Rovos Rail Cape Town to Pretoria

Your South African vacation begins today in Cape Town, where a transfer awaits to take you to your hotel. Choose between our handpicked four-star and five-star hotels on a B&B basis. Once you have settled in, get to know your new surroundings on a half-day guided tour of Cape Town.

Get a better understanding of Cape Town's history as you drive past the Parliament Buildings, City Hall and the Slave Lodge. You'll visit the Company Gardens and learn more about the history of the Bo-Kaap and its people as you make your way up the cobblestoned hills to the Malay Quarter. Watch a professional diamond cutter at work while visiting a diamond-cutting factory, and drive past the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town Stadium, Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay as you make your way to Table Mountain. Here, you can admire the views from the lower cable station or buy a ticket to reach the summit. 

Enjoy a free day in Cape Town today, allowing you to continue getting to know the city better. When it comes to views, Cape Town has most other cities beat, and if you want to get closer to the remarkable scenery, you can hike the mountains, including Table Mountain, or spend time on the stunning beaches.

The "Mother City" is also an excellent place for coffee lovers, as Cape Town has a vibrant coffee community filled with cozy cafés and specialty roasters. Alternatively, you can visit a brewery or wander around sampling some of the excellent street food. You can also choose one of our optional excursions, which are available as a supplement.

Enjoy a second free day in Cape Town and dig deeper into this beautiful city. Perhaps visit a museum or an art gallery and experience world-class culture at every turn. Take your camera to the beach to take immersive shots of nature and the alluring coastline, or bring it along while hiking in the mountains. There are plenty of places to shop for souvenirs and try the local culinary offerings, including the city's amazing food markets. Or, for a more structured day, choose one of our optional excursions for a guided tour.

Today, a transfer takes you from your hotel to Cape Town station to board the iconic Rovos Rail. Arguably the most luxurious train in the world, Rovos Rail gives passengers the best of everything, from fine china and crisp linen to spacious accommodations and fine dining options.

From the moment you step aboard this classic touring train, an atmosphere of luxury and decadence envelops you. The lounge and observation cars are areas for relaxing and watching the scenery drift by, sinking into soft sofas and taking afternoon tea as the train presents breathtaking landscapes.

On your first afternoon onboard the train, you'll journey through the winelands of the Western Cape towards Worcester. Following a lavish and formal dinner, you can relax and get accustomed to your surroundings as the train makes its way through the first four tunnels of your journey.

Following a leisurely breakfast onboard this morning, the route pauses at Matjiesfontein. Disembarking the train here, you can visit a museum on the platform itself and see a collection of classic cars and old railway carriages.

Lunch is served as you reboard the train and continue the journey through the Karoo, once an inland sea and now a semi-desert area. Enjoy a formal dinner this evening, served in the elegant dining cars, after which you can relax with a drink in the bar car or cozy up in your cabin.

Enjoy a relaxed breakfast onboard this morning before stepping off Rovos Rail for a tour of Kimberley's Diamond Mining Museum and the Big Hole. Kimberly is famous for the discovery of diamonds, which led to the town becoming the capital of the Northern Cape. Lunch is served back on the train as the journey continues toward the broad grassland plains of the Highveld.

Enjoy a formal dinner this evening with pairings of fine South African wines, then relax in the observation car as the breathtaking scenery goes by.

After a last luxurious breakfast onboard this morning, it is time to leave this stunning and sumptuous train behind as you disembark for the final time in Pretoria. Bid farewell to Rovos Rail and take your memories of this incredible journey with you as you transfer to your hotel in Pretoria. Choose from our expertly selected five-star hotels on a B&B basis, and then enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure. Soak up your hotel's amenities or set out into Pretoria to explore the city's history, culture and culinary offerings.

Your adventure comes to a close today as you say goodbye to Pretoria. You can enjoy some free time in the city to explore before it is time for you to leave. An included transfer takes you from your hotel to Johannesburg airport, where you'll begin the journey home. Having experienced two great South African cities and enjoyed one of the world's most luxurious trains, board your overnight flight back to the States.