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Rovos Rail: Dar Es Salaam to Cape Town
TYL18T

Rovos Rail: Dar Es Salaam to Cape Town
19 NIGHTS
FROM £6,695
International flights quoted separately
This classic Rovos Rail luxury train journey travels from Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania to Cape Town in South Africa, passing through the great Selous Game Reserve and Zambia en route to the spectacular Victoria Falls. Continue through Botswana to Pretoria and Cape Town. Only two departures per year. Journey available in both directions - Pullman, Deluxe or Royal.
HIGHLIGHTS
Rovos Rail Cape Town Dar Es Salaam Cape Town Rovos Rail Luxury Train Dar Es Salaam Cape Town South Africa Journey
• Dar Es Salaam • Selous • Zambia • Victoria Falls
• Botswana • Madikwe • Pretoria • Kimberley
• Cape Town • Table Mountain
Day 1
You will be met at Dar Es Salaam Airport and transferred to your hotel.
   
Check in, settle in and relax in your warm East African surroundings.
Day 2
Transfer from your hotel to bustling Tazara Station in Dar Es Salaam, arriving in good time to board the luxury Rovos Rail Pride of Africa departing 12h00 for Cape Town.
 
Enjoy the elegance of luxury 5-star train travel of a bygone age as you settle in to your wood-panelled coach for your epic 14-day rail journey. You will experience the finest cuisine and outstanding personal service, as you travel in luxury through Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa to Cape Town – making this one of the most famous train journeys in the world!
 
Commencing its southwards journey through the Great Rift Valley, the train travels through the Selous Game Reserve, the largest in the whole of Africa.
 
Dress code on the train during the day is smart casual, with comfortable walking shoes for the off-train excursion. Evenings are generally more formal, with most guests enjoying the opportunity to dress up in cocktail or evening wear including black tie (although collar & tie is acceptable).
Day 3
Relax and unwind as you enjoy your first day of luxury train travel with breakfast, lunch and dinner on board.
 
Enjoy spectacular scenery as the train negotiates the tunnels, switchbacks and viaducts of the Great Rift Valley escarpment, as it ascends the pass at Mlimba at almost the midpoint between Africa’s two Great Rift Lakes and travells towards Makambako.
Day 4
Early morning arrival at Tunduma/Nakonde for the border crossing from Tanzania to Zambia.
 
Enjoy the spectacular descend into northern Zambia and an afternoon off-train excursion to Chisimba Falls. Continue overnight through central Zambia.
Day 5
Today we pass through Serenje and enjoy another panoramic day of luxury train travel through stunning and varied Southern African scenery, with lectures by a local historian in the morning and afternoon.
Day 6
We pass through Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia, and continue to Kafue and Choma, whilst enjoying another day of stunning scenery.
 
We continue southwards towards the mighty Victoria Falls, the largest waterfall in the world situated on the great Zambezi River that separates Zambia from Zimbabwe.
Day 7
Today we arrive in Livingstone for Zimbabwean border formalities and continue across the famous Victoria Falls iron bridge, viewing the magnificent "Smoke That Thunders" first discovered by Dr. David Livingstone and still one of the greatest natural wonders of the world.
 
We disembark and transfer to Victoria Falls Hotel and in the late afternoon enjoy a Sunset Cruise on the great Zambesi River where you can see hippos, crocodiles and abundant bird life.
Day 8
At leisure to explore Victoria Falls on foot or participate in optional local activities such as a helicopter flight over Victoria Falls, an elephant-back safari, golf or white water river rafting.
 
Depart Victoria Falls in the late afternoon, travelling southwards through beautiful scenery towards South Africa.
Day 9
Another day of luxury train travel as we travel through Zimbabwe, travelling via Plumtree into Botswana.
 
Enjoy the spectacle of an African sunset in baobab country, as the train winds southwards towards the border with South Africa.
Day 10
Arrive in Gaborone and transfer to your luxury 5-star game lodge in Madikwe Game Reserve for two nights.
 
In the late afternoon, enjoy an open-top game drive in the beautiful malaria free Madikwe Game Reserve.
Day 11
Awake early this morning for a dawn open top game drive with your lodge ranger, to take advantage of the best game viewing conditions of the day.
 
Madikwe Game Reserve is home to all the Big Five – elephant, lion, leopard, rhino and buffalo – as well as many other interesting species, so outstanding game viewing is assured. The rest of the morning is free for relaxing beside the swimming pool.
 
In the afternoon enjoy another open top game drive with your ranger and in the evening dine under the pristine stars of the southern sky.
Day 12
After a final early morning game drive in Madikwe, re-board the train at Zeerust and travel via Magaliesberg to Pretoria.
Day 13
This morning we arrive at the gracious colonial-style Capital Park Railway Station in Pretoria, where we disembark for a light lunch and Pretoria City tour.
 
In the afternoon we depart from Pretoria and continue southwards through the farmlands of the Free State towards Kimberley.
Day 14
We travel past a lake that is home to a spectacular flock of flamingos and arrive in the diamond town of Kimberley, where we disembark for a tour of the famous Big Hole and Open Mine Museum. With a surface area of over 40 acres and a perimeter of over 1 mile, this open-pit area was mined to a depth of over 3,000 feet at the height of the diamond rush – the largest hand-dug excavation in the world. At the Village Museum you can also view Eureka, the first recorded diamond discovered in South Africa.
 
We depart Kimberley around midday and continue through the Northern Cape towards De Aar and Beauford West in the Great Karoo.
Day 15
Arrive in Matjiesfontein this morning and disembark for a walk to this quaint preserved Victorian village. After departing from Matjiesfontein, we proceed through Touws River, De Doorns and Worcester to the beautiful mountains and vineyards of the Cape Winelands.
 
We pass through the Du Toits Kloof tunnel and view imposing Table Mountain, before arriving at Cape Town Station around 18h00 and transfer to your hotel.
Day 16
Today is free for independent sightseeing in Cape Town.
 
We recommend you purchase a day pass onboard the convenient Hop-Off Bus, which stops at all Cape Town’s key sights and beaches. The "Red Route" bus stops at the Table Mountain base station, where you can buy a ticket to ascend by cable car and enjoy one of the world’s most famous views. Continue to Camps Bay beach and the many attractions of the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.
Day 17
Today we recommend an optional full day tour to the beautiful Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, where two oceans meet and where you may see see baboons, ostrich and perhaps even dolphins or whales in season (July/November).
  
Your tour travels through Hout Bay and along spectacular Chapman’s Peak Drive (when open) to the Cape Point, returning via Simons Town, Fish Hoek, Constantia and Kirstenbosch Gardens. This is a scenic tour of the whole Cape Peninsula, with the optional opportunity of visiting the penguin colony at Boulders Beach.
Day 18
At leisure to explore the beautiful city of Cape Town independently.
 
Choose one of the many local activities such as a visit to Robben Island, the infamous prison home of Nelson Mandela (advance booking essential in season); explore the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront or simply relax on golden Camps Bay beach – the choice is yours!
Day 19
Today we recommend an optional full day tour to the renowned Stellenbosch Winelands, travelling through the scenic Franschhoek Valley where a handful of French Huguenot refugees started South Africa’s now famous wine industry.
 
Explore the historic university town of Stellenbosch and several wine estates on this famous wine route, which stretched from Paarl through to Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Enjoy a cellar tour and some wine tasting, before returning to Cape Town in the late afternoon.
Day 20
Transfer to Cape Town Airport for your flight home.
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