Rovos Rail

General information

Celebrating 28 years in April 2017, Rovos Rail has earned its international reputation for truly world class travel experiences. A privately owned company with its 60 acre headquarters at Rovos Rail Station in Pretoria, the company has evolved from one overnight trip to offering seven different safaris across Southern Africa lasting from 48 hours to two weeks.

A trip aboard ‘The Pride of Africa’ is a journey like no other with guests experiencing the opulent elegance of rail travel on the most luxurious train in the world. With discreet and friendly service, five-star cuisine and a selection of South Africa’s finest wines, Rovos Rail harks back to a simpler more elegant era, encompassing the timeless grace of grand African exploration.

The seven journeys include:

• Cape Town (three days)
• Durban Safari (three days)
• Victoria Falls (four days)
• Namibia Safari (nine days)
• Golf Safari (nine days)
• African Collage (ten days)
• Dar es Salaam (fifteen days)

Each journey has its own off-train excursions and these range from safari, cultural and historical outings.

There are three types of accommodation on board the train each cabin with its own en-suite bathroom.

Royal Suites
±16sqm with ready-made king bed, private lounge area, bath as well as separate shower
Deluxe Suites
±11sqm with twin or double beds, lounge area and shower
Pullman Suites
±7sqm with sofa-seat during the day which is converted into single, double or bunk bed in the evenings. En-suite bathroom with shower

The ticket price is fully inclusive all meals, all alcoholic and other beverages, the off-train excursions, room service and a limited laundry service.

An exciting addition to the company was the acquisition of the three-star Shongololo Express in January of 2016. The train has been repainted in green and cream and an additional dining car plus an observation car have been added. The accommodation of six Emerald (± 10sqm) and 30 Gold cabins (± 7sqm) have been overhauled to allow for more space and upgraded bathrooms. The three itineraries, Southern Cross – Pretoria to Victoria Falls (12 days), Dune Express – Pretoria to Swakopmund (12 days), Good-Hope – Pretoria to Cape Town (15 days); have been rebuilt with more stationary time at night and less road time spent on the excursions.

As an extension of the Rovos Rail brand, the company opened the doors to 15 suites across three beachfront guest houses in the well-to-do area of St James, situated on the southern peninsula in Cape Town. St James Manor, St James Seaforth and St James Homestead are individually decorated five-star homes offering guests a relaxing getaway with easy access to the city centre and the winelands, on one of the Western Cape’s prettiest coast lines.