attractions. We ascend Table Mountain by cable car to enjoy panoramic views of the city. We then descend to Kirstenbosch for a guided tour of the botanical gardens, nestled at the base of the mountain. This afternoon we take a guided tour of Robben Island, the UNESCO-listed site where the late Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. On Day 19 we travel by coach around two of South Africa's finest wine producing areas: the Franschhoek and Stellenbosch valleys. We enjoy lunch on a wine estate and sample some of the local wines during a tasting session.

Today we travel to Cape Point 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 superb views. We travel to see the wonderful Penguin colony at Boulders Beach. On Day 21 we transfer to the airport for our flight home, arriving on Day 22.