Namibia by Rovos Rail: Cape Town to Walvis Bay

Your adventure begins today when you board the British Airways overnight flight from London Heathrow to Cape Town, South Africa.

On arrival in Cape Town this morning you are transferred from the airport to your chosen hotel, either in the heart of the city or close to the breathtaking Twelve Apostles Mountain Range. Choose between our two handpicked 5* hotels, on a B&B basis.

Today is a free day in the 'Mother City'. Cape Town is a cultural melting pot whose history dates back thousands of years. With views other cities can only dream of, you could appreciate these from the top of Table Mountain (reached by cable car) or follow a hiking trail to the popular viewpoint, Lion's Head.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens also offers wonderful open views and is one of the world's seven most magnificent gardens. Set beneath Table Mountain this paradise in the city has a diverse array of indigenous plants including varieties of coral-hued proteas and fragrant flowering trees. You could also check out the popular Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, a buzzing waterside hub with restaurants, cinemas, heritage museums and a shopping centre. Or choose one of our optional excursions, available at a supplement.

Today is a second free day in Cape Town and a chance to really get under the skin of this beautiful city. You could visit one of the city's many museums or art galleries, several of which are situated in the historic 'Gardens' area, or spend some time exploring the coastline and relaxing by the ocean. Browse the stalls of Greenmarket Square in the city centre, visit the shops of the V&A waterfront or wander through the gritty Long Street market for local art, curios or souvenirs. Enjoy world-renowned South African cuisine at an upmarket restaurant in Bree Street, try a trendy eatery in the Kloof Road area, savour fresh seafood with a view in Camps Bay, or visit a local market to sample local dishes. Alternatively, choose one of our supplementary optional excursions.

Today you are transferred from your hotel to Cape Town station to board the iconic Rovos Rail train. Arguably the most luxurious train in the world, Rovos Rail offers a superb standard of service, with details such as fine china, glassware and crisp fresh linen, as well as excellent cuisine from an onboard team of chefs.

From the moment you step aboard this classic touring train you can appreciate the atmosphere of luxury and indulgence. The lounge car and observation car are perfect areas for relaxing and watching the scenery drift by, sinking into soft sofas and taking afternoon tea while passing stunning scenery.

The train departs at 10:00 am when you can join other passengers in the lounge car or observation car at the rear of the train. Lunch is served in the dining cars as we trundle through the scenic winelands of the Western Cape. Afternoon tea is taken in the lounge and observation cars, while dinner is served in the dining cars. Evenings are themed and you may wish to dress up accordingly or opt for smart casual.

During breakfast onboard the train arrives in Matjiesfontein, a characterful Victorian-era village with a famous hotel, the Lord Milner, which once attracted visitors such as Lord Randolph Churchill, Cecil John Rhodes and Rudyard Kipling. If there's time, you can visit the village or the museum on the platform which has a collection of vintage cars and railway carriages.

The train continues through the semi-desert region of the Karoo, once an enormous inland sea, now a vast terrain marked by isolated farms and wild ostriches. Lunch and dinner is served in the formal dining cars, while afternoon tea is taken in the lounge and observation cars.

The Rovos Rail train pulls into the historic South African town of Upington today and you disembark after lunch for a walking tour of this oasis in the Kalahari Desert, which benefits from its position in the fertile Orange River Valley. After seeing the town you take a sundowner cruise on the Orange River, the longest in South Africa, which rises in the mountains of Lesotho and flows westwards across the southwestern section of the continent, all the way to the Atlantic.

Dinner is served back on board the train.

Today brings another natural highlight of your tour, an excursion to the magnificent Fish River Canyon. After a leisurely breakfast the train travels along the southern reaches of the Kalahari Basin before lunch onboard. In the early afternoon you disembark at the stunning Fish River Canyon, the largest in the southern hemisphere and second in size to Arizona's Grand Canyon. This vast rocky landscape is defined by a series of spectacular cliffs. And its dimensions? 161 kilometers long, up to 27 kilometers wide and almost 550 meters at its deepest. You return to the train before dinner onboard.

Breakfast is served early this morning before the train arrives in the fascinating ghost town of Kolmanskop, followed by lunch in the small colonial town of Lüderitz. Here you could visit the museum, look around the historical buildings or maybe wander around the harbour where you might spot seals, penguins and flamingos. Back onboard, the train makes its way to Keetmanshoop with the observation car at the front of the train until after dinner. As the journey takes you across the vast Namib, look out for the elusive wild horses that are rumoured to roam the desert in this region.

This morning brings another unique tour experience. Alight the train at Keetmanshoop to visit the fascinating Quiver Trees of Garas Park. But don't forget your camera. These striking trees are a type of Aloe whose forked branches reach up to five meters, which look especially dramatic against the red sands and blue skies. Many hundreds of years old, the trees are not petrified, but preserved by the dry desert heat. Return to the train before lunch when your journey continues to Mariental. Tea is served in the lounge and observation cars, and this evening dinner is served enroute to Rehoboth.

Today you pack a small overnight bag (available in your suite) then step off the train after breakfast for a short transfer to the airstrip and a one-hour flight in a light aircraft to the surreal sands of Sossusvlei and an overnight stay in Sossusvlei Lodge.

The sand here is over five million years old and its vivid red colour is due to its high iron-oxide content. As the light changes during the day, so does the appearance and colour of the dunes, which means interesting photographs at any time. Created over millennia, these remarkable 'star dunes' were formed by the changing wind directions of the Sossusvlei area. After checking in to the lodge it's time for lunch followed by an afternoon at leisure. Later you are taken on an afternoon desert drive into this otherworldly landscape, before an outdoor bush dinner after the sun sets. Overnight at the lodge.

Your day begins with an early wake-up call for tea or coffee before heading out on an exciting drive into the atmospheric desert where you may witness some local wildlife. Breakfast is served outdoors during this excursion. Next, you transfer back to the airstrip for a one-hour flight on a light aircraft to Namibia's capital, Windhoek. The city is surrounded by the central Highlands, and the mountains of Auas and Eros. On landing, a short transfer takes you to the colonial Windhoek Country Club for lunch, before an afternoon tour of the city.

Sights include the Trans-Namib Transport Museum, the Independence Memorial Museum - which showcases the nation's struggle for liberation - the striking Lutheran Chapel and the Namibia Craft Centre in the Old Breweries building. Returning to the train at the end of the afternoon, you depart for Kranzberg before dinner in the dining cars.

After a scenic breakfast in the dining cars, you visit a cheetah conservation project, dedicated to saving the cheetah in the wild. Located near the city of Ojiwarongo, this full-scale conservation organisation is working to save the cheetah and its ecosystem. Here you meet the project's Ambassador Cheetahs at the Cheetah Run as well as the livestock guarding dogs. The landscape is part of the picturesque Waterberg Plateau of open bushland and red mountains, where herds of impala may be seen grazing.

Lunch is served enroute to Tsumeb, followed by a relaxing afternoon on board. Afternoon tea is served in the lounge and observation cars, now at the rear of the train. Dinner is served from the dining cars, as the train departs from Otavi into everchanging scenery.

Today brings another exciting outdoor adventure in the fantastic Etosha National Park, and an overnight stay in the Etosha Lodge. This vast park is named after the incredible Etosha Pan, a large salt pan which forms part of the larger Kalahari Basin. Etosha was named by the indigenous Ovambo tribe, and means 'Great White Place'.

After a leisurely breakfast transfer to the lodge where there is time to relax and maybe enjoy the facilities such as the swimming pool before lunch, followed by check-in. This afternoon you are taken on a fabulous wildlife safari into this park, which is home to zebra, wildebeest, different types of antelope, as well as elephants, lions, leopards and giraffes. You are likely to see some of these magnificent creatures in the park and - in the rainy season - may be lucky to witness a 'flamboyance' of flamingos gathering at a watering hole.

Your day starts with an early breakfast at the lodge followed by a morning drive into the Etosha National Park. On safari, it's impossible to predict what you may see, but anticipation is a big part of the excitement. After checking out of the lodge you are transferred to the train at Tsumeb Station before lunch in the dining cars. Once again, the observation cars lead the train until tomorrow and you can enjoy views from the windows over afternoon tea. This evening dinner is served as the train travels southwest towards the Atlantic Ocean.

This morning there's time for a leisurely final breakfast onboard, as the train traverses the ancient Namib Desert and reaches its journey's end, Walvis Bay. Arriving around midday, you are transferred to your hotel in the coastal town of Swakopmund for the night.

Your Namibian vacation comes to a close today and you could enjoy some free time in the city to explore, before it's time for you to leave. After being transferred from your hotel to Walvis Bay airport you catch your overnight flight, connecting through Johannesburg's Oliver Tambo International Airport back to London Heathrow.

This epic adventure has taken you from South Africa's vibrant city of Cape Town to the surreal sand-sculpted landscapes of Namibia, from the magnificent Fish River Canyon to mysterious ghost towns and coastal cities, untouched by time. Your British Airways flight touches down in London Heathrow this morning and you are free to make your way homewards.