African Collage

Day 1: Cape Town

Board Rovos Rail in Cape Town and settle into life on the train as the journey begins inland towards Worcester. It is an elegant opening, with time to ease into the rhythm of the route and the style of travel that defines it.

Day 2: Matjiesfontein

Travel through the Hex River Valley and Cape Winelands before reaching the historic village of Matjiesfontein. With its old railway atmosphere, museum and preserved character, it offers an early sense of the history woven through this route.

Day 3: Oudtshoorn

Head into the Klein Karoo for a day centred on Oudtshoorn and the Cango Caves, followed by a visit to an ostrich farm. Later, continue over the Outeniqua Mountains to Fancourt for an overnight stay.

Day 4: Knysna

Continue along the Garden Route, where lagoon scenery and a more coastal landscape shift the tone of the journey. Time in Knysna adds a softer, greener contrast before rejoining the train in Port Elizabeth.

Day 5: Addo Elephant Park

Today brings one of the journey’s key wildlife experiences with a game drive in Addo Elephant Park. The reserve stretches from semi-arid interior to coast and is especially well known for its dense elephant population.

Day 6: Bloemfontein

Traverse the Karoo and the Great Escarpment before an afternoon visit to Bloemfontein. The city adds a more historical note to the journey, with links to the Anglo-Boer War and South Africa’s judicial history.

Day 7: Clarens & Golden Gate National Park

Leave the train for a day in the Free State highlands, beginning with the Sandstone Heritage Trust and continuing to Clarens. Later, drive through Golden Gate Highlands National Park, where the deeply eroded sandstone cliffs give the landscape its distinctive colour and drama.

Day 8: Spionkop

Spend the day in the Drakensberg foothills with a visit to Spionkop, where battlefield history and mountain scenery combine. A talk on the battle and time at the lodge give the day both historical depth and a slower pace.

Day 9: Durban

Enjoy a day in Durban with a city tour, time in the botanical gardens and lunch by the beachfront at Umhlanga. The journey then turns north along the Indian Ocean coastline.

Day 10: Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park

An early start leads into a game drive in Hluhluwe, the oldest proclaimed reserve in Africa and a stronghold for major wildlife. Later, the train continues towards the border with eSwatini.

Day 11: eSwatini

Cross into eSwatini for visits that bring in a different cultural dimension to the journey, including Swazi Candles and Mantenga Cultural Village. It is a smaller country, but one with a strong sense of identity and tradition.

Day 12: Kruger Park

Return to South Africa for a game drive in Kruger National Park, one of the continent’s best-known wildlife reserves. This is another major highlight, adding a final safari element before the last stretch to Pretoria.

Day 13: Pretoria

Arrive back in Pretoria, where the journey comes to an end at Rovos Rail Station. After nearly two weeks on the move, it is a substantial and wide-ranging finale to one of the company’s most varied rail routes.

 

Includes:

• Accommodation
• All meals
• All beverages on board
• Room service
• Limited laundry
• Guided excursions where applicable
• Preselected local wines, beers and soft drinks on excursions
• Entrance fees as per itinerary
• Government tax

Excludes:

• All other beverages
• International sparkling wine
• Gratuities
• Personal expenses
• Visas
• Travel insurance
• Pre- and post-tour transfers, accommodation and flights