Cape Town to Dar es Salaam (16 nights) on Rovos Rail
Day 1: Cape Town
To get you warmed up for the train vibe of your holiday, what better way to start than to enjoy complimentary accommodation at the historic St James Manor (owned by Rovos Rail) before your luxury train trip, and a complimentary chauffeur transfer to the Rovos Rail Lounge at 1 Adderley Street in Cape Town for check-in at 09h00. Scheduled to depart from Cape Town Station at 11h00 (delays are common), lunch is served in the dining cars. Enjoy a glass of their finest vino as you click-a-clack through the winelands of the Fairest Cape towards Worcester. Tea is served in the lounge and observation cars. Dinner is served in the dining cars. The train climbs ±750m up the face of the escarpment. Dress: Formal. Lectures will take place throughout the journey in the lounge car.
Day 2: Matjiesfontein
Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10h00. Disembark at Matjiesfontein for an opportunity to stroll through the historic village. Of special interest is the museum on the platform and a collection of historic cars and railway carriages to the right of the Lord Milner Hotel. The train traverses the Karoo, a vast semi-desert region that was once an enormous inland sea. Lunch is served in the dining cars. Tea is served in the lounge and observation cars. Dinner is served in the dining cars. The train travels to Kimberley. Dress: Formal.
Day 3: Kimberley
Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10h00. Enjoy a tour of Kimberley's Diamond Mine Museum and the Big Hole. Capital of the Northern Cape, Kimberley is well known for the discovery of diamonds that led to its establishment in 1871. Lunch is served in the dining cars. Tea is served in the lounge and observation cars. Dinner is served in the dining cars. The train travels to Union. Dress: Formal.
Day 4: Pretoria
Breakfast is served in the dining cars. Transfer (±90 min) to Pretoria for a city tour followed by lunch at Rovos Rail Station (Capital Park). Enjoy a walking tour of the station and a visit to our museum. Return (±90 min) to the train. Dinner is served in the dining cars. The train travels to Zeerust. Dress: Formal.
Day 5: Madikwe Game Reserve
Please pack a small overnight bag for the stay in Madikwe. Tog bags have been placed in your suite for your convenience. Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10h00. Transfer (±90 min) to a lodge in Madikwe for a two-night stay. Lunch is served on arrival. Afternoon tea and game drive (approximately 3 hours). Dinner at the lodge. Dress: Casual. Madikwe is a prime malaria-free Big 5 wildlife reserve bordering Botswana.
Day 6: Madikwe Game Reserve
Early morning game drive (approximately 3 hours). Breakfast is served at the lodge until 09h30. Lunch at the lodge. Afternoon tea and game drive (approximately 3 hours). Dinner at the lodge. Dress: Formal.
Day 7: Madikwe Game Reserve
Please ensure luggage is ready for collection and proceed to check-out by 10h00. Early morning game drive (approximately 2 hours). Breakfast is served at the lodge until 09h30. Transfer (±60 min) to the train at Gaborone in Botswana. Border formalities will take place en route and guests are required to present themselves to the border officials (luggage may be searched). Lunch is served in the dining cars. The train crosses the Tropic of Capricorn and the eastern edge of the Kalahari Basin. Tea is served in the lounge and observation cars. Dinner is served in the dining cars. Dress: Formal.
Day 8: At Leisure on Board
Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10h00. Border formalities. Lunch is served in the dining cars. Tea is served in the lounge and observation cars. Dinner is served in the dining cars. Dress: Formal. The train travels along one of the world's longest stretches of straight railway line - 114 kilometres (Gwaai - Dete) - and along the eastern edge of Hwange National Park.
Day 9: Victoria Falls
Please pack a small overnight bag for the stay at Victoria Falls Hotel. Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10h00. Arrive at the incomparable Victoria Falls; enjoy views of the falls and railway bridge which have been similarly enjoyed since the days of Rhodes. Disembark with an overnight bag and walk across to the hotel. Welcome address on the lawn followed by lunch at Jungle Junction. Luggage will be delivered to the rooms. Meet in the foyer to depart for the sunset cruise on the Zambezi River. Enjoy dinner at the Livingstone Room, Victoria Falls Hotel. Dress: Smart Casual (we presume - strictly no safari-wear, shorts, sandals or sneakers).
Day 10: Victoria Falls
Check-out time is normally at 10h00. Breakfast is served at the Jungle Junction Restaurant until 10h00. Day at leisure in Victoria Falls. Lunch at Jungle Junction. Meet on the station platform. Cross the Victoria Falls Bridge. Tea is served in the lounge and observation cars. Border formalities. Dinner is served in the dining cars. Dress: Formal.
Day 11: At Leisure on Board
Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10h00. Lunch is served in the dining cars. The train travels across the Kafue Railway Bridge - a 477-metre long steel girder truss bridge of 13 spans each at 33m supported on concrete piers. Tea is served in the lounge and observation cars. Dinner is served in the dining cars. The train passes Zambia's capital, Lusaka. Dress: Formal.
Day 12: At Leisure on Board
Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10h00. The train slowly negotiates the TAZARA railway line - an engineering tour de force and one of Africa's best-kept secrets - as it passes through remote territory. Lunch is served in the dining cars. Tea is served in the lounge and observation cars. Dinner is served in the dining cars. The train travels to Kasama. Dress: "Africa" Theme or Smart Casual.
Day 13: Chisimba Falls
Breakfast is served in the dining cars. Enjoy a visit to Chisimba Falls where guests can take a pleasant walk down to the rock pools at the base of the falls or admire them from various viewpoints. Lunch is served in the dining cars. The train climbs to the border, almost exactly the midpoint between Africa's two Great Rift Valley lakes. Tea is served in the lounge and observation cars. Dinner is served in the dining cars. Border formalities. Dress: Formal.
Day 14: At Leisure on Board
Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10h00. The train traverses the Rift Valley and baobab forests towards Mbeya. Lunch is served in the dining cars. The Southern Highlands of Tanzania are covered with grasslands, savannas, woodlands and forests. Tea is served in the lounge and observation cars. Dinner is served in the dining cars. The train travels to Makambako. Dress: Formal.
Day 15: Makambako (Optional)
Breakfast is served until 10h00. Enjoy an optional stroll through Makambako (time permitting) before departure at 09h00. Lunch is served in the dining cars. The train travels towards the jungled Udzungwa Mountains and negotiates the dramatic switchbacks, viaducts and tunnels of the escarpment. Tea is served in the lounge and observation cars. Dinner is served in the dining cars. The train travels to Fuga Halt. Dress: Formal.
Day 16: Nyerere National Park
Continental breakfast is served in the dining cars until 08h00. Brunch is served in the dining cars until 12h00. Enjoy a game drive (weather permitting) in the Nyerere National Park, the largest in Africa at 30 000km² - ensuring the animals have plenty of space to hide from your camera. The train traverses the fertile lands of Tanzania. Dinner is served in the dining cars. The train travels to Gwata. Dress: "1920s" Theme or Smart Casual.
Day 17: Dar es Salaam
Please ensure luggage is ready for collection 15 minutes before arrival and that you have your passport. Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10h00. Arrive at journey's end at Tazara Station, Julius K. Nyerere Road, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; where a complimentary chauffeur will take you to your hotel, where you can enjoy complimentary accommodation in Dar es Salaam courtesy of luxurytrainholiday.com