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South Africa Luxury Train, Rovos Rail: Kruger + Durban + Garden + Cape Town

Rovos Rail: Grand South Africa (Pretoria to Cape)
9YM15J
15 NIGHTS
FROM £5,495
Per person sharing
International flights quoted separately
South Africa Luxury Train Rovos Rail Kruger Durban Garden Cape Town

Explore beautiful South Africa on a luxury train with Rovos Rail on this epic journey, travelling to the Kruger Park, Swaziland, Zululand, Durban, Drakensberg Mountains, Free State, Addo & the scenic Garden Route, all the way to Cape Town, with included game viewing & Spion Kop battlefield tour. Golfing journeys also availables. Departs twice a year (Pullman, Deluxe or Royal cabin). Early booking essential.

South Africa Luxury Train Rovos Rail Kruger Durban Garden Cape Town
Highlights ▼
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South Africa Luxury Train
• 
Kruger National Park
• 
Swaziland
• 
Hluhluwe Game Reserve
• 
Durban
• 
Bloemfontein
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Addo Elephant Park
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Oudtshoorn & George
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Garden Route & Cape Town
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Luxury Train, Rovos Rail
▲
• 
South Africa Luxury Train
• 
Kruger National Park
• 
Swaziland
• 
Hluhluwe Game Reserve
• 
Durban
• 
Bloemfontein
• 
Addo Elephant Park
• 
Oudtshoorn & George
• 
Garden Route & Cape Town
• 
Luxury Train, Rovos Rail
Day 1
You will be met at Johannesburg Airport and transferred 1-hour to Pretoria (now called Tshwane).
 
This city is the administrative capital of South Africa and is renowned for its jacaranda trees that flower from September to November. Check into your hotel and relax under warm blue African skies.
Day 2
This morning enjoy a private tour of the highlights of Pretoria.
 
We start with a visit to the impressive Voortrekker Monument and continue to historic Church Square with its statue of Paul Kruger and the beautiful Union Buildings - the official residence of the President, designed by Sir Herbert Baker.
 
In the afternoon your guide will be happy to visit any other attractions of your choice (pay entrance fees locally).
Day 3
Transfer from your hotel to Capital Park Station arriving by 09.00, in good time to board the luxury Rovos Rail Pride of Africa departing 10.00 for Cape Town.
 
Relax and enjoy the elegance of luxury 5-star train travel of a bygone age, as you settle in to your wood-panelled coach for your 9-day rail journey to Cape Town, enjoying fine cuisine and outstanding personal service as you travel over 2,000 miles through some of South Africa’s most spectacular scenery.
 
Arrive at Waterval Onder after descending the spectacular Drakensberg escarpment at sunset.
 
Dress code on the train during the day is smart casual, with comfortable walking shoes for the off-train excursion. Evenings are generally more formal, with most guests enjoying the opportunity to dress up in cocktail or evening wear including black tie (although collar & tie is acceptable)
Day 4
This morning disembark early for a 06h00 game drive in the world-famous Kruger National Park, to take advantage of the best game viewing conditions of the day.
 
Game viewing opportunities should present themselves almost immediately in this vast 2-million hectare game sanctuary the size to Wales. The park is home to all the Big Five – elephant, lion, buffalo, rhino and lion – as well as zebra, wildebeest, giraffe and many other interesting species. Bird life is also prolific.
 
In the afternoon the train continues southwards through Komatipoort and into the small mountain kingdom of Swaziland.
Day 5
Disembark early this morning for a 06h00 game drive in Hluhluwe Game Reserve, one of South Africa’s most beautiful game parks and home to Africa’s largest population of endangered white and black rhino.
 
Afterwards the train continues through the St Lucia Wetlands towards Durban.
Day 6
Disembark at Durban today for a city tour with lunch.
 
Afterwards the train travels through the Valley of a Thousand Hills and the rolling hills of the Natal Midlands towards Ladysmith.
Day 7
Disembark this morning at Ladysmith for a visit to Spioenkop Battlefield, including a game drive and lunch.
 
Here one of the bloodiest battles of the South African War (Anglo Boer War) of 1900 took place in efforts to relieve Ladysmith, which was besieged for 118 days. Visit the mass graves atop Spioenkop Hill and see for yourself how poor military decisions affected the outcome of this battle.
 
Incredibly three future world leaders were in the area at the time this battle took place - Winston Churchill as a young newspaper correspondent, the future Mahatma Gandhi as a stretcher bearer, and Louis Botha as the Boer general who would go on to become the first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa.
 
Afterwards the train continues across the Drakensberg Mountains.
 
Recommended Reading:
Boer War – Thomas Pakenham
Day 8
Enjoy a leisurely day of luxury train travel today, as we travel through the Free State and Great Karoo.
 
Enjoy breakfast as usual on the train, with distant views of the scenic Drakensberg Mountains, as we leave Ladysmith. The Drakensberg Mountains were first named by the Voortrekkers who thought the unbroken chain of heavily weathered peaks reminded them of the spines on a dragon’s back, hence the name ‘Dragon Mountain’ or Drakensberg in Afrikaans.
 
Lunch is served as we traverse the Karoo, a vast and beautiful semi-desert stretching across the great South African plateau inland to the Cape coast, with scattered towns and villages. We cross the dry southeastern region with its variety of grasses, hardy shrubs, tumbleweeds and succulents, and descend the Great Escarpment towards Port Elizabeth.
Day 9
Arrive in the holiday town of Port Elizabeth on the shores of the warm Indian Ocean.
 
Here we disembark for a tour of Addo Elephant Park to view these magnificent animals which once roamed free in this area and were saved from extinction by this national park, which has also preserved the rare Cape buffalo and the flying dung beetle.
 
Afterwards we rejoin the train and travel through the Great Karoo towards Oudtshoorn.
Day 10
We arrive in the Karoo town of Oudtshoorn today, where we disembark for a visit to an Ostrich Farm.
 
Afterwards we drive across the spectacular Outeniqua Pass to George for an afternoon of leisure or optional golf. In the evening enjoy dinner at Fancourt Golf Estate.
Day 11
Disembark today at George and transfer to Knysna in the heart of the beautiful Garden Route.
 
Here enjoy a ferry ride across the lagoon to Featherbed Nature Reserve. This lively town is famous for its oysters, which are grown in the lagoon. It offers good shopping opportunities and many interesting craft shops.
 
Afterwards the train departs from George and travels through Mossel Bay towards historic Swellendam, the third oldest town in South Africa.
Day 12
Enjoy breakfast whilst travelling along the scenic Breede River Valley.
 
The train travels through Worcester and the Du Toits Kloof tunnel, with views of the mountains and vineyards of the beautiful Cape Winelands.
 
View imposing Table Mountain as you arrive in Cape Town Station around 17.00. Here you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
Day 13
Today is free for independent sightseeing in Cape Town.
 
To orientate yourself, we suggest you purchase a pass onboard the convenient Red Route Hop-Off Bus, which stops at all Cape Town’s key sights and attractions, including the Table Mountain cable car (discounted tickets are sold on the bus). Here you can ascend and enjoy one of the world's most famous views.
 
Continue to trendy Camps Bay beach and the many attractions of the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront (pay all entrance fees locally).
 
Note: Don't let the colour of the bus confuse you. All buses are red, but they run two different routes - the Red City Route and the Blue Kirstenbosch Route.
Day 14
Today we recommend an optional full day shared tour to the beautiful Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, where you may see baboons, ostrich and perhaps even dolphins or whales in season (July/November).
  
Your tour travels through Hout Bay and along spectacular Chapman’s Peak Drive to the Cape Point peninsula, returning via Simons Town, Fish Hoek, Constantia and Kirstenbosch Gardens. This is a scenic tour of the whole Cape Peninsula, with the optional opportunity of visiting the penguin colony at Boulders Beach.
Day 15
Today we recommend an optional full day shared tour to the renowned Stellenbosch Winelands, travelling through the scenic Franschhoek Valley where a handful of French Huguenot refugees started South Africa’s now famous wine industry.
 
Explore the historic university town of Stellenbosch and several wine estates on this famous wine route, which stretched from Paarl through to Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Enjoy a cellar tour and some wine tasting, before returning to Cape Town in the late afternoon.
Day 16
Transfer to Cape Town Airport for your flight home.
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