Day 1: Pretoria
Enjoy a complimentary chauffeur transfer from Pretoria or Johannesburg to check-in at Rovos Rail Capital Park Station in Pretoria (at 1 Transnet Avenue, NOT the same place as the main Pretoria Train Station from which The Blue Train departs) at 08h00; where you will hand your passport to the Train Manager/Guest Services Manager. Listen to the departure speech and do a tour of the museum and station if there is time. The train is scheduled to depart at 10h00. The train travels on the eastern line through the harsh coal-mining area of eMalahleni (Witbank) - where Rovos Rail was founded - and Middelburg, known as the "stainless steel capital of Africa". The Dutch railway building company, NZASM, built this line between Pretoria and Lourenço Marques (Maputo) from 1893 to 1895. Lunch is served in the dining cars. Tea in the lounge and observation cars. Dinner is served in the dining cars. Dress: Formal. Please note: there is no WiFi on board the train, meaning internet access is only available via mobile roaming when passing cellular towers.
Day 2: Panorama Route
Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 09:00. Enjoy a tour of Pilgrim's Rest, Bourke's Luck Potholes and Graskop with lunch. The Graskop viewing lift (own account) descends 51m down the face of the gorge into the forest below where wooden walkways and suspension bridges meander along a 600m trail through the indigenous forest with an interactive exhibit. Return (±75 min) to the train. Dinner is served in the dining cars. The train travels to Malelane. Dress: Formal. Pilgrim's Rest is a living museum and declared a National Monument. Gold was discovered in this area in 1873 attracting 1500 prospectors. Today many of the restored miner's houses serve as shops and restaurants. Bourke's Luck Potholes are strange deep cylindrical cavities formed by river erosion and floodwater. Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve has the most spectacular viewpoints overlooking South Africa's Lowveld, so named because it is much lower than the high escarpment along which the Panorama Route runs.
Day 3: Kruger Park Border: Komatipoort / Ressano Garcia
Breakfast is served in the dining cars. Enjoy a game drive in the Kruger National Park with lunch and an opportunity for curio shopping. Tea in the lounge and observation cars. The train travels to Maputo, Mozambique. Border formalities. Dinner is served in the dining cars. Dress: Formal. The famous Kruger Park (2-million hectares) is a world leader in advanced environmental management techniques and home to an impressive number of species, e.g. 336 species of trees, 49 species of fish, 34 species of amphibians, 114 species of reptiles, 507 species of birds and 147 species of mammals including the Big Five.
Day 4: Maputo & Border: Goba / Mpaka
Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 09:00. Enjoy a tour of Maputo, Mozambique, with lunch. Tea in the lounge and observation cars. The train travels to Mpaka, eSwatini. Border formalities. Dinner is served in the dining cars. Dress: Formal. Capital of Mozambique, Maputo is a city of contrasts offering an exciting mix of cultures. Its architecture is a blend of African, Portuguese and early colonial traditions with old Catholic churches side-by-side with mosques, fortresses, Victorian mansions and other buildings from a bygone era.
Day 5: Eswatini Border: Mpaka / Komatipoort
Breakfast is served in the dining cars. Transfer (±90 min) to Swazi Candles and Mantenga Cultural Village for a visit with lunch at Mantenga Lodge. Tea in the lounge and observation cars. Border formalities. Dinner is served in the dining cars. The train travels to Hoedspruit. Dress: Formal. The tiny Kingdom of eSwatini (Swaziland) covers only 17000km2, most of which is mountainous. For such a small country, it is surprising that it sustains two capital cities: Mbabane is the administrative capital, and Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital. In April 2018, Swaziland changed its name to the Kingdom of eSwatini (meaning "place of the Swazi") and is an absolute monarchy. It is landlocked and borders South Africa and Mozambique. At Swazi Candles, guests are invited to interact with the artisans as they make a variety of candles. Woodcarvings, colourful textiles and superb basketwork are also on display. Mantenga is nestled in the mountains overlooking "Execution Rock". The village is a living museum of old traditions that represents the classic Swazi lifestyle of the 1850s.
Day 6: Kapama Reserve & HESC
Continental breakfast is served in the dining cars. Enjoy a game drive in Kapama Reserve followed by visit to the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre. Lunch is served in the dining cars. The train travels to Louis Trichardt. Tea in the lounge and observation cars. Dinner is served in the dining cars. Dress "Africa" Theme or Smart Casual. Situated in South Africa's northernmost province of Limpopo, renowned for its prolific and diverse wildlife, Kapama Private Game Reserve is home to over 40 different mammal species including the Big Five, approximately 350 bird species and a myriad smaller species. The Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre is a unique African wildlife facility focusing on conservation and the sustainability of rare, vulnerable and threatened species. Founded on passion, the centre has adopted a holistic approach to its conservation activities such as the educating of surrounding communities, tourism, breeding, rehabilitation and anti-poaching, to name a few.
Day 7: At Leisure On Board Border: Musina / Beitbridge
Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00. Pass through the Soutpansberg mountain range, part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve known for its biological diversity. Lunch is served in the dining cars. The train crosses the semi-arid Limpopo River valley. In Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories, the "Elephant's Child" departs his family for the "great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River, all set about with fever-trees, to find out what the Crocodile has for dinner." Tea in the lounge and observation cars. The train travels baobab country. Dinner is served in the dining cars. Dress: Formal. Limpopo Province is located in the far north of South Africa and shares borders with three neighbouring countries: Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. For this reason, the province is also known as the gateway to other African countries and also shares provincial borders with Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Northwest. The Limpopo landscape varies from one area to the other from tropical forests, bush and shrubs to semi-desert areas with small trees and bushes and mountains to flat land. Limpopo is divided into five regions, strategically located according to the cultural inhabitants. Capricorn is the central region predominantly occupied by the Bapedi people. Waterberg is the largest region with a majority of Tswana people. Vhembe in the far north is dominated by Vhavenda and Vatsonga. The Mopani region near the Kruger Park is Vatsonga whereas the Sekhukhuni region is dominated by Bapedi and Ndebele. Limpopo is the only province in South Africa with more than two cultural groups staying together in their original habitat in harmony. Other ethnic groups include English and Afrikaans people.
Day 8: Great Zimbabwe Monument
Breakfast is served in the dining cars. Transfer (±75 min) to the Great Zimbabwe Monument for a visit with lunch. Dinner is served in the dining cars. The train travels to Gweru. Dress: Formal. The Great Zimbabwe Monument is an impressive monument situated on the southeastern edge of the central plateau and the largest precolonial monument south of the Egyptian pyramids. A celebrated achievement of the African people and a place where magical fables such as the story of King Solomon's Mines find their origins amongst the ruins of an ancient city built by the Rozwi people. Discover how these ancient people lived and mined gold and silver, which were ultimately taken out of Africa by Arabic and Portuguese traders. The area is also home to forests of precious timber such as teak, mahogany and mukwa.
Day 9: Antelope Park
Breakfast is served in the dining cars. Transfer (±30 min) to Antelope Park for a visit with lunch. Optional extras include canoeing, game drives, horseback game viewing, elephant interaction, bird-watching cruises and so on (see price list). Tea in the lounge and observation cars. The train travels to Bulawayo, the second city of Zimbabwe, capital of Matabeleland and industrial capital of the country. Dinner is served in the dining cars. Dress: Formal. Set in over 3000 acres of open savannah grassland, Antelope Park is a haven of tranquillity welcoming guests and volunteer eco-tourists alike. It is home to the world-famous African Lion and Environmental Research Trust (ALERT) lion rehabilitation programme, which is a multiphase lion conservation initiative. It is Africa's first genuine programme working to ethically reintroduce the offspring of captive-bred African lions back into the wild.
Day 10: Matobo National Park
Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 09:00. Transfer (±60 min) to Matobo National Park to see bushmen caves, rock art and the grave of Cecil John Rhodes. Tea in the lounge and observation cars. The train travels to Kennedy. Dinner is served in the dining cars. Dress: Formal. Matobo (or Matopos), meaning "bald heads", was the name chosen for the area by the Ndebele King, Mzilikazi. He is buried in the Matobo hills just a short distance from the park. It is an apt description of the dramatic hills and granite rocks of this area. The park is also the site of Cecil John Rhodes' grave at the summit of Malindidzimu - "hill of benevolent spirits". He referred to this hill as having a view of the world. His grave is carved out of solid granite and surrounded by a natural amphitheatre of boulders. A visit can be made to one of the more accessible bushman caves, of which there are many hidden amongst the hills. Matobo is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Day 11: Hwange National Park
Breakfast is served in the dining cars. Enjoy a game drive and packed lunch in Hwange National Park. Tea in the lounge and observation cars. 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. Dinner is served in the dining cars. The train travels to Thompson's Junction. Dress: "1920s" Theme or Smart Casual. Situated in the northwest corner of Zimbabwe, Hwange National Park covers 1 462 000 hectares making it the nation's largest wildlife area. It contains a variety of animals and bird species but is well-known for its prolific lion population.
Day 12: Victoria Falls
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 09:30. Arrive at journey's end at Victoria Falls Station, Mallet Drive, Zimbabwe. Check out of train and walk across to Victoria Falls Hotel. Meet for a walking tour of the village and the Falls with lunch. Meet at the hotel for a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River. Return to Victoria Falls Hotel for journey's end. Enjoy a complimentary chauffeur transfer to your accommodation in Victoria Falls.
Day 13: Victoria Falls
Enjoy a complimentary night at a Victoria Falls 4 star accommodation.
Step aboard the Pride of Africa for a curated, leisurely journey from Pretoria to Victoria Falls.
