Rovos Rail from West to East – A Journey Across Africa from the Atlantic to the Zambezi (2027/2028)
starting at 21.200 €

Rovos Rail: Lobito – Victoria Falls

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21-Day Special Train Tour with Rovos Rail Through Angola, the Congo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

Africa

Angola

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Zambia

Zimbabwe

14 - People

21 days

In July 2019, a Rovos Rail train traveled along the historic Benguela Railway to Angola for the first time. This was a first not only for Rovos Rail, but also the first journey of a passenger train along the legendary Copper Route—from the heart of Africa to the Atlantic Ocean. In a unique way, this African rail expedition combines exploration in the heart of the continent with the utmost comfort. In addition to safaris in Zambia’s wildlife-rich South Luangwa National Park, you can also look forward to exploring some of Africa’s least-traveled regions and landscapes.

Stephanie Gräf

A specialist in personalized and exciting trips around the globe.

I am your contact person for questions and bookings regarding your trip.

You can reach me by phone or email:
+49 (0)201 858 90 960
welcome@inventia.de

Select consultation appointment

HIGHLIGHTS

Over 3,000 kilometers of railroad tracks from the Atlantic Ocean to the Zambezi River
An Adventurous Train Ride Along the Copper Route and the Historic Benguela Railway Line
Following in the footsteps of pioneers through the Angolan highlands and southern Congo
Three nights' lodging and game drives in Zambia's wildlife-rich South Luangwa National Park
Exploring Angola: Luanda, Lobito, and Luena
Tour of a copper mine
Zambia: Elephant Sanctuary and Sundowner Boat Cruise on the Kafue River
Africa's Most Impressive Waterfalls: Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River
Fascinating lectures on the history and present-day situation of the countries visited

route

itinerary

Day 1 Flight to Africa

(If you booked without flights, your trip begins on Day 2)

Day 2: Arrival in Africa

Arrival in Luanda, the vibrant capital of Angola. This country on Africa’s southwest coast has become a true hidden gem among globetrotters in recent years: It impresses not only with its ancient culture and eventful history, but also with its diverse mountain and coastal landscapes. You’ll be greeted at the airport, then a transfer will take you to your deluxe hotel in the city center. Depending on your arrival time, you may have time to explore the city a bit before the welcome dinner. (A)

Day 3: Luanda

You’ll get to know Angola’s rapidly growing metropolis better on a city tour. Founded by Portuguese sailors in 1576—making it one of the oldest cities on the West African coast—Luanda is characterized today by stark contrasts. The country’s oil reserves have made the city one of the most expensive in the world, yet by no means do all of its residents benefit from this wealth. In the early evening, a flight of just under an hour will take you south along the coast to Catumbela. From the airport, it’s just a short transfer to the coastal town of Lobito, where you’ll spend the night in a comfortable hotel. (FMA)

Day 4: Lobito

A guided tour led by your tour guide will take you to buildings from the Portuguese colonial era and to the Ethnographic Museum. You’ll gain insights into the history of this coastal region, which is closely linked to the slave trade to Brazil and Cuba. The Restinga Peninsula, with its kilometer-long sandy beach, restaurants, and an imposing lighthouse, is the city’s most popular tourist destination. Here, you’ll see the Barco Zaire, now on display as a national monument. Angola’s long-time president, dos Santos, used this ship to flee into exile in the Congo in 1961. (FMA)

Day 5: Welcome Aboard!

Today marks the start of your grand train journey across Africa! At the Lobito train station, you’ll receive a warm welcome from the train crew. Afterward, you’ll settle into your comfortable compartment. From the observation car, you can watch as your train slowly picks up speed along the historic Benguela Railway. Starting at sea level, it winds its way up to the Bié Plateau, and the tropical coastal climate gradually gives way to a drier highland climate. The railway line was built during the colonial era and still plays a significant role in Angola’s economy today, as it transports raw materials from the interior of the continent to the seaport of Lobito. In the evening, a stylish welcome dinner awaits you in the on-board restaurant. (FMA)

Day 6: Huambo

Your train has climbed the Central Plateau overnight and arrives in Huambo, located at about 1,700 meters above sea level. Huambo is Angola’s second-largest city after the metropolis and capital, Luanda. On a guided tour, you’ll explore the city, which was named New Lisbon by the Portuguese and, as a UNITA stronghold in the 1970s, was a significant battleground in the struggle for independence. Your journey continues eastward through the magnificent landscapes of the highlands. Among other things, the Cubango River has its source here; further south, it flows as the Okavango and feeds the famous delta of the same name. (FMA)

Day 7: In the Heart of the Ovimbundu Kingdom

You’ll explore Kuito, the capital of Bié Province and the center of the former Ovimbundu Kingdom, on a morning walk. Severely affected by the civil war of the 1990s, entire neighborhoods have been rebuilt in recent decades. Back on board, listen to a presentation by your tour guide on Angola’s history as your train travels deeper and deeper into the Angolan interior. (FMA)

Day 8: Luena – The Angolan Wilderness

You’ll take a guided walk through the small, grid-patterned town of Luena and learn more about Angola’s recent history. The train route then takes you onward toward Cameia and along the Kasai River, the largest tributary of the Congo. With a little luck, you may see fishermen at work here. The river is teeming with fish and serves as an important source of food for the local population. (FMA)

9. Off to the Heart of Africa!

Your train passes through Luau and crosses the border into the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Repeatedly ravaged by wars and unrest, this vast country looks back on a turbulent past. Once one of Africa’s largest kingdoms, it fell under Portuguese, Dutch, and Belgian rule over the past few centuries. Fascinating onboard lectures will allow you to delve deeper into its history and provide you with background knowledge about Africa’s second-largest country. Over 40% of the country’s land area is covered by pristine rainforest. In contrast, the resource-rich region you are traveling through in the far south of the country is relatively well developed. (FMA)

Day 10: Through the Congo

On its journey eastward, your train passes through Mungulunga and Mutshatsha, and vast stretches of bush savanna, forests, and numerous villages roll by outside the train window. Very few visitors ever find their way to this region, which lies off the beaten path for international travelers! (FMA)

Day 11: Africa's Copper Belt

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the poorest countries in the world, although it is also one of the richest in natural resources. In addition to diamonds and gold, the country primarily mines copper and cobalt, whose deposits in southern Congo are considered the largest in the world. In Kolwezi, you’ll have the opportunity to tour a copper mine and learn more about the mining and processing of this versatile and highly sought-after semi-precious metal. Today, you’ll enjoy lunch as a brunch at a lodge before boarding your train again. (FMA)

Day 12: Lubumbashi

After your train passes the abandoned copper and cobalt mine at Luishia, it arrives in Lubumbashi, the second-largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Founded by the Belgians in 1910 and named after their queen, Elisabethville, Lubumbashi—now home to 2 million people—was even briefly the country’s capital from 1999 to 2003. On a sightseeing tour, you’ll get a sense of this rapidly growing city, which serves as both a transportation hub and the country’s most important economic center. (FMA)

Day 13: Zambia – Into the Wilderness by Charter Flight

Your train crosses the border into Zambia at Sakania. After completing border formalities, you’ll leave your rolling home with a small travel bag that’s been provided for you on the train. Your large luggage remains safely on board. A one-hour charter flight will take you from Ndola to South Luangwa National Park in the eastern part of the country. On the way, you’ll fly over the region where the Congo River has its source and where David Livingstone once lost his heart to Africa—literally, since his faithful servants, Sussi and Chuma, buried the heart of the missionary and explorer in Chitambo, in eastern Zambia, in 1873. You’ll spend three nights at a beautifully situated safari lodge. (FMA)

Day 14: South Luangwa National Park

At sunrise, you’ll set out on an extended game-viewing drive in open-top SUVs. After lunch and a short siesta at your lodge, you’ll head out on another safari in the afternoon. South Luangwa National Park, founded in 1904 and covering more than 9,000 km² around the wildlife-rich Luangwa River Valley, is home to over 400 bird species, leopards, lions, elephants, buffalo, and countless other animal species. End the day by the crackling campfire, reflecting on the day’s shared experiences and listening to the sounds of the wilderness at night. (FMA)

Day 15: On Safari

The wake-up call for the morning safari sounds again before sunrise, because early morning offers the best chances to spot herds of animals and perhaps even catch a glimpse of big cats with their prey! Fresh animal tracks reveal their hiding places in the bushes, and the birds put on quite a show. After brunch, you’ll enjoy a few relaxing hours on your chalet’s terrace until high tea. Then it’s off on safari once more. The afternoon hours bring special lighting conditions and a wonderful atmosphere. While some animals are slowly making their way to their sleeping spots, others are just waking up… (FMA)

Day 16: Charter Flight to Ndola – Back on Board

After a final early-morning safari, a charter flight of about one hour will take you back to Ndola, where the warm and welcoming train crew will be waiting to welcome you back on board. Your train continues leisurely southward. From Kapiri Mposhi, it switches to the old colonial-era railway line, which, according to Cecil Rhodes’ plans, was once intended to run from Cape Town to Cairo. It wasn’t until the 1970s that Chinese engineers extended it to Dar es Salaam to provide landlocked Zambia with access to the ports on the Indian Ocean. (FMA)

Day 17: On the Kafue River

In Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, you’ll get off the train for a trip to the Elephant Sanctuary. Elephants orphaned by poaching are taken in here by rangers, cared for, and prepared for reintroduction into Kafue National Park. In the warm evening light, you’ll set out on a boat ride on the Kafue, the largest tributary of the Zambezi River. (FMA)

Day 18: In the Kingdom of Tonga

Your train crosses the Kafue River via a nearly 500-meter-long railroad bridge and continues on to Choma. A short walk from the train takes you to the Choma Museum, which is dedicated to the cultural heritage of the Tonga tribe, native to southern Zambia. In the evening, a particularly festive farewell dinner awaits you in the on-board restaurant. (FMA)

Day 19: Arrival at the Zambezi River – The Natural Spectacle of Victoria Falls

You arrive in Livingstone, which was the capital of what was then Northern Rhodesia until 1935. After a short, winding ride, the train crosses the spectacular Victoria Falls Bridge, which connects Zambia and Zimbabwe. Upon its completion in 1905, it was the tallest bridge in the world; it was built on Rhodes’ instructions at a spot where the trains would be touched by the spray from the falls. At the small train station in Victoria Falls, it’s time to say goodbye to the train crew you’ve come to love. You’ll spend the night at the Victoria Falls Hotel, a true hotel legend that has been welcoming travelers from all over the world since 1904. On a guided walk, you’ll visit the mighty waterfalls of the Zambezi River, which here rushes down a nearly two-kilometer-long cliff face into a hundred-meter-deep gorge—a truly unique natural spectacle! (FMA)

Day 20: Goodbye, Africa!

Depending on your scheduled departure time, you’ll still have time to relax at your deluxe hotel or take a helicopter flight over the waterfalls (optional excursion). Transfer to the airport and return flight to Europe. (B) (If you booked without flights, your trip ends on Day 20)

Day 21: Arrival in Germany

Information

Included services:

Flights from Germany to Luanda, Luanda to Catumbela, and Victoria Falls to Germany in Economy Class
Rail cruise from Lobito to Victoria Falls with 11 nights in a compartment suite of the booked category, with shower and toilet
3 nights' lodging in a lodge in South Luangwa National Park, including flights on charter planes
1 night at a deluxe hotel in Luanda, 2 nights at a comfort hotel in Lobito, 1 night at a deluxe hotel in Victoria Falls
Meals as listed in the itinerary (B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner); all meals and all alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are included on board the special train
Game drives in open off-road vehicles in South Luangwa National Park
German-speaking Lernidee tour guide from Luanda to Victoria Falls
Tour of a copper mine
City Tours in Luanda, Lobito, and Lubumbashi
Guided walks in Huambo, Kuito, and Luena
Boat trips on the Zambezi and Kafue Rivers
Trip to Victoria Falls
All excursions and sightseeing tours are led by German-speaking guides and include admission fees
Your large luggage will be safely stored on the train during your stay at the lodge
Care provided by an English-speaking doctor
Entertaining onboard presentations
Laundry Service on Board the Train
All transfers and porter service

Not included in the price:

Visa fees (Democratic Republic of the Congo: €175, Zimbabwe: €40, payable before departure in each case)
tips

Travel documents:

Travel Documents: A passport and visas are required for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zimbabwe
Mandatory vaccinations: Information before booking
Proof of yellow fever vaccination is required