Rovos Rail: Cape Town to Pretoria 3 Nights/4 Days - Royal

A trip aboard Rovos Rail is a journey like no other. Experience the opulent elegance of rail travel on one of Rovos Rail’s exceptional safaris through the heart of Africa. Combining some of the most magnificent scenery with the glamour and excitement of the golden age of rail travel, Rovos Rail will delight the most discerning traveller. With discreet and friendly service, five-star cuisine and a selection of South Africa’s finest wines, Rovos Rail harks back to a simpler, more elegant era – encompassing the timeless grace and high romance of African exploration. Trains depart regularly from Rovos Rail Station in Pretoria for Cape Town, Durban and Victoria Falls with longer journeys operated on an annual basis. These include two golf itineraries, of nine days, each with delightful programmes for non-golfers. There is another nine-day safari to Swakopmund as well as the two-week adventure to Dar es Salaam.

Day 1: Departure from Cape Town Station
16h00 Depart from Cape Town Station. Trundle through the winelands of the Western Cape towards Worcester.
16h30 - Tea in the lounge and observation cars.
19h30 - Dinner is served in the dining cars as the train climbs ±750m up the face of the escarpment. Dress: Formal. Around midnight, the train arrives at the first of four tunnels on the pass. The last tunnel is 13.5km long so guests are to be careful when walking through the train.
Day 2: Off Board Excursion
07h00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00.
08h00 Disembark at Matjiesfontein for an opportunity to stroll through the historic village. Of special interest is the museum on the platform and a collection of historic cars and railway carriages to the right of the Lord Milner Hotel.
10h00 The train travels through the Karoo, a vast semi-desert region that was once an enormous inland sea. Over millions of years, volcanic matter was ground down and deposited as silt upon the seabed to form what geologists call the Karoo system.
13h00 Lunch is served in the dining cars.
16h30 Tea in the lounge and observation cars.
19h30 Dinner is served in the dining cars. Overnight on board. Dress: Formal.
Day 3: Off Board Excursion
06h00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 08:30.
08h30 Enjoy a tour of Kimberley’s Diamond Mine Museum and the Big Hole. Capital of the Northern Cape, Kimberley is well known for the discovery of diamonds that led to its establishment in 1871.
12h00 Lunch is served as the train travels northeast towards Klerksdorp and the broad grassland plains of the Highveld.
16h30 Tea in the lounge and observation cars.
19h30 Dinner is served in the dining cars. Overnight on board. Dress Formal.
Day 4: Disembark train
Unless adjusted breakfast is served between 07h00 until 10h00 in the dining cars. 2024: Shortly after breakfast the train will disembark at 10h00 at Kookrus Station (±100km south of Rovos Rail Station). An optional complimentary transfer (±90min) from Kookrus Station to Rovos Rail Station in Pretoria is available. For the year 2025 lunch is served at 13h00 in the dining cars. 15h00 - Arrive at journey's end at Rovos Rail Station, Pretoria.