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Duration
9 DaysStarts In
Victoria FallsRoute
Hwange National Park, Kimberley, Cape Town , Pretoria, Victoria Falls
Begin where the Zambezi roars over Victoria Falls and end where Table Mountain rises over the Atlantic — this Rovos Rail journey traces the length of Southern Africa in one unforgettable arc. From Hwange's elephant herds and one of the world's longest straight stretches of railway line, through baobab country and across the Tropic of Capricorn, the route pauses in Pretoria before pressing on to the diamond legacy of Kimberley and the ancient stillness of the Karoo. Nine days of shifting landscape and effortless luxury culminate in the Mother City itself, where vineyards give way to ocean views and the journey finds its perfect, indulgent close.
RAIL JOURNEY 9 Days / 8 Nights Aboard Rovos Rail Luxury Train from Cape Town to Victoria Falls, featuring Matjiesfontein, Kimberley, Pretoria, Madikwe Game Reserve, Victoria Falls, Chisimba Falls, Nyerere National Park and Dar Es Salaam. Includes private arrival & departure transfers, your choice of luxury cabin accommodations, 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
- Sightseeing: per itinerary
- Train tickets as per the itinerary
- Special onboard entertainment 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
- Travel insurance; please inquire with your Keytours travel consultant
- Gratuities for drivers, guides, and escorts
Itinerary
Day
1
1
Day 1
Day 1: Falls to Rails — Departing Victoria Falls
Before boarding, the morning and early afternoon are yours in Victoria Falls — transfers and tours of the falls themselves, the historic village, or a range of adventure activities can all be arranged on request for those wanting one last taste of Mosi-oa-Tunya's thunder. Late afternoon brings your transfer to Rovos Rail Station, where the Pride of Africa awaits. As the train departs at 17:00, the falls recede behind you and the bush begins to close in, tracking toward Hwange National Park. Settle into your suite as the light fades, with a formal dinner served this evening — the first of many aboard one of the world's great trains.
Day
2
2
Day 2
Day 2: Straight and Wild — Hwange National Park
An early start rewards guests with a morning game drive deep into Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe's largest wildlife reserve and home to one of Africa's greatest elephant populations, alongside lion, giraffe, and exceptional birdlife across its vast tracts of teak forest and open grassland. Back on board, the train embarks on one of its most remarkable stretches — 114 unbroken kilometers of dead-straight track between Dete and Gwaai, a feat of railway engineering that runs the full length of the park's eastern boundary. It's a day that pairs raw wilderness with quiet engineering wonder, the bush rolling past in one long, golden line.
Day
3
3
Day 3
Day 3: Crossing South — Baobab Country and the Tropic
After breakfast, border formalities mark the departure from Zimbabwe as the train leaves the ancient baobab country behind — those improbable, bottle-shaped giants standing sentinel over the red earth — and begins its long push south into South Africa. Later in the day, the train crosses the Tropic of Capricorn, a quiet but significant milestone in the journey's geography. It's a day given over to onboard rhythm: leisurely meals, easy conversation in the lounge car, and long stretches of changing bushveld sliding past the window as the train steadily closes the distance toward Pretoria.
Day
4
4
Day 4
Day 4: Jacaranda City — Arriving in Pretoria
The train arrives at Rovos Rail Station, Pretoria, at 10:00, where a transfer carries you to Capital Menlyn Maine for the first of two nights on a bed and breakfast basis. With the afternoon free, take the chance to rest, explore the surrounding Menlyn precinct, or simply enjoy a change of pace after days aboard the train. Pretoria's jacaranda-lined streets and layered political history make it a rewarding stopover in their own right — a welcome pause between the wilds of Zimbabwe and the diamond country still ahead on the journey south toward Cape Town.
Day
5
5
Day 5
Day 5: At Leisure — A Day in Pretoria
Your second day in Pretoria is yours to shape. Join an included tour of the city, tracing its government quarter, colonial-era architecture, and famous jacaranda boulevards over lunch, or spend the day exploring independently at your own pace. Pretoria's blend of history and contemporary South African life offers plenty to fill a leisurely day away from the rails, whether that means a museum visit, a wander through the city centre, or simply relaxing at the hotel. The evening closes back at Capital Menlyn Maine, rested and ready to rejoin the train for the next leg of the journey.
Day
6
6
Day 6
Day 6: Highveld Horizons — Departing Pretoria
A morning transfer returns you to Rovos Rail Station, Pretoria, for a 10:00 departure, and the journey resumes its southward arc across the broad, grassy plains of the Highveld. It's a day for the observation car, as open grassland stretches to the horizon in every direction, the gentle sway of the train marking the steady rhythm of onboard life. Formal meals continue their familiar cadence — breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and a formal dinner this evening — as the train presses on toward one of the journey's great historical detours, diamond country waiting just ahead.
Day
7
7
Day 7
Day 7: Diamond Legacy — Kimberley's Big Hole
Today's highlight is Kimberley, capital of the Northern Cape, where a tour through the Diamond Mine Museum village and the legendary Big Hole — established in 1871 and the largest hand-dug excavation on earth — brings the drama of the diamond rush vividly to life. It's a compelling change of pace after days of open landscape, trading scenery for storytelling as the mining-era history of this remarkable town unfolds around you. Back on board, the train continues its journey south, carrying you deeper into the semi-arid heart of South Africa toward the Karoo.
Day
8
8
Day 8
Day 8: Into the Karoo — Matjiesfontein and Beyond
The Great Karoo unfolds today in all its stark, silent beauty — a vast semi-desert region that was once, remarkably, the floor of an ancient inland sea. A highlight of the day is a visit to Matjiesfontein, a beautifully preserved Victorian village frozen in time, complete with vintage cars and period architecture that feel plucked from another century. The scale and silence of the surrounding Karoo landscape is humbling, its endless horizons and shifting light among the most memorable of the entire journey, as the train presses on toward its final destination.
Day
9
9
Day 9
Day 9: Journey's End — Arriving in Cape Town
The final morning carries you from the Karoo into the vibrant energy of Cape Town, one of the most dramatic closing stretches of any rail journey in the world. The train arrives at Cape Town Station at 10:00, bringing this extraordinary journey to its close beneath the unmistakable silhouette of Table Mountain. From Victoria Falls' thundering waters to Hwange's wilderness, Kimberley's diamond legacy, and the Karoo's timeless stillness, you'll have crossed the length of two countries aboard one of the world's most celebrated trains. Please enquire for extended accommodation options in Cape Town.
Dates & Prices
17 of Jan, 2027
Sunday
24 of Jan, 2027
Sunday
7 of Feb, 2027
Sunday
28 of Feb, 2027
Sunday
6 of Mar, 2027
Saturday
7 of Mar, 2027
Sunday
28 of Mar, 2027
Sunday
11 of Apr, 2027
Sunday
25 of Apr, 2027
Sunday
9 of May, 2027
Sunday
23 of May, 2027
Sunday
18 of Jul, 2027
Sunday
1 of Aug, 2027
Sunday
15 of Aug, 2027
Sunday
5 of Sep, 2027
Sunday
26 of Sep, 2027
Sunday
10 of Oct, 2027
Sunday
24 of Oct, 2027
Sunday
7 of Nov, 2027
Sunday
21 of Nov, 2027
Sunday
9 of Jan, 2028
Sunday
23 of Jan, 2028
Sunday
13 of Feb, 2028
Sunday
20 of Feb, 2028
Sunday
27 of Feb, 2028
Sunday
12 of Mar, 2028
Sunday
2 of Apr, 2028
Sunday
16 of Apr, 2028
Sunday
21 of May, 2028
Sunday
28 of May, 2028
Sunday
18 of Jun, 2028
Sunday
25 of Jun, 2028
Sunday
16 of Jul, 2028
Sunday
6 of Aug, 2028
Sunday
20 of Aug, 2028
Sunday
3 of Sep, 2028
Sunday
10 of Sep, 2028
Sunday
24 of Sep, 2028
Sunday
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