Your Route
Dar es Salaam → Nyerere → Makambako → Tazara → Kundalila Falls → Lusaka → Victoria Falls → Botswana → Madikwe → Pretoria → Kimberley → Matjiesfontein → Cape Town
Southbound the journey runs the other way round, and it is a different trip for it. The game drive in the largest national park in Africa comes on day two rather than day sixteen, the Tazara escarpment is climbed rather than descended, and the excursion in Zambia is Kundalila rather than Chisimba, a waterfall on the divide between two oceans.
Rovos Rail run the Dar es Salaam route in both directions, and the southbound version has its own logic: it starts in Tanzania with the wildlife, works down through the least visited section of the journey while everyone is still fresh, and finishes with the comfortable familiarity of South Africa and Cape Town.
The train leaves Tazara Station in Dar es Salaam at midday on the first day, with the observation car leading at the front of the train for the first 72 hours, an arrangement the rail enthusiasts on board tend to appreciate. Nyerere National Park comes early on the second morning, at around 30,000 square kilometres the largest national park on the continent.
The Udzungwa escarpment, the Southern Highlands and the Tazara line fill the following days, and on the fifth there is an excursion to Kundalila Falls in Zambia. The Kaombe River drops in stages over the Muchinga Escarpment, which forms the divide between the Zambezi basin draining to the Indian Ocean and the Congo basin draining to the Atlantic. From the top there are views over the Luangwa Valley, part of the western branch of the East African Rift.
The Kafue Bridge, Lusaka and the crossing into Zimbabwe follow, with an overnight at the Victoria Falls Hotel, a sunset cruise on the Zambezi and a day at leisure at the falls. Then Botswana, the Kalahari Basin, and three days at Madikwe Game Reserve with five game drives from a lodge.
The last four days are South Africa: a city tour of Pretoria with a walking tour of the locomotive workshops at Capital Park, the Big Hole at Kimberley, the Great Karoo and Matjiesfontein, the four tunnels of the Hex River pass and the winelands into Cape Town.
Dar es Salaam on the Indian Ocean, the start of the southbound journey
Journey Highlights
Nyerere National Park on Day Two
The largest national park in Africa at around 30,000 square kilometres, entered on the second morning while the light is still low. Formerly the northern part of the Selous Game Reserve, it is a vision of Africa with almost nobody in it.
Kundalila Falls
The Kaombe River falls in stages over the Muchinga Escarpment into a deep natural pool. The escarpment divides the Zambezi and Congo drainage basins, so water either side of it ends up in different oceans. There is a steep trail to the base for anyone who wants a swim.
The Udzungwa Escarpment
Climbed rather than descended on this direction: switchbacks, viaducts and tunnels through the jungled Udzungwa Mountains, the most impressive railway engineering on the route.
A Night at the Victoria Falls Hotel
The 1904 colonial hotel above the gorge, with lunch at Jungle Junction, a sunset cruise on the upper Zambezi and dinner in the Livingstone Room, followed by a full day at leisure at the falls.
Three Days at Madikwe
A two-night lodge stay and five game drives in a malaria-free Big Five reserve on the Botswana border, in a transition zone between bushveld and Kalahari thornveld with more than 300 resident and migrant bird species.
A Historian and a Doctor On Board
The long journeys carry an on-board historian who lectures in the lounge car throughout, and a doctor. Both are included, and on a seventeen-day crossing of five countries both earn their keep.
Day by Day
Departure from Tazara Station
Check in at half past nine at the Serena Hotel on Ohio Street, Dar es Salaam, and transfer, about half an hour, to Tazara Station. The train leaves at midday.
For the first 72 hours the observation car leads at the front of the train, a different aspect that the rail enthusiasts on board tend to enjoy. Lunch is served as the line traverses the fertile lands of Tanzania.
Afternoon tea and a formal dinner follow as the train travels to Fuga Halt. Lectures by the on-board historian run throughout the journey in the lounge car.
Transfer from the Serena Hotel, all meals and beverages on board. On-board historian and doctor throughout. One night on board.
Nyerere National Park
Breakfast at five, and at seven a game visit in Nyerere National Park, formerly the northern section of the Selous Game Reserve and at around 30,000 square kilometres the largest national park in Africa.
Lunch is served as the train travels towards the jungled Udzungwa Mountains and begins the dramatic switchbacks, viaducts and tunnels of the escarpment.
Afternoon tea and dinner follow as the train travels to Mlimba. The historian takes bookings for Victoria Falls activities in the late afternoon.
Game visit in Nyerere National Park with a qualified guide, entrance fees, all meals and beverages. One night on board.
Nyerere National Park on the second morning, the largest national park in Africa
Makambako and the Southern Highlands
Breakfast until ten as the train crosses the Southern Highlands of Tanzania, covered with grassland, savanna, woodland and forest. Miombo woodland predominates at lower elevations, while the higher mountains hold Afromontane evergreen forest and shrubland, part of the Southern Rift montane mosaic that extends into Malawi and Zambia.
There is an optional stroll through Makambako late in the morning if the schedule allows, before departure at half past one.
Afternoon tea is taken as the train traverses the Rift Valley and baobab forests towards Mbeya. Dinner is served as it travels to Tunduma. Put your watch back an hour before turning in.
All meals and beverages on board. One night on board.
The Border and the Tazara Line
A day at leisure. Border formalities take place at Tunduma in Tanzania and Nakonde in Zambia.
Lunch is served as the train travels the Tazara railway line, an engineering tour de force built through remote country in the 1970s and one of Africa's best-kept secrets.
Dinner is served as the train travels to Kanona. Dress tonight is an Africa theme, or smart casual.
All meals and beverages on board. Border formalities handled by the train staff. One night on board.
Kundalila Falls
Breakfast at six, and at eight an excursion to Kundalila Falls, high on the Muchinga Escarpment. The Kaombe River drops in stages over a cumulative 30 metres and then falls about 70 metres in thin veils into a deep natural pool.
The escarpment is the divide between the drainage basins of the Zambezi, which reaches the Indian Ocean, and the Congo, which reaches the Atlantic. From the top of the falls there are sweeping views over the Luangwa Valley, part of the Albertine Rift and the western branch of the East African Rift. There is a moderate but steep trail down to the base for anyone who wants the photograph or the swim.
Lunch is served as the train travels to Serenje, and the train is turned at New Kapiri Mposhi during the evening.
Guided visit to Kundalila Falls with entrance fees, all meals and beverages. One night on board.
Lusaka
A day at leisure. Lunch is served as the train travels to Lusaka, the Zambian capital, where an excursion is taken if time permits.
Dinner is served as the train travels to Kafue. Any Victoria Falls activities should be booked with the on-board historian before dinner.
All meals and beverages on board. One night on board.
The Kafue Railway Bridge
The train crosses the Kafue Railway Bridge, a 477 metre steel girder truss structure of thirteen spans, each 33 metres, carried on concrete piers.
Lunch, afternoon tea and dinner are served on board as the train travels to Livingstone.
All meals and beverages on board. One night on board.
The Victoria Falls Hotel
Pack a small overnight bag; tog bags are provided in the suites. Breakfast is served until ten during the border formalities, and the train crosses the Victoria Falls Bridge from Zambia into Zimbabwe.
Arrival at Victoria Falls is at eleven. Disembark with your overnight bag and walk across to the Victoria Falls Hotel, where there is a welcome address on the lawn and lunch at Jungle Junction. In the late afternoon there is a sunset cruise on the upper Zambezi, and dinner is served in the Livingstone Room. Dress is smart casual and the hotel is firm about it.
Plunging over the lip of the falls is the largest sheet of falling water on earth. The Zambezi is about two kilometres wide above the drop and falls over a precipice 1.6 kilometres long and 108 metres deep at its lowest point, compressed into a chasm 50 metres wide.
One night at the Victoria Falls Hotel, all meals, preselected local wines, beers and soft drinks, the Zambezi sunset cruise.
Victoria Falls, with an overnight at the Victoria Falls Hotel on day eight
A Day at the Falls
Breakfast at the Jungle Junction Restaurant until ten, then a day at leisure. Helicopter flights over the gorge, white water rafting, game walks, golf and a tour of the falls can all be booked. Lunch is at Jungle Junction.
Guests meet on the station platform at three and the train departs at four. Dinner is served in the dining cars.
During the evening the train travels along one of the world's longest stretches of straight railway line, 114 kilometres between Gwaai and Dete, along the eastern edge of Hwange National Park.
Breakfast and lunch at the hotel, dinner and all beverages on board. One night on board.
The Kalahari Basin
A day at leisure. Border formalities take place at Plumtree in Zimbabwe and Francistown in Botswana.
Afternoon tea is served as the train travels the eastern edge of the Kalahari Basin. The Kalahari, Kgalagadi in Botswana, extends to about 900,000 square kilometres and is not a true desert: parts of it see up to 250 millimetres of rain a year. The basin around it covers more than 2.5 million square kilometres and reaches into Namibia, South Africa, Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Its only constant river, the Okavango, flows into a delta in the northwest.
Dinner is served as the train travels to Mahalapye.
All meals and beverages on board. Border formalities handled by the train staff. One night on board.
Into Madikwe
Breakfast until half past nine as the train crosses the Tropic of Capricorn. At ten there is a transfer of about ninety minutes to a lodge in the Madikwe Game Reserve for a two-night stay. Border formalities at Gaborone and Kopfontein take place en route.
Madikwe is a prime malaria-free Big Five reserve on the Botswana border, in a transition zone between the North West Province bushveld and the Kalahari thornveld, with volcanic intrusions, open plains and riverine country along the Marico River. The species diversity is remarkable and there are more than 300 resident and migrant birds.
Lunch is served on arrival, followed by afternoon tea and a game drive of about three hours, then dinner at the lodge.
Lodge accommodation, all meals, preselected local wines, beers and soft drinks, an afternoon game drive and all transfers. One night at the lodge.
A Full Day at Madikwe
An early morning game drive of about three hours, then breakfast at the lodge. Lunch is at half past twelve, followed by afternoon tea and a second game drive.
Dinner is at the lodge. Spa facilities are usually available at your own expense.
Lodge accommodation, all meals, two game drives. One night at the lodge.
Back to the Train
A final early morning game drive of about two hours, then breakfast and check-out. The transfer back to the train at Zeerust leaves at eleven.
Lunch is served on board as the train travels to Union. Afternoon tea and a formal dinner follow.
Morning game drive, transfers, all meals and beverages. One night on board.
Pretoria and the Locomotive Workshops
Breakfast at six, then a transfer of about ninety minutes to Pretoria for a city tour, followed by lunch on the platform at Rovos Rail Station and a walking tour of the station and the locomotive workshops, weather permitting. This is where the coaches you have been living in for a fortnight were rebuilt.
The return transfer is another ninety minutes. Dinner is served as the train travels towards Bloemfontein.
Pretoria city tour, lunch at Rovos Rail Station, station and workshop walking tour, all transfers. One night on board.
Kimberley and the Big Hole
Breakfast from six until nine as the train traverses the Great Karoo, a vast semi-desert that was once an enormous inland sea. The silt that settled on its bed became what geologists call the Karoo system.
Lunch at midday, then a tour of Kimberley's Diamond Mine Museum and the Big Hole. The diamond find of 1871 created the town from nothing, and the hand digging that followed left a crater 463 metres across, the largest excavation ever dug by hand.
Afternoon tea and a formal dinner follow on board.
Guided tour of the Kimberley Diamond Mine Museum and the Big Hole, entrance fees, all meals and beverages. One night on board.
Matjiesfontein and the Descent
Breakfast until ten and lunch at one, with afternoon tea in the lounge and observation cars.
Guests disembark at Matjiesfontein for a stroll through the historic village, founded in 1884 by the Scottish railwayman James Douglas Logan and preserved almost unchanged since. The museum on the platform and the collection of historic cars and carriages beside the Lord Milner Hotel are both worth the time.
About an hour after Matjiesfontein the train reaches the first of four tunnels on the Hex River pass. The first is 13.5 kilometres long, so take care walking through the train. The line then descends about 750 metres down the escarpment towards Worcester. Dinner tonight has a nineteen-twenties theme, or smart casual.
Guided visit to Matjiesfontein with entrance fees, all meals and beverages. One night on board.
Arrival in Cape Town
Breakfast is served until ten as the train trundles through the winelands of the Western Cape. Lunch is served on board. Have your luggage ready fifteen minutes before arrival.
The train arrives at Cape Town Station at three in the afternoon, seventeen days and about 5,800 kilometres from Dar es Salaam. Guests are collected at the Rovos Rail Lounge, 1 Adderley Street.
Cape Town deserves several days at the end of a journey like this one, and we are happy to arrange hotels, the Cape Peninsula, Robben Island and the winelands alongside your rail booking.
Breakfast and lunch on board. Cape Town hotels and excursions can be arranged by us.
Cape Town, seventeen days and about 5,800 kilometres from Dar es Salaam
What Is Included
All Accommodation
Fourteen nights on board in your chosen suite, two nights at a lodge in the Madikwe Game Reserve and one night at the Victoria Falls Hotel, all included in the fare.
All Meals
Breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner throughout, served in the wood-panelled dining cars. Dinner is a formal affair and the kitchen works from fresh South African produce.
All Beverages On Board
A curated selection of local and international wine, beer, cider, spirits, liqueurs, mixers, soft drinks and a cocktail menu. International sparkling wine may be pre-ordered at extra cost.
Guided Excursions
A game drive in Nyerere National Park, a guided visit to Kundalila Falls, a night at the Victoria Falls Hotel with a Zambezi sunset cruise, five game drives over a two-night stay at Madikwe, a Pretoria city tour with the station and locomotive workshops, the Kimberley Diamond Mine Museum and Matjiesfontein, all with transfers, guides and entrance fees.
Room Service and Laundry
Twenty-four hour room service and a limited laundry service, both included in the fare. Each suite has a dedicated host or hostess who services it daily.
Entrance Fees and Taxes
Entrance fees as set out in the itinerary, preselected local wines, beers and soft drinks on excursions, and government tax.
Not included: all other beverages, international sparkling wine, gratuities, personal expenses, visas, travel insurance, and pre and post tour transfers, accommodation and flights.
Fares and Departures
We price every journey in sterling once your dates and suite are confirmed. The table below shows the suite category guide prices, but these are subject to fluid pricing and currency fluctuations. Call or email us for a confirmed sterling price.
| Suite | Per person sharing |
|---|---|
| Royal Suite | from £25,600 |
| Deluxe Suite | from £19,800 |
| Pullman Suite | from £15,200 |
Fares are per person, one way, and include everything listed above. Single occupancy carries a supplement. Please call for a confirmed sterling price for your chosen departure.
2027 Departures
| Departure | Journey dates |
|---|---|
| Dar es Salaam to Cape Town | 22 July to 7 August 2027 |
| Dar es Salaam to Cape Town | 9 to 25 September 2027 |
| Dar es Salaam to Cape Town | 28 October to 13 November 2027 |
2028 Departures
| Departure | Journey dates |
|---|---|
| Dar es Salaam to Cape Town | 22 July to 7 August 2028 |
| Dar es Salaam to Cape Town | 9 to 25 September 2028 |
| Dar es Salaam to Cape Town | 28 October to 13 November 2028 |
Rovos Rail publish the Dar es Salaam route as a long journey with a small number of departures each year. Dates are taken from their published 2027 and 2028 schedules and are subject to change. An on-board historian and a doctor travel with the train on this route. Please confirm your chosen date with us before booking flights.