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Vacations By Rail · Escorted tour

Victoria Falls, Cape Town & Botswana Safari

14-day Africa safari and train journey from Victoria Falls to Cape Town

Illustration of Victoria Falls, Cape Town & Botswana Safari

Vacations By Rail's 14-day escorted tour combines wildlife viewing across three countries with a luxury sleeper train journey. Beginning at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, the tour takes you on a sunset river cruise and UNESCO falls tour before moving to Botswana's Chobe National Park for game drives and wildlife spotting. A flight then carries the group to Pretoria, where you board Rovos Rail's Pride of Africa for a two-night passage to Durban, traveling in air-conditioned Pullman Suites with fine dining and a sunrise safari in Nambiti Reserve. The final days are spent in Cape Town, with guided tours of Table Mountain, the Cape Peninsula, and Boulders Bay penguin colony. Accommodation throughout spans four-star hotels and the luxury train. This tour suits repeat rail travelers and luxury-seekers who want an all-arranged itinerary with expert guides, wildlife expertise, and a signature sleeper train experience woven throughout.

What to know before you look closer

  • The tour includes only 6 lunches and 3 dinners; most other meals are not provided.
  • Travel insurance is not included and must be arranged separately.
  • The journey involves five flights and multiple coach transfers; only 2 of 14 nights are spent aboard the train.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Victoria Falls

    The iconic Victoria Falls, sunset cruise on the Zambezi

    Meet the Tour Manager at the hotel on the banks of the Zambezi River, enjoy a welcome drink, then a sunset river cruise looking out for hippos, crocodiles and elephants.

  2. Day 2overnight: Victoria Falls

    The spectacular Victoria Falls

    A morning tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Victoria Falls ('Mosi-oa-Tunya'), with a free afternoon at the lodge, followed by a traditional Boma dinner with African drummers, dancers and a Sangoma storyteller.

  3. Day 3overnight: Chobe National Park

    Botswana and cruising Chobe River at sunset

    Travel by road to Kasane in Botswana's Chobe District, a scenic sunset cruise along the Chobe River spotting elephants, giraffes, antelopes and buffalos.

  4. Day 4overnight: Chobe National Park

    Wildlife viewing in the Chobe National Park

    An early 4x4 game drive through Chobe National Park, home to the largest surviving elephant population in the world, with the rest of the day at leisure.

  5. Day 5overnight: Pretoria

    Flight to Johannesburg and overnight in Pretoria

    A short transfer to Kasane Airport for a flight to Johannesburg, then transfer to a hotel in Pretoria, South Africa's administrative capital.

  6. Day 6railovernight: Train (Rovos Rail's Pride of Africa)

    The Pride of Africa train to Kwa-Zulu Natal

    Transfer to Pretoria's Capital Park private station to board the Rovos Rail Pride of Africa for a two-night journey to Durban, crossing South Africa's Highveld plateau in air-conditioned Pullman cabins with five-star service.

  7. Day 7railovernight: Train (Rovos Rail's Pride of Africa)

    A sunrise safari in Nambiti Reserve, and a choice of excursions

    A wildlife drive through Nambiti Reserve before breakfast, brunch aboard, then a choice of the Spionkop Battlefield tour or a Spionkop Reserve wildlife drive, sundowners, and dinner back aboard the train.

  8. Day 8overnight: Durban

    Overnight in Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal

    Breakfast aboard, a stop near Howick to visit the Ardmore Ceramics Gallery, then lunch onboard before arriving in the coastal city of Durban and transferring to a central hotel on the Golden Mile.

  9. Day 9overnight: Knysna

    Early flight to Port Elizabeth, Jeffreys Bay, Plettenberg Vineyard & Knysna

    An early internal flight to Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha), a scenic coach journey along the Garden Route with a stop at Nyosi Wildlife Reserve and a wine tasting, arriving in Knysna.

  10. Day 10overnight: Knysna

    Cruising the Knysna Lagoon to Featherbed Nature Reserve

    A boat trip on Knysna Lagoon to the Featherbed Nature Reserve, a guided nature walk, and lunch beneath a canopy of Milkwood trees.

  11. Day 11overnight: Cape Town

    Visit to Oudtshoorn, Ostrich Farm tour and on to Cape Town

    A coach journey to Cape Town via the semi-arid town of Oudtshoorn, a guided ostrich farm tour and a South African braai lunch, arriving in Cape Town in the early evening for a three-night stay.

  12. Day 12overnight: Cape Town

    Cape Town Orientation Tour followed by free time

    A city orientation tour taking in City Hall, Parliament, Company's Gardens, the Castle of Good Hope and Bo-Kaap, then a cable car to the top of Table Mountain.

  13. Day 13overnight: Cape Town

    Tour of the Cape Peninsula, the penguins of Boulders Bay

    A full-day tour of the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve and Chapman's Peak Drive, the Flying Dutchman funicular at Cape Point, Simon's Town, and the African penguin colony at Boulders Bay.

  14. Day 14

    Homeward bound

    A leisurely breakfast before transfer to Cape Town Airport to continue the journey home.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 1Day 1: sunset cruise on the Zambezi River from A'Zambezi River Lodge, watching for hippos, crocodiles, and elephants.
  • Day 2Day 2: morning tour of Victoria Falls, UNESCO World Heritage site, followed by a Boma dinner with African drummers and a Sangoma storyteller.
  • Day 4Day 4: early morning 4x4 game drive through Chobe National Park, home to the largest surviving elephant population in the world.
  • Day 6Day 6: board Rovos Rail's Pride of Africa at Pretoria's Capital Park station for a two-night journey in Pullman Suites across South Africa's Highveld.
  • Day 13Day 13: full-day Cape Peninsula tour including the Flying Dutchman funicular at Cape Point and the African penguin colony at Boulders Bay.

Included

  • Expertise of a Tour Manager from start to finish
  • 11 nights' 4-Star hotel accommodation
  • 2 nights in Pullman Suite aboard Rovos Rail
  • Standard Class rail travel on local rail networks
  • All rail and coach travel throughout your tour
  • All internal flights
  • Breakfast each day, 6 lunches, 3 dinners
  • All guided tours and excursions

Not included

  • Cancellation & Travel Insurance is not included in the price of the tour but can be arranged

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included?
Yes. All rail and coach travel throughout the tour is included, including a two-night journey on Rovos Rail's Pride of Africa from Pretoria to Durban in Pullman Suites.
Is the tour escorted?
Yes. Vacations By Rail provides a Tour Manager from start to finish, and you travel among a group of like-minded travelers.
How many nights are on the train?
Two nights, in Pullman Suites aboard Rovos Rail's Pride of Africa between Pretoria and Durban.
What is the physical activity level?
Mobility Rating 2. The tour includes game drives, wildlife walks, boat trips, city tours, and a cable car ride to Table Mountain.
What meals are included?
Breakfast each day, 6 lunches, and 3 dinners. Other meals are not included in the price.
When does the tour depart?
The operator does not publish specific departure dates; confirm availability and dates directly with Vacations By Rail.

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