Luxury Safari by Rail

Embark on an extraordinary journey with Pure One Travel as you explore the majestic landscapes of Namibia by rail. This exclusive safari package takes you on an 18-night adventure, blending the rugged beauty of the African wilderness with the elegance of luxury travel. Your journey begins in Windhoek, where you’ll experience the tranquillity of Zannier Reserve before venturing to the dramatic Damaraland, home to desert-adapted wildlife and stunning vistas. Throughout your stay, you’ll enjoy top-tier accommodations, exquisite dining, and immersive nature experiences, making this a once-in-a-lifetime safari adventure.

As part of this package, you’ll board the renowned Rovos Rail, one of the world’s most luxurious train experiences, for an 11-day journey that captures the heart of Africa. Travelling in the opulent Pullman Suite, you’ll savour gourmet meals and fine beverages while the stunning Namibian landscape unfolds outside your window. The adventure doesn’t end on board; you’ll enjoy guided excursions, including game drives in Etosha National Park, a desert exploration in Sossusvlei, and visits to iconic landmarks like Lüderitz and the Fish River Canyon.

With every detail carefully curated, from scenic flights and nature walks to cultural excursions and stargazing from your private veranda, this safari by rail package promises to immerse you in the wild beauty of Namibia, all while travelling in unparalleled comfort and style. Let Pure One Travel take care of every aspect, so you can relax and fully embrace the essence of this remarkable African experience.

Day 1 – 2 – ZANNIER HOTELS OMAANDA • ZANNIER RESERVE

Welcome to Namibia! You will be greeted by your English-speaking driver guide and after an orientation tour of Windhoek you will be transferred to your first overnight stop, the Zaneer Hotel Omaanda. The beautiful lodge clay huts, inspired by traditional Owambo architecture, are located in Zannier Reserve, a 22,000-acre wildlife conservancy located half an hour from Windhoek and have magnificent views stretching to the distant hills of the Khomas Hochland Plateau. The lodge is in partnership with the N/a’an ku sê Foundation, hence guests are treated to unforgettable experiences, from breakfasting with meerkats to up-close sightings of big cats. A sunrise or sunset conservation drive per overnight/person is included in your package. The conservation drive may be exchanged for a 60-minute spa treatment with a choice of our “Customised Touch” treatments.

Day 3 – 5 – WILDERNESS DORO NAWAS • TWYFELFONTEIN

After breakfast and check out you will be transferred to Windhoek Int. Airport where you will be boarding an In-seat scheduled charter-flight to the beautiful Damaraland. Immerse yourself in the beauty of this region. Stunning panoramas, populated by desert-adapted wildlife and unusual flora.  Engage with the local Doro Nawas community and discover the fascinating ancient history and incredible geological phenomena of Damaraland. Be mesmerised by catching a glimpse of a black rhinos, desert-adapted elephants and more. Discover a diversity you never knew existed in the desertscape of Namibia at Doro Nawas. The airy veranda of your suite offers a shady resting place by day and by night, a space from which to gaze at, and fall asleep under, a blanket of a million stars. Twice daily scheduled camp activities are for example morning and afternoon scenic drives or guided nature walks, San Rock Art excursions, Damara Culture in the camp and in the Damara Living Museum.

Day 6 – STRAND HOTEL SWAKOPMUND • SWAKOPMUND

After a last activity, breakfast and check out you will be transferred back to the airstrip where you will be boarding an in seat scheduled charter flight to Swakopmund at the Atlantic coastline. You will be transferred to your Hotel in Swakopmund and have the rest of the day to explore this town. Swakopmund is located in the Erongo region of Namibia. The largest coastal town in Namibia is a major attraction for holidaymakers from all over the world. The seaside resort shows its German origins in its European colonial architecture, which stands in stark contrast to the landscape of the Namib Desert. Stroll along “The Mole”, a beautiful old pier and visit the Swakopmund Lighthouse.

Day 7 – ROVOS RAIL

Check-in at Walvis Bay Station, Namibia. The train departs for Otjiwarongo. Guests may freshen up in their suites before joining fellow travellers in the lounge car or observation car at the rear of the train. Lunch is served in the dining cars. The train travels across the Namib Desert towards Otjiwarongo. Tea in the lounge and observation cars. The observation car will be leading the train until lunchtime tomorrow –
a different aspect that our rail enthusiasts enjoy. Dinner is served in the dining cars. Dress: Formal

The Namib stretches for more than 2000km along the Atlantic coasts of Angola, Namibia and South Africa. The geology consists of sand seas near the coast while gravel plains and scattered mountain outcrops occur further inland. The name is of Khoekhoegowab origin and means “vast place”. Having endured arid or semi-arid conditions for roughly 55-80 million years, the Namib may be the oldest desert in the world.

Day 8 – CHEETAH CONSERVATION FUND

Breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure. Transfer (±60 min) to a cheetah conservation project in Otjiwarongo for a visit. Founded in Namibia in 1990, the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) is dedicated to saving the cheetah in the wild. Lunch is served in the dining cars en route to Tsumeb. Tea in the lounge car and observation car at the rear of the train. Dinner is served in the dining cars. Dress: Formal

Day 9 – ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK

Pack a small overnight bag ready for the stay at Etosha. Tog bags have been placed in your suite
for your convenience. Breakfast is served in the dining cars. Transfer (±60 min) to a lodge in Etosha for overnight. Check-in and enjoy lunch. Afternoon game drive (approximately 3 hours). Dinner and overnight at the lodge. Dress: Casual.

Etosha National Park (22270km2) offers great game viewing with many species of mammals, birds and reptiles. It gets its name from the Etosha pan (4760km2), which almost entirely lies within the park. Etosha is a large salt pan forming part of the Kalahari basin and means ‘Great White Place’.

Day 10 – ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK AND KRANZBERG

Breakfast at the lodge followed by a game drive in the Etosha National Park. Return to the lodge to freshen up and check-out. Transfer (±60 min) to the train at Tsumeb Station. Lunch is served in the dining cars. Tea in the lounge and observation cars. Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Kranzberg. Dress: Formal

Day 11 – SOSSUSVLEI

Breakfast is served in the dining cars. Transfer to the airstrip. Depart in a light aircraft for a one-hour flight to a Sossusvlei lodge for overnight. After check-in, enjoy lunch at the restaurant. Afternoon desert drive and a bush dinner after sunset. Overnight at the lodge. Dress: Casual

The dunes of the Namib Desert were created by sand carried by the wind from the coast of Namibia. The sand here is over five million years old and is red in colour due to its iron-oxide content. As the light changes during the day, so does the appearance of the dunes’ characteristic colour allowing for interesting photographs at any time. The wind in the Sossusvlei area blows from all directions causing the sand to form a star shape with multiple arms, hence the name “star dunes”.

Day 12 – WINDHOEK

An early wake-up call with tea and coffee. Enjoy a desert drive with breakfast in the vlei.
Return to the lodge to use the facilities, check-out and transfer to the airstrip. Depart Sossusvlei in a light aircraft for the one-hour flight to Windhoek. Lunch at Windhoek Country Club followed by a city tour. Visit the Trans-Namib Transport Museum, the Independence Memorial Museum, the Evangelical Lutheran Church (a striking landmark) and the Namibia Craft Centre in the old Breweries Building.
The train travels south through the Kalahari Desert. Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Mariental. Dress: Formal

Situated in Namibia’s central highlands, Windhoek is an attractive city surrounded by clusters of hills and the impressive Auas and Eros Mountains. The Trans-Namib Transport Museum outlines Namibian transport history, particularly that of the railway. The Independence Memorial Museum focuses on the anti-colonial resistance and the national liberation struggle of Namibia.

Day 13 – KEETMANSHOOP AND GARAS PARK

Breakfast is served in the dining cars. Lunch is served in the dining cars. Visit Keetmanshoop and Garas Park (Quiver Trees), home to roughly 300 specimens of the Aloe dichotomy. The prehistoric trees have forked branches that reach up to 5m making for great photographic opportunities. Tea in the lounge and observation cars. Dinner is served in the dining cars. Dress: Formal

Day 14 – KOLMANSKOP

Breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure. Transfer (±60 min) to the ghost town of Kolmanskop for a visit followed by lunch in Lüderitz. Lüderitz is known for its museum, colonial architecture and wildlife including seals, penguins, flamingos and ostriches. Look out for
the illusive legendary horses rumoured to roam the Namib. Depart for Holoog. The observation car will be leading the train until after dinner. Dinner is served in the dining cars. Dress: “Africa” Theme or Smart Casual

Day 15 – FISH RIVER CANYON

Breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure. Transfer (±60 min) to the Fish River Canyon. Lunch is served in the dining cars. Tea in the lounge and observation cars. Border formalities with South Africa. Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Upington. Dress: Formal

The Fish River rises in the centre of the country before flowing south into the Orange River on Namibia’s border with South Africa. It has formed the great Fish River Canyon – the largest canyon in the southern hemisphere and probably only second to Arizona’s Grand Canyon in terms of size. The vast rocky landscape breaks up into a series of spectacular cliffs. Its size is impressive: 161km long, up to 27km wide and almost 550m at its deepest.

Day 16 – UPINGTON – KAROO – ORANGE RIVER

Breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure. Enjoy a walking tour of Upington with a cruise on the Orange River. Travel through the Karoo, a vast semi-desert region that was once an enormous inland sea. Over millions of years, volcanic matter was ground down and deposited as silt upon the seabed to form what geologists call the Karoo system. Lunch is served in the dining cars. Tea in the lounge and observation cars. Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Kimberley. Dress: Formal

The Orange River is the longest river in South Africa (2432km/1511mi). It rises in the Drakensberg Mountains in Lesotho and flows westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean. It forms part of the borders between South Africa and Lesotho and South Africa and Namibia. Except for Upington, it does not pass through any major cities. Attorney General of the Cape, Sir Thomas Upington was principally responsible for liquidating the business activities of all the Orange River pirates and capturing their leader, Klaas Lucas. When the desperadoes were finally chased away in 1884, the town was founded on the banks of the Orange River and named in his honour.

Day 17 – THE BIG HOLE

Breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure. Enjoy a tour of Kimberley’s Diamond Mine Museum and the Big Hole. Capital of the Northern Cape, Kimberley is well known for the discovery of diamonds that led to its establishment in 1871. Lunch is served in the dining cars. The train continues its climb to Pretoria. Tea in the lounge and observation cars. Dinner is served in the dining cars. Dress: “1920s” Theme or Smart Casual

Day 18 – THE CAPITAL MENLYN MAINE • PRETORIA

Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00. Travel through the goldfields of the Witwatersrand. Lunch is served in the dining cars. Arrive at journey’s end at Rovos Rail Station, Pretoria. You will be greeted by your English-speaking driver and transferred to your Hotel in Pretoria, where you may relax and have dinner in one of the close by restaurants (optional). 

Day 19 – UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN!

It’s time to say goodbye and we hope your suitcases are packed full with truly magnificent experiences and adventures from your trip through Namibia. After breakfast and Check-out you will be transferred to Johannesburg Tambo Airport. Check-in for your onward or return flight.

We wish you a safe and  pleasant journey and hope to welcoming you back soon in Southern Africa with Pure One Travel.

Your Itinerary in more detail: Click Here
A video of the experience: Watch Video