How much does it cost?

From £10,199 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $13,777 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.

What accommodation is provided?

Passengers spend 11 nights in a Pullman Suite aboard the Pride of Africa (upgrades to Deluxe Suite are available). Hotel stays include 1 night at the four-star Maslow Time Square Hotel in Pretoria, 1 night at the five-star Fancourt Resort Hotel in George, and 4 nights at the five-star Southern Sun The Cullinan in Cape Town.

What meals are included?

Breakfast is included every day. The package includes 12 lunches and 13 dinners. Aboard the train, afternoon tea is served daily and beer, wine and soft drinks are included.

Is this an escorted or independent tour?

This is an escorted group tour. A UK Tour Manager accompanies the group from London throughout the journey and returns to London with the group. All guided tours, safaris and excursions are included.

When does the tour depart?

Great Rail Journeys has three departures: April 2027, October 2027, and November 2026.

Great Rail Journeys · Escorted tour

Grand Tour of South Africa

Nineteen-day escorted tour across South Africa by luxury train and coach from London

Great Rail Journeys' Grand Tour of South Africa is a 19-day escorted journey that combines luxury rail travel with guided exploration across South Africa and Eswatini. Departing London Heathrow, the tour centers on 12 nights aboard Rovos Rail's Pride of Africa, one of the world's most luxurious trains, which travels from Pretoria through Kruger National Park, Hluhluwe, Durban, and the Drakensberg Mountains to Cape Town. A UK Tour Manager leads the group throughout. The itinerary balances time on the train with safaris: Day 5 includes an early sunrise drive in Kruger National Park searching for the Big Five; Day 7 explores Hluhluwe Park in historic Zululand; Day 12 features an open-top vehicle drive through Addo Elephant Park, home to approximately 600 African elephants. After leaving the train in Cape Town, passengers spend four nights in a five-star hotel and visit Robben Island, Table Mountain, and the Cape Winelands. This tour suits luxury-seekers, repeat rail travellers, wildlife photographers, and those seeking guided comfort and high-end accommodation.

Price history

Across 5 checks, this price has risen £200 since 4 Jul, to £10,199.

Each point is a day we checked this operator's own page, not a weekly average, and the line holds flat between checks rather than guessing at movement we did not see. 3 of 5 points are a live read of the operator's page. Hollow points are values shown when the trip was first listed here and never confirmed with the operator.

What to know before you look closer

The single supplement is high: GBP 14,999 compared to GBP 9,999 for a double, roughly 50% more than the per-person double price.
This is an escorted group tour with a maximum group size of 30 passengers; those preferring smaller groups should confirm before booking.
Day 15 in Cape Town and day 18 in the winelands include free time for lunch; evening of day 15 is free to dine independently.

Day by day

Day 1overnight: In flight
Overnight flight to Johannesburg
Meet the Tour Manager at London Heathrow for a direct overnight flight to Johannesburg.
Day 2overnight: Pretoria
Arrival in the city of Pretoria
Lunch on arrival at OR Tambo Airport, then coach transfer to Pretoria, passing the Voortrekker Monument. Check in to the hotel; first dinner together.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Day 3railovernight: Rovos Rail (onboard)
Starting our journey on the Pride of Africa
Free morning in Pretoria (Union Buildings, Pretoria Art Museum). Transfer to Rovos Rail's private station to board the Pride of Africa for an 11-night journey, heading towards Kruger National Park.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4railovernight: Rovos Rail (onboard)
Travelling aboard Rovos Rail towards Kruger
Scenic rail day through Mpumalanga province and the Drakensberg escarpment, travelling overnight to Malelane at the gateway to Kruger National Park.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5railovernight: Rovos Rail (onboard)
Experiencing a sunrise safari in Kruger National Park
Sunrise wildlife safari in Kruger National Park with an expert guide, looking for the Big Five. Lunch in the park, then reboard the train heading towards Eswatini.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6railovernight: Rovos Rail (onboard)
Exploring the mountain Kingdom of Eswatini
Visit the Swazi Candles Centre in the Ezulwini Valley and the Mantenga Cultural Village. Rail journey continues through Eswatini and back into South Africa towards Hluhluwe.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7overnight: Rovos Rail (onboard)
Wildlife viewing in Africa's oldest nature reserve
Safari through Hluhluwe Park, Africa's oldest nature reserve, known for white rhino conservation. Reboard and travel south towards Durban.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8railovernight: Rovos Rail (onboard)
Guided tour of Durban on the Indian Ocean coast
Guided tour of Durban's botanical gardens and a beachfront lunch in Umhlanga. Rail journey continues through the Valley of a Thousand Hills towards the Drakensberg Mountains.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9railovernight: Rovos Rail (onboard)
Spionkop Lodge & Nambiti Game Reserve
Visit Spionkop Lodge to learn about the historic Battle of Spionkop, followed by a wildlife drive in Nambiti Game Reserve. Rail journey continues overnight towards Harrismith.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 10overnight: Rovos Rail (onboard)
The glorious Golden Gate National Park & Clarens
Drive through Golden Gate Highlands National Park to the town of Clarens, with free time and a visit to the Sandstone Heritage Trust vehicle collection.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 11overnight: Rovos Rail (onboard)
The Pride of Africa to Bloemfontein
Tour of Bloemfontein, including the Anglo-Boer War Museum and Women's Memorial. Afternoon crossing the Karoo semi-desert towards the Eastern Cape.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 12overnight: Rovos Rail (onboard)
Encountering the elephants of Addo Elephant Park
Open-top vehicle wildlife-viewing drive in Addo Elephant Park, home to around 600 elephants. Continue overnight towards Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth).
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 13overnight: George
Knysna Lagoon ferry ride & Fancourt Estate
Disembark at Gqeberha with an overnight bag; coach along the Garden Route to Knysna for a sightseeing ferry ride past the Knysna Heads. Transfer to the Fancourt Hotel in George for an overnight stay.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 14overnight: Rovos Rail (onboard)
Oudtshoorn, the ostrich capital of the world
Visit an ostrich farm in Oudtshoorn and the Cango Caves, then rejoin the Pride of Africa at Prince Albert Road Station for afternoon tea and a final onboard dinner (1920s or smart casual dress theme).
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 15overnight: Cape Town
Journeying through the scenic winelands to Cape Town
Final day aboard the Pride of Africa through the Western Cape winelands, arriving in Cape Town this evening. Transfer to the hotel near the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront; free evening.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 16overnight: Cape Town
Cape Peninsula tour and Boulders Bay Penguin Colony
Drive via Hout Bay and Chapman's Peak to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope, riding the Flying Dutchman funicular. Visit the Boulders Bay penguin colony. Free evening.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 17overnight: Cape Town
Touring Cape Town including Robben Island & Table Mountain
Ferry and guided tour of Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. Drive past City Hall, Parliament and Bo-Kaap, then a cable car ride up Table Mountain. Free afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 18overnight: In flight
Exploring the Cape Winelands of South Africa
Check out and visit Franschhoek and Stellenbosch, including a walking tour, wine tasting at Rickety Bridge Winery, and a braai lunch at Middelvlei Wine Estate. Transfer to Cape Town airport for the overnight flight home.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 19
Homeward bound
Direct flight lands at London Heathrow, concluding the tour.

The moments this trip is built around

Day 5Early sunrise drive through Kruger National Park with an expert guide searching for the Big Five, followed by lunch in the park.
Day 6Visit to the Swazi Candles Centre and Mantenga Cultural Village in Eswatini's Ezulwini Valley before the train crosses back into South Africa.
Day 7Safari through Hluhluwe Park in historic Zululand, Africa's oldest nature reserve, with a guide searching for giraffe, zebra, hippo and big game.
Day 12Open-top vehicle wildlife drive in Addo Elephant Park, home to approximately 600 African elephants, lions, leopards, Cape buffalo and rhinos.
Day 17Guided tour of Robben Island UNESCO World Heritage Site via ferry across Table Bay, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, followed by a cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain (weather permitting).

Included

Expertise of a UK Tour Manager from start to finish
5 nights' 4 & 5-Star hotel accommodation
11 nights in a Pullman Suite aboard Rovos Rail
All rail and coach travel throughout your tour
Direct flights from London Heathrow to Johannesburg, Cape Town to London Heathrow
All internal flights
Breakfast each day, 12 lunches, 13 dinners
Afternoon tea each day aboard Rovos Rail
Beer, wine and soft drinks aboard Rovos Rail
All guided tours and excursions

Not included

Cancellation & Travel Insurance is not included in the price of the tour

Questions travellers ask

How much does it cost?: From £10,199 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $13,777 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.
What accommodation is provided?: Passengers spend 11 nights in a Pullman Suite aboard the Pride of Africa (upgrades to Deluxe Suite are available). Hotel stays include 1 night at the four-star Maslow Time Square Hotel in Pretoria, 1 night at the five-star Fancourt Resort Hotel in George, and 4 nights at the five-star Southern Sun The Cullinan in Cape Town.
What meals are included?: Breakfast is included every day. The package includes 12 lunches and 13 dinners. Aboard the train, afternoon tea is served daily and beer, wine and soft drinks are included.
Is this an escorted or independent tour?: This is an escorted group tour. A UK Tour Manager accompanies the group from London throughout the journey and returns to London with the group. All guided tours, safaris and excursions are included.
When does the tour depart?: Great Rail Journeys has three departures: April 2027, October 2027, and November 2026.