Take in the 1,600 km (994 mile) route between Pretoria and Cape Town with two nights aboard The Blue Train. Over 31 hours, you pass through mountainous landscapes, sprawling farmland and vine-woven valleys. And, with a live camera feeding TVs in the club car and your suite, you can watch the journey’s scenery unfold in real time.
En route, stop at the historic mining town of Kimberley for a visit to the Kimberley Open Mine Museum. Here, a guided tour sheds light on the region’s 19th-century diamond mining industry, for which South Africa’s blossoming rail network was integral.
The train itself has a relaxed yet convivial atmosphere, accommodating up to 84 guests in 41 Luxury and slightly larger De Luxe Suites. Its decor harks back to the rail’s booming 1920s heyday, with burnished wood panelling, plump leather seats and warmly lit lamps on the walls.
By day, your fully carpeted, soundproofed suite is a private compartment you can retreat to, complete with comfortable chairs and complimentary Wi-Fi. Then, as the sun sets, your butler will convert the space into a bedroom complete with a bed draped in crisp cotton sheets and down duvets. Each suite has its own bathroom with a shower or bath.
You’ll sit down to freshly prepared meals in the elegant dining car (or in the privacy of your suite, if preferred), with on-board chefs able to cater to any dietary requirement. After-dinner drinks and Cuban cigars are offered in the Club Car, where you could also enjoy a game of backgammon, cards or chess or unwind with a book from the library.
A traditional afternoon High Tea is served each day in the Lounge Car. And, you can relax in the Observation Car, whose large picture windows allow you to take in views over the surrounding landscape or gaze up at the star-spangled night sky.
Throughout your journey, butlers will be on hand for round-the-clock assistance — each butler serves no more than four suites, so your stay feels highly personal.
Start planning your tailor-made trip by contacting one of our South Africa specialists
These activities are designed to give you the most authentic experiences around where you're staying. We work with local guides, who use their knowledge and often a resident's eye to show you the main sights and more out-of-the-way attractions. Our specialists can suggest tours and activities that will introduce you to the local ways of life.
Cape Town City Tour
No visit to Cape Town is complete without a tour of the "Mother City". Your tour will include visits to the Castle of Good Hope, the Parliament Buildings and Bo-Kaap, plus of course the iconic Table Mountain.
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden occupies a large swathe of beautiful land on the lower slopes of Table Mountain. It houses a huge collection of indigenous flora, such as heathery fynbos, flowering proteas and dramatically coloured strelitzias.
Luxury train journey on Rovos Rail
The beautifully restored carriages of Rovos Rail combine luxury travel with the chance to experience living history.
Museums of Cape Town
As with any major city there are a number of very good museums in Cape Town and you might like to visit some whilst you are here. Some of the ones that we personally recommend are District Six Museum, Gold of Africa Museum, and the Iziko Museums of Cape Town.
Peninsula Tour
The Cape Peninsula is an area of dramatic natural beauty and huge ecological significance, which manages to retain a wild feel despite its huge popularity with visitors. As you drive south from Cape Town, you pass through the exclusive suburbs of Camps Bay and Clifton before continuing onto Hout Bay and through Constantia, where the road meanders behind Table Mountain and down onto the coast.
Robben Island Excursion
Your tour will be conducted by a former inmate, which gives a truly unique perspective. As well as the communal cells, where most prisoners were kept in conditions of severe overcrowding, you will also see the tiny cells of B-Section, where Nelson Mandela spent much of his incarceration here.
Table Mountain Tour
Guests are taken to the lower terminal for the cable-car up Table Mountain. The cable-car is a very modern affair, and completes a 360潞 rotation during the ascent, affording you fantastic views over the city.
You can enjoy this activity as part of the suggested tours below, or we can weave it into a trip shaped entirely around you.
