Namibia Safari Rovos Rail Journey

The train travels on this route from the Highveld savannahs to the Atlantic Ocean in the west. The first stop after leaving Pretoria is Kimberley, the epicentre of one of the most well-known diamond rushes in history, where visitors can experience the ambiance of a mining hamlet in the 1870s. Travelling through the austere landscapes of the Northern Cape, the train passes through Garas Park, home to the quiver-tree forest, and the Fish River Canyon, which is second in size only to the Grand Canyon. Travellers go through the wild splendour of the Kalahari Desert to a project aimed at conserving cheetahs, then pause for a tour in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. Windhoek is a vibrant, international city with a distinct German influence. After a quick flight, spend the night in the game-rich Etosha National Park before returning the next morning to Sossusvlei, a breathtaking pan in the Namib Desert. An amazing adventure comes to an unforgettable close when the train travels the Namib to Walvis Bay and the immaculately preserved 19th-century German Hansa village of Swakopmund on the final morning. Reverse accessible.

Day 1: Pretoria

Please arrive at least one hour in advance of your departure. If you would like to take a site tour or visit our museum at Rovos Rail Station, we recommend arriving two hours before departure.
11:00am Leave the Pretoria Rovos Rail Station. Cross the Witwatersrand goldfields to the south.

Before joining other passengers in the lounge car or observation car at the back of the train, guests can freshen themselves in their suites.
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.
Please make sure your passport is in the hands of the Administration Deputy or the Train Manager.

Day 2: Kimberley

07:00am The dining cars provide breakfast till 10:00.
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.
13:00pm The dining cars are used for serving lunch. Our rail aficionados will appreciate the unique feature of the observation car leading the train until after tea. Travel across the Karoo, a large semi-desert region that was once an enormous 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.
16:30pm Tea in the observation cars and lounge.

19:30pm While travelling to the significant railroad intersection at De Aar, dinner is provided in the dining cars. Formal attire is required.

Day 3: Upington & The Orange River

07:00am The dining cars provide breakfast till 10:00.
13:00pm The dining cars are used for serving lunch.
Take a stroll around Upington and then take an Orange River sundowner sail.
19:30pm The dining cars are used to serve dinner. There are procedures at borders. "Africa" theme attire or smart casual.

Day 4: Fish River Canyon

07:00am The dining cars provide breakfast till 10:00.
12:30pm The dining cars are used for serving lunch. Along the southern edge of the Kalahari Basin, the railroad traverses.
14:00pm Go to the Fish River Canyon after a 60-minute transfer.
19:30pm On the way to Australia, dinner is provided in the dining carriages. Formal attire.

Day 5: KOLMANSKOP & LÜDERITZ

06:00am Up to departure, breakfast is provided in the dining cars.
08:00am After a about 60-minute transfer to the abandoned settlement of Kolmanskop, have lunch in Lüderitz. Lüderitz is well-known for its ostriches, seals, penguins, and flamingos in addition to its museum and colonial architecture. Keep an eye out for the elusive mythical horses that are said to wander the Namib.
18:00pm Go back to the rail car. Proceed to Keetmanshoop. The train will be led by the observation car until after supper.
19:30pm The dining cars are used to serve dinner. Formal attire.

Day 6: KEETMANSHOOP & GARAS PARK

07:00am Up to departure, breakfast is provided in the dining cars.
Explore Keetmanshoop and Garas Park (Quiver Trees), which are home to about 300 examples of the dichotomy plant.
The 5 meter-tall twisted branches of the ancient trees provide excellent photo opportunity.
13:00pm Actually, lunch is provided in the dining carriages. Head towards Mariental.
16:30pm Tea in the observation cars and lounge.
19:30pm On the way to Rehoboth, dinner is served in the dining cars. Formal attire is required.

Day 7: SOSSUSVLEI

Kindly bring a modest overnight bag for your Sossusvlei stay. For your convenience, tog bags have been provided in your suite.
07:00am The dining cars provide breakfast till 10:00.
Make your way to the airstrip. Take a one-hour light aircraft ride to a Sossusvlei lodge where you will spend the night.
Enjoy lunch and a free afternoon after checking in.
16:30pm Desert drive in the afternoon, followed by a bush meal at dusk. Spend the night at the lodge. Casual attire.

Day 8: SOSSUSVLEI & WINDHOEK

Before the drive, please make sure your overnight bag is prepared to be picked up from your suite. The lodge's baggage section will be where bags are kept. To be confirmed is the drive time.
a tea and coffee wake-up call early. Take a breakfast-in-the-vlei trip through the desert.
To utilise the amenities, check out and make the transfer to the airstrip, return to the lodge.
12:30pm Depart in a light aircraft for the one-hour flight to Windhoek.
14:00pm After lunch at the Windhoek Country Club, take a tour of the city. See the Evangelical Lutheran Church, a remarkable landmark, the Trans-Namib Transport Museum, the Independence Memorial Museum, and the Namibia Craft Centre, housed in the former Breweries Building.
18:00pm Head towards Kranzberg.
19:30pm The dining cars are used to serve dinner. Wear something formal.

Day 9: Cheetah Conservation Project

07:00am The dining cars provide breakfast till 10:00.
12:30pm The dining cars are used for serving lunch.
14:30pm Visit a cheetah conservation project in Otjiwarongo for around sixty minutes. The goal of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), which was established in Namibia in 1990, is to preserve cheetahs in the wild.
18:00pm Make your way to Otavi.
19:30pm The dining cars are used to serve dinner. Formal attire.

Day 10: Etosha National Park

Please pack a modest overnight bag for the stay in Etosha.
07:00am The dining cars provide breakfast till 10:00.
Spend the night at an Etosha lodge after a 60-minute transfer. The lodge's amenities, including the pool, are open to visitors.
After enjoying lunch, check in.
15:00pm Game drive in the afternoon (around three hours).
19:30pm Overnight at the lodge and dinner. Wear something casual.

Day 11: Etosha National Park

By 10:45, please make sure your overnight bag is prepared to be picked up from your suite and continue with the checkout process. The cars will be filled with your bag. The game drive's time will be confirmed.
06:00am After breakfast at the lodge till seven in the morning, go on a game drive through Etosha National Park.
Reach the lodge by 10:45 to change and complete the check-out process.
11:00am At Tsumeb Station, transfer (±60 min) to the train.
13:00pm The dining cars are used for serving lunch. Until tomorrow, the observation car will lead the train.
16:30pm Tea in the observation cars and lounge.
19:30pm The dining cars are used to serve dinner. In the direction of the Atlantic Ocean, the train heads southwest.
Dress: “1920s” Theme or Smart Casual.

Day 12: Walvis Bay

Please make sure your passport is with you and that your luggage is available for pickup fifteen minutes before your arrival.
07:00am The dining cars provide breakfast till 10:00. Travel towards Walvis Bay through the Namib Desert.
12:00pm Reach the finish of your voyage in Namibia's Walvis Bay.

Day 1: Walvis Bay

10:00am At Namibia's Walvis Bay Station, check in.
11:00am On its way to Otjiwarongo is the train. Before joining other passengers in the lounge car or observation car at the back of the train, guests can freshen themselves in their suites.
13:00pm The dining cars are used for serving lunch. The train heads towards Otjiwarongo through the Namib Desert.
16:30pm Tea in the observation cars and lounge. Our rail aficionados will enjoy this unique feature: the observation car will lead the train till lunchtime tomorrow.
19:30pm The dining cars are used to serve dinner. Formal attire is required.

Day 2: Cheetah Conservation Project

07:00am Up to departure, breakfast is provided in the dining cars.
09:00am Visit a cheetah conservation initiative in Otjiwarongo after a 60-minute transfer. The goal of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), which was established in Namibia in 1990, is to preserve cheetahs in the wild.
13:00pm On the way to Tsumeb, lunch is provided in the dining carriages.
16:30pm Tea in the observation car and lounge car at the back of the train.
19:30pm The dining cars are used to serve dinner. Formal attire is required.

Day 3: Etosho National Park

When preparing for your stay in Etosha, please bring a modest overnight bag. Tog bags have been provided in your suite for your convenience.
07:00am The dining cars provide breakfast till 10:00.
Spend the night at a lodge in Etosha after a 60-minute transfer. After checking in, have lunch.
15:00pm Game drive in the afternoon (around three hours).
19:30pm At the lodge for dinner and the night. Casual attire.

Day 4: Etosho National Park

By 10:45, please make sure your overnight bag is prepared to be picked up from your suite and continue with the checkout process. The cars will be filled with your bag. The game drive's time will be confirmed.
06:00am After breakfast at the lodge till seven in the morning, go on a game drive through Etosha National Park.
Reach the lodge by 10:45 to change and complete the check-out process.
11:00am At Tsumeb Station, transfer (±60 min) to the train.
13:00pm The dining cars are used for serving lunch.
16:30pm Tea in the observation cars and lounge.
19:30pm While travelling to Kranzberg, dinner is provided in the dining carriages. Formal attire is required.

Day 5: SOSSUSVLEI

Kindly bring a modest overnight bag for your Sossusvlei stay.
07:00am The dining cars provide breakfast till 10:00.
Make your way to the airstrip. Take a one-hour light aircraft ride to a Sossusvlei lodge where you will spend the night.
Enjoy lunch at the restaurant after checking in.
16:30pm Desert drive in the afternoon, followed by a bush meal at dusk. Spend the night at the lodge. Casual attire.

Day 6: SOSSUSVLEI & WINDHOEK

Before the drive, please make sure your overnight bag is prepared to be picked up from your suite. The lodge's baggage section will be where bags are kept. To be confirmed is the drive time.
a tea and coffee wake-up call early. Take a breakfast-in-the-vlei trip through the desert.
To utilise the amenities, check out and make the transfer to the airstrip, return to the lodge.
12:30pm Take a light aeroplane out of Sossusvlei and fly for an hour to Windhoek.
14:00pm After lunch at the Windhoek Country Club, take a tour of the city. See the Evangelical Lutheran Church, a remarkable landmark, the Trans-Namib Transport Museum, the Independence Memorial Museum, and the Namibia Craft Centre, housed in the former Breweries Building.
18:00pm Passing across the Kalahari Desert, the train heads south.

19:30pm While travelling to Mariental, dinner is provided in the dining carriages. Formal attire is required.

Day 7: SOSSUSVLEI

07:00am The dining cars provide breakfast till 10:00.
12:30pm The dining cars are used for serving lunch.
14:00pm Explore Keetmanshoop and Garas Park (Quiver Trees), which are home to about 300 examples of the dichotomy plant.
The 5 meter-tall twisted branches of the ancient trees provide excellent photo opportunity.
16:30pm Tea in the observation cars and lounge.
19:30pm The dining cars are used to serve dinner. Wear something formal.

Day 8: LÜDERITZ & KOLMANSKOP

06:00am Up to departure, breakfast is provided in the dining cars.
08:00am After a tour to the abandoned settlement of Kolmanskop, which takes around 60 minutes, have lunch in Lüderitz. Lüderitz is well-known for its ostriches, seals, penguins, and flamingos in addition to its museum and colonial architecture. Keep an eye out for the elusive mythical horses that are said to wander the Namib.
18:00pm Make your way to Holoog. The train will be led by the observation car until after supper.
19:30pm The dining cars are used to serve dinner. "Africa" theme attire or smart casual.

Day 9: Fish River Canyon

06:00am Breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure.
08:30am Transfer (±60 min) to the Fish River Canyon.
13:00pm Lunch is served in the dining cars.
16:30pm Tea in the lounge and observation cars. Border formalities with South Africa.
19:30pm Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Upington. Dress: Formal.

Day 10: Upington & The Orange River

06:00am Until the departure, breakfast is provided in the dining cars.
08:30am Take an Orange River boat and combine it with an Upington walking tour.
11:00am Pass across the huge Karoo, an area of semi-desert land that 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 While travelling to Kimberley, dinner is served in the dining cars. Formal attire is required.
The train will be led by the observation car till breakfast.

Day 11: Kimberley

06:00am Up to departure, breakfast is provided in the dining cars.
09:00am 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.
13:00pm The dining cars are used for serving lunch. The train keeps climbing towards Pretoria.
16:30pm Tea in the observation cars and lounge.
19:30pm The dining cars are used to serve dinner. Smart casual or a "1920s" theme for clothing.

Day 12: Pretoria

Please make sure your passport is with you and that your luggage is available for pickup fifteen minutes before your arrival.
07:00am The dining cars provide breakfast till 10:00. Pass through the Witwatersrand's goldfields.
13:00pm The dining cars are used for serving lunch.
17:00pm Reach the finish of your adventure at the Rovos Rail Station in Pretoria.

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