South Africa to Tanzania by train

Cape Town - Matjoesfontein

Day 1: Welcome aboard in Cape Town

Welcome aboard. We depart from Cape Town Train Station at 11 am. Guests may freshen up in their suites before joining fellow travellers in the lounge car and observation car. At 1 pm lunch will be served in the dining cars. The train reaches Worcester in the Hex River Valley before climbing 750m up the face of the escarpment arriving at the first of four tunnels on the pass. The last tunnel is 13.5km long, so guests should be careful when walking through the train. After tea guests can disembark at Matjiesfontein for a stroll around this historic village. Of special interest are the museum on the platform and a collection of historic cars and railway carriages to the right of the Lord Milner Hotel. At 19:30 dinner will be served in the dining cars with a formal dress code.

Kimberley

Day 2: Kimberly Diamond Mines

Breakfast is served in the dining cars between 7-10 am. Today we travel through the Karoo, a vast semi-desert region that was once an enormous inland sea. Over millions of years, the volcanic matter was ground down and deposited as silt upon the seabed to form what geologists call the Karoo system. After lunch in the dining cars we take 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. Back on board enjoy tea in the lounge and observation cars. Relax and admire the passing landscape until dinner is served.

Pretoria - Zeerust

Day 3: Discover Pretoria

Today we travel through the goldfields arriving at Rovos Rail Station in Pretoria at around 10 am. Guests can disembark and take a walking tour of the station and locomotive workshops followed by lunch on the platform and then a city tour of the highlights of Pretoria. Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Zeerust.

Madikwe Game Reserve

Day 4: Big Five Safari

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast on board. Late morning we will transfer by road (90 mins) to a lodge in Madikwe for a two-night stay. Lunch will be served on arrival. Madikwe is a prime Big Five wildlife reserve bordering Botswana. It lies within a transition zone between the North West Province and Kalahari with enormous volcanic intrusions, wide open plains and the Marico River. The region is host to an incredible diversity of species. We’ll be taking a 3-hour afternoon game drive into the reserve in search of wildlife. Dinner will be served back at the lodge and this evening the dress code is casual.

Madikwe Game Reserve

Day 5: Full Day Wildlife Safari

After an early breakfast set off on a wildlife safari to see the morning activities of the animals. The reserve is much busier with activity in the mornings when many species are up and about. We'll return to the lodge for lunch and some time to relax. Later, head out for your afternoon game drive. As well as mammals there is a rich assortment of vegetation to see and more than 300 resident and migrant bird species. Return to the lodge for afternoon tea and later dinner. 

Madikwe Game Reserve - Gabaron

Day 6: Journey into Botswana

Today enjoy your final early morning game drive before breakfast. We’ll depart the lodge at around 10.30 and transfer to the train at Gaborone in Botswana. Border formalities will take place en route. Lunch will be served back on board in the dining cars. The train crosses the Tropic of Capricorn and the eastern edge of the Kalahari Basin. Known as ‘Kgalagadi’ in Botswana, the Kalahari extends to 900 000 km2 and covers much of Botswana, parts of Namibia and South Africa. The only constant river, the Okavango, flows into a northwest delta forming marshes rich in wildlife. Afternoon tea and dinner will both be served on board.

Gabaron - Victoria Falls

Day 7: On Into Zimbabwe

Spend a full day on board today crossing the border into Zimbabwe after breakfast. Throughout the day lectures will take place in the lounge car and guests can choose to join or relax elsewhere on board. Around tea time the route passes Gwaai and Dete along one of Africa’s longest stretches of straight railway line (114 km). From there we travel along the eastern edge of the Hwange National Park.

Victoria Falls

Day 8: The Incredible Victoria Falls

At around midday today we arrive at the incomparable Victoria Falls. Plunging over the lip of Victoria Falls is the largest body of falling water on earth. The mighty Zambezi, the fourth longest river in Africa, is about 2 km wide above the falls and cascades dramatically over a precipice 1.6km in length and 108m at its deepest, compressing the vast volume of water into a chasm 50m wide. The sound can be deafening, the aspect is magnificent and the memory indelible. You’ll be staying in a hotel this evening and will enjoy lunch and dinner there (smart/casual dress for dinner). This evening you’ll be taking a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River. 

Victoria Falls

Day 9: Victoria Falls & on into Zambia

After breakfast, spend the morning at leisure around Victoria Falls. There are various optional extras that can be booked such as a guided, tour, a helicopter ride or bungee jumping. Lunch will be served at the hotel and then we'll reboard the train for our onward journey. The train will cross the Victoria Falls Bridge and reach the border with Zambia before dinner. 

Victoira Falls - Lusaka - Kapiri Mposhi

Day 10: Across Zambia

Today we spend the full day at leusire on board. After breakfast, the train travels across the Kafue Railway Bridge – a 477-metre long steel girder truss bridge of 13 spans each at 33 metres supported on concrete piers. After lunch, the train passes through Zambia’s capital, Lusaka and we continue on towards Kapiri Mposhi.

At Leisure On Board

Day 11: Full Day on Board

Another day at leisure on board. After breakfast, the train travels along the Tazara railway line, an engineering tour de force and one of Africa’s best-kept secrets. We are heading into some very remote territory as we continue on towards Kasama.

Chisimba Falls

Day 12: Crossing into Tanzania

Today we’ll take an early breakfast before an 8 am excursion to stretch our legs. Enjoy a visit to Chisimba Falls where guests can take a pleasant walk. Chisimba Falls is a series of three waterfalls which are separated over 300m along the Luombe River. According to Bemba tradition, the nature spirit ‘Chishimba’ lives in a cave behind the falls therefore no bad behaviour is allowed there. Though the Bemba people arrived here in the 17th century, they weren’t the first as the land surrounding the falls is dotted with evidence of Iron Age activities. Back on board, the train climbs towards the border, almost exactly the midpoint between Africa’s two Great Rift Valley lakes. We will complete the Tanzania border formalities before dinner. The train then passes Baobab forests and descends the Rift Valley towards Mbeya.

Makambako - Udzungwa Mountains

Day 13: Mountain Climbing

After breakfast today we arrive at the town of Makambako where guests can disembark and enjoy a stroll. The train then travels on towards the jungled Udzungwa Mountains and negotiates the dramatic switchbacks, viaducts and tunnels of the escarpment. There are wonderful views to enjoy so guests should make their way to the observcation cariiges this afternoon. 

Selous Game Reserve

Day 14: In Search of Elephants

This morning the train descends into the highlands and traverses the fertile lands of Tanzania towards the Selous. We’ll take an early brunch in the dining cars then enjoy a visit to the Selous Game Reserve, the largest in Africa at 55 000 km2. Back on board in the early evening, we continue our journey towards Gwata.

Dar Es Salaam

Day 15: Arrival in Dar Es Salaam

There’s time for one last breakfast in the dining cars before getting our luggage ready to disembark. We arrive at our journey’s end at Tazara Station in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania by around 10 am.