Itinerary
ARRIVE IN CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA. Situated amidst majestic mountains and lined with pristine beaches, Cape Town has a rich cultural heritage with extraordinary attractions. After being greeted at the airport by an AmaWaterways representative, transfer to your Cape Town hotel. Get to know your Tour Director and fellow travelers at the Welcome Reception. (WR)
CAPE TOWN. Embark on a full-day exploration along one of the world’s most stunning routes, taking you past the 12 Apostles, Hout Bay and Chapman’s Peak. Stop at the Cape of Good Hope, first rounded in modern times in 1488 by the Portuguese in their attempt to establish trade in the Far East and still a significant landmark for sailors today. Visit Boulders Beach, home to thousands of African penguins, and then be treated to lunch with drinks overlooking beautiful False Bay. (B,L)
CAPE TOWN. Take a cableway up to Table Mountain followed by a trip to the Cape Winelands where you’ll visit two of its best vineyards, complete with wine tasting. A delicious lunch will be included along the way. Or choose to explore another side of Cape Town at famous Robben Island, once used as a prison for many political inmates, including Nelson Mandela. Ferry over to the island where you will take a tour led by a former inmate. Back in Cape Town, enjoy lunch, and then visit the colorful historic Bo Kaap neighborhood before boarding the cableway to Table Mountain’s summit. (B,L)
CAPE TOWN – VICTORIA FALLS, ZIMBABWE – ZAMBEZI QUEEN – EMBARKATION. In the morning, transfer to the airport for a flight to Victoria Falls. Here, you will be transferred to the Chobe River that forms the border between Botswana and Namibia. Then board tender boats that will take you to the Zambezi Queen moored on the Namibia side of the river. Settle into your stateroom, enjoy a mid-afternoon snack, and in the evening, be treated to a Welcome Cocktail Reception and Dinner. (B,D)
ZAMBEZI QUEEN. Embark on an exhilarating, morning boat safari to explore the Chobe River’s diverse game viewing. Afterwards, return to the Zambezi Queen for lunch. As the Zambezi Queen cruises along the Chobe River, relax on board in the afternoon and enjoy what nature has to offer. Be sure to spend time in the splash pool or perhaps catch-up with your favorite book. Later in the day, revel in panoramic view with another thrilling boat safari. (B,L,D)
ZAMBEZI QUEEN. Join a full-day safari of Chobe National Park in open-top 4×4 vehicles. Be on the lookout for elephants, giraffe, zebra, sable, warthog and cape buffalo. For lunch, take a seat under the trees and savor a delicious picnic. (B,L,D)
ZAMBEZI QUEEN. Visit a typical African village where you’ll spend time with the village children as well as its elders. Back on board and following lunch, you’ll have a choice to take a boat safari, bird watch or fish. Enjoy your last evening aboard with a festive African- themed dinner hosted by your crew. (B,L,D)
ZAMBEZI QUEEN – DISEMBARKATION. Disembark your cruise in Kasane. (B)
VICTORIA FALLS. A local guide will take you on a tour of the awe-inspiring Victoria Falls. You’ll learn about its history, and the flora and fauna that make this area so unique. In the evening, embark on a private sunset cruise along the Zambezi River. Relax on board as you observe a variety of game while enjoying a delicious mix of tapas with drinks, followed by a special dinner with live local entertainment at the hotel. (B,D)
VICTORIA FALLS – ROVOS RAIL. Enjoy a leisurely morning before touring the town of Victoria Falls and being treated to a home-hosted lunch. Later in the day, head to the Victoria Falls colonial-era rail station where you’ll board the Rovos Rail. (B,L,D)
ROVOS RAIL. Start the morning with a safari to the Hwange Game Reserve, Zimbabwe’s largest national park, boasting a tremendous selection of wildlife with over 100 species of mammals and nearly 400 different birds. The elephants of Hwange are world famous and the park’s elephant population is one of the largest in the world. After your safari, return to the train for a lovely brunch as you travel through the vast landscapes of central Zimbabwe on the way to the border town of Beitbridge. Take in the southern African landscape from the lounge, observation cars or your deluxe suite. (B,L,D)
ROVOS RAIL. Leave baobab tree country and South Africa’s northern wilderness as you cross the Tropic of Capricorn, traveling alongside the Magaliesberg Mountains. (B,L,D)
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – JOHANNESBURG. Disembark the train in Pretoria where you will be transferred to the airport in Johannesburg for your onward flight home or extend your trip with four nights in Rwanda. (B)
Note: Please do not schedule your onward flight before 4:00 p.m.
Stateroom features include:
- In-room temperature control and fan
- Deluxe hotel-style bedding and oversized king beds (can also be configured as two single beds)
- Spacious en-suite bathrooms
- Large wardrobe, full-length mirror, hair dryer, toiletries, bathrobes and slippers
- Floor-to-ceiling windows, sliding glass doors and sliding shutters for privacy and protection from the sun
- Outside balcony
- Complimentary Wi-Fi and electronic safe
- Complimentary bottled water replenished daily
Stateroom features include:
- In-room temperature control and fan
-
Deluxe hotel-style bedding and oversized king beds (can also be configured as two single beds)
- Spacious en-suite bathrooms
- Large wardrobe, full-length mirror, hair dryer, toiletries, bathrobes and slippers
- Floor-to-ceiling windows, sliding glass doors and sliding shutters for privacy and protection from the sun
- Outside balcony
- Complimentary Wi-Fi and electronic safe
- Complimentary bottled water replenished daily
Stateroom features include:
-
In-room temperature control and fan
- Deluxe hotel-style bedding and oversized king beds (can also be configured as two single beds)
- Spacious en-suite bathrooms
- Large wardrobe, full-length mirror, hair dryer, toiletries, bathrobes and slippers
- Floor-to-ceiling windows, sliding glass doors and sliding shutters for privacy and protection from the sun
- Outside balcony
- Complimentary Wi-Fi and electronic safe
- Complimentary bottled water replenished daily
Situated on the 3rd level, the dining room offers unobstructed views on three sides. Experience delectable dishes such as butternut and macadamia soup and fillet of beef with bordelaise sauce paired with the perfect wine.
With such a magnificent array of wildlife, the birdlife is notable too with over 400 species to spot keen birders will be in their element.
Make sure to use the astronomical telescope situated on the fore deck to explore the African night-time sky. With no lights for miles around, the stargazing is spectacular.
Botswana’s Chobe is a destination in itself for those looking to experience the thrill of wildlife up close. Capture that sense of adventure with a water-based game drive by tender boat, allowing you to explore nature at its best! Water-based game viewing on smaller boats enables close-up viewing in an environment where the animals do not feel threatened.
Experience the gentle nature of rural Africa along the banks of the Chobe by visiting a local village on the Namibian side of the river. Here you can interact with the locals and browse their selection of handmade crafts.
During season, Tiger and Bream fishing are offered with tackle and bait as well as a stocked cool box to help ensure the wait is worth it.
With panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows throughout the boat, everywhere you go you can take advantage of magnificent wildlife viewing.
The top deck features an open-air Sun Deck complete with a plunge pool. Unlike a typical river cruise that travels from one port to the next, the Zambezi Queen was designed for an entirely different purpose—to facilitate optimal game viewing along the Chobe.
Take a cooling dip and feel refreshed while watching the passing scenery and wildlife upon the Chobe River.
Effective immediately, AmaWaterways will only be welcoming guests fully vaccinated against Covid-19 on board its ships. This vaccination requirement also applies to accompanied minors. Guests affected by this decision should contact their travel advisor for options to reschedule their river cruise.
On our programs in Europe and Southeast Asia, children under the age of 4 years old are not permitted on board and children 4-7 years old are not recommended. On our Africa safaris program, due to safety precautions, there is a minimum age limit of 12 years old, unless otherwise agreed upon by AmaWaterways. All guests under the age of 18 are to be in a stateroom with an adult, and must remain supervised at all times, as their safety is the responsibility of the accompanying adult(s). Children between the ages of 4 and 10 at the time of embarkation may share a stateroom with 2 adults provided the child is able to share the bed with the adults – no additional bed will be provided. Select ships offer a limited number of staterooms with a fold-out sofa for a triple occupant; we would be happy to guide you through these options when available. A triple occupancy rate will apply for the child sharing the stateroom; pricing can be provided upon request. Please be aware that balcony staterooms of any kind may be unsafe for small children if left unsupervised. AmaWaterways does not provide child-specific programs or child-minding facilities. Please reach out to us if you have any further questions regarding our child policy.
As of March 3, 2022, children 5 and older at time of sailing are still required to be vaccinated however, children that are not yet eligible for the vaccine are able to come onboard if they can provide a negative PCT test taken within 72 hours of embarkation.
Dress is casual aboard the Zambezi Queen. They suggest you bring along the following:
- Lightweight trousers and long sleeved tops
- T-shirts and shorts
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Sunscreen, mosquito repellant and camera
- raincoat and hat
Smoking is forbidden on all internal areas on the Zambezi Queen. Smoking is only permitted on the outside area of the entertainment deck.
Please advise your Travel Agent or call us directly to advise if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies prior to embarkation. In most cases, we will do our best to accommodate special dietary requests and food allergies, but with one exception: Kosher. This diet has specific rules regarding food and its preparation and the shipboard environment does have limitations that prevent us from being able to adequately cater to this dietary need. Please note, though we can provide options to accommodate food allergies and sensitivities, we cannot guarantee there will not be any cross-contamination.
Reasonable efforts are made to accommodate the special needs of disabled cruise participants, but no responsibility will be undertaken for any denial of services by carriers, hotels, restaurants, or other independent suppliers. Tour buses are not equipped with wheelchair ramps and cabin doors are not wide enough to allow access by standard wheelchairs.
Wheelchairs and walkers cannot be carried on tour buses, due to space limitations. Wheelchair passengers should be aware of these limitations. For safety reasons, passengers in wheelchairs cannot be carried on ramps in ports where the ship is at anchor. We regret that we cannot provide individual assistance to a tour member for walking, getting on/off tour busses and other transportation vehicles, or other personal needs. A qualified travel companion must accompany travellers who need assistance.
We do not employ doctors or nurses on board the Zambezi Queen. In the event medical assistance is needed, appropriate medical facilities will be contacted. Note that response time can vary.
Free Wi Fi is available but may be limited and sporadic during certain times of the day due to the ships isolated location.
- Dining Room
- Lounge & Bar
- Pool Deck
- Category SB Staterooms
- Category SA Staterooms
- Master Suites
- Cruise Manager’s Desk
- Gift Shop
- Boarding Area
- Master Suites
- Category SA Staterooms
Get in touch with our team to start planning
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