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 north- and southbound routes include 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. Available in reverse.

Highlights :

• Cape Town
• Journey through the Cape Winelands
• Traverse the Karoo
• Kimberley Diamond Mine Museum tour
• Matjiesfontein visit
• Pretoria

Day 1:  Cape Town

09h30  Depart from Cape Town Station. Trundle through the winelands of the Western Cape towards Worcester.

13h00  Lunch is served in the dining cars.

16h30 Tea in the lounge and observation cars. Before dinner, the train climbs ±750m up the face of the escarpment.

19h30  Dinner is served in the dining cars  .

Overnight on board. Dress: Formal

Day 2:  Matjiesfontein

07h00  Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00 .

08h00  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.

10h00  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.

13h00  Lunch is served in the dining cars.

16h30  Tea is served in the lounge and observation cars.

19h30  Dinner is served in the dining cars.

Overnight on board. Dress: Formal

Day 3:  Kimberley

06h00  Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 08:30.

08h30  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.

12h00  Lunch is served as the train travels northeast towards Klerksdorp and the broad grassland plains of the Highveld

16h30  Tea in the lounge and observation cars.

19h30  Dinner is served in the dining cars.

Overnight on board. Dress: Formal

Day 4:  Pretoria

07h00  Breakfast is served in the dining cars until 10:00 .

13h00 Lunch is served in the dining cars.

15h00  Arrive at journey’s end at Rovos Rail Station, Pretoria.

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 and departure times may vary. Times are approximate and cannot be guaranteed.

In your suite you will find the Journeys magazine that features articles of interest related to the route.

Contact us for more information.

Our itineraries are “recommended itineraries” and may be booked as suggested. However, they also serve to inform you, as a possible first time traveller to Africa, an idea of what can be done. If you find that the recommended itineraries do not suit you entirely, we will tailor make a program to best meet your individual requirements.