How much does it cost?

From £14,995 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $20,255 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.

Is train travel included?

Yes. The price includes 11 nights aboard Rovos Rail in a Pullman Suite, all meals, beverages and transfers on the train.

Are the flights included?

Yes. The package includes a return flight from London Heathrow to Cape Town departing Day 1 and returning Day 17 via Johannesburg.

Is this an escorted or independent tour?

Great Rail Journeys markets it as an independent tour. Days 2, 3 and 4 in Cape Town are free days; optional paid excursions are available separately. Once aboard Rovos Rail, the itinerary is set.

What hotels are included?

Four nights in bed and breakfast hotels: two nights in either The Taj Hotel or Twelve Apostles Hotel (both five-star) in Cape Town, one night at Sossusvlei Lodge, one night at Etosha Lodge and one night at Strand Hotel (four-star) in Swakopmund.

What wildlife or outdoor activities are included?

Included: wildlife safaris in Etosha National Park (morning and afternoon), afternoon desert drive at Sossusvlei, sundowner cruise on the Orange River at Upington, and visits to Kolmanskop ghost town, Fish River Canyon and Quiver Trees of Garas Park. Additional optional tours available in Cape Town.

Great Rail Journeys · Independent rail holiday

Namibia by Rovos Rail: Cape Town to Walvis Bay

18-day Rovos Rail journey Cape Town to Walvis Bay through Namibia deserts

Great Rail Journeys operates this 18-day independent rail journey from London to Walvis Bay, Namibia, centred on 11 nights aboard Rovos Rail, one of the world's most luxurious trains. The journey begins with two days in Cape Town, where you choose a five-star hotel and can explore Table Mountain, the Winelands or the V&A Waterfront on your own schedule (optional paid tours are available). On Day 5 you board the train at Cape Town and travel through the semi-desert Karoo region, stopping for a sundowner cruise on the Orange River at Upington and a visit to the Fish River Canyon, Africa's largest canyon at 161 kilometres long. The route continues south through the Namib Desert to Kolmanskop ghost town and the colonial port town of Lüderitz, then inland to Sossusvlei, where you spend one night at a lodge surrounded by five-million-year-old red dunes and take a desert drive at sunset.

Price history

Across 5 checks, this price has risen £2,180 since 4 Jul, to £14,995.

Each point is a day we checked this operator's own page, not a weekly average, and the line holds flat between checks rather than guessing at movement we did not see. 3 of 5 points are a live read of the operator's page. Hollow points are values shown when the trip was first listed here and never confirmed with the operator.

What to know before you look closer

Days 2, 3 and 4 are free days in Cape Town; optional paid excursions available separately (city tour, Winelands, safari).
Day 17 departs Walvis Bay with an overnight flight connecting through Johannesburg; arrival in London on Day 18.
Final night is in a four-star hotel in Swakopmund, stepping down from the five-star Cape Town hotels and Rovos Rail luxury.

Day by day

Day 1overnight: In flight
Fly from the UK to Cape Town
Overnight British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Cape Town, South Africa.
Day 2overnight: Cape Town
Cape Town
Transfer from the airport to a chosen 5-star hotel in Cape Town, either in the city centre or near the Twelve Apostles Mountain Range, on a B&B basis.
Day 3overnight: Cape Town
Getting to know Cape Town
A free day to explore Cape Town independently - Table Mountain, Lion's Head, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens or the V&A Waterfront - or choose an optional excursion.
Day 4overnight: Cape Town
Exploring Cape Town
A second free day in Cape Town for museums, markets and restaurants, or an optional supplementary excursion.
Day 5railovernight: Onboard Rovos Rail
Rovos Rail
Transfer to Cape Town station to board Rovos Rail, departing at 10am through the winelands of the Western Cape with lunch, afternoon tea and dinner served onboard.
Day 6railovernight: Onboard Rovos Rail
Matjiesfontein
Arrive at the Victorian-era village of Matjiesfontein during breakfast, with time to visit the village or museum, before the train continues through the Karoo semi-desert.
Day 7overnight: Onboard Rovos Rail
Upington and the Orange River
Disembark after lunch for a walking tour of Upington in the Kalahari Desert, followed by a sundowner cruise on the Orange River before dinner back onboard.
Day 8railovernight: Onboard Rovos Rail
Fish River Canyon
Disembark in the early afternoon to visit the vast Fish River Canyon, the largest in the southern hemisphere, before returning to the train for dinner.
Day 9railovernight: Onboard Rovos Rail
Kolmanskop & Lüderitz
Visit the ghost town of Kolmanskop and the colonial town of Lüderitz for lunch, then continue by train towards Keetmanshoop, watching for wild horses in the Namib.
Day 10overnight: Onboard Rovos Rail
Keetmanshoop & Garas Park
Alight at Keetmanshoop to visit the Quiver Trees of Garas Park, then continue to Mariental and on towards Rehoboth with dinner served enroute.
Day 11overnight: Sossusvlei Lodge
Overnight in captivating Sossusvlei
Disembark after breakfast for a light-aircraft flight to Sossusvlei, checking in to Sossusvlei Lodge for lunch, an afternoon desert drive and an outdoor bush dinner.
Day 12railovernight: Onboard Rovos Rail
Sossusvlei & Windhoek
An early desert drive with breakfast outdoors, then a light-aircraft flight to Windhoek for lunch and a city tour, before returning to the train for dinner as it departs for Kranzberg.
Day 13railovernight: Onboard Rovos Rail
Cheetah Conservation Project
Visit a cheetah conservation project near Otjiwarongo to meet the Ambassador Cheetahs, with lunch enroute to Tsumeb and dinner onboard as the train departs Otavi.
Day 14overnight: Etosha Lodge
Etosha National Park
Transfer to Etosha Lodge for lunch and check-in, followed by an afternoon wildlife safari in Etosha National Park.
Day 15railovernight: Onboard Rovos Rail
Safari in the Etosha National Park
A morning wildlife drive in Etosha National Park, then transfer back to the train at Tsumeb Station for lunch and dinner as the train travels southwest towards the Atlantic.
Day 16railovernight: Swakopmund
Crossing the Namib Desert to Walvis Bay
A final breakfast onboard as the train crosses the Namib Desert to Walvis Bay, arriving around midday and transferring to a hotel in Swakopmund.
Day 17overnight: In flight
Walvis Bay to the UK
Free time in Swakopmund before transferring to Walvis Bay airport for the overnight flight home, connecting through Johannesburg.
Day 18
Arrival in London
Arrive at London Heathrow and make your own way home.

The moments this trip is built around

Day 5Day 5: Board Rovos Rail at Cape Town station at 10:00 am; lunch served in the dining cars through the scenic winelands of the Western Cape.
Day 8Day 8: Disembark at Fish River Canyon, 161 kilometers long, up to 27 kilometers wide and almost 550 meters at its deepest point.
Day 11Day 11: Transfer by light aircraft to Sossusvlei Lodge; afternoon desert drive into the red iron-rich dunes followed by outdoor bush dinner after sunset.
Day 14Day 14: Afternoon and Day 15: Morning wildlife safaris in Etosha National Park viewing zebra, wildebeest, antelope, elephants, lions, leopards and giraffes.

Included

11 nights onboard Rovos Rail in a Pullman Suite
4 nights' hotel accommodation on a bed & breakfast basis
All rail and transfers throughout the tour
Flight from London Heathrow to Walvis Bay
Flight from Johannesburg to London Heathrow
All meals aboard the train and all beverages including alcoholic drinks
Traditional entertainment on board

Not included

Cancellation & Travel Insurance

Questions travellers ask

How much does it cost?: From £14,995 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $20,255 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.
Is train travel included?: Yes. The price includes 11 nights aboard Rovos Rail in a Pullman Suite, all meals, beverages and transfers on the train.
Are the flights included?: Yes. The package includes a return flight from London Heathrow to Cape Town departing Day 1 and returning Day 17 via Johannesburg.
Is this an escorted or independent tour?: Great Rail Journeys markets it as an independent tour. Days 2, 3 and 4 in Cape Town are free days; optional paid excursions are available separately. Once aboard Rovos Rail, the itinerary is set.
What hotels are included?: Four nights in bed and breakfast hotels: two nights in either The Taj Hotel or Twelve Apostles Hotel (both five-star) in Cape Town, one night at Sossusvlei Lodge, one night at Etosha Lodge and one night at Strand Hotel (four-star) in Swakopmund.
What wildlife or outdoor activities are included?: Included: wildlife safaris in Etosha National Park (morning and afternoon), afternoon desert drive at Sossusvlei, sundowner cruise on the Orange River at Upington, and visits to Kolmanskop ghost town, Fish River Canyon and Quiver Trees of Garas Park. Additional optional tours available in Cape Town.