Southern Cross: Kruger National Park, Great Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls & More

Start your trip off with a simple check in a minimum of one hour before departure, or arrive early to walk around the to visit our museum or do a site tour at Rovos Rail Station.

Set off on the rains from Pretoria at 10am to freshen up, check out your suite, and admire the scenery from the lounge cars as the train travels on the eastern line towards the harsh eMalahleni coal-mining area and Middelburg, known as the "Stainless Steel Capital of Africa". Enjoy a lunch, tea, and dinner throughout the day as you race on across the countryside.

Accommodation: Rovos Rail

Wake up to the soothing rocking of rail travel before heading to the dining cars to grab breakfast. 

Step off the tracks today as you enjoy a full-day tour of historical areas. Explore Pilgrim's Rest, a living museum now declared a National Monument that restored the homes of over 1500 prospectors in the 1870s. Now hosting shops and restaurants, visitors can pop into old homes for a modern twist of tourism. Following Pilgrim's rest, journey to Bourke's Luck Potholes, strange deep cylindrical cavities formed by river erosion and floodwater. Experience a bit of nature at Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, featuring the most spectacular viewpoints overlooking South Africa's Lowveld, so named because it is much lower than the high escarpment along which the Panorama Route runs. Hop on The Graskop viewing lift, taking visitors 51m down the face of the gorge into the forest below where wooden walkways and suspension bridges meander along a 600m trail through the indigenous forest with an interactive exhibit (lift for own account). 

Following your adventures of the day, return to the train in Mbombela for dinner and departure towards the beautiful Malelane.

Grab an early breakfast to prepare for your adventures of the day as you set off on a full-day game viewing in the Kruger Park. Capture the beauty of animals in their natural habitat as you try to spot just a few of the impressive number of species at home, including 336 species of trees, 49 species of fish, 34 species of amphibians, 114 species of reptiles, 507 species of birds and 147 species of mammals including the Big Five.

Head back to the train for a departure into Mozambique. Enjoy dinner and settle in for the night.

Start your day off dining on the train before setting off for the city of Maputo. Wander the streets through a guided city tour to embrace the culture, cuisine, and classic sights of the city, including the architecture. Maputo is known as 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. Try to spot the differences in the streets as you walk along and discover more of the city's history.

Head back to the train around 16:00 for enough time to set off to Mpaka. Settle in for the night as you enjoy the sights from the lounge train.

Grab a quick morning meal before you disembark at Mpaka. Welcome to eSwatini (formerly Swaziland), a small, but mountainous country sustaining two capital cities. Enjoy a 90 minute transfer to Swazi Candles and visit Mantenga Cultural Village with lunch at Mantenga Lodge. Explore the various markets as you  interact with the artisans as they make a variety of candles. Woodcarvings, colorful textiles, and superb basketwork are also on display. Mantenga Cultural Village is a living museum of old traditions representing a classical Swazi lifestyle during the 1800s. With the traditional artifacts on display, the village illustrates many facets of the ancient Swazi way of life: social, economic, and religious. 

Return to the train in the early afternoon to head out on your journey to Hoedspruit. Border formalities take place. The rest of the evening is yours to enjoy.

Head off on an early morning, setting out by 05:30 to get started en route to the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre. Situated in South Africa's northernmost province of Limpopo, renowned for its prolific and diverse wildlife, Kapama Private Game Reserve is home to over 40 different mammal species including the Big Five, approximately 350 bird species and a myriad smaller species. Take time to admire the conservation efforts of the reserve while spotting some favourite creatures along the way. 

Return to the train for lunch and a departure towards Tzaneen and Louis Trichardt. The rest of the day is at your leisure.

Keep to the tracks today as you set out for Rutenga in Zimbabwe. Enjoy the stunning scenery of the Limpopo Province, divided into five regions. Spend the day at leisure, popping into the dining car for all three meals as well as an additional tea.

Kickstart your morning with a quick breakfast before heading off the rail to the Great Zimbabwe Monument, a hugely impressive monument situated on the southeastern edge of the central plateau and the largest pre-colonial monument south of the Egyptian pyramids. A celebrated achievement of the African people and a place where magical fables such as the story of King Solomon's Mines find their origins amongst the ruins of an ancient city built by the Rozwi people. Discover how these ancient people lived and mined gold and silver, which were ultimately taken out of Africa by Arabic and Portuguese traders.

After your day tour of the Great Zimbabwe Monument, head back to the train to enjoy dinner and relax for the evening as you head towards Gweru.

Grab an early morning breakfast to prepare for a full day adventure at Antelope Park, a unique game reserve and a haven of tranquility welcoming guests and volunteer eco-tourists alike.. Enjoy optional extras including canoeing, game drives, horseback game viewing, elephant interaction, bird-watching cruises, and more. 

Return to the train for 16:00 after a day of excitement and adventure for a nice dinner and journey onwards to Bulawayo.

Enjoy your breakfast before heading out to the stunning sights of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Matobo National Park, named by the Ndebele King, Mzilikazi. Take time to visit his grave alongside the grave of Cecil John Rhodes at the summit of Malindidzimu - a hill of benevolent spirits. He referred to this hill as having a view of the world. Take a walk through history as you visit the more accessible bushman caves, of which there are many hidden amongst the hills. 

After spending your day amongst the hills, head back to the train for dinner and an evening at your leisure en route to Kennedy.

Enjoy a morning breakfast to prepare for a full day exploring Hwange National Park. Situated in the northwest corner of Zimbabwe, Hwange National Park covers 1 462 000 hectares making it the nation's largest wildlife area. It contains a variety of animals and bird species but is well-known for its prolific lion population. Spend the day admiring the power and prestige of the lions and their cubs.

Head back to the train to grab dinner and relax as you set off towards tomorrow's adventures.

Grab your last breakfast of the trip and head out of the station to the stunning Victoria Falls. Wander the area for a bit before meeting up with the group for a tour of the village and falls. It is believed that there have existed no less than seven different Victoria Falls over the past two million years. These cascades correspond to the lower gorges of the Zambezi. The present falls are wearing from Devil's Cataract northwards, eroding the softer material behind the present basalt base of the falls. When eventually all the soft matter has been removed, the Victoria Falls will move back, a fresh gorge will yawn and where the falls are now will become a new site for tourists. 

Embrace the beauty of the natural scenery and then gather at 16:00 for a final sunset cruise along the peaceful Zambezi River. 

Following the cruise, arrive back at Victoria Falls to head home or extend your stay.