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Summary
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Duration
17 DaysStarts In
LilongweRoute
Kruger National Park, Pretoria, Lilongwe, Harare, Maputo, Beira
The Malawi Meander in reverse traces this 16-night expedition from Lilongwe, Malawi to Pretoria, South Africa, journeying south through Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Eswatini and South Africa. Begin with an overnight safari in Liwonde National Park and a lakeside stay on the shores of Lake Malawi before boarding the train at Tete for sundowners on the Zambezi. Tour a working coal mine, the port city of Beira, and the Mutare Museum's eclectic collections, then explore Harare's galleries and markets, Antelope Park's lion conservation program and the ancient ruins of Great Zimbabwe. Cross into Mozambique for Maputo's colonial charm and Eswatini's mountain kingdom, then reach Kruger National Park for a game drive and, southbound only, a tour of the dramatic Panorama Route before the journey concludes in Pretoria.
RAIL JOURNEY 17 Days / 16 Nights Aboard Rovos Rail Luxury Train from Lilongwe, Malawi to Pretoria, South Africa, featuring Lake Malawi, Beira, Mozambique, Harare, Antelope Park, eSwatini, Kruger National Park and Pretoria. Includes private arrival & departure transfers, your choice of luxury cabin accommodations, 2 nights lodge stays, room service, all meals, local beer, wine and soft drinks, onboard lectures and guided excursions as indicated in the itinerary.
Includes
- Accommodations as per itinerary
- Meals as per itinerary; breakfast (B), lunch (L), dinner (D)
- Sightseeing: per itinerary
- Keytours 24-hour emergency assistance
- Private arrival and departure transfers as per itinerary
Excludes
- Items of a personal nature
- All other items not mentioned as included
- Transfers not mentioned in the itinerary
- Gratuities for drivers, guides, and escorts
Itinerary
Day
1
1
Day 1
Day 1: Lilongwe to Liwonde - Wings into the Wilderness
The journey begins in Lilongwe, Malawi's capital, with a welcome reception before transferring to the airport for a short flight into the wilderness. Arrive at a riverside retreat nestled beneath towering fever trees on the banks of the Shire River, within the woodlands of Liwonde National Park. Enjoy lunch on arrival, followed by a late-afternoon boat safari drifting past hippos, crocodiles and abundant birdlife as the sun begins to set. Sundowners on the water mark a memorable start to the adventure, followed by dinner and an overnight stay immersed in the park's wilderness — an evocative introduction to Malawi's natural riches before the journey continues toward Lake Malawi the following morning.
Day
2
2
Day 2
Day 2: Lake Malawi - Shores of the Lake of Stars
After a final morning game drive and breakfast, transfer across Malawi's scenic interior to the southern shore of Lake Malawi, one of Africa's great lakes and home to an extraordinary diversity of birds, fish and reptiles. Arrive at a palm-fringed lakeside retreat where the afternoon unfolds at leisure, with options to swim, play tennis or simply relax by the water's edge. Enjoy lunch on arrival and dinner in the evening, savoring a tranquil contrast to the wilderness of the previous day. This overnight stay offers a rare pause on dry land before rejoining the train for the next stage of the journey into Mozambique.
Day
3
3
Day 3
Day 3: Lake Malawi to Tete - Back Aboard for the Zambezi
After a leisurely morning by the lake, transfer by air to Tete, Mozambique, where border formalities precede boarding the train once more. Lunch is served in the dining car as the journey resumes, followed by a driving tour of Tete, a riverside city shaped by centuries of trade and Portuguese-era architecture, its streets lined with small shops, vendors and an iconic bridge over the Zambezi River. The tour concludes with sundowners on the riverbank, a fitting way to toast the setting sun over one of Africa's great rivers. A formal dinner welcomes guests back on board as the train settles in for the stay at Moatize.
Day
4
4
Day 4
Day 4: Moatize - into the Coalfields
Spend the morning exploring an open-pit coal mine near Moatize, a hub for the region's mining industry and a fascinating look at the industrial backbone of the area. Breakfast and lunch are enjoyed in the dining cars, with the train departing for Sena as the afternoon unfolds. Onboard lectures throughout the day offer further insight into the landscapes and history ahead. Afternoon tea in the lounge car provides a moment to relax before a formal dinner rounds out the evening. This day of industrial discovery contrasts with the wilderness and lakeside stays that preceded it, adding depth to the journey's portrait of the region.
Day
5
5
Day 5
Day 5: Through Mozambique's Interior - A Day at Leisure
A relaxed day of rail travel carries the train across Mozambique's undulating interior toward the coast. Breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea are enjoyed in turn as the landscape shifts from mining country to the humbler farmland and settlements that define much of the region, where subsistence farming remains a way of life. This quieter day offers time to unwind in the lounge or observation cars, take in the passing scenery, or simply enjoy the rhythm of the journey. A formal dinner is served as the train continues its approach toward Beira, Mozambique's busiest port and third-largest city.
Day
6
6
Day 6
Day 6: Beira - Lighthouses, Shipwrecks and the Border Beyond
Explore Beira on a morning tour that takes in the striped Macuti Lighthouse, built in 1904, and the evocative wreck of a tugboat deliberately grounded in 1985 to serve as a breakwater. Set at the convergence of the Pungwe and Buzi rivers, the city bears the marks of both Portuguese colonial architecture and the scars of civil war, offering a compelling blend of decay and charm. Lunch and afternoon tea are enjoyed on board before the train departs for the Zimbabwean border, with formalities completed in the evening. A formal dinner is served as the journey continues toward Mutare.
Day
7
7
Day 7
Day 7: Mutare - Museums and Railway Heritage
Visit the Mutare Museum, home to an eclectic collection spanning archaeology, ethnography, transport and natural history, including a display of vintage vehicles, before returning to the train for lunch. The city's railway heritage, shaped by a historic line built under Cecil Rhodes, once anchored the local economy, though its decline followed the relocation of key workshops elsewhere. Afternoon tea in the lounge car offers a moment to reflect on the city's layered past as the train continues onward. A formal dinner is served as the journey presses on toward Harare, deeper into the Zimbabwean highlands.
Day
8
8
Day 8
Day 8: Harare - Art, Markets and Resilience
Spend the morning touring Harare, Zimbabwe's capital, with visits to local art galleries and a bustling street market showcasing the country's renowned craftsmanship. Once known as Salisbury, the city reflects both the challenges of recent decades and the enduring creativity of its people, evident in the vibrant informal trade that fills its markets. Lunch is served on board before an afternoon at leisure, with tea in the observation car offering time to relax. An Africa-themed or smart casual dinner rounds out the evening as the train prepares to travel through scenic farmland and granite boulder country toward Gweru.
Day
9
9
Day 9
Day 9: Antelope Park - Lions and Savannah
Spend the morning touring Harare, Zimbabwe's capital, with visits to local art galleries and a bustling street market showcasing the country's renowned craftsmanship. Once known as Salisbury, the city reflects both the challenges of recent decades and the enduring creativity of its people, evident in the vibrant informal trade that fills its markets. Lunch is served on board before an afternoon at leisure, with tea in the observation car offering time to relax. An Africa-themed or smart casual dinner rounds out the evening as the train prepares to travel through scenic farmland and granite boulder country toward Gweru.
Day
10
10
Day 10
Day 10: Great Zimbabwe - Echoes of an Ancient Kingdom
After breakfast, transfer to the Great Zimbabwe Monument, the largest precolonial structure south of the Egyptian pyramids and a remarkable testament to the ingenuity of the Rozwi people who built it. Explore the ruins of this ancient city, once a thriving centre of gold and silver trade with Arabic and Portuguese merchants, before enjoying lunch nearby and returning to the train. The surrounding region is also known for its forests of prized hardwoods, including teak and mahogany. Afternoon tea and a formal dinner follow as the train crosses the border into Mozambique en route to Sango Halt.
Day
11
11
Day 11
Day 11: Back Across the Limpopo - A Day At Leisure
Border formalities carry the train back into Mozambique, with breakfast served as the journey continues. A relaxed day of rail travel follows, tracing the humid, swampy interior of the country and crossing the storied Limpopo River made famous in a classic tale of an elephant's encounter with a crocodile at its banks. Lunch and afternoon tea are enjoyed in turn, offering time to relax in the lounge or observation cars and take in the scenery. A formal dinner is served as the train continues toward Chokwé, tracing its path back toward Mozambique's capital.
Day
12
12
Day 12
Day 12: Maputo - Mozambique's City of Contrasts
Spend the day exploring Maputo, Mozambique's vibrant capital, where Portuguese colonial architecture mingles with mosques, fortresses and Victorian-era buildings in a striking blend of cultures. Breakfast and lunch are enjoyed before the city tour, offering a glimpse into a nation shaped by centuries of trade and colonial influence. The train departs for the border in the afternoon, with a smart casual dinner served as the journey continues toward Eswatini, formalities completed as evening sets in and the mountain kingdom draws near.
Day
13
13
Day 13
Day 13: Eswatini's Mountain Kingdom - Candles, Culture and Craft
Following breakfast, transfer into the mountains of Eswatini for a visit to Swazi Candles, where artisans demonstrate their craft, and the Mantenga Cultural Village, a living museum of traditional Swazi life overlooking dramatic Execution Rock. Lunch is enjoyed amid the mountain scenery before returning to the train. Eswatini, one of the world's last absolute monarchies, is a compact and mountainous kingdom uniquely governed from two capitals. Afternoon tea in the lounge car precedes border formalities and a formal dinner as the train crosses back into South Africa en route to Malelane.
Day
14
14
Day 14
Day 14: Kruger National Park - Into the Wild Heart of Africa
After breakfast, disembark for a full game drive through Kruger National Park, one of Africa's great wildlife sanctuaries spanning two million hectares of exceptional biodiversity. Lunch is enjoyed within the park, with time set aside for curio shopping before returning to the train. The reserve is home to an extraordinary range of species, from more than 500 types of birds to the legendary Big Five, making this a highlight for wildlife enthusiasts. Afternoon tea in the observation car precedes a formal dinner as the train continues toward Mbombela ahead of the following day's mountain touring.
Day
15
15
Day 15
Day 15: The Panorama Route - Canyons, Potholes and Gold Rush History
Enjoy a day exploring South Africa's celebrated Panorama Route, beginning with a visit to Pilgrim's Rest, a preserved gold-rush town and national monument dating to an 1873 discovery that drew over a thousand prospectors. Continue to Bourke's Luck Potholes, striking cylindrical formations carved by river erosion, and the town of Graskop, gateway to the Blyde River Canyon's dramatic viewpoints over the Lowveld below. Lunch is enjoyed along the way, with an optional gorge-side viewing lift offering forest walkways and suspension bridges for the adventurous. Return to the train for a formal dinner as the journey continues toward Emgwenya.
Day
16
16
Day 16
Day 16: The Final Descent - Trout Country and Stainless Steel
A relaxed final full day of rail travel carries the train back through the highland trout-fishing country of Belfast, Machadodorp and Dullstroom, before descending toward Middelburg, known as the stainless steel capital of Africa, and the coal-mining heartland of eMalahleni where the train's operator was founded. This historic line, built by Dutch railway engineers in the 1890s, once connected Pretoria to the coast at Lourenço Marques. Breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea are enjoyed in turn, with a 1920s-themed or smart casual dinner marking the final evening on board as the train approaches Pretoria overnight.
Day
17
17
Day 17
Day 17: Journey's End - Pretoria
A relaxed final full day of rail travel carries the train back through the highland trout-fishing country of Belfast, Machadodorp and Dullstroom, before descending toward Middelburg, known as the stainless steel capital of Africa, and the coal-mining heartland of eMalahleni where the train's operator was founded. This historic line, built by Dutch railway engineers in the 1890s, once connected Pretoria to the coast at Lourenço Marques. Breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea are enjoyed in turn, with a 1920s-themed or smart casual dinner marking the final evening on board as the train approaches Pretoria overnight.
Dates & Prices
18 of May, 2027
Tuesday
15 of May, 2028
Monday
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