Camps bay beach in Cape Town, South Africa

Luxury & Heritage: Discover South Africa Tour by Train

Ratings of Zicasso's Service
Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist

Countries Visited

South Africa

Places Visited

Cape Town, Table Mountain, Robben Island, Cape Winelands...

See all

Suggested Duration

11 Days

Traversing iconic landscapes on journeys of old-world elegance, the luxury Blue Train offers a window into the soul of Africa. Across dramatic mountain ranges to arid desert, through colonial relics to big-game dominated savannah, two indulgent train journeys reveal the splendor of a land untouched by time. Travel is about the journey, yet when you disembark, the destinations also provide dreamy African experiences: Cape Town, Nelson Mandela's Soweto, and Kruger National Park.

Customizable Itinerary

Expand All

Trip Highlights

  • Gaze through the window to the soul of South Africa and admire the country from the luxury of the Blue Train
  • Traverse the dramatic landscapes of South Africa on the iconic train journey from Cape Town to Pretoria, then on a new rail route from Pretoria to Kruger National Park
  • Travel in the majesty of centuries past, with elegant dinners, high tea, and decadent old-world fittings
  • Explore an evocative history with tours of Robben Island, Soweto, and the Apartheid Museum
  • Celebrate the Cape's mystical landscapes by standing on the summit of Table Mountain and spending a day amidst the vineyards of Stellenbosch
  • Complete your South Africa tour with a 3-day luxury safari in MalaMala Game Reserve, where exclusivity complements authenticity and thrilling big-game moments
  • Combine game drives and bush walks, each bringing intimate encounters with the giants of the African savannah

Detailed Description

Defying the imagination, South Africa's landscapes celebrate the mystique of an entire continent. Vertical mountains hide rugged canyons where baboons yelp at sunrise. Arid desert plains are dappled by ostriches and a sense of infinity. Savannah rolls towards the horizon, the panoramas dappled with nomadic elephants and rumbling buffalo herds. Occasionally a town appears from nowhere, a colonial relic of wooden facades and bougainvillea-lined boulevards. From ocean to desert to grasslands, gaping valleys to expressive peaks, South Africa is as much about the journey as the destinations. The ultimate way to admire both the scale and the details is on the old railway line through the continent, aboard a train of luxurious old-world grandeur.

The Blue Train provides a window into the dreamy authenticity of South Africa. It departs from Cape Town, flanked by Table Mountain and two oceans. Traversing vineyards and valleys it rumbles north, crossing the evocative desert and rolling over the high-altitude plateau to Pretoria. This is a traditional train route, as iconic as it was a century ago. But the railway now continues, curving around the mountains before descending into the big-game savannah of Kruger National Park. Giraffe and elephant may be spotted from the window before the train stops in the heart of South Africa's premier safari destination. It's lavish and luxurious on board, helping create one of the world's premier train experiences. Think high tea, elegant dinners, and private suites that come with en-suite bathrooms and bath tubs, decadent lounge areas, and a personal butler. Using restored wooden carriages, it feels like a train journey from centuries past.

The journey provides the focal point of this South Africa tour. Then the destinations are equally evocative. Cape Town, with Table Mountain rising majestically above the city and Robben Island providing narratives just off the coast. The Cape Winelands, a sensual celebration of history and charm. Pretoria is a base for exploring the vibrancy of Nelson Mandela's Soweto, where two Nobel Prize winners lived on one street and excellent museums present memoirs to apartheid and peaceful protest. Then you complete this South Africa tour in MalaMala Game Reserve, an exclusive enclave that borders Kruger National Park. The thrilling safari experience combines game drives with bush walks, then the elegance of watching wildlife from your private verandah. It's three days of luxury in what is widely considered to be Africa's finest private reserve.

Starting Price

$11,435 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

  • Accommodations
  • In-country transportation
  • Some or all activities and tours
  • Expert trip planning
  • 24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

Reviews of Zicasso's Referral Service

4.94 stars based on 1033 reviews.

South Africa, Zimbabwe Luxury Family Vacation Review: Cape...
"This trip far exceeded all expectations and gave us memories...

Reviewed By Kandace B.

South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia Luxury Vacation Review: Victoria...
"We will recommend Zicasso’s travel agent to everyone and...

Reviewed By Paula Z.

South Africa Tour Review: Cape Town, Cape Winelands, Kruger...
"Thanks to Rachel and her team at the travel agency we had...

Reviewed By Hamish K.

South Africa Luxury Birhtday Trip Review: Cape Town, Franschhoek,...
"Neil from the travel agency was amazing to work with!!"

Reviewed By Kathleen S.

South Africa & Namibia Travel Review: Cape Town, Kirstenbosch...
"...Richelle's excellent guidance and the warmth of the...

Reviewed By George L.

South Africa Luxury Vacation Review: Cape Town, Stellenbosch,...
"We don't like to travel in large groups, so having Zicasso...

Reviewed By Carol m.

Your Dream Vacation

in 3 simple steps

  1. 1

    Describe your dream trip

  2. 2

    Get matched with top travel specialists

  3. 3

    Book the trip

Free service - no credit card required