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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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itinerary
Please Note:
The itinerary for this program is different on certain dates.
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
Accommodation Details

Gold Cabins are approximately 6 x 12 feet and feature either twin or double beds. They include an en-suite bathroom with shower.

Accommodation Details

Emerald Cabins are approximately 6 x 16 feet and feature either twin or double beds. They include a lounge area and en-suite bathroom with shower.

Jun 6 - Jun 21, 2023
Gold Cabin 10,199
Emerald Cabin 12,799
Itinerary Note

Please note that in 2023 the train is branded as the Shongololo Express and not yet Rovos Rail.

Sep 5 - Sep 20, 2023
Gold Cabin 10,199
Emerald Cabin 12,799
Itinerary Note

Please note that in 2023 the train is branded as the Shongololo Express and not yet Rovos Rail.

Nov 1 - Nov 16, 2023
Gold Cabin 10,199
Emerald Cabin 12,799
Itinerary Note

Please note that in 2023 the train is branded as the Shongololo Express and not yet Rovos Rail.

Jan 1 - Jan 17, 2024
Gold Cabin 10,799
Emerald Cabin 13,599
Mar 4 - Mar 20, 2024
Gold Cabin 10,799
Emerald Cabin 13,599
Apr 1 - Apr 17, 2024
Gold Cabin 10,799
Emerald Cabin 13,599
Jun 3 - Jun 19, 2024
Gold Cabin 10,799
Emerald Cabin 13,599
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
Accommodation Details

Gold Cabins are approximately 6 x 12 feet and feature either twin or double beds. They include an en-suite bathroom with shower.

Accommodation Details

Emerald Cabins are approximately 6 x 16 feet and feature either twin or double beds. They include a lounge area and en-suite bathroom with shower.

Jun 6 - Jun 21, 2023
Gold Cabin 13,099
Emerald Cabin 16,499
Itinerary Note

Please note that in 2023 the train is branded as the Shongololo Express and not yet Rovos Rail.

Sep 5 - Sep 20, 2023
Gold Cabin 13,099
Emerald Cabin 16,499
Itinerary Note

Please note that in 2023 the train is branded as the Shongololo Express and not yet Rovos Rail.

Nov 1 - Nov 16, 2023
Gold Cabin 13,099
Emerald Cabin 16,499
Itinerary Note

Please note that in 2023 the train is branded as the Shongololo Express and not yet Rovos Rail.

Jan 1 - Jan 17, 2024
Gold Cabin 13,959
Emerald Cabin 17,889
Mar 4 - Mar 20, 2024
Gold Cabin 13,959
Emerald Cabin 17,889
Apr 1 - Apr 17, 2024
Gold Cabin 13,959
Emerald Cabin 17,889
Jun 3 - Jun 19, 2024
Gold Cabin 13,959
Emerald Cabin 17,889
Sep 2 - Sep 18, 2024
Gold Cabin 13,959
Emerald Cabin 17,889
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
Standing for extended periods, potentially bumpy 4x4 rides. Walking two miles, often on uneven terrain with no handholds. You must be agile and wear shoes with good gripping soles. 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 tricky. The train will continue to travel at night for periods of time, which results in squeaking and creaking noises, as well as swaying. Long rides in open-air safari vehicles, requiring stamina and stability getting in/out of vehicles. The train may be delayed to factors beyond our control, which may alter the schedule of events. Please be flexible in timing and daily itinerary.
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
Helen Malisan
Helen Malisan’s passion for exploration began in high school when she visited Italy, her ancestral country. After completing her final year at school, she immediately joined South African Airways where she worked for 10 years. In 1993, her love for nature and South Africa inspired her to complete the necessary courses to become a wilderness excursion leader, spurring her career as a safari leader in Namibia and Zambia. Helen says her interest in people, nature and animals inspires her work.

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

Profile Image of Helen Malisan
Helen Malisan View biography
Helen Malisan’s passion for exploration began in high school when she visited Italy, her ancestral country. After completing her final year at school, she immediately joined South African Airways where she worked for 10 years. In 1993, her love for nature and South Africa inspired her to complete the necessary courses to become a wilderness excursion leader, spurring her career as a safari leader in Namibia and Zambia. Helen says her interest in people, nature and animals inspires her work.
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 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.
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.
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.
Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood
by Alexandra Fuller
A candid coming-of-age memoir set during the Rhodesian Civil War. Fuller's parents moved from England to Rhodesia (present-day Zimbabwe) in the early 1970s.
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.
Into Africa, The Epic Adventures of Stanley and Livingstone
by Martin Dugard
A nicely paced tale of the Scottish explorer and Stanley's headline-grabbing efforts to locate him. Dugard has done his homework well, drawing on a wide variety of sources to paint a lively and nuanced portrait of the two men.
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.
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.
Africa, a Biography of the Continent
by John Reader
With the ease of a practiced journalist, Reader weaves a masterful and lively tale of the continent, from ancient cultures to modern times. Both authoritative and informal, this is a splendid introduction to all of Africa.
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.





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