Rovos Rail Namibia Safari: An 11-Night Journey from Pretoria to Walvis Bay

Please ensure you check-in a minimum of one hour before departure. Should you wish to visit the Rovos Rail museum or take a site tour at Rovos Rail Station, arriving two hours prior to departure is recommended. At 11:00, the train departs from Rovos Rail Station in Pretoria, commencing its journey south across the goldfields of the Witwatersrand. Guests are invited to freshen up in their luxurious suites before joining fellow travelers in the comfortable lounge car or observation car at the rear of the train. Lunch is served in the elegant dining cars at 13:00. Later in the afternoon, tea is offered in the lounge and observation cars at 16:30. Dinner is a formal occasion, served in the dining cars at 19:30. Please remember to ensure the Train Manager or Administration Deputy is in possession of your passport.

Begin your day with breakfast served in the dining cars between 07:00 and 10:00. Following breakfast, you'll disembark for a fascinating tour of Kimberley, renowned as the capital of the Northern Cape. This tour includes visits to Kimberley's Diamond Mine Museum and the iconic Big Hole, a stark reminder of the diamond discovery in 1871 that led to the city's establishment. Lunch is served back on board in the dining cars at 13:00. In the afternoon, the observation car will lead the train, offering a different perspective as you travel through the vast semi-desert region of the Karoo. This ancient landscape was once an enormous inland sea, and over millions of years, volcanic matter was ground down and deposited as silt, forming what geologists call the Karoo system. Tea is served in the lounge and observation cars at 16:30. Dinner is served at 19:30 in the dining cars en route to De Aar, an important railway junction, with a formal dress code.

Breakfast is served in the dining cars between 07:00 and 10:00. At 13:00, lunch is served on board. The afternoon brings a walking tour of Upington, culminating in a serene sundowner cruise on the Orange River. The Orange River is South Africa's longest, stretching 2432km (1511mi), rising in the Drakensberg Mountains and flowing westwards to the Atlantic Ocean, forming part of the borders with Lesotho and Namibia. The town of Upington itself was founded in 1884. Dinner is served in the dining cars at 19:30, and the dress code is 'Africa' Theme or Smart Casual. Border formalities for crossing into Namibia will take place during the evening.

Start your day with breakfast in the dining cars between 07:00 and 10:00. Lunch is served at 12:30 as the train travels along the southern reaches of the Kalahari Basin. At 14:00, you will transfer (approximately 60 minutes) to the breathtaking Fish River Canyon. Rising in the center of the country and flowing south to the Orange River, the Fish River Canyon is the largest canyon in the southern hemisphere and second only to Arizona's Grand Canyon in size. It stretches 161km long, up to 27km wide, and almost 550m deep, revealing a vast rocky landscape of spectacular cliffs. Dinner is served in the dining cars at 19:30 en route to Aus, with a formal dress code.

Breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure at 06:00. At 08:00, you will transfer (approximately 60 minutes) to the haunting ghost town of Kolmanskop. Once a bustling diamond mining settlement, it is now being reclaimed by the desert sands. Following your visit, enjoy lunch in Lüderitz, a charming coastal town known for its unique museum, colonial architecture, and diverse wildlife, including seals, penguins, flamingos, and ostriches. Keep an eye out for the elusive legendary wild horses rumored to roam the Namib. At 18:00, you will return to the train, which then departs for Keetmanshoop, with the observation car leading the train until after dinner. Dinner is served at 19:30 in the dining cars, with a formal dress code.

Enjoy breakfast in the dining cars until departure at 07:00. Following breakfast, you will visit Keetmanshoop and Garas Park, home to the unique Quiver Trees (Aloe dichotomy). This prehistoric forest features roughly 300 specimens, with forked branches that reach up to 5m, offering exceptional photographic opportunities. Lunch is served in the dining cars at 13:00, after which the train departs for Mariental. Tea is served in the lounge and observation cars at 16:30. Dinner is served at 19:30 in the dining cars en route to Rehoboth, with a formal dress code.

Please pack a small overnight bag for your stay in Sossusvlei; tog bags have been placed in your suite for your convenience. Breakfast is served in the dining cars between 07:00 and 10:00. Afterwards, you will transfer to the airstrip and depart in a light aircraft for a one-hour flight to a Sossusvlei lodge for your overnight stay. After check-in, enjoy lunch and an afternoon at leisure. At 16:30, embark on an afternoon desert drive, followed by a magical bush dinner after sunset. You will overnight at the lodge, with a casual dress code. The dunes of the Namib Desert, created by wind-carried sand from the coast over five million years, are red due to their iron-oxide content. The changing light creates stunning photographic opportunities, and the multi-directional winds form distinctive 'star dunes'.

Please ensure your overnight bag is ready for collection from your suite before the drive. Bags will be stored in the lodge's baggage area. An early wake-up call with tea and coffee precedes a desert drive with breakfast served in the vlei. Afterwards, you will return to the lodge to use the facilities, check-out, and transfer back to the airstrip. At 12:30, depart in a light aircraft for a one-hour flight to Windhoek. Upon arrival, lunch is served at Windhoek Country Club at 14:00, followed by a comprehensive city tour. This tour includes visits to the Trans-Namib Transport Museum, the Independence Memorial Museum, the striking Evangelical Lutheran Church, and the Namibia Craft Centre in the old Breweries Building. Windhoek, situated in Namibia's central highlands, is an attractive city surrounded by the impressive Auas and Eros Mountains. At 18:00, the train departs for Kranzberg. Dinner is served at 19:30 in the dining cars, with a formal dress code.

Breakfast is served in the dining cars between 07:00 and 10:00. Lunch is served at 12:30. At 14:30, you will transfer (approximately 60 minutes) to 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 through research, conservation, and education. This visit offers a unique insight into their vital work. At 18:00, the train departs for Otavi. Dinner is served at 19:30 in the dining cars, with a formal dress code.

Please pack a small overnight bag for your stay in Etosha. Breakfast is served in the dining cars between 07:00 and 10:00. Afterwards, you will transfer (approximately 60 minutes) to an Etosha lodge for your overnight stay. Guests are welcome to utilize the lodge's pool and facilities. Enjoy lunch followed by check-in. At 15:00, embark on an afternoon game drive, lasting approximately 3 hours, offering opportunities to spot diverse wildlife. Dinner is served at 19:30 at the lodge, with a casual dress code. Etosha National Park, covering 22270km², is renowned for its exceptional game viewing, home to many species of mammals, birds, and reptiles. The park gets its name from the vast Etosha pan (4760km²), a 'Great White Place' that forms part of the Kalahari basin.

Please ensure your overnight bag is ready for collection from your suite and proceed to checkout by 10:45; your bag will be loaded into the vehicles. The time for your morning game drive will be confirmed. Breakfast is served at the lodge from 06:00 until 07:00, followed by a morning game drive in the Etosha National Park. Afterwards, return to the lodge to freshen up and check-out by 10:45. At 11:00, you will transfer (approximately 60 minutes) to the train at Tsumeb Station. Lunch is served in the dining cars at 13:00. The observation car will be leading the train until tomorrow. Tea is served in the lounge and observation cars at 16:30. Dinner is served at 19:30 in the dining cars, with a '1920s' Theme or Smart Casual dress code, as the train travels southwest towards the Atlantic Ocean.

Please ensure your luggage is ready for collection 15 minutes before arrival and that you have your passport readily available. Breakfast is served in the dining cars between 07:00 and 10:00 as the train traverses the ancient Namib Desert towards Walvis Bay. At 12:00, you will arrive at your journey's end in Walvis Bay, Namibia. The Namib Desert stretches for over 2000km along the Atlantic coasts of Angola, Namibia, and South Africa. Its geology consists of vast sand seas near the coast, with gravel plains and scattered mountain outcrops further inland. The name 'Namib' originates from Khoekhoegowab, meaning 'vast place,' and having endured arid conditions for 55-80 million years, it is considered potentially the oldest desert in the world.