Are you looking to add something incredible to your Bucket List? Hot on the heels of our exceptionally popular Trans Andean Coast to Coast comes our newest cycling challenge. Travel coast to coast across Africa on an utterly breath-taking route that encompasses 4 countries, gravel, road, mountains, plain, desert, savannah, game parks and which is peppered with a wonderfully warm African welcome.
From the wild waves of the Atlantic on the coast of Namibia to the soothing shores of the Indian Ocean in South Africa, our latest journey will see our #ratracers cycle over 3000km through 4 countries from coast to coast. In June this year a group of hardy Test Pilots are heading out to route-check this brand new adventure ready for you to stand on that start line in June 2025 or 2026, both years will open for entry at the same time.
In 2023 our Expeditions Manager Abbi flew to Africa to recce this adventure and put together an epic route to span this entire continent to create a brand new enormous trip to our portfolio.
"This route is an absolute beast but stunningly beautiful. It's raw, rugged and a brilliant way to explore this expansive continent in a totally unique way. The wildlife we came across during our recce was incredible, it was like a safari on wheels! From elephants, giraffes, hippos to springboks and zebras we saw all the classic 'tick list' animals and so many more, including a pod of humpback whales to wave us over the finish line. I cannot recommend adding this to your list more, I'm already counting down the days until I get to go back with our Test Pilots." Abbi
The planned route is a heady mix of gravel and tarmac and each stage has it's own distinct flavour and character, we've laid out a snapshot of how these adventure unfolds over 26 days. It's a big one!
Arrival Day (day 1)
Registration Day (day 2)
Stage 1 Namibia - Botswana (day 3 - 8)
Days riding: 6
Total distance: 770 km
Total elevation: + 4072m
Gravel/Tarmac %: 80/20
Stage 2 Botswana - South Africa (day 9 - 16)
Days riding: 7
Total distance: 1200 km
Total elevation: + 2116m
Gravel/Tarmac %: 10/90
Other info: We have a rest day on day 12 of the itinerary.
Stage 3 South Africa - Eswatini (day 17 - 22)
Days riding: 5
Total distance: 640 km
Total elevation: + 5919m
Gravel/Tarmac %: 60/40
Other info: We have a rest day on day 19 of the itinerary.
Stage 4 Eswatini - South Africa (day 23 - 25)
Days riding: 3
Total distance: 420 km
Total elevation: + 5031m
Gravel/Tarmac %: 45/55
Transfer from Sodwana Bay to Durban (day 26)
Entries for Trans Africa open in February 2024 as part of our Bucket List series.
Included in your entry fee is all accommodation and food within the itinerary days, full medical and mechanical support throughout as well as expert guidance from the Rat Race crew. As we travel through Africa we've got a great mix of exciting accommodation options, from game lodges and hotels to fantastic campsites that we know you're going to love.
There will only be 30 places available when entries open so make sure you're on the waiting list to be the first to know when they go live!