It carries the train from the Highveld to the Atlantic in the west, and it is the way to see Namibia’s most famous landscapes without driving. Since 2024 the Namibia Safari has been 11 nights, after merging with the Shongololo Dune Express, with Kolmanskop and Lüderitz added to the running.
At a Glance
- Duration
- 11 nights, about 3,400 km
- Route
- Pretoria to Walvis Bay, or Walvis Bay to Pretoria (available in reverse); some 2028 departures may start or end in Cape Town
Who It Suits
- Travellers who want Namibia’s big sights, from the Fish River Canyon to Sossusvlei and Etosha, without self-driving
- Guests who like desert scenery and a long journey
- Guests looking to combine Namibia with the African Collage
Highlights
- Kimberley, centre of one of the world’s famous diamond rushes, with its 1870s mining atmosphere and the Big Hole
- The Fish River Canyon, second in size only to the Grand Canyon
- Garas Park and its quiver-tree forest
- A cheetah conservation project and a city tour of Windhoek
- A flight to Sossusvlei for an overnight lodge stay in the Namib Desert
- A night in Etosha National Park with game drives
- The ghost town of Kolmanskop and the German colonial towns of Lüderitz and Swakopmund, ending at Walvis Bay
The Route
- Depart Pretoria
- Kimberley and the Big Hole
- Northern Cape, the Fish River Canyon and Garas Park
- Across the Kalahari to a cheetah conservation project
- Windhoek city tour
- Flight to Sossusvlei, with a lodge overnight
- Etosha National Park, with a lodge overnight and game drives
- Kolmanskop, Lüderitz and the Namib coast
- Swakopmund
- Arrive Walvis Bay
What’s Included
- Includes
- accommodation on board; all meals; all beverages on board; 24-hour room service; limited laundry; guided excursions where applicable; entrance fees as per the itinerary; government tax; lodge nights and the Sossusvlei flight as part of the itinerary.
- Excludes
- off-train beverages; international sparkling wine; gratuities (R200 to R300 per person per night suggested); personal expenses; pre- and post-tour accommodation, flights and transfers; visas; travel insurance. Child policy: ages 0 to 2 not permitted, ages 3 to 9 pay 75% of the adult rate, ages 10 and over pay in full.
Travel between May and October if you can, when the cooler weather suits both Etosha game viewing and the desert. The Namibia Safari can be combined with the African Collage, and Rovos Rail has run specials on select departures with free nights in Walvis Bay.