Day 1: Departure from Pretoria
Enjoy a complimentary chauffeur transfer to Rovos Rail's private Capital Park Station in Pretoria. We suggest arriving at least two hours prior to the scheduled 18h00 departure to join a guided tour of the locomotive restoration workshops and railway museum (check-in closes one hour before departure, and please ensure the Train Manager has your passport). The train rolls out along the historic eastern line built between 1893 and 1895 by the Dutch railway company NZASM to connect Pretoria with Lourenco Marques (Maputo). Pass through the coal-mining hub of eMalahleni (Witbank) - where Rovos Rail was originally founded - and Middelburg, known as the "stainless steel capital of Africa", while enjoying a formal dinner at 19h30.
Day 2: At Leisure on Board
Breakfast is served until 10h00 as the train winds through the rolling hills of eMakhazeni (Belfast), eNtokozweni (Machadodorp), and Emnothweni (Dullstroom) - high-altitude Mpumalanga villages renowned for the genteel yet skilful sport of trout fishing. Spend a civilised day relaxing on board over lunch at 13h00, afternoon tea in the lounge and observation cars at 16h30, and a formal dinner at 19h30 as the train descends towards Malelane.
Day 3: Kruger National Park or Kambaku & Leopard Creek Golf
Rise early for a 05h30 breakfast. Leisure guests depart at 06h30 for a full-day game drive in the two-million-hectare Kruger National Park - home to 147 mammal species including the Big Five and over 500 bird species - complete with lunch and curio shopping before returning to the train at 15h00. Golfers transfer (approximately 45 minutes) to play Kambaku Golf Club at the confluence of the Crocodile and Komati Rivers (or, subject to availability and for your own account, you may request a round at Johan Rupert's ultra-exclusive Leopard Creek, where resident crocodiles give the water hazards a rather sharp edge). Reunite for afternoon tea at 16h30 and a formal dinner at 19h30 as border formalities take place at Mpaka into the Kingdom of Eswatini.
Day 4: Kingdom of Eswatini or Royal Swazi & Nkonyeni Golf
After an 06h00 breakfast, leisure guests depart at 08h00 for a 90-minute transfer into mountainous Eswatini to watch artisans crafting colourful paraffin wax creations at Swazi Candles and visit the Mantenga Cultural Village - a living museum of 1850s Swazi traditions nestled beneath Execution Rock - with lunch included. Golfers transfer (approximately 75 minutes) for tee-off and lunch at either the championship Royal Swazi course on the slopes of the Lebombo Range or Nkonyeni Golf Estate overlooking the Great Usuthu River (famous for its 18th-hole island green). Return to the train at 14h00 for afternoon tea, border formalities at Golela back into South Africa, and a formal dinner en route to Hluhluwe.
Day 5: Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park
Continental breakfast is served from 05h00 before an 06h00 transfer (approximately 30 minutes) to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park for a morning game drive. Covering 960km² of hilly Zululand bushveld, Hluhluwe is the oldest proclaimed game reserve in Africa and the conservation stronghold that famously saved the white rhino from extinction. Return to the train for lunch at 12h30 as it travels south along the Indian Ocean coastline, followed by afternoon tea and a formal dinner.
Day 6: Durban & Valley of a Thousand Hills or Coastal Golf
Following an 06h00 breakfast, leisure guests set off at 09h00 for a guided tour of Durban - South Africa's third-largest city and busiest port - visiting the botanical gardens before enjoying lunch on Umhlanga's beachfront. Golfers transfer to tee off and enjoy lunch at either the historic 1922 Durban Country Club (carved out of giant coastal sand dunes overlooking the Indian Ocean) or Peter Matkovich's parkland layout at Cotswold Downs near Hillcrest. At 15h00, the train climbs inland through the dramatic Valley of a Thousand Hills towards Ladysmith. Tonight's dinner is "Africa" Theme or Smart Casual.
Day 7: Spionkop Battlefield or Champagne Sports Resort Golf
Breakfast is served from 06h00 as the train sits beneath the jagged peaks of the Drakensberg Mountains - named "Dragon's Back" by the Voortrekkers. At 09h00, leisure guests transfer (30 minutes) to Spionkop Lodge to walk in the footsteps of Winston Churchill and Mahatma Gandhi whilst hearing the gripping account of the 1900 Battle of Spionkop, followed by lunch and an afternoon nature drive. Golfers transfer (approximately 75 minutes) to Champagne Sports Resort to tackle its 84 bunkers beneath Champagne and Cathkin Peaks, returning at 15h30. Afternoon tea and a formal dinner are served as the train climbs into the Free State towards Harrismith.
Day 8: Golden Gate, Clarens & Sandstone Heritage Trust
After an 06h00 breakfast, depart at 08h00 for a scenic drive through the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, renowned for its deeply eroded golden-ochre sandstone cliffs and Brandwag Rock. Continue at 09h30 to the picturesque village of Clarens in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains to browse the galleries and enjoy an early lunch (own account). At 13h00, transfer to the Sandstone Heritage Trust, a vast agricultural estate housing an extraordinary private collection of heritage steam locomotives, vintage tractors, buses, and military vehicles. Rejoin the train in Bethlehem at 15h30 for afternoon tea and a formal dinner.
Day 9: Bloemfontein & The Great Karoo
Enjoy breakfast from 06h00 before an 08h00 city tour of Bloemfontein, the "Rose City" and judicial capital of South Africa, visiting the Anglo-Boer War Museum and the poignant Women's Memorial commemorating the 27,000 women and children who perished in British concentration camps. Back on board at 10h30, the train begins its grand crossing of the semi-arid Great Karoo and descends the Great Escarpment towards the Eastern Cape coast, with lunch, afternoon tea, and a formal dinner served on board.
Day 10: Addo Elephant National Park or Humewood Links Golf
Breakfast is served from 07h00. While golfers transfer (approximately 90 minutes) to Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) to brave the coastal winds and fast greens at Humewood Golf Course - South Africa's premier true seaside links course on the dunes of Algoa Bay - leisure guests enjoy lunch on board at 12h30 before heading out on an afternoon game drive in Addo Elephant National Park. Stretching from the Zuurberg Mountains to the Sundays River valley, Addo boasts one of the densest African elephant populations on earth, with over 600 elephants. Rejoin the train in Port Elizabeth for a formal dinner at 19h30.
Day 11: Knysna Lagoon or Pezula & Simola Golf (Overnight at Fancourt)
Please pack an overnight bag for your stay at Fancourt in George (canvas tog bags are provided in your suite). After an 06h00 breakfast, disembark in Port Elizabeth to travel along the lush Garden Route via a morning refreshment stop at Oudebosch Farm Stall. Leisure guests continue to Knysna for a lagoon ferry cruise looking out towards the dramatic sandstone Knysna Heads with lunch included, before transferring to check in at Fancourt at 16h30. Golfers transfer to Knysna to tee off and enjoy lunch at either Pezula (set high on the clifftops overlooking the lagoon and Indian Ocean) or Jack Nicklaus's wind-sheltered signature course at Simola, before checking in at Fancourt for a smart casual dinner at 19h00.
Day 12: Oudtshoorn & Cango Caves or Fancourt Golf
Enjoy breakfast at Fancourt from 06h30 and check out. At 10h00, leisure guests cross the Outeniqua Mountains into the Klein Karoo to visit an ostrich farm in Oudtshoorn - the historic "feather capital" whose early 20th-century boa boom created instant feather millionaires - complete with lunch, followed by an afternoon tour of the towering limestone chambers of the Cango Caves. Meanwhile, golfers tee off right at Fancourt on either the tree-lined Montagu layout or the Gary Player-designed Outeniqua course before lunch. Both groups travel by road through the Karoo to rejoin the train at Prince Albert Road Station in the late afternoon, celebrating the final night on board with a "1920s" Theme or Smart Casual dinner en route to Matjiesfontein.
Day 13: Cape Winelands & Arrival in Cape Town
Breakfast is served until 10h00 as the train winds through the dramatic mountain passes and scenic winelands of the Western Cape. Enjoy a final lunch in the dining cars at 13h00 and afternoon tea at 16h30 (please ensure your luggage is ready for collection 15 minutes before arrival). The train is scheduled to pull into Cape Town Station at 18h00, where a complimentary chauffeur transfer awaits to whisk you to your accommodation in Cape Town, courtesy of luxurytrainholiday.com.
