Rovos Rail African Collage Journey from Pretoria to Cape Town Overview
African Collage Pretoria to Cape Town is panoramic 3410-kilometre nine-day Rovos Rail South African sojourn travels from Pretoria eastwards to Malelane, South to Swaziland and Durban, west to Bloemfontein, then southwards again through Port Elizabeth, Oudtshoorn and George to Cape Town.
After an early morning safari drives through the Kruger Park, the train heads southwards to Swaziland for an afternoon safari drive in Mkhaya Reserve. Continue into Zululand for an early morning safari drive in the Hluhluwe Game Reserve.
The luxurious Rovos Rail train journey continues south through KwaZulu-Natal and, after an evening in Durban steadily ascends the scenic escarpment through Pietermaritzburg and The Valley of a Thousand Hills en route to Ladysmith and Bethlehem. This route takes the train past Lesotho, and the highest mountains in the Drakensberg range at 3 482 metres (11 425 feet). During the night we continue onto Bloemfontein, with a morning tour of the city.
The journey continues southwards overnight to Port Elizabeth, with a morning visit to the Addo Elephant Park. An early morning departure takes the train into Oudtshoorn for a visit to an Ostrich farm followed by a spectacular rail descent down the Montagu Pass into George. After a morning visit to Knysna, the train sets off from George travelling the scenic Garden Route through to Mossel Bay and Riversdale. The next morning, after a visit to the KWV Brandy Distillery in Worcester, this magnificent collage ends in Cape Town.
Detailed Itinerary: Rovos Rail - Pretoria to Cape Town
The nine-day Rovos Rail African journey commences at the Rovos Rail Station at Capital Park in Pretoria, Gauteng. The first leg of the tour takes the Rovos train through Witbank and Middleburg and then traverses the majestic Drakensberg escarpment en route to the Lowveld of Mpumalanga. The following morning you will receive an early wake-up call to join a safari drive through the famous Kruger Park.
Brunch will be served in the dining car while the train winds its way southwards to Swaziland in time for an afternoon safari drive in the Mkhaya Reserve. During the night the train will continue south to the village of Hluhluwe in Zululand. Starting early once again, a wide variety of game can be seen on an early morning safari drive through the beautiful Hluhluwe Game Reserve.
The Rovos Rail Pride of Africa departs mid-morning and makes its way south through the lush cane fields of KwaZulu-Natal, arriving in Durban late afternoon. After an evening in Durban, the train steadily ascends the scenic escarpment through Pietermaritzburg and The Valley of a Thousand Hills en route to Lions River for a morning visit to the famous Ardmore Ceramics Gallery.
The route to Bethlehem takes the Rovos train past Lesotho and the highest mountains in the Drakensberg range at 3 482 metres. During the night we continue onto Bloemfontein, the Free State capital, with a morning tour of the city. The journey continues southwards overnight to the coastal capital of the Eastern Cape, Port Elizabeth, where we will enjoy a morning visit to the Addo Elephant Park.
An early morning departure from Willowmore takes the Pride of Africa into Oudtshoorn for a visit to the Highgate Ostrich farm followed by another spectacular rail descent down the Montagu pass into George. A morning visit to Knysna and the surrounding attractions will complete the visit to this natural paradise. The train sets off at midday from George travelling along the scenic Garden Route through Mossel Bay and Riversdale. The next morning, after a short visit to the KWV Brandy Distillery in Worcester, the Pride of Africa ends its magnificent collage in the Mother City of Cape Town.
Day 1: 10h00 Depart Rovos Rail's private station in Capital Park, Pretoria.
Day 2
- 05h00 Wake up call for a safari drive in the Kruger Park in open vehicles.
- 11h00 Brunch is served in the dining car while we travel through Komatipoort to the Swaziland border.
- 15h00 Arrive at Mkhaya Game Reserve for afternoon safari drive.
Day 3
- 05h00 Wake up call for a safari drive in the Hluhluwe Reserve.
- 10h30 The train departs Hluhluwe for Durban.
- 18h00 Arrive in Durban for an evening in the City.
Day 4
- 06h00 Depart Durban en route to Kroonstad. Disembark the train at 10h00 for a visit to the famous Ardmore Ceramics Gallery.
- 12h30 Return to the train for lunch and depart for Kroonstad. Overnight in Kroonstad.
Day 5: 10h00 Enjoy a tour of Bloemfontein. Return to the train for a 13h00 departure for Port Elizabeth.
Day 6: 09h00 Tour of Addo Elephant Park near Port Elizabeth. Return to the train for a 12h45 departure for Oudtshoorn.
Day 7:
- 10h00 Arrive in Oudtshoorn for Ostrich Farm visit.
- 12h00 The train departs for George. Afternoon at leisure. Disembark at 18h00 for dinner at Fancourt Golf Estate.
Day 8: 09h00 Disembark the train for a morning tour of Knysna. Depart for George at 13h30.
Day 9: 11h00 Arrive in Worcester for a tour of the KWV Brandy Distillery. Depart for a 17h00 arrival at Platform 23, Cape Town Station.
The Rovos Rail journey from Pretoria to Cape Town via the Kruger National Park, Swaziland, Durban, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth and the Garden Route (George) includes accommodation, meals and excursions during the train journey, as well as alcoholic beverages while on the train.