Jewel of the desert Cape Town - Namibia

Departure from Switzerland in the evening.

You will arrive in Cape Town in the morning, where you will be greeted by your tour guide at the airport and accompanied to your hotel. The afternoon is at your leisure before you get to know your fellow travelers at the welcome dinner in the evening. (A)

After a city tour, it's time to board the train at Cape Town station! Make yourself comfortable in your compartment and enjoy the view of the passing landscape. After your train has passed through the tunnels of the Hexriver Mountains, the scenery changes to the fascinating mountain world of the Great Karoo and you pass the Victorian town of Matjiesfontein. After dinner in the on-board restaurant, you can round off the evening with a glass of South African red wine or a beer in the bar car. (FMA)

Your train has left the coastal region overnight and is on its way to the northwest of South Africa. Familiarize yourself with your destination during entertaining on-board lectures or enjoy the passing landscape panoramas. (FMA)

You leave the train in Upington and travel by bus to Augrabies National Park (approx. 120 km). The nature reserve stretches along the Orange River and is known for the 56-metre-high Augrabies waterfalls. Various game species such as klipspringers, antelopes and black rhinos can be found in the park. Afterwards you will return to your train. (FMA)

At Holoog station, actually just a stop in the middle of solitude, you change to the waiting buses and drive through untouched semi-desert landscape to the Fish River Canyon. If you wish, you can take a short hike along the edge of the canyon and enjoy magnificent views of the 500 m deep and 160 km long gorge. Afterwards, there is time for a short excursion to the quiver tree forest before sunset. A biltong tasting awaits you, where you can sample different types of the popular dried meat. (FMA)

In the morning, your train arrives in Mariental, situated on the edge of the Kalahari in southern Namibia. You disembark with small luggage and travel by bus for approx. four hours (295 km) to your lodge, where you immerse yourself in the tranquillity of the Namib Desert for two days. (FA)

The early morning hours are the best time to experience the glowing giant dunes. We travel in off-road vehicles to the main gate of Sossusvlei, which is about 60 km away and has been part of the Namib Sand Sea UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013. The climb up a dune is rewarded with sweeping views of a sea of sand. At sunset, you can enjoy a drive through the desert landscape. (FA)

Eine fünfstündige Fahrt (ca. 300 km) führt Sie mit dem Bus durch den Namib-Naukluft-Nationalpark an die Atlantikküste. Unterwegs machen Sie Fotostopps an den bizarren Felsformationen des Gaub-Passes und des Kuiseb-Canyons. Alternativ zur Busfahrt können Sie die Strecke in einem Kleinflugzeug zurücklegen und bei diesem Panoramaflug (gegen Aufpreis) die Wüstenlandschaft aus der Vogelperspektive bewundern. Weiter geht es entlang der Küstenstraße nach Swakopmund, das an vielen Stellen an eine deutsche Kleinstadt erinnert. Gebäude aus der Gründerzeit, wie das Hohenzollernhaus, das alte Amtsgericht und die Brauerei, lassen die koloniale Vergangenheit noch sichtbar werden. Es bleibt Zeit für einen Bummel entlang der Uferpromenade oder für ein Stück Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte im Café Anton, bevor Sie am Abend wieder an Bord Ihres Sonderzuges erwartet werden. (BD)

Today's program takes you to Walvis Bay. Here you set off on a relaxed catamaran cruise with brunch on board. With a bit of luck, you will see sea lions, pelicans, seals and flamingos. Back on land, you have free time in Swakopmund before ending the day with a sundowner. (FMA)Today's program takes you to Walvis Bay. Here you set off on a relaxed catamaran cruise with brunch on board. With a bit of luck you will see sea lions, pelicans, seals and flamingos. Back on land, you have free time in Swakopmund before ending the day with a sundowner. (BLD)

In the morning, your train finally rolls into Windhoek station, where you say goodbye to the train crew. During a city tour of Windhoek, you will see the Christ Church and the so-called Ink Palace, today the seat of the Namibian parliament. With just under 300,000 inhabitants, tranquil Windhoek is the largest city in the country. Windhoek fascinates with its mixture of African and European ways of life. Here you will encounter Herero women in their Victorian costumes and young girls with artfully braided hairstyles as well as young people and farmers from the provinces. An excursion takes you to the township of Katutura, where you visit a self-help project for women. Afterwards, you will drive to your hotel on Independence Avenue, the city's boulevard. A farewell dinner awaits you in the evening. (FMA)

In the morning, you will have time to explore the city on your own or go on a shopping spree. At midday, it's time to say goodbye to your tour guide before your flight home. (B)