DAR ES SALAAM Rovos Rail Journey

(2026: sixteen nights) One of the most well-known train trips in the world, it passes through South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Tanzania. The trip starts in Cape Town and includes quick excursions of the diamond town of Kimberley, the historic village of Matjiesfontein, the capital city of Pretoria, and two nights in the Madikwe Game Reserve. Proceed into Zimbabwe after passing via Botswana, where visitors spend the night at the Victoria Falls Hotel. Following its passage of the powerful Zambezi River, the train travels to Chisimba Falls, Zambia, where visitors can take a jungle walk, where it connects the Tazara line.The train ascends to the Tanzanian border, which is nearly exactly the middle point of Africa's two Great Rift Valley lakes. From there, it traverses the breathtaking escarpment's tunnels, switchbacks, and viaducts to reach the Udzungwa Mountains, which are covered in jungle. Climbing once more, it passes through the vast Nyerere National Park, the continent's largest and a window into Africa's past, before arriving at Dar es Salaam the next day. Reverse accessible.

Day 1: Cape Town
14:30pm Arrive at 1 Adderley Street, Cape Town, Rovos Rail Lounge, to check in.
16:00pm Leave the Cape Town Station behind. Before joining other travellers for tea in the lounge car or observation car at 16:30, guests can freshen up in their suites. The train moves in the direction of the Hex River Valley.
19:30pm The dining cars are used to serve dinner. Formal attire is required.

Day 2: Matjiesfontein
07:00am The dining cars provide breakfast till 10:00. Get down at Matjiesfontein so you may have a tour through the old village. The museum on the platform and the collection of vintage automobiles and train carriages to the right of the Lord Milner Hotel are particularly noteworthy.
10:00am The train travels across the huge semi-desert Karoo, which was formerly home to a massive inland sea. What geologists refer to as the Karoo system was formed over millions of years as volcanic materials was crushed and deposited as silt on the seafloor.
13:00pm The dining cars are used for serving lunch.
16:30pm Tea in the observation cars and lounge.
19:30pm The dining cars are used to serve dinner. Formal attire.

Day 3: Kimberley
07:00am The dining cars provide breakfast till 10:00.
12:30pm The dining cars are used for serving lunch.
Take a tour of the Big Hole and the Diamond Mine Museum in Kimberley. The Northern Cape's capital, Kimberley, is well-known for the diamond finding that prompted the town's founding in 1871.
16:30pm Tea in the observation cars and lounge.
19:30pm The dining cars are used to provide dinner while travelling to Klerksdorp. Formal attire.

Day 4: Pretoria

07:00am The dining cars are used for serving breakfast.
08:30am After a 60-minute transfer, take a city tour of Pretoria and have lunch on the platform of the Rovos Rail Station.
If the weather permits, take a walking tour of the locomotive workshops and the station. Make your way back to the train in around sixty minutes.
19:30pm On the way to Zeerust, dinner is served in the dining cars. Formal attire.

Day 5: Madikwe Game Reserve

Kindly ensure to have a compact overnight bag for your stay in Madikwe. For your convenience, tog bags have been provided in your suite. Note the includes and exclusions below. Spa services provided for a fee. Payment only with a credit card or in ZAR. Verified food and activity schedules upon arrival.
07:00am The dining cars provide breakfast till 10:00.
11:00am Arrive at a Madikwe lodge for a two-night stay after a 90-minute transfer. When you arrive, lunch is served.
Tea in the afternoon and a game drive (around three hours).
19:00pm At the lodge for dinner. Wear something casual.

Day 6: Madikwe Game Reserve

Game drive in the early morning (around three hours).
07:00am in the morning The lodge serves breakfast till 9:30 a.m.
12:30pm At the lodge for lunch.
Tea in the afternoon and a game drive (around three hours).
19:00pm At the lodge for dinner. Casual attire.

Day 7: Madikwe Game Reserve

Game drive in the early morning (around two hours).
07:00am Breakfast is available till 9:30 a.m. As you check out, please make sure your baggage are prepared for pickup at 10:00.
10:30am Leave the lodge. Change to a train in Botswana at Gaborone. Guests must present themselves to border officials during the border formalities, which will occur en route (baggage may be inspected).
13:00pm The dining cars are used for serving lunch. The eastern border of the Kalahari Basin and the Tropic of Capricorn are crossed by the train. The Kalahari, also known as "Kgalagadi" in Botswana, is a 900 000 km2 region that includes most of Botswana, Namibia, and parts of South Africa. Despite its name, the Kalahari is not a genuine desert because it receives some rainfall, up to 250 mm in certain places. The surrounding basin is more than 2500 000 km2, expanding farther into sections of Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. It is a mix of plateau and desert. The Okavango, the only river that flows continuously, empties into a delta in the northwest to create marshes teeming with species.
16:30pm Tea in the observation cars and lounge.
19:30pm The dining cars are used to serve dinner. Formal attire is required.

Day 8: At Leisure Onboard

In the lounge car, lectures will be held in the morning and/or afternoon during the trip. Refer to the lecture sheets for further information. Falls Victoria: Please make sure you have scheduled any activities through the on-board historian before noon if that is your choice. We accept cash.
07:00am The dining cars provide breakfast till 10:00. There are procedures at borders.
13:00pm The dining cars are used for serving lunch.
16:30pm Tea in the observation cars and lounge. Travel 114 miles, one of Africa's longest sections of uninterrupted train track, past Gwaai and Dete, and along the eastern boundary of Hwange National Park.
19:30pm The dining cars are used to serve dinner. Formal attire is required.

Day 9: Victoria Falls

Packing a modest overnight bag is requested for your stay at the Victoria Falls Hotel. Note the includes and exclusions below.
The Victoria Falls Hotel serves meals. The hotel has free currency exchange (passports not needed), a business centre, and free WiFi all around. If you are entering Zambia across the border
Please get your passport from the Administration Deputy or Train Manager during your visit.
07:00am The dining cars provide breakfast till 10:00.
12:00pm Reach the unparalleled Victoria Falls. Carrying an overnight bag, disembark and make your way to the hotel.
There will be a lawn welcome speech, followed by lunch at Jungle Junction. The rooms will receive their luggage delivered.

Winter 15:45 / Summer 16:15 Before leaving for the Zambezi sunset cruise, meet in the hotel foyer.
19:30pm Dinner at the Victoria Falls Hotel's Livingstone Room. Wear: Smart Casual; no shorts, sandals, trainers or safari attire please.

Day 10: Victoria Falls

Typically, check-out is at 10:00 (to be advised). In the event that you have scheduled morning activities, kindly confirm that you have checked out. There is free luggage storage available at reception until the afternoon of departure. Kindly notify the front desk so that a porter can come get your bags.
06:30am The Jungle Junction Restaurant serves breakfast till 10:00. A leisurely day spent in the Victoria Falls.
13:00pm Jungle Junction for lunch.
15:00pm Meet on the platform of the station to depart for Zambia.
16:00pm Go across the Victoria Falls Bridge. Tea in the observation cars and lounge. There are procedures at borders.
19:30pm The dining cars are used to serve dinner. Formal attire
Please make sure the administration deputy or train manager has a valid passport.

Day 11: At Leisure Onboard

07:00am The dining cars provide breakfast till 10:00. Following breakfast, the train crosses the 477-meter-long Kafue Railway Bridge, a steel girder truss bridge with 13 spans, each measuring 33 meters, supported on concrete piers.
13:00pm The dining cars are used for serving lunch. The train travels through Lusaka, the capital of Zambia.
16:30pm Tea in the observation cars and lounge.
19:30pm In the dining cars on the way to Kapiri Mposhi, dinner is provided. "Africa" theme attire or smart casual.

Day 12: At Leisure Onboard

07:00am Breakfast is offered till ten o'clock. The train goes through isolated area on the TAZARA railway line, an engineering marvel and one of Africa's best-kept secrets.
13:00pm The dining cars are used for serving lunch.
16:30pm Tea in the observation cars and lounge.
19:30pm On the way to Kasama, dinner is provided in the dining carriages. Formal attire.

Day 13: Chisimba Falls

06:00am Up to departure, breakfast is provided in the dining cars.
08:00am Visit Chisimba Falls, where visitors can stroll leisurely to the rock pools at the base of the falls or take in the views from several vantage points.
11:30am The train ascends to the boundary, which is located about exactly halfway between the two Great Rift Valley lakes in Africa.
13:00pm The dining cars are used for serving lunch.
16:30pm Tea in the observation cars and lounge. There are procedures at borders.
19:30pm It's dinnertime. The train travels down the Rift Valley towards Mbeya, passing through groves of baobab. Formal attire
When you retire for the evening, please turn in your watches an hour early.

Day 14: Makambako (Optional)

07:00am The dining cars provide breakfast till 10:00.
09:00am When you get to Makambako, take some time to explore the town on foot.
11:00am The train traverses the escarpment's breathtaking switchbacks, viaducts, and tunnels as it heads towards the forested Udzungwa Mountains.
13:00pm The dining cars are used for serving lunch.
16:30pm Tea in the observation cars and lounge.
19:30pm The dining cars are used to serve dinner. Formal attire is required.

Day 15: Nyerere National Park

07:00am The dining cars serve continental breakfast till 8:00. In the direction of Nyerere, the train dips into the highlands and travels through Tanzania's lush countryside.
10:30am The dining cars serve brunch until 11:45.
12:00pm Experience a safari excursion at the 30 000 km2 Nyerere National Park, Africa's largest (weather permitting).
18:00pm Go back to the rail car.
19:30pm On the way to Gwata, dinner is served in the dining cars. Dress in smart casual or with a "1920s" theme.

Day 16: DAR ES SALAAM

Please make sure you have your passport and that your luggage is available for pickup fifteen minutes before your arrival.
07:00am The dining cars provide breakfast till 10:00. Head towards the coast in an easterly direction.
11:00am Reach Tazara Station in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, when your adventure comes to an end.

The immaculately renovated and updated wood-paneled sleeper coaches provide every contemporary comfort and convenience, along with the best amenities. With a private lounge space, a Victorian bath, a separate shower, a toilet, and a basin, each Royal Suite occupies half of a carriage. They have split twin or double beds that can fit one or two passengers. Every day, a committed host or hostess comes to the suites to provide everyday services. Configurations of the suite may not always be available. Suite arrangements may not match photos; refer to SUITES.

Suite Facilities:

Double or twin beds - En-suite with bath, shower, toilet and basin - Small lounge area - Writing desk - Luggage shelf - Cupboards - Safe - Air conditioning - Fridge - Tea facilities - Bespoke amenities - Robes and slippers - Hairdryer (fixed or plug-in) - Shaver plugs (2-pin) - USB ports - Safety glasses - Emergency torch - Fire extinguisher - Laundry bag - Shoe bag - Internal telephone system - Room service

The immaculately renovated and updated wood-paneled sleeper coaches provide every contemporary comfort and convenience, along with the best amenities. The Deluxe Suites offer their own lounge space, en suite bathroom with shower, toilet and basin, and can sleep one or two people in double or twin beds. Every day, a committed host or hostess comes to the suites to provide everyday services. Configurations of the suite may not always be available. Suite arrangements may not match photos; refer to SUITES.

Suite Facilities:

Double or twin beds - En-suite with shower, toilet and basin - Small lounge area - Writing desk - Luggage shelf - Cupboards - Safe - Air conditioning - Fridge - Tea facilities - Bespoke amenities - Robes and slippers - Hairdryer (fixed or plug-in) - Shaver plugs (2-pin) - USB ports - Safety glasses - Emergency torch - Fire extinguisher - Laundry bag - Shoe bag - Internal telephone system - Room service

The Pullman Golds, which are mostly utilised on our lengthy trips, offer an en suite bathroom with a shower, toilet, and sink and can sleep one or two people in double or split twin beds. The ideal configuration between the Split Twin and Double Lengthways is the Split Twin, which will be demonstrated during check-in. Every day, a committed host or hostess comes to the suites to provide everyday services. Configurations of the suite may not always be available.

Suite Facilities:

Double or twin beds - Daytime sofa setting - En-suite with shower, toilet and basin - Fold-up writing desk - Luggage shelf - Cupboards - Safe - Air conditioning - Fridge - Tea facilities - Bespoke amenities - Robes and slippers - Hairdryer (fixed or plug-in - Shaver plugs (2-pin) - USB ports - Safety glasses - Emergency torch - Fire extinguisher - Laundry bag - Shoe bag - Internal telephone system - Room service