Itinerary

Day 1: Pretoria, South Africa

This morning depart on your exciting journey to Namibia on the famous “Pride of Africa” Rovos Rail train. This 10-day journey is a perfect journey through the highlights of Namibia. Experience the extravagant elegance of rail travel on the most luxurious train in the world. Rovos Rail's unique rail safari combines some of the most magnificent scenery with the glamor and excitement of the golden age of rail travel. The beautifully restored trains can be drawn by steam, diesel or electric locomotives operating at various stages of the journey. The atmosphere of elegance and grandeur is enhanced by period décor and traditional furnishings with exquisite craftsmanship. Full breakfasts are served each morning with dishes made to order, while lunch and dinner are complemented by a selection of the finest South African wines. All meals are served in one sitting in the charming Victorian atmosphere of the dining cars. During the day, the dress is smart casual. Evening attire is more formal, with a jacket and tie required for the gentlemen and cocktail or evening dresses for the ladies. In maintaining the spirit of travel of a bygone era, there are no radios or television sets on board and the use of cellular telephones, laptops and essentially anything that can disturb other passengers is confined to the privacy of your suites. (L,D)

Day 2: Kimberley

Arrive in Kimberley, the historical diamond rush city, this morning. Here you disembark for a tour of the “Big Hole” and the mine museum. The museum depicts Kimberley in its Victorian heyday during the greatest diamond rush in history. In the area is a church, digger’s tavern complete with honky tonk piano, the De Beers directors' private railway coach, shops, houses and other relics of the early mining days. Return to the train and travel through the Karoo, a vast semi-desert region that was once an enormous inland sea. Over millions of years, volcanic matter was ground down and deposited as silt upon the seabed to form what geologists call the Karoo system. (B,L,D)

Day 3: Upington

After breakfast enjoy an optional 2-hour walking tour of the town of Upington. The town is known for its high-quality fruit production and delicious wines produced from the fertile soils found on the banks of the Orange River. This afternoon the train enters Namibia. High tea is served daily in the lounge and observation cars, and dinner is served in the dining cars, often a formal affair. (BLD)

Day 4: Fish River Canyon & Garas Park

Off train excursions today include a visit to the Fish River Canyon, second only to Arizona’s Grand Canyon in terms of size. The vast rocky landscape breaks up into a series of spectacular cliffs. Its size is impressive: 100 miles long, up to 16 miles wide and almost one third of a mile at its deepest. Also included today is Garas Park (Quiver Trees), home to roughly 300 specimens of the Aloe dichotomy. These prehistoric trees have forked branches that reach up to 5.5-yard-high, making for great photographic opportunities. (BLD)

Day 5: Windhoek / Sossusvlei

Arrive in Windhoek early this morning. Windhoek is an attractive city surrounded by clusters of hills and the impressive Auas and Eros Mountains. Visit the Trans-Namib Transport Museum which outlines Namibian transport history, particularly that of the railway, followed by a city tour en route to the airport. Fly to Sossusvlei where the iconic red sand dunes tower more than 900 feet above the surrounding plains. Enjoy an afternoon desert drive and bush dinner after sunset. (BLD)

Day 6: Sossusvlei

An early wake-up call with tea and coffee and then you are off on a desert drive with breakfast in the vlei. The dunes of the Namib were created by sand carried by the wind from the coast. The sand here is over 5-million years old and is red due to its iron-oxide content. As the light changes during the day so does the appearance of the dunes’ characteristic color allowing for interesting photographs at any time. Return to the train via flight to Windhoek. The train travels onward to the next destination. (BLD)

Day 7: Cheetah Conservation Project

Visit a cheetah conservation project in Otjiwarongo. Founded in Namibia in 1990, the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) is dedicated to saving the cheetah in the wild.

Day 8: Etosha National Park

Arrive in the Etosha area and proceed to your overnight lodge accommodations. This afternoon a game drive reveals the incredible desert adapted species that call Etosha home. Keep a look out for elephant, lion, giraffe, the bat-eared fox and the black-back jackal. (BLD)

Day 9: Etosha National Park

Enjoy a morning game drive in Etosha National Park, meaning ‘Great White Place,’ the name refers to the Etosha pan, which makes up a large part of the park. Large mammals in the park include leopard, rhino, wildebeest, hyena, zebra, springbok, kudu, gemsbok and eland. Return to the train for lunch and proceed through the Namib Desert towards the coast. (BLD)

Day 10: Walvis Bay

Your journey through the Namib Desert concludes this afternoon as you arrive in Walvis Bay. (B)