Introduction
The Train
Dune Express - Eastbound
Dune Express - Westbound
Good Hope - Northbound
Good Hope - Southbound
Southern Cross - Northbound
Southern Cross - Southbound

African Safaris, Ecotourism & Accommodation in South and Southern Africa
Guided Safaris is Independently Marketed by Far and Wild Safaris cc

DUNE EXPRESS - WESTBOUND

PRETORIA-WALVIS BAY • 12 DAYS • 3800km
Please note that this itinerary has scheduled departure dates.

Dune Express Map

DAY 1 –PRETORIA (D)
14:00 Check-in at Rovos Rail Station, Pretoria.
15:00 The train departs. Travel south across the goldfields of the Witwatersrand.
16:30 Tea is served in the lounge car and observation car at the rear of the train.
19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Kimberley.

DAY 2 –KIMBERLEY (B, L, D)
07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 09:00.
09:45 A shallow lake appears on the right-hand side of the train where, on most occasions, there are spectacular flocks of Lesser Flamingos (approximately 23 000).
10:00 Arrive Kimberley. Disembark for a tour of the city, Diamond Mine Museum and the Big Hole.
12:30 Depart Kimberley. Travel through the Karoo.
13:00 Lunch is served in the dining cars.
16:30 Tea is served in the lounge car and observation car at the rear of the train.
19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars.

DAY 3 –UPINGTON (B, L, D)
07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until09:00.
10:00 Arrive Upington. Visit historical sights beginning with a drive past the Donkey Memorial –which honours the life of the working donkey –and the railway on the Orange River followed by a tour and tasting at Bezalel Wine & Brandy Estate.
12:00 Return to the train. Depart for Nakop and Ariumsvlei for border formalities.
13:00 Lunch is served in the dining cars.
16:30 Tea is served in the lounge car and observation car at the rear of the train.
19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Holoog.

DAY 4 –FISH RIVER CANYON (B, L, D)
07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure.
09:00 Visit the Fish River Canyon. 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.
13:00 Return to the train. Lunch is served in the dining cars.
16:30 Tea is served in the lounge car and observation car at the rear of the train.
19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Aus.

DAY 5 –KOLMANSKOPAND LÜDERITZ (B, D)
07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure.
08:00 Visit the ghost town of Kolmanskop. Arrive in Lüderitz, known for its museum, colonial architecture and wildlife including seals, penguins, flamingos and ostriches. Look out for the legendary horses rumoured to roam the Namib.
18:00 Return to the train. Depart for Keetmanshoop.
19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars.

DAY 6 –KEETMANSHOOP AND GARAS PARK (B, L, D)
07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure.
09:00 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.
13:00 Return to the train for lunch. Depart for Mariental.
16:30 Tea is served in the lounge car and observation car at the rear of the train.
19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars.

DAY 7 –SOSSUSVLEI (B, L, D)
07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure. Please have overnight bag ready for departure. Tog bags have been placed in your cabin for your convenience.
09:00 Transfer (3.5 hours) to a Sossusvlei lodge in Namib-Naukluft Park for overnight. Enjoy lunch on arrival. Afternoon at leisure.
19:30 Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

DAY 8 –SOSSUSVLEI AND NAMIB-NAUKLUFT PARK (B, L, D)
06:00 Early breakfast is served at the lodge. Please be checked out with luggage before departure.
07:00 Transfer (1 hour) to Deadvlei. Visit Dune 45 and Sesriem Canyon. 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”. The Tsauchab River has shaped the Sesriem Canyon over millions of years. It is one of the few places in this area that holds water all year round. The early Afrikaans explorers named the canyon after the fact that they had to use six (“ses”) leather straps (“riem”) tied together to create a rope long enough to lower water buckets into the canyon below.

11:00 Return to the lodge for lunch.
13:00 Scenic drive across the Great Escarpment–formed over 80-million years ago.
17:00 Arrive at Mariental. Depart for Rehoboth.
19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars.

DAY 9 –WINDHOEK (B, L, D)
07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until departure.
09:00 Enjoy a city tour of Windhoek with visits to the Trans-Namib Transport Museum, the Alte Feste, the Evangelical Lutheran Church (one of the city’s most striking landmarks) and the Namibia Craft Centre in the old Breweries Building. 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 Alte Feste is a fortress and museum featuring displays that lend insight into Namibia’s complex history.
12:00 Return to the train. Depart for Otjiwarongo.
13:00 Lunch is served in the dining cars.
16:30 Tea is served in the lounge car and observation car at the rear of the train.
19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars.

DAY 10 –ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK (B, L, D)
07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 09:00. Please have overnight bag ready for departure.
10:00 Transfer to a lodge in Etosha for overnight. Enjoy lunch on arrival.
15:30 Game drive in Etosha National Park. Etosha National Park(22270km2) offers great game viewing. It gets its name from the Etosha pan (4760km2), a large salt pan forming part of the Kalahari Basin. Etosha means ‘Great White Place’.
19:30 Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

DAY 11 –ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK (B, L, D)
06:00 Breakfast at the lodge followed by a morning of game viewing in Etosha National Park. Please be checked out with luggage before departure.
12:30 Return to the train with lunch en route.
14:30 Arrive at Otjiwarongo Station. Depart for Kranzberg.
16:30 Tea is served in the lounge car and observation car at the rear of the train.
19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars

DAY 12 –WALVIS BAY (B)
07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00. Please have luggage ready for collection at 10:30.
11:30 Arrive Walvis Bay Station. Check out of train. Journey ends.

The tariff for this tour is R101,000 per person sharing in an Emerald Coach and R81,400 per person sharing in a Gold Coach, valid as from January to December 2020 and tariffs may be subject to change.

INCLUDED:

  • Accommodation
  • Breakfast and dinner (B, D)
  • Lunch (where stated) (L)
  • Excursions accompanied by a qualified tour guide
  • Entrance fees as per itinerary
  • Tea, coffee and bottled water on board
  • Government tax.

EXCLUDED:

  • Lunch off the train (where stated)
  • All beverages
  • Laundry
  • Gratuities
  • Souvenirs
  • Visas
  • Travel insurance
  • Pre-and post-tour transfers, accommodation and flights

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