Rovos Rail: Pretoria to Cape Town

Overview

This meander is a perfect illustration of South Africa as a world in one country. Travel the grasslands of the gold-rich Highveld to the haunting barrenness of the Great Karoo; trundle through the spectacular mountain ranges and scenic winelands of the Cape.

Journey’s end is Cape Town, the Mother City of South Africa, cradled by the imposing bulk of Table Mountain, Devil’s Peak and Lion’s Head. Highlights of the route includes a visit to the historic village of Matjiesfontein, an authentically preserved Victorian Village founded as a refreshment stop in 1890, which also boasts an impressive museum on the platform.

Another stop is made in Kimberley to visit the Diamond Mine Museum and the world’s largest man-made excavation, the Big Hole.

Inclusions

3 nights accommodation onboard Rovos Rail in a Pullman Suite (upgrades available)

All meals and beverages - except champagne

24-hour full room service and bar facilities

Off-train excursions and entrance fees

Itinerary

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Intro Map

Rovos Rail - Pretoria to Cape Town

Day 1 Rovos Rail: Pretoria

Please check-in a minimum of one hour before departure. Should you wish to visit our museum or do a site tour at Rovos Rail Station, we suggest arriving two hours prior to departure.

11:00 Depart Rovos Rail Station, Pretoria at 11.00am.
Travel across the goldfields of the Witwatersrand and the broad grassland plains of the Highveld. Guests may freshen up in their suites before joining fellow travellers in the lounge and observation cars.

13:00 Lunch is served in the dining cars.

16:30 Tea in the lounge and observation cars.

19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars en route to Klerksdorp.

Overnight on board. Dress: Formal, jacket and tie.

Lunch, Dinner

Credit: Rovos Rail Tours

Day 2 Kimberley

07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00 en route to Kimberley.

12:30 Lunch is served in the dining cars.
After lunch, enjoy a tour of Kimberley’s Diamond Mine Museum and the Big Hole. Capital of the Northern Cape, Kimberley is well known for the discovery of diamonds that led to its establishment in 1871.

19:30 Dinner is served in the dining cars.

Overnight on board. Dress: Formal, jacket and tie.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Big Hole | Credit: Rovos Rail Tours

Day 3 Matjiesfontein

07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00.
The train travels through the Karoo, a vast semi-desert region that was once an enormous inland sea. Over millions of years, volcanic matter was ground down and deposited as silt upon the seabed to form what geologists call the Karoo system.

13:00 Lunch is served in the dining cars.
After lunch, there is a chance for guests to disembark the train at Whitehill Siding and walk the 5km into Matjiesfontein. A member of staff will accompany the group. Disembark at Matjiesfontein for an opportunity to stroll through the historic village. Of special interest is the museum on the platform and a collection of historic cars and railway carriages to the right of the Lord Milner Hotel.

16:30 Tea in the lounge and observation cars.
About an hour after Matjiesfontein, the train arrives at the first of four tunnels on the pass. The first tunnel is 13.5km long so guests are to be careful when walking through the train and may wish to turn on necessary lights.

Dinner is served as the train climbs ±750m down the escarpment towards Worcester.
Dress: Formal, jacket and tie.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Karoo | Credit: Neal Markham

Day 4 Cape Town

07:00 Breakfast is served in the dining car.
Guests can enjoy breakfast in the dining cars until 09:30 as the train makes its way through the scenic Hex River Valley.

10:00 Your journey will come to an end when you arrive at Cape Town Station.

Breakfast

Accommodation

Rovos Rail

Upgrade available

Enjoy the extravagant elegance of rail travel on Rovos Rail, one of the most luxurious trains in the world, combining the opulence of pre-war travel with subtle modern innovations.

The wood-panelled sleeper coaches, remodelled and refurbished to mint condition, offer every modern convenience and comfort with fittings and facilities that are of the highest standard.

The Pullmans, used on our short journeys, accommodate one or two passengers and have an en-suite bathroom with shower, toilet and basin. During the day, the suites have a comfortable sofa-seat with a conversion to double or twin beds (side-by-side or upper and lower bunks) for the evening. A dedicated host/ess is available at all times and services the suites daily.

Suite configurations are subject to availability. Suite layouts may differ from images.

Double or twin beds
Upper and/or lower bunk
Daytime sofa setting
En-suite with shower, toilet and basin
Fold-up writing desk
Luggage shelf
Cupboards
Safe
Air conditioning
Tea facilities
Bespoke amenities
Robes and slippers
Hairdryer (fixed or plug-in)
Shaver plugs (2-pin)
USB ports
Safety glasses
Emergency torch
Fire extinguisher
Laundry bag
Shoe bag
Internal telephone system
Room service

Room Upgrades

Deluxe Suite

The Deluxes acommodate one or two passengers in double or twin beds and have their own lounge area and en-suite bathroom with shower, toilet and basin. A dedicated host/ess is available at all times and services the suites daily.

Prices are dynamic based on travel dates. Please proceed to Book Now or Contact Us for details.

Royal Suite

The Royals each take up half a carriage with their own private lounge area and en-suite bathroom with Victorian bath, separate shower, toilet and basin. They accommodate one or two passengers in double or twin beds. A dedicated host/ess is always available and services the suites daily.

Suite configurations are subject to availability. Suite layouts may differ from images.

Prices are dynamic based on travel dates. Please proceed to Book Now or Contact Us for details.

Additional information

Please dress accordingly for excursions/game drives: mornings can be cool then warm up considerably; afternoons can be warm then cool down considerably. Warm clothing, comfortable shoes, hats and sun protection are advised. Rain capes are available. Excursions may be changed according to schedule achieved. Times are approximate and cannot be guaranteed.

2024 Departure dates:

January 5, 9, 18, 26
February 2, 20, 23
March 1, 8, 15, 29
April 26
May 10, 24
June 7, 24
July 5, 19
August 2, 16, 27
September 13, 20, 27
October 4, 25
November 1, 8, 14, 22
December 6, 20

2025 Departure dates:

January 6, 10, 17*, 31
February 18*, 21, 28*
March 14, 21
April 4, 18
May 2, 16
June 13, 27, 30*
July 11, 25*
August 1, 8, 22*
September 12, 19*, 26
October - December TBC

* Certain dates in 2025 will carry new departure and arrival times (subject to change):
Depart Pretoria: 10:00hrs
Arrive Cape Town: 15:00hrs

Excluded

Onboard: champagne, gratuities, personal expenses, pre & post tour transfers and accommodation
International airfares and taxes
Domestic airfares and taxes, unless otherwise specified in our holiday package
Visa expenses, processing and issuance fees
Meals other than as specified in our holiday package
Travel Insurance or expenses of a personal nature (mini-bar, phone call, laundry, etc.),
Tips or gratuities to guides, drivers, porters, hotel, restaurant or boat staff, etc.
Or any other travel expense that has not been included in our holiday package

FAQs

Who are Entire Travel Group?

Welcome to Entire Travel Group. We offer exceptional travel experiences across our extensive range of Entire Holiday Packages, Entire Group Journeys, Entire Rail Journeys, and Entire Cruise Journeys. With our industry-leading Peace of Mind Booking Plan, you can Book Now with flexibility and confidence.

Entire Travel Group is celebrating over 50 years of passionately delivering unique and memorable travel experiences. We are an Australian, family-owned, award-winning business with a friendly team ready to match your expectations to the perfect holiday experience.

Entire Travel Group used to be known by the individual brands shown in the footer of the website. The company has not changed, but we have amalgamated under one brand - Entire Travel Group.

For more details please visit - About Us | Entire Travel Group

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Entire Travel Group is proudly Australian family owned and operated and as it stands today represents 50 years of experience, progress, and evolution. We proudly support the community with our long-term commitment to many important charity organisations. We were awarded the best operator in our class at the most recent National Travel Industry Awards.

Is Entire Travel Group industry accredited?

Entire Travel Group is both ATAS and CATO Accredited. ATAS is actively administered by the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA). The Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO) is the trade association representing the land supply sector of the Australian Travel Industry.

Does Entire Travel Group have industry awards?

Entire Travel Group was honoured at the 2023 National Travel Industry Awards with Most Oustanding Wholesaler - Product / Service.

As our team works tirelessly to deliver exceptional holiday experiences, it was exciting to have this acknowledged with the highest recognition. The award is also a testament to the quality of our partners around the globe, and we take this opportunity to thank them for their tremendous support of our customers.

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In some cases, we are the sole representative in Australia for the overseas travel operator. In other circumstances the product developed has been exclusively built for Entire Travel Group and can’t be found elsewhere.

What’s unique about Entire Travel Group Holiday Packages?

They are not group tours with set departures - they are pre-designed, purpose built, independent holiday packages full of unique and memorable experiences.
Our holiday packages have been exclusively built for us in collaboration with our handpicked suppliers, who also offer full on-ground support for the clients.
We are offering unique travel experiences which cannot be found elsewhere.
Many packages include our “Freedom of Choice” options which allow you to tailor the holiday experience. Like a sommelier matching wine to a meal, we have used our experience to carefully select and offer the right experiences in each location.
They include our Peace of Mind Booking Plan.
A wide selection of our packages are compliant with the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Covid Safe Travels.

Our motto for Independent Holiday Packages is start your holiday when and with who you want!

Our Independent Holiday Packages are NOT group tours with set departure dates. Group Tours have specific set departure dates, and of course, you are travelling with unknown passengers in a coach. These tours are great for certain travellers and there are many reputable tour operators providing a wide range of options around the world.

At Entire Travel Group, our focus is Independent Holiday Packages. Available daily, they are pre-designed, purpose built, packaged itineraries full of memorable experiences delivered by our hand-picked local partners.

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Why travel with Entire Travel Group?

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Is there a cooling-off period?

Look for packages with our Peace of Mind Booking Plan logo on the website.

We understand that occasionally plans may change, so we give you the confidence to proceed with a cooling off period.
You may cancel for any reason within 7 days, where you will receive a 100% refund of your $100 per person deposit.

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What is Freedom of Choice?

At Entire Travel Group we understand that our customers have their own personal tastes and interests - so throughout our packages look for “Freedom of Choice” which gives you the ability to tailor your holiday from the various experiences offered on selected days. Like a sommelier matching wine to a meal, we have used our experience to carefully select and offer the right experiences in each location.

The Freedom of Choice options are included in the package price, and the price remains the same regardless of the choice you make on each day.

Our Freedom of Choice program offers flexibility, by allowing you to choose from different options on pre-selected days in the itinerary.

Our per person price includes one tour on each Freedom of Choice day in the itinerary.
The price of the package remains the same regardless of the choice you make on each day.

For more details please visit - Freedom of Choice | Entire Travel Group

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Book Now offers you the ability to make a reservation on our website for Holiday Packages that include our Peace of Mind Booking Plan. But it’s not just a static offer – you have complete flexibility from travel dates, passenger numbers, single supplements, room upgrades, optional extras, flexible booking terms and more.

Our team will contact our overseas suppliers and confirm all arrangements.
A Confirmation from our reservation system will be sent in the coming days.
The Booking Number on this confirmation supersedes the website reference.

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To confirm a booking using our on-line Book Now process, a credit card must be used to pay the refundable deposit.
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Entire Travel Group have partnered with TravelPay to ensure secure on-line credit card payments.
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Can you book my international airfares?

On some Islands Holiday Packages (e.g. Fiji), it is practical to include flights, so where we have done this it is indicated by the plane icon.

However, on the majority of our Holiday Packages, we do not include international flights.

We found that many customers may prefer to:

Travel on a specific airline of their choice
Have the flexibility to book flights with Frequent Flyer points
Select flight dates that may be different to our Holiday Package start/end dates
Use a Travel Credit already held with the airline
Use their travel agent for this service

We are able to assist with flights on any Holiday Package, so please just notify us during the Book Now process or contact our team.

Should I take travel insurance?

Travel insurance is strongly recommended. During the Book Now process please confirm you require assistance, and our team will be in contact with you.

What should I do before travelling?

Before you travel it is your responsibility to ensure you have the appropriate documentation including visas. If you are travelling on a passport other than Australian or New Zealand, you will require a permit to re-enter Australia. It is your responsibility as the traveller and/or travel booker to meet all government entry requirements.

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On any page that has Book Now simply follow the booking process.
You must select the Travel Agent tick box and provide correct details.
To confirm a booking only the refundable deposit is required.
An agency credit card must be used for this initial payment.

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Rovos Rail: Pretoria to Cape Town (Tour code: 12515)

Highlights

Overview

Inclusions