Our Guide to Every Rovos Rail Journey

These shorter routes fit easily into a wider trip, as a few unhurried days between safari and city.

The shortest Rovos Rail journey runs between Pretoria and Durban, in the summer months only. Along the way, there is a game drive at Nambiti, a malaria-free private reserve in KwaZulu-Natal that is home to the Big Five. At Spionkop Lodge, which borders an 11,000-acre nature reserve, a historian tells the story of the Battle of Spionkop, or you can head out on a drive through the reserve instead. Next comes Ardmore Ceramics in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, a studio whose Zulu artists are known for their bold, colourful work. The last stretch winds through the Valley of a Thousand Hills into Durban. The journey also runs in reverse.
Current fares start at R49,900 per person sharing in a Pullman Suite (2027 rates).

This 1,600km journey shows how much South Africa changes in a few days. The train leaves the grasslands of the Highveld, crosses the bare expanse of the Great Karoo, then winds through the mountain ranges and winelands of the Cape.
There are two stops along the way. In Kimberley, you visit the Diamond Mine Museum and the Big Hole, the vast pit left by the diamond rush. Matjiesfontein is a preserved Victorian village, founded in 1890 as a refreshment stop, with a museum right on the platform.
The journey ends in Cape Town, beneath Table Mountain. It also runs in reverse.
Current fares start at R54,000 per person sharing in a Pullman Suite (2027 rates).

The train heads north from Pretoria through Bela-Bela, a town known for its mineral springs, and Modimolle, where the Voortrekkers believed they had found the source of the Nile. It then crosses the Tropic of Capricorn and the Limpopo River into Zimbabwe.
On the 4-night journey, you stop at Matobo National Park, a World Heritage Site of granite hills, caves and rock art. Further on, the line runs dead straight for 114km, one of the longest straight stretches of railway in the world, before a game drive in Hwange National Park.
The journey ends at Victoria Falls, where cruises, white-water rafting and more game viewing await those who stay on. It also runs in reverse, and may be routed through Botswana depending on railway capacity.
Current fares start at R66,500 per person sharing in a Pullman Suite (2027 rates).

These routes give you more time aboard, with game drives, cultural stops and long stretches of open country.

This round trip from Pretoria is built for golfers, with a full programme for non-playing guests. Courses depend on availability, and include Sun City’s Gary Player and Lost City courses, Durban Country Club and Royal Swazi in Eswatini. Golf, green fees and carts are part of the fare.
Between rounds, there are game drives in the Pilanesberg, Hluhluwe and Kruger, and a stop at Spionkop after crossing the Drakensberg. You also tour Durban and its botanical gardens, watch artisans at work at Swazi Candles in Eswatini, and finish with the arts and crafts of Dullstroom, a fly-fishing presentation and an introduction to whisky.
Current fares start at R136,000 per person sharing in a Pullman Gold Suite (2027 rates).

This journey crosses from the Highveld to the Atlantic. The first stop is Kimberley, a town built by one of the world’s great diamond rushes. The train then heads through the Northern Cape into Namibia, to the vast Fish River Canyon and the quiver-tree forest at Garas Park.
After crossing the Kalahari, there’s a visit to a cheetah conservation project and a tour of Windhoek, Namibia’s capital. A short flight takes you to Sossusvlei for a night among the dunes of the Namib, followed by a night in Etosha National Park. Since 2024, the route also includes Kolmanskop and Lüderitz.
On the final morning, the train crosses the Namib to Swakopmund and Walvis Bay. The journey also runs in reverse.
Current fares start at R258,000 per person sharing in a Pullman Gold Suite (2027 rates).

This journey reaches Victoria Falls the long way round, through four countries. It starts by crossing the Drakensberg to the Panorama Route, with visits to Bourke’s Luck Potholes and Pilgrim’s Rest, and a game drive in Kruger. From there, it tours Maputo, Mozambique’s capital, and crosses Eswatini, with a stop at Mantenga Cultural Village. Back in South Africa, there’s a game drive at Kapama and a visit to an endangered species centre.
In Zimbabwe, the highlights are the Great Zimbabwe Monument, Antelope Park, Matobo National Park and a game drive in Hwange. The journey ends with a walking tour of Victoria Falls and a sunset cruise on the Zambezi. It also runs in reverse.
Current fares start at R179,000 per person sharing in a Pullman Gold Suite (2027 rates).

This journey winds through South Africa’s highlights between Pretoria and Cape Town, with a golfing and a non-golfing programme. It begins with game drives in Kruger and Hluhluwe, a visit to Eswatini and a tour of Durban and its botanical gardens. At Spionkop, there’s a nature drive and the story of the battle.
The route then passes the sandstone cliffs of the Maluti foothills to Clarens, with its collection of heritage transport, and Bloemfontein, the City of Roses. Near Port Elizabeth, there’s a game drive in Addo Elephant Park, followed by a night at Fancourt, a cruise on the Knysna lagoon, the Cango Caves and an ostrich farm.
The journey ends in Cape Town, after the Karoo and the winelands. It also runs in reverse. Golf, green fees and carts are part of the fare.
Current fares start at R207,000 per person sharing in a Pullman Gold Suite (2027 rates).

These cross-border journeys reach far beyond South Africa, with lodge stays, and sometimes flights, built in where the railway can’t go.

This expedition crosses Zimbabwe, Zambia, the DRC and Angola. From Victoria Falls, the train crosses the Zambezi to the Kafue River for a sunset cruise. After a visit to a Lusaka sanctuary that rescues and rehabilitates orphaned elephants, you fly into South Luangwa National Park for a three-night safari.
The journey then continues into the DRC for a tour of Lubumbashi, before following the historic copper trail through Angola, with short walking tours on the country’s recent history. It ends in Lobito, on the Atlantic coast, and also runs in reverse. A doctor and historian travel on board.
Current fares start at US$18,200 per person sharing in a Pullman Gold Suite (2027 rates).

This journey links South Africa’s east with Namibia’s desert and coast. It starts with game drives in Kruger and Hluhluwe, a visit to Eswatini and a tour of Durban, before crossing the Drakensberg to Kimberley and its diamond-rush history.
From there, the train crosses the Karoo to Upington and the Fish River Canyon, then the Kalahari to the quiver trees of Garas Park. A short flight takes you to a lodge among the dunes of Sossusvlei, with desert drives, a bush dinner and breakfast near Deadvlei.
The last stretch includes a tour of Windhoek, a cheetah conservation project and a night in Etosha National Park, before the journey ends at Walvis Bay on the Atlantic.
Current fares start at R286,000 per person sharing in a Pullman Gold Suite (2027 rates).

This new journey crosses South Africa, Eswatini, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. It descends the Drakensberg escarpment to Kruger for a game drive, then visits Eswatini and Mozambique’s capital, Maputo.
After crossing the Limpopo, the train reaches the Great Zimbabwe Monument. Further on, you visit Antelope Park, Harare’s galleries and markets, the Mutare Museum with its vintage vehicles, and Beira, Mozambique’s busiest port. A tour of an open-pit coal mine near Tete ends with sundowners on the Zambezi.
You then fly to the southern shore of Lake Malawi for a night, before game viewing and a Shire River boat cruise in Liwonde National Park, and a final flight to Lilongwe. The journey also runs in reverse, and a doctor and historian travel on board.
Current fares start at US$18,200 per person sharing in a Pullman Gold Suite (2027 rates).

One of Rovos Rail’s longest journeys runs between Cape Town and Dar es Salaam, through South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Tanzania. It starts with short tours of Matjiesfontein, Kimberley and Pretoria, followed by two nights of game drives in Madikwe Game Reserve.
The train continues through Botswana into Zimbabwe for a night at the Victoria Falls Hotel, then crosses the Zambezi and joins the Tazara line in Zambia, with a bush walk at Chishimba Falls. In Tanzania, it winds down an escarpment of tunnels, switchbacks and viaducts to the Udzungwa Mountains, and crosses Nyerere National Park before arriving in Dar es Salaam.
It also runs in reverse, and a doctor and historian travel on board.
Current fares start at US$18,200 per person sharing in a Pullman Gold Suite (2027 rates).