Step aboard the Blue Train Cape Town to Pretoria journey, South Africa’s most iconic luxury rail experience. Since 1946, this legendary deluxe train has been synonymous with refined hospitality, fine dining, and timeless elegance. It provides a delightful break in a busy sightseeing & safari schedule.
The 2-night journey between Cape Town and Pretoria, or in reverse, offers the perfect blend of scenic splendour, relaxation, fine cuisine and attentive butler service. It’s ideal for travellers wishing to add a touch of opulence to their safari or sightseeing itinerary.
Crossing 1,600km of South Africa’s most diverse landscapes, the route passes from the rolling vineyards and rugged mountains of the Cape through the semi-desert expanses of the Great Karoo to the fertile Highveld.
This all-inclusive journey is not simply a way to get from A to B: it’s a luxurious interlude, celebrating the art of slow travel across South Africa’s heartland, discovering South Africa from a unique, unhurried perspective.
As the train glides from the Cape’s coastal plains through the Great Karoo’s desert landscapes to the rolling Highveld, youΒ enjoy seamless service, excellent cuisine, and the pleasure of a bygone era β complete with private butler service and exquisite interiors of mahogany, marble, and brass.
Relax in two elegant lounge cars, enjoy a signature cocktail in the Club Car. (A large screen in the Club Car provides a driver’s eye view of the track ahead.) The Dining Car offers two sittings for each meal, where every dish is a celebration of South African flavours paired with the country’s best wines. Meals may be enjoyed in the dining car or served privately in your suite.
Each suite is a private sanctuary of polished mahogany and marble, elegantly blending contemporary design with classic craftsmanship.
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Rovos Rail Cape Town to Pretoria or Vice Versa – 3 nights
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Today you will register and check in at the Blue Train Lounge at Cape Town Station.
During the day you enjoy a relaxing lunch and dinner before retiring to your suite. The beds have been custom-designed for the Blue Train β a butler pulls them out ready-made from a space in the compartment wall, converting the lounge into a comfortable bedroom whilst you are enjoying dinner.
Off the trainΒ excursions
After lunch the Blue Train will arrive at Kimberley Station.
Here you will get the opportunity to disembark and enjoy an excursion of the Kimberley Open Mine Museum. There will be a tour of the mine and you get to view interesting and historical sites. Guests are also taken onto an enclosed ramp on the edge of the Big Hole.
Once the tour is complete guests will depart from the Open Mine Museum for Kimberley Station. At Kimberley Station guests are greeted with a glass of sherry. The sherry glass engraved with The Blue Train logo is a memento for guests to keep.
After this exciting tour, guests are welcome to refresh themselves and enjoy aperitifs before dinner. Whilst the Blue Train departs Kimberley Station for the journey Northbound to Pretoria
The Blue Train arrives at Pretoria Station at approx 6pm.
This is a sample itinerary using specific hotels and lodges. However most of these sample tours can be adapted to suit you. If applicable, it includes domestic seat-in-charter flights. But it excludes any regional and domestic scheduled flights (as these are subject to change and specific routing). These are added to a specific quotation once we have your dates.
Rates are inclusive of all meals, high tea, drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and off-the train excursions
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