Is the Blue Train journey included?

Yes. The package includes two nights aboard the Blue Train in a Deluxe Cabin from Cape Town to Pretoria, plus all meals onboard (canapes, lunch, dinner, and breakfast).

Are flights included?

No. Flights from London Heathrow to Cape Town and from Johannesburg back to London are not included and must be booked separately.

What is the itinerary?

Day 1: Overnight flight to Cape Town. Days 2-4: Cape Town hotel stays with two free days to explore. Days 5-7: Two nights aboard the Blue Train from Cape Town to Pretoria, with a stop in Kimberley on Day 6. Days 8-9: Return flight to London.

What hotels are included?

Great Rail Journeys offers a choice of 4-star and 5-star hotels in Cape Town (The Portswood Hotel, The Taj Hotel, or The Table Bay Hotel) and 5-star options in Pretoria (Ivory Manor Boutique Hotel or Castelo di Monte), all on a bed and breakfast basis.

What optional activities are available?

Cape Town optional excursions include winelands tour, Cape Point tour, safari, walk to freedom tour, peninsula tour, and city tour, all at an additional cost.

Great Rail Journeys · Luxury Rail Journey

South Africa's Blue Train & Cape Town

Luxury Blue Train from Cape Town to Pretoria with Cape Town hotel stays

Great Rail Journeys' nine-day South Africa journey combines leisure time in Cape Town with two nights aboard the legendary Blue Train, a luxury sleeper that travels from Cape Town to Pretoria in the style of the golden age of travel. You arrive in Cape Town on Day 2 and enjoy two free days (Days 3 and 4) to explore the city, with optional paid excursions available. On Day 5, you board the Blue Train for a 54-hour journey through diverse South African scenery. The train features a restaurant car with dress-code dining, a Club Car for evening drinks, and a nostalgic dining car serving all meals. Day 6 includes a stop and guided tour of Kimberley's Open Mine Museum, a historic diamond mine. You arrive in Pretoria on Day 7 for a final night in a 5-star hotel before flying home. Accommodation ranges from 4-star to 5-star properties. This journey suits luxury travellers, repeat rail travellers, couples, and independent explorers who appreciate unguided time alongside curated rail experiences.

Price history

Across 3 checks, this price has held at £3,585 every time.

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. 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

Flights from London Heathrow to Cape Town and return from Johannesburg are not included in the from-price and must be booked separately.
Hotels in Cape Town and Pretoria are listed as options; your final choice depends on availability and tier selected.
Days 3 and 4 in Cape Town are unguided; optional excursions (winelands tour, safari, peninsula tour, and others) cost extra.

Day by day

Day 1overnight: In flight
Outbound Travel - UK to Cape Town
British Airways overnight flight from London to Cape Town.
Day 2overnight: Cape Town
Arrival in Cape Town
Transfer to your chosen hotel (The Portswood Hotel, The Taj Hotel, or The Table Bay Hotel), on a B&B basis.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 3overnight: Cape Town
Discovering Cape Town
Free day in Cape Town, hike Table Mountain, relax on the beaches, visit a brewery, or sample street food. Optional excursions at a supplement: Cape Town City Tour (Half Day), Winelands Tour (Full Day), Cape Point Tour (Half Day).
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4overnight: Cape Town
Exploring Cape Town
Second free day in Cape Town, museums, art galleries, beaches, shopping or food markets. Optional excursions at a supplement: Safari (Full Day), Walk to Freedom Tour (Half Day), Peninsula (Full Day).
Meals: Breakfast
Day 5railovernight: The Blue Train (onboard)
The Blue Train
Transfer to the station to board the Blue Train for the 54-hour journey to Pretoria. Canapés on departure, lunch in the dining car, and a formal dinner in the restaurant car (jackets or waistcoats requested for men), followed by drinks in the Club Car.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Day 6railovernight: The Blue Train (onboard)
Kimberley
Breakfast onboard at leisure, then a tour of the Open Mine Museum in Kimberley. A glass of sherry on arrival at Kimberley Station, then dinner onboard as the train continues towards Pretoria.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7railovernight: Pretoria
Arrive Pretoria
Breakfast and lunch onboard as the Blue Train completes its journey. Disembark in Pretoria and transfer to your chosen hotel (Ivory Manor Boutique Hotel or Castelo di Monte), on a B&B basis.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 8overnight: In flight
Inbound Travel - Pretoria to Johannesburg
Free time to appreciate the hotel or explore Pretoria before transferring to Johannesburg Airport for the overnight flight back to the UK.
Day 9
Arrival back in the UK
Arrive back in London, concluding the tour.

The moments this trip is built around

Day 3Free day in Cape Town to hike Table Mountain, visit breweries, sample street food, or explore the beaches.
Day 5Embark on the Blue Train at Cape Town station for a 54-hour journey to Pretoria; canapes served as the train departs, lunch and elegant dinner in the dining car.
Day 6Tour the Open Mine Museum in Kimberley, a historic diamond mine, before the train continues overnight to Pretoria.

Included

4 nights' 4-Star hotel accommodation on a B&B basis
2 nights on board the Blue Train in a Deluxe Cabin
All rail and coach travel throughout your tour
Flight from London Heathrow to Cape Town and from Johannesburg to London Heathrow

Not included

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

Questions travellers ask

Is the Blue Train journey included?: Yes. The package includes two nights aboard the Blue Train in a Deluxe Cabin from Cape Town to Pretoria, plus all meals onboard (canapes, lunch, dinner, and breakfast).
Are flights included?: No. Flights from London Heathrow to Cape Town and from Johannesburg back to London are not included and must be booked separately.
What is the itinerary?: Day 1: Overnight flight to Cape Town. Days 2-4: Cape Town hotel stays with two free days to explore. Days 5-7: Two nights aboard the Blue Train from Cape Town to Pretoria, with a stop in Kimberley on Day 6. Days 8-9: Return flight to London.
What hotels are included?: Great Rail Journeys offers a choice of 4-star and 5-star hotels in Cape Town (The Portswood Hotel, The Taj Hotel, or The Table Bay Hotel) and 5-star options in Pretoria (Ivory Manor Boutique Hotel or Castelo di Monte), all on a bed and breakfast basis.
What optional activities are available?: Cape Town optional excursions include winelands tour, Cape Point tour, safari, walk to freedom tour, peninsula tour, and city tour, all at an additional cost.