Summary
Short description
Link a city great with a Big-Five safari on one of the world’s most luxurious rail journeys
Highlights
- Step back to a bygone age with the gleaming opulence of Rovos Rail
- Indulge with open-bar drinks and full-board dining onboard
- Spot lions and rhino on a luxury, all-inclusive safari in Kruger
- Enjoy a luxury stay under Cape Town’s Table Mountain
- Taste South Africa's finest wines in Franschhoek
In Brief
- 3 Nights Cape Town
- 1 Night Franschhoek
- 3 Nights Rovos Rail
- 1 Night Pretoria
- 3 Nights Greater Kruger National Park
In pictures
About
Recommended for:
Bucket-list holidays | City | Natural world | Rail journey | Safari | Wildlife
Enjoy all the extravagances of yesteryear on a luxury journey on Africa’s most luxurious train, enjoying all-inclusive drinks and multi-course dining as you sweep through gorgeous vineyards and remote deserts. We’ve also included plenty of excitement either side, beginning with a stay among Cape Town’s natural icons and a visit to Franschhoek in the Cape Winelands. Then, after a pause in South Africa’s historic capital, Pretoria, you’ll finish with a luxurious Big-Five safari in one of the world’s greatest parks – Kruger. Expect to pair rhinos and leopards with an all-inclusive spread of sundowner drinks and fine dining.
Day by day itinerary
Day
1
Depart UK
Fly overnight from London to Cape Town, South Africa. After making the most of your complimentary airport lounge access, board your overnight flight to South Africa.
Days
2-4
Cape Town
You’ll be met, on arrival, by a private driver, who’ll see you to your luxury accommodation. Alongside its cocktail bar and spa, it offers a privileged setting on the waterfront, enjoying gorgeous views of Table Mountain. Over your three days here, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to explore this city great, from its gorgeous beaches and penguin colonies to Table-Mountain cable car rides and Robben Island – the imposing site of Mandela’s incarceration. Of course, there’s also the nearby vineyards and the city’s famed dining scene to taste your way through.
Stay: Queen Victoria Hotel, Cape Town (Superior)
Meals: B
Day
5
Franschhoek
Today, you'll venture east into the Cape Winelands, arriving in Franschhoek. One of South Africa's oldest towns, today it's renowned for its array of award-winning vineyards and an abundance of superb restaurants, as well as its picturesque valley and mountain surroundings. You'll be staying at an elegant, Cape Dutch-style boutique hotel that's nestled among secluded gardens on the main street, lined with art galleries, boutique stores and wonderful places to eat and drink. With an outdoor pool, a spa, luxurious rooms and exceptional wine tasting experiences, an overnight stay here offers a delightful introduction to the Cape Winelands region.
Stay: Leeu House & Estates, Franschhoek (Deluxe)
Meals: B
Day
6
Rovos Rail
After a private transfer to the station, you’ll settle in to your spectacular wood-panelled cabin. It comes complete with an en suite and, each evening, your steward will convert its plush sofa to a double or twin bed. Then, be sure to head to the open-air balconies of the observation carriages to watch as the sun sets over the Cape Winelands – views best paired with a drink from the open bar.
Stay: Rovos Rail (Deluxe)
Meals: B D
Day
7
Rovos Rail
Wake in your cabin and head to the dining car for a delicious breakfast. River valleys, tunnel hops and a chance to explore the colonial-village charm of Matjiesfontein will then see you through to lunch, which you'll enjoy back on board, served to sweeping views of the vast semi-desert known as the Karoo – once an enormous inland sea. You'll then spend a relaxing afternoon taking in more views of central South Africa, either from the bar car, lounge or the privacy of your cabin. Then, having already enjoyed an afternoon tea, you’ll change for a formal dinner, again served in the elegant dining car.
Stay: Rovos Rail (Deluxe)
Meals: B L D
Day
8
Rovos Rail
Between a leisurely gourmet breakfast and lunch today, you’ll disembark in Kimberley for an included tour of its Victorian heritage, Diamond Mine Museum and the Big Hole – a great open pit claimed to be the deepest hole excavated by hand. Returning to the train, look out on the left for a 23,000-strong flock of flamingos before the train travels northeast towards Klerksdorp and the broad grassland plains of the Highveld. As with the previous day, tea is served in the lounge and a final formal dinner.
Stay: Rovos Rail (Deluxe)
Meals: B L D
Day
9
Pretoria
A last indulgent breakfast and the goldfields of the Witwatersrand will then see you to Kookrus Station, arriving late morning, followed by a luxury coach transfer to Pretoria. Here, a private driver will bring you to your boutique accommodation in Pretoria, a delightful blend of Italian architecture and African landscape. You might want to explore, perhaps taking in the Botanical Gardens, its excellent museums or the grand neoclassicism of the governmental Union Buildings.
Stay: Castello di Monte (Superior)
Meals: B
Days
10-12
Sabi Sands Game Reserve
Included transfers will bookend your flight down to Sabi Sands in Greater Kruger National Park. Here, you’ll stay in a luxury camp themed on the old railway, which used to cross the north-eastern section of Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve. You’ll also begin your series of guided nature walks and twice-daily game drives, heading out to uncover everything from rhinos and lions to hyena and hippo. The region is particularly well-known for its leopard sightings. Each day, you’ll return to all-inclusive candlelit dining and drinks, and sweeping views across the South African bush.
Stay: Selati Lodge, Sabi Sabi Game Reserve (Deluxe)
Meals: B L D
Days
13-14
Depart for UK
After breakfast, a last included transfer will see you to the airport for your flight home.
Map
Pricing
Any element of this itinerary can be adjusted to suit your needs. Just contact us to find out more.
Accommodation rating:
14-day tailor-made rail holiday
from £8,850 pp incl. flights
Deluxe
Low Season
from £8,850 pp. incl. flights
High Season
from £9,545 pp. incl. flights
Package includes:
- Complimentary UK airport lounge access
- Return flights from London to Cape Town & Johannesburg to London
- Domestic return flights between Johannesburg and Skukuza
- Private airport transfers
- 5 nights accommodation in a mixture of 4* (Superior) and 5* (Deluxe) hotels on a B&B basis
- 3 nights accommodation in a 4* (Superior) safari lodge on a full-board basis
- 3 nights aboard Rovos Rail in a Pullman Suite on full-board basis
- Twice-daily shared game drives, house wines and local brand spirits, one hour nature walk, laundry while on safari
Terms & Conditions
Prices are per person based on two people sharing a twin/double room; prices are subject to availability and possible change; normal booking conditions apply.
Meet our experts
Speak to a tailor-made specialist on
Adjust your itinerary with our recommended extensions
You might also like
offer
Early booking offer – Save up to £450pp
Book by: 31 January 2025
Turn out from Cape Town’s welcoming charms, golden-sand beaches and iconic skyline to taste your way through South Africa’s finest vineyards in the endlessly rolling Winelands before discovering the world’s best land-based whale watching in Hermanus.
With KwaZulu-Natal perhaps the most diverse of South Africa’s provinces, this road trip takes in everything from the Drakensberg Mountains and Durban’s beachfront to Zulu battlefields and a Big-Five safari.
