Rovos Rail - Cape Town to Pretoria 2024/2025
4 days / 3 nights
Rovos Rail, for many travellers offers the finest way to see the beautiful country of South Africa and its scenery on this 49-hour journey between Cape Town and Pretoria.
Start this epic journey in Cape Town, the spectacular gateway city on South Africa's southwest coast, set on a peninsula shrouded beneath the majestic Table Mountain. Take one of the cable cars that climb to the mountain's flat top, which offers panoramic views of the city with its busy harbour and boats heading for Robben Island in Table Bay.
Setting off from Cape Town on this 1600-kilometre journey on board the luxurious Rovos Rail Pride of Africa is surely many travellers idea of a trip of a lifetime. Pass through the wine lands of the Cape and spectacular mountain ranges before visiting the historical and perfectly preserved Victorian town of Matjiesfontein, founded in 1884 and changed little ever since.
Cross the open barrenness of the Great Karoo and onto Kimberley where you will stop to explore this pioneer mining town with one of the largest man-made excavations in the world, all in the search for diamonds.
From Kimberley, you will travel through the fertile Grasslands of the Highveld and Gold Fields of Witwatersrand, which led to the establishment of Johannesburg, before travelling through the city itself and ending your journey at the Rovos Rail Station in Pretoria.
Rovos Rail Cape Town to Pretoria Map
(Click on map to enlarge)
Great views from the Rovos Rail Observation Deck
Enjoying afternoon tea in the Lounge Car
Cape Town to Pretoria : Departure Dates
Departures 2024 :
January 8.
February 5, 15, 17, 26.
March 4, 11, 18, 28.
April 1, 15, 29.
May 6, 13, 27.
June 10.
July 8, 22.
August 5, 19.
September 2, 4, 16, 23, 30.
October 7, 25, 28.
November 4, 11, 25.
December 9, 14, 23.
Departures 2025 :
January 13.
February 3, 13, 17, 24.
March 4, 17, 24, 27.
April 7, 15, 21.
May 5, 9, 19.
June 16, 30.
July 14, 29.
August 4, 11, 26.
September 8, 12, 15, 29.
Itinerary :
Day 1 : Cape Town
16:00
The Pride of Africa departs from Cape Town Station and travels inland through the scenic wine lands towards Worcester.
16:30
Afternoon tea is served in the lounge and observation cars.
19:30
Dinner is served in the dining cars as the train climbs 750m up the face of the escarpment.
Remember, dinner is an elegant affair and men are requested to wear a jacket and tie and ladies elegant evening wear.
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 : Matjiesfontein
07:00
Breakfast is served in the Dining Cars.
08:00
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.
10:00
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.
13:00
Lunch is served in the Dining Cars.
16:30
Afternoon tea is served in the lounge and observation cars.
19:30
Dinner is served in the Dining Cars.
Remember, dinner is an elegant affair and men are requested to wear a jacket and tie and ladies elegant evening wear.
Day 3 : Kimberley
06:00
Breakfast is served in the Dining Cars until 08:30
08:30
Take a tour of Kimberley's Diamond Mine Museum and the Big Hole. Kimberley is the capital of the Northern Cape and is well known for the discovery of diamonds that led to its establishment in 1871.
12:00
Lunch is served in the dining cars as the train travels northeast towards Klerksdorp and the broad grassland plains of the Highveld.
16:30
Afternoon tea is served in the lounge and observation cars.
19:30
Dinner is served in the Dining Cars.
Remember, dinner is an elegant affair and men are requested to wear a jacket and tie and ladies elegant evening wear.
Day 4 : Pretoria
07:00
Breakfast is served in the Dining Cars until 09:30
10:00
Arrive at journey's end at Rovos Rail Station, Pretoria.
Timings are for guidance and may change
Train Fares Pretoria to Cape Town 2024/2025 :
Pullman Suite from £2,010 per person
Deluxe Suite from £2,905 per person
Royal Suite from £3,870 per person
Prices are per person, sharing a twin/double suite, one way.
Please note that all prices shown are intended as a guide only, as rates can vary depending on currency fluctuations etc. The correct prices will be quoted at the time of booking.
Price Includes :
- Accommodation on board the train.
- All table d'hôte meals and room service.
- All alcoholic and other beverages.
- Sightseeing excursions and entrance fees.
Please note: Excursions may be changed according to schedule achieved. Times are approximate and cannot be guaranteed.
