SOUTHERN AFRICA

Botswana

Eswatini

Lesotho

Malawi

Mozambique

Namibia

Zambia

Zimbabwe + Victoria Falls

FIND OUT MORE

When to go

Our hotels

Travel guide

Change Currency:

WHY CHOOSE US?

100% financial protection
Specialist knowledge
Tailor-made for you
Keen pricing & exclusive deals
24/7 emergency contact
Established for over 20 years

You are here: Home » Zimbabwe + Victoria Falls »

Rovos Rail Train, South Africa: Kruger + Swaziland + Mozambique + Zimbabwe Ruins + Victoria Falls

Rovos Rail Southern Cross: Pretoria to Victoria Falls

Rovos Rail Train South Africa Kruger Mozambique Great Zimbabwe Victoria Falls

15 NIGHTS FROM:

$7,894

Per person sharing

Scheduled flights quoted separately

9ZYE15J

• Rovos Rail Train South Africa

• Pretoria

• Kapama, Kruger region

• Drakensberg Panorama Route

• eSwatini (Swaziland)

• Maputo, Mozambique

• Great Zimbabwe Ruins

• Matopos Hill

• Hwange Game Reserve

• Victoria Falls

Enquire about the SOUTHERN CROSS luxury Rovos Rail train journey, travelling from South Africa via Kapama Game Reserve in the Kruger region & the beautiful Drakensberg Panorama Route, eSwatini (Swaziland), Maputo in Mozambique and the Great Zimbabwe Ruins to the mighty Victoria Falls. Also visit the Endangered Species Centre, Matopos Hills & Hwange Game Reserve. 1 departure per year. Pullman & Deluxe cabins.

Detailed itinerary ▶

Enquire Now ▶

Day 1

You will be met at Johannesburg Airport and transferred 1-hour to Pretoria (now called Tshwane).

This city is the administrative capital of South Africa and is renowned for its jacaranda trees that flower from September to November. Check into your hotel and relax under warm blue African skies.

Day 2

This morning enjoy a half day private tour of the highlights of Pretoria.

We visit the Voortrekker Monument and historic Church Square, where we visit the home of Paul Kruger who was the president of the old Transvaal Republic at the time of the Anglo Boer War. We also drive past the City Hall and stop for photos at the beautiful Union Buildings - the official residence of the South African president, designed by Sir Herbert Baker. Here there is an impressive statue of Nelson Mandela.

Day 3

Transfer to Capital Park Station in Pretoria, arriving before 09.00 in good time to board the Rovos Rail train departing at 10.00 for Victoria Falls.

Relax and enjoy the elegance of train travel of a bygone age, as you settle in to your wood-panelled coach as we travel on the eastern line built from 1893-1895 by the Dutch railway building company, NZASM. We travel towards the harsh eMalahleni coal-mining area and Middleburg, known as the stainless steel capital of Africa.

Our journey then continues towards the beautiful Drakensberg Panorama Route.

Note: Dress code on the train during the day is smart casual, with comfortable walking shoes for the off-train excursion. Evenings are generally more formal, with most guests enjoying the opportunity to dress up (gentlemen are asked to wear a collar & tie, but jackets are optional).

Please be aware you may experience delays on your journey, due to issues with the local railway network. Rovos Rail will do its best to mitigate these, but they do sometimes occur. For this reason you should not book your flight home on the day your journey ends.

Day 4

This morning we disembark for a full day tour of the beautiful Panorama Route.

Our first stop is the village of Pilgrim’s Rest, a living museum and national monument. Gold was discovered in this area in 1873, attracting over 1,500 prospectors. Today many of the restored miner’s houses serve as shops and restaurants.

We also visit Bourke’s Luck Potholes, which are strange deep cylindrical cavities formed by river erosion and floodwater and the Graskop Gorge, which offers spectacular views over the Blyde River Canyon. Here there is the option to take the lift down the face of the gorge to the forest below, where wooden walkways and suspension bridges meander through an indigenous forest. From the top, on a clear day you can enjoy views over the Kruger National Park towards the Lebombo Mountains, on South Africa’s border with Mozambique.

We rejoin the train in the evening and depart towards Malelane.

Note: Graskop Gorge lift and lunch are for your own account.

Day 5

Today we disembark early for a full day of game viewing in the world renowned Kruger National Park.

The Kruger National Park has 2-million hectares of unrivalled wildlife diversity. It is a world leader in advanced environmental management techniques and is home to an impressive number of wildlife species - including 147 different mammals, 507 species of birds, 336 different trees, 49 species of fish, 34 amphibians and 114 reptiles. It is also home to all the Big Five - lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard.

Re-join the train in the late afternoon and complete customs formalities, as we depart towards Mozambique.

Day 6

We disembark this morning for a city tour of Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, with included lunch.

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.

In the afternoon we return to the train. After completing border formalities again, we continue towards Mpaka in eSwatini (formerly called Swaziland).

Day 7

The tiny kingdom of eSwatini covers only 17,000 square km, most of which is mountainous. It is landlocked and borders South Africa and Mozambique. Mbabane is the administrative capital and Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital.

We disembark today and visit Swazi Candles, where you can interact with the artisans. Woodcarvings, colourful textiles and superb basketwork are also on display. We also visit Mantenga Cultural Village, which is nestled in the mountains overlooking ‘Execution Rock’. The village is a living museum that represents traditional Swazi traditions.

We will have lunch at Mantenga Lodge before returning to the train for dinner as we head towards the Hoedspruit, completing border formalities again as we re-enter South Africa.

Day 8

Rise early today for a continental breakfast, before disembarking at Hoedspruit for a game drive.

Situated in South Africa’s northernmost province of Limpopo, which is renowned for its prolific and diverse wildlife, Kapama Game Reserve is home to over 40 different mammal species including all the Big Five, over 350 different birds and a myriad of smaller species.Situated in South Africa’s northernmost province of Limpopo, which is renowned for its prolific and diverse wildlife, Kapama is home to over 40 different mammal species including all the Big Five, over 350 different birds and a myriad of smaller species.

Afterwards we visit the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre which focuses on the conservation of rare, vulnerable and threatened species. Founded on passion, the centre has adopted a holistic approach to its conservation activities which include the educating of surrounding communities, breeding, rehabilitation and anti-poaching.

We return to the train for lunch, before travelling towards Tzaneen and Louis Trichardt.

Day 9

Today we spend the day onboard the train, travelling through the vast Limpopo Province.

Located in the far northern part of South Africa, the landscape is very varied and ranges from tropical forests, bushveld and mountains, to semi-desert areas with small trees and flat open expanses.

Limpopo Province shares its borders with three neighbouring countries - Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique - so has much cultural diversity. It is divided into five regions, according to its main tribes. 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 people.

We travel towards Musina for customs formalities and cross the border into Zimbabwe at Beit Bridge before continuing to Masvingo.

Day 10

Today after breakfast we disembark for a guided tour of the Great Zimbabwe Ruins.

This hugely impressive archaeological site situated on the southeastern plateau is the largest pre-colonial site in Africa after the Egyptian pyramids. A celebrated achievement of the African people, this ancient city built by the Rozwi people it is a place where magical fables have originated, such as the story of King Solomon's Mines. Discover how these people lived and mined gold and silver, which were ultimately shipped out by Arabic and Portuguese traders. Lunch is included today.

Later this afternoon we will rejoin the train at Oreti Siding as we travel onwards towards Gweru.

Day 11

After an early breakfast, we disembark for a full day visit to Antelope Park.

Set in over 3,000 acres of open savanna grasslands, Antelope Park is a private game reserve that is a haven of tranquillity, welcoming guests and volunteer eco-tourists. It is home to the African Lion and Environmental Research Trust (ALERT) lion rehabilitation programme, which is a multiphase conservation initiative working to re-introduce the offspring of African lions bred in captivity, back into the wild.

A variety of optional activities are available including game drives, canoeing, horseback safari and bird watching boat cruises (pay locally).

In the late afternoon we return to the train and travel towards Bulawayo.

Day 12

This morning we disembark and travel to Matobo National Park for a full day tour.

The spectacular Matobo (meaning 'bald head') Hills are a range of granitic domes, spires and balancing rock formations, that have been hewn out of the solid granite plateau through millions of years of erosion. Mzilikazi, the great Ndebele king who named this place, is buried here. It is also the home of the legendary Umlimo Rain Goddess.

Explore on foot these magnificent granite hills that are a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here we visit the final resting place of the diamond mining magnate and arch-imperialist, Cecil John Rhodes, whose grave at the summit of Malindidzimu – ‘the hill of benevolent spirits’ (or World's View) – is carved out of solid granite and surrounded by a natural amphitheatre of boulders. We will also visit one of the more accessible ancient Bushman caves with rock art.

Afterwards we rejoin the train and depart towards Kennedy.

Day 13

After an early breakfast, we disembark for a full day of game viewing in Hwange National Park, with a packed lunch provided.

Covering a vast area of over 5,600 square miles (14,600 square kilometres), Hwange is the largest game reserve in Zimbabwe and is the size of Belgium. Situated in close proximity to the arid Kalahari, this remote wildlife sanctuary is renowned for its enormous population of elephants, as well as vast herds of buffalo, zebra and giraffe. It is also home to many predators including lions, hyena and endangered wild dogs, which are thriving in the region. With over 100 different species of mammals, a marvellous wildlife experience is guaranteed. The bird life is also outstanding.

In the late afternoon we return to the train and depart towards Thompson's Junction.

Day 14

After breakfast we arrive at our journey's end – the incomparable Victoria Falls on the mighty Zambezi River.

Located in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA), where the borders of five African countries converge, the sheer scale of this vast international conservation project is difficult to comprehend. It encompasses a bewildering range of experiences, ranging from the mighty Victoria Falls to the lifeforce of the region, the Zambezi and Chobe Rivers.

Arrive at Victoria Falls Station around 10.00, and walk across the road to the Victoria Falls Hotel. We will then enjoy a walking tour of the village and the falls with lunch included.

In the late afternoon enjoy a Sunset Cruise on the Zambezi River where you can see hippos, crocodiles and abundant bird life. After the cruise we will be taken back to the hotel where our tour ends.

Note: We suggest you take a raincoat for walking in the rainforest opposite the Victoria Falls.

Day 15

Today enjoy a shared tour exploring on foot the mighty Victoria Falls and its rainforests, which offer magnificent views.

Afterwards you may wish to visit Elephants Walk, a small crafts complex where you can see talented local artists and sculptors at work and support them by buying one of their items. Alternatively you can participate in various optional activities, such as a helicopter flight over the falls.

In the late afternoon enjoy an included cruise on the Zambezi River where you may see hippos, crocodiles and abundant birdlife.

Note: Take light rainwear for use when the falls are full.

Day 16

Transfer to Victoria Falls Airport for your flight home.

Enquire Now ▶

◀ Return to Zimbabwe + Victoria Falls holidays