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South Africa / Zimbabwe / Mozambique / Eswatini

Southern Africa by Train: South Africa, Mozambique, Eswatini & Zimbabwe

Program No. 22912RJ
On an epic train trek across four nations in southern Africa, learn about life and culture in small African villages and capital cities and visit national parks and reserves for safari.

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Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone? 800-454-5768
Select your type of room
Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.

DATES & PRICES

Gold Cabin Emerald Cabin
Jun 3 - Jun 19, 2024
Gold Cabin 10,799
Emerald Cabin 13,599
Filling Fast!
Sep 2 - Sep 18, 2024
Gold Cabin 10,799
Emerald Cabin 13,599
Oct 29 - Nov 14, 2024
Gold Cabin 10,799
Emerald Cabin 13,599

DATES & PRICES

Gold Cabin Emerald Cabin
Filling Fast!
Jun 3 - Jun 19, 2024
Gold Cabin 13,959
Emerald Cabin 17,889
Filling Fast!
Sep 2 - Sep 18, 2024
Gold Cabin 13,959
Emerald Cabin 17,889
Filling Fast!
Oct 29 - Nov 14, 2024
Gold Cabin 13,959
Emerald Cabin 17,889

At a Glance

This epic journey will take you through four countries in the southern tip of Africa to meet local artisans and animals alike and to see incredible landscapes and wildlife found nowhere else in the world. Board the Rovos Rail in Pretoria and ride the rails to the stunning cliff-tops of Blyde River Canyon. Stop in Mozambique and Eswatini along the way to visit local markets and monuments, and visit three national parks and two game reserves to learn about conservation and see wildlife roaming across savannahs and rocky hills. End your journey in Zimbabwe, home to the cascading waters of Africa’s greatest waterfall and the historic Great Zimbabwe Ruins.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Due to the rough train tracks in southern Africa, the train sways and rolls, with the potential for sudden jerks, stops and starts, which can make walking in the train challenging. The train will continue to travel at night for periods of time, which results in squeaking and creaking noises, as well as swaying. The train may well be delayed due to factors beyond our control, which can result in the schedule of events being altered. Please be flexible in timing and daily itinerary. Standing for extended periods, potentially bumpy 4x4 rides. Long rides in open-air safari vehicles, requiring stamina and stability getting in/out of vehicles. Walking two miles, often on uneven terrain with no handholds. You must be agile and be able to walk on a train that sways and stops/starts suddenly.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Catch sightings of “The Big Five,” lions, buffalo, leopards, rhinos and elephants on 4x4 wildlife safaris in three national parks and a game reserve.
  • Learn about 20th-century South African history and the country’s new era of hope and freedom as a democracy during visits to Soweto and Pretoria.
  • Visit the Great Zimbabwe Ruins, the largest ancient monument south of the Egyptian pyramids, and Victoria Falls – one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

General Notes

Please refer to the day-to-day itinerary on the Road Scholar website or contact the Program Provider if you plan on booking your own flights for correct arrival and departure dates. Due to the special nature of the program, we regret that we are unable to match solo participants with roommates. Due to the nature of this program, listening devices are not available.
Featured Expert
All Experts
Profile Image
Johann Roscher
Johann Röscher was born in South Africa and grew up on State Forestry stations along the coastal belt of the Cape Province. He joined the military and studied at the North West University, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science. After traveling through the Middle East and Eastern Europe, he returned to South Africa to work as a socio-political researcher. Disillusioned with city life, Johann decided to change careers and lead safaris. He’s been taking groups on safaris in Kalahari and Okavango Delta for 17 years, and he’s never been more content with his choice to move to that beautiful and remote region.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Lisa Reed
Lisa Reed was born in Zimbabwe, spent her school years in South Africa, and now lives in Botswana. She has worked or visited most Southern and East African safari destinations, and has managed safari camps on her own and with others since being in Botswana. Lisa has a natural affinity with adults and children, and enjoys passing on her years of experience and knowledge to the next generation. She has been leading safaris for Road Scholar for more than 15 years.
Profile Image of Johann Roscher
Johann Roscher View biography
Johann Röscher was born in South Africa and grew up on State Forestry stations along the coastal belt of the Cape Province. He joined the military and studied at the North West University, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science. After traveling through the Middle East and Eastern Europe, he returned to South Africa to work as a socio-political researcher. Disillusioned with city life, Johann decided to change careers and lead safaris. He’s been taking groups on safaris in Kalahari and Okavango Delta for 17 years, and he’s never been more content with his choice to move to that beautiful and remote region.
Profile Image of Mark Geraghty
Mark Geraghty View biography
Mark Geraghty was born in Ndola, Northern Zambia where his father was stationed in the British Army. He grew up in Zambia, until his family moved to Harare, Zimbabwe. Not only has Mark traveled extensively throughout Southern Africa, but he has also spent time in Kenya and the Congo. His marriage into a prominent Zimbabwean family sparked an interest in Africa’s early history, specifically the “Scramble for Africa.” Mark is a passionate storyteller with a piercing insight and great sense of humor.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Africa Is Not a Country: Notes on a Bright Continent
by Dipo Faloyin
So often, Africa has been depicted simplistically as a uniform land of famines and safaris, poverty and strife, stripped of all nuance. This book offers stories that bring to life Africa’s rich diversity, communities, and histories.
The Big Conservation Lie
by John Mbaria, Mordecai Ogada
This book takes the reader through Kenya’s conservation ‘industry’ and the players therein with all their prejudices, weaknesses and commitment to causes. It is a call to indigenous Africans to claim their place at the table where the management of their natural resources is being discussed, and invites well-meaning donors to look beyond the romantic images and detect the possible role of their money in the disenfranchisement of a people.
Out of Darkness, Shining Light
by Petina Gappah
So begins Petina Gappah's powerful novel of exploration and adventure in nineteenth-century Africa—the captivating story of the loyal men and women who carried explorer and missionary Dr. Livingstone's body, his papers and maps, fifteen hundred miles across the continent of Africa, so his remains could be returned home to England and his work preserved there.
Glory
by NoViolet Bulawayo
Award-winning author follows the fall of the Old Horse, the long-serving leader of a fictional country, and the drama that follows for a nation of animals on the path to true liberation. Inspired by the unexpected fall by coup in 2017 of Robert G. Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s president of nearly four decades, Glory shows a country's imploding, narrated by a chorus of animal voices.
The Last Elephants
by Colin Bell & Don Pinnock
African savanna elephants--among the most magnificent and beloved of our fellow mammals--are an extraordinary, social, and intelligent species. The Last Elephants, an homage to these animals and a clarion call for their preservation, is based upon a shocking finding: savanna elephant populations across Africa are being decimated, with two to three murdered every hour for their ivory. Without action, these elephants soon will vanish from our world. They are a species in imminent danger of extinction, and it is up to us to save them.
Lonely Planet Southern Africa
by Alan Murphy
This hefty practical guide to the nine nations of southern Africa, including Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Swaziland (Eswatini), Malawi, Mozambique and Lesotho, is ideal for independent travelers on a multi-country tour.
South Africa, A Traveler's Literary Companion
by Isabel Balseiro (Editor), Tobias Hecht (Editor)
This diverse collection of short stories reveals South Africa through the eyes of its writers, including Nadine Gordimer, J.M. Coetzee and Alan Paton.
Killing for Profit
by Julian Rademeyr
A terrifying true story of greed, corruption, depravity and ruthless criminal enterprise . . . On the black markets of Southeast Asia, rhino horn is worth more than gold, cocaine and heroin. This is the chilling story of a two-year-long investigation into a dangerous criminal underworld where merciless syndicates will stop at nothing to attain their prize. It is a tale of greed, folly and corruption, and of an increasingly desperate battle to save the rhino - which has survived for more than 50 million years - from extinction.
Southern Africa Map
by Nelles
Scaled at 1:2,500,000, this shaded relief map covers South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and southern portions of Angola, Zambia and Mozambique.
The Safari Companion
by Richard Estes
An invaluable encyclopedic guide to Africa's mammals by a noted scientist, this perennial bestseller includes black-and-white drawings, an overview of each animal group and in-depth information. Written with the typical safari-goer in mind.
Long Walk to Freedom
by Nelson Mandela
An unpretentious tale of an extraordinary life, Mandela's autobiography is essential reading for an understanding of South Africa. His grace and his love for his country shine throughout.
No Future Without Forgiveness
by Desmond Tutu
Winner of the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize, Desmond Tutu writes with insight and compassion in this memoir of his work for reconciliation in post-apartheid South Africa.
Sleepwalking Land
by David Brookshaw (Translator), Mia Couto
Written by a native Mozambican in Portuguese, this highly-acclaimed novel of turmoil and civil war is rich with magical realism.





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If you want to attend the live lecture, please do not wait until the last minute to enroll.
If you enroll after a lecture is complete, we’ll send you a recording of the event.