Quick answer: The best luxury train safaris in Africa are Rovos Rail (the most luxurious train in the world) and the Blue Train (South Africa's original rolling hotel). Both offer teak-panelled suites, five-course dining, observation cars, and routes through the Cape Winelands, the Great Karoo, the bushveld and to Victoria Falls. Rovos Rail is the more exclusive choice; the Blue Train is the classic. Either way, the journey is the destination.
There is a particular kind of traveller who does not want the plane, who wants the journey itself to be the destination. Who wants teak-panelled suites, white-glove service, and the African landscape sliding past the windows at a speed that lets you see it all — the game reserves, the vineyards, the deserts, the escarpments — while a five-course dinner is served on bone china in the dining car.
That is the appeal of a luxury train safari. Africa has two trains that deliver this experience at the highest level: Rovos Rail, the most luxurious train in the world, and the Blue Train, South Africa's original luxury rail service. Both run routes through the Cape, the Karoo, the bushveld and into Zimbabwe, Zambia and Tanzania. The cabins are suites, the service is Edwardian, and the pace is unhurried.
After eighteen years booking luxury train safaris — from honeymooners on the Cape Town to Pretoria route to serious rail enthusiasts on the fifteen-day Dar es Salaam epic — this is our complete, honest guide. What makes these trains special, which routes deliver the best experience, and how to choose between Rovos Rail and the Blue Train when both are calling your name.
What Makes a Luxury Train Safari Different
A luxury train safari is not a way to get from A to B. It is a way to experience the landscape, the history, and the romance of African rail travel at a pace where you actually see the country roll past. You wake in the Cape Winelands, have breakfast as you cross the Great Karoo, take afternoon tea in the observation car as the sun sets over the escarpment, then dress for a five-course dinner while the train climbs toward Kimberley or Pretoria or Victoria Falls.
Teak-Panelled Suites
Not cabins — suites. En-suite bathrooms, air conditioning, writing desks, and in the case of Rovos Rail's Royal Suite, a full Victorian bathtub. You travel in a moving five-star hotel.
Five-Course Dining
Breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and a formal five-course dinner served on bone china with silver cutlery. The wine list is serious, the champagne is French, and the dress code for dinner is jacket and tie.
Observation Cars
Open-air balconies at the rear of the train where you stand with a gin and tonic, the African wind in your face, watching the landscape disappear behind you. It is the defining luxury train safari moment.
Rovos Rail — The Most Luxurious Train in the World
Rovos Rail is privately owned, family-run, and widely regarded as the most luxurious train in the world. The rolling stock is refurbished 1920s and 1930s carriages — teak panelling, brass fittings, Victorian bathtubs in the Royal Suites — hauled by historic steam or diesel locomotives. The train has three lounge cars, two dining cars, an observation car with an open-air balcony, and a maximum of 72 guests. It feels like a country house hotel on rails, if that country house were crossing the Karoo at sunset.
Rovos Rail runs several routes, but the three that matter most are:
1. Cape Town to Pretoria (or Reverse) — The Classic
Two nights, roughly 1,600 kilometres through the Cape Winelands, the Great Karoo, and the gold-mining town of Kimberley. You leave Cape Town in the morning, lunch as you cross the winelands, stop at Matjiesfontein (a Victorian-era ghost town where the train pauses for drinks and a stretch), then wake the next morning in Kimberley for a visit to the Big Hole diamond mine. The second night you dine as the train climbs toward Pretoria, arriving mid-morning on day three.
Cost: Approximately $1,500 to $3,500 per person (all-inclusive) depending on suite category.
Best for: First-time luxury train travellers, honeymooners, those combining with a Cape Town and safari itinerary.
Feel: The quintessential South African rail journey.
2. Pretoria to Victoria Falls — The Bucket-List Route
Three nights, roughly 2,000 kilometres through South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe, ending at Victoria Falls. This is the route serious rail travellers book first. You cross the bushveld, stop at a game reserve for a morning drive, cross the border into Botswana, then wake on the third morning to the sound of Victoria Falls — one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World — a short walk from where the train stops.
Cost: Approximately $3,000 to $6,500 per person (all-inclusive).
Best for: Bucket-list travellers, those combining a train safari with Victoria Falls and Botswana.
Feel: Epic, romantic, and dramatic. The train safari you will remember forever.
3. Dar es Salaam — The Epic
Fifteen days, roughly 6,000 kilometres from Cape Town or Pretoria through South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Tanzania, ending in Dar es Salaam on the Indian Ocean. This is Rovos Rail's flagship journey, the one for those who have the time and understand that a fifteen-day train journey across Africa is not a holiday — it is the holiday. You stop at Victoria Falls, game reserves, the Selous, and Zanzibar. It is expensive, rare, and unforgettable.
Cost: Approximately $15,000 to $25,000 per person (all-inclusive).
Best for: Serious rail enthusiasts, retirees, those who want the journey of a lifetime.
Feel: The African equivalent of the Orient Express.
The Blue Train — South Africa's Classic
The Blue Train is South Africa's original luxury train, state-owned and operating since 1946. Unlike Rovos Rail's vintage rolling stock, the Blue Train uses modern carriages with contemporary design — still luxurious, still five-star, but with a more accessible, less Edwardian feel. The suites are smaller than Rovos Rail's top categories, but the service is just as polished, the dining just as serious, and the routes just as scenic.
The Blue Train's signature route is Cape Town to Pretoria (or reverse), a two-night journey that mirrors Rovos Rail's classic route. The train also runs a Pretoria to Hoedspruit route, which includes a safari add-on in the Greater Kruger — a clever combination of rail and game reserve.
Cost: Approximately $1,200 to $2,500 per person for the Cape Town to Pretoria route (all-inclusive).
Best for: First-time luxury train travellers who want the classic South African rail experience without the Rovos Rail price tag.
Feel: Polished, contemporary, accessible. The Blue Train is the gateway drug to luxury African rail travel.
Rovos Rail vs. Blue Train — Which One?
The question every traveller asks: Rovos Rail or the Blue Train? Here is the honest answer.
| Aspect | Rovos Rail | Blue Train |
|---|---|---|
| Style | Victorian-Edwardian, vintage 1920s carriages | Contemporary, modern rolling stock |
| Suites | Larger, Victorian bathtubs in Royal Suites | Smaller, modern design |
| Pace | Slower, more stops, more leisurely | Faster, fewer stops |
| Cost | Higher ($1,500–$6,500+ per route) | More accessible ($1,200–$2,500) |
| Best for | Serious rail enthusiasts, bucket-list travellers | First-time luxury train travellers |
If you want the most exclusive, vintage, romantic train experience in Africa, choose Rovos Rail. If you want the classic South African luxury train experience at a more accessible price, choose the Blue Train. Both deliver five-star service, fine dining, and the romance of rail travel. You cannot go wrong.
The Suites — From Pullman to Royal
Both trains offer tiered suite categories. Here is what you get at each level.
Rovos Rail Suite Categories
Pullman Suite: The entry-level category, roughly 7 square metres, with twin or double beds, en-suite bathroom with shower, and classic teak panelling. Perfectly comfortable for most travellers.
Cost: From $1,500 per person (Cape Town to Pretoria).
Deluxe Suite: Roughly double the size of a Pullman, around 11 square metres, with more space and a larger bathroom. The sweet spot for most travellers.
Cost: From $2,200 per person (Cape Town to Pretoria).
Royal Suite: The top category, roughly 16 square metres, with a full Victorian bathtub, a separate lounge area, and the kind of space you do not expect on a train. Only a few per train — book early.
Cost: From $3,500 per person (Cape Town to Pretoria).
Blue Train Suite Categories
Luxury Suite: Approximately 11 square metres, with twin or double beds, en-suite bathroom, contemporary design, and all the inclusions (meals, drinks, excursions).
Cost: From $1,200 per person (Cape Town to Pretoria).
Deluxe Suite: Slightly larger, around 13 square metres, with more space and a bathtub. The Blue Train's top tier.
Cost: From $2,000 per person (Cape Town to Pretoria).
What Is Included in a Luxury Train Safari?
Both trains are all-inclusive. Here is what that means in practice:
- All meals — breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, five-course dinner.
- All drinks — champagne, fine wines, spirits, soft drinks. The bar is open and included.
- All excursions at stops along the route — Kimberley diamond mine, game drives, town tours.
- Your suite accommodation with en-suite bathroom and daily housekeeping.
- Observation car access and lounge cars.
The only extras are the gift shop and gratuities (discretionary). Think of it as an all-inclusive floating hotel where you pay once and everything is taken care of.
The Dining Experience — Five Courses on Bone China
The dining car is where the magic happens. Breakfast is silver-service with fresh pastries, eggs cooked to order, and South African sparkling wine. Lunch is three courses. Afternoon tea is finger sandwiches, scones, and champagne in the lounge car. And dinner is a formal five-course affair — jacket and tie required — served on bone china with silver cutlery, crystal glasses, and a wine list that takes the sommelier seriously.
The menu changes daily. You might have Cape salmon, Karoo lamb, or kudu carpaccio, depending on where the train is and what the chef sourced that morning. The pace is unhurried. Dinner can stretch to two and a half hours, and that is exactly as it should be — you are not rushing to catch a plane. You are on the train, and the train is going nowhere fast.
The Observation Car — The Defining Moment
The observation car is at the rear of the train — an open-air balcony where you stand with a drink in your hand, the African wind in your face, watching the landscape disappear behind you. It is the defining luxury train safari moment, the one that ends up in every photo album and every memory. You stand there at sunset as the train crosses the Karoo, or climbs toward the escarpment, or rolls through the bushveld, and you understand why people who take one luxury train safari end up taking three more.
When to Book a Luxury Train Safari
Rovos Rail and the Blue Train run year-round, but availability is limited and suites book out months in advance — especially for peak season (May to October) and the Pretoria to Victoria Falls route. Book at least six to nine months ahead for popular departures. If you are flexible on dates, green season (November to March) offers lower demand and the chance to see the landscape in its lush, stormy, dramatic state. The trains are climate-controlled, so weather inside the suite is never an issue.
How Much Does a Luxury Train Safari Cost?
Luxury train safaris are priced per person, all-inclusive. Use these tiers as a planning guide:
| Route | Nights | Cost per person |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Town to Pretoria (Rovos Rail) | 2 nights | $1,500 – $3,500 |
| Cape Town to Pretoria (Blue Train) | 2 nights | $1,200 – $2,500 |
| Pretoria to Victoria Falls (Rovos Rail) | 3 nights | $3,000 – $6,500 |
| Dar es Salaam (Rovos Rail) | 15 nights | $15,000 – $25,000 |
These are guide prices; actual rates vary by season, suite category, and availability. All rates are all-inclusive (meals, drinks, excursions).
Combining a Train Safari with Cape Town & Safari Lodges
Most travellers combine a luxury train safari with a few days in Cape Town before or after, and often with a safari lodge in the Sabi Sand, Kruger, or Botswana. A typical itinerary might look like:
- Days 1–3: Cape Town (Table Mountain, Cape Point, Winelands).
- Days 4–5: Rovos Rail Cape Town to Pretoria (two nights on the train).
- Days 6–10: Sabi Sand or Kruger safari lodge (four nights).
- Days 11–12: Fly home via Johannesburg.
This combination delivers the best of South Africa — the city, the train, and the safari — in roughly twelve days. We plan these itineraries daily.
How We Plan Your Luxury Train Safari
The "best" luxury train safari is the one that fits your timeline, your budget, and your sense of adventure. Here is how we build it.
We start with the route. First-time train traveller? Cape Town to Pretoria on the Blue Train or Rovos Rail. Bucket-list journey? Pretoria to Victoria Falls on Rovos Rail. Epic once-in-a-lifetime? The Dar es Salaam fifteen-day journey.
We match the train to your style. Rovos Rail if you want the most exclusive, vintage experience. Blue Train if you want the classic at a more accessible price.
We confirm your suite category. Royal Suite if you want the bathtub and the space. Deluxe if you want the sweet spot. Pullman or Luxury if you are happy with the entry-level category (which is still five-star).
We handle everything end to end. The train booking, pre- and post-train accommodation in Cape Town or Pretoria, transfers, safari lodges, flights, and the small details that make the difference between a good trip and the journey you will remember forever.
Let's Plan the Train Safari Where the Journey Is the Destination
Tell us which route calls your name — Cape Town to Pretoria, Pretoria to Victoria Falls, or the epic Dar es Salaam journey — and we will match you to the train, the suite, and the itinerary that delivers the romance of African rail travel. Since 2008 we have booked more than 5,700 travellers to a 4.9 out of 5 rating.
Plan Your Luxury Train SafariBeyond Africa Safaris is a Cape Town-based safari specialist. Speak to our team on +27 74 315 5782 or email res@privatetourscapetown.com to plan the best luxury train safari in Africa — Rovos Rail, the Blue Train, or the combination that turns the journey into the story.
