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Tailor Made Rail · Luxury rail journey

The Blue Train: Cape Town to Pretoria

Nine-day luxury rail journey from Cape Town to Pretoria aboard the Blue Train.

Illustration of The Blue Train: Cape Town to Pretoria

Tailor Made Rail's nine-day package combines independent city time with a luxury sleeper train journey across South Africa. You fly from London to Cape Town, where you spend four days exploring the city's attractions, including Table Mountain, the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, and Robben Island, all at your own pace. On Day 6 you board the Blue Train, an all-suite luxury service where a butler attends to your needs. Over two nights the train carries you north through the South African landscape to Pretoria, with a daytime stop at Kimberley to tour the Open Mine Museum. Fine dining, drinks, and all onboard experiences are included. After arriving in Pretoria on Day 8, you have a final morning before transferring to the airport. This journey suits travellers seeking luxury accommodation combined with freedom to explore at leisure, and those drawn to the romance of a sleeper train experience.

What to know before you look closer

  • The journey includes a long international flight from London to Cape Town (Day 1) and return flight from Johannesburg (Day 9).
  • Four of the nine days are unguided exploration in Cape Town; the Blue Train portion is two nights only.
  • The tour returns you to Johannesburg airport on Day 9, not Pretoria, requiring a transfer and domestic flight routing.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Overnight flight

    London overnight to Cape Town

    Depart London on an overnight flight to Cape Town.

  2. Day 2overnight: Cape Town (The Hyde Hotel or similar)

    Arrive Cape Town

    A private transfer takes you to your hotel on the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. Settle in and head out for dinner in the evening.

  3. Day 3overnight: Cape Town (The Hyde Hotel or similar)

    Cape Town

    Full day to explore Cape Town at your own pace, including Table Mountain by cable car or on foot.

  4. Day 4overnight: Cape Town (The Hyde Hotel or similar)

    Cape Town

    Full day at leisure - the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens or a ferry to Robben Island are recommended.

  5. Day 5overnight: Cape Town (The Hyde Hotel or similar)

    Cape Town

    Third full day to explore Cape Town at your own pace.

  6. Day 6railovernight: Aboard the Blue Train (Double De Luxe cabin)

    Board the Blue Train

    Check out and transfer to the station. Pre-departure snacks and drinks, then escorted to your suite by your butler. Canapés and an aperitif, lunch in the restaurant car, a free afternoon in the lounges, then a dressed dinner followed by post-dinner drinks, Cognac and cigars in the Club Car.

  7. Day 7railovernight: Aboard the Blue Train (Double De Luxe cabin)

    Aboard the Blue Train

    Breakfast at leisure, arrival at Kimberley station for a tour of the Open Mine Museum, lunch onboard, then a 4-course evening meal in the dining car and a digestif in the Club Car.

  8. Day 8overnight: Pretoria (Southern Sun Pretoria Hotel or similar)

    Arrive Pretoria

    Breakfast and lunch served onboard before pulling into Pretoria station in the early evening; a private transfer takes you to your hotel.

  9. Day 9

    Depart Pretoria

    A last morning in Pretoria before transferring to the airport for the return flight to the UK.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2Arrive in Cape Town and settle into the Hyde Hotel on the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront.
  • Day 3Explore Table Mountain by cable car or on foot during a full day at leisure in Cape Town.
  • Day 6Board the Blue Train in Cape Town; butler service, canapés, and a dressed dinner in the restaurant car.
  • Day 7Visit Kimberley's Open Mine Museum during a station stop, then enjoy a four-course evening meal onboard.
  • Day 8Arrive in Pretoria in the early evening after breakfast and lunch served aboard the train.

Included

  • Return flights from London to Cape Town and Johannesburg to London
  • Double De Luxe cabin on the Blue Train including all meals, drinks and excursion to Kimberley Diamond Mine
  • Private transfers Cape Town airport to hotel and Pretoria station to hotel & hotel to Johannesburg airport
  • 5 nights' hotel accommodation with breakfast
  • Easy-to-follow travel documentation
  • Despatch of tickets by email, post or collection from our London office

Questions travellers ask

Is the train journey included in the price?
Yes. The price from GBP 3,699 includes the two-night Blue Train journey from Cape Town to Pretoria with all meals, drinks, and the Kimberley Diamond Mine excursion.
What is included in the package?
Return flights London to Cape Town and Johannesburg to London, two nights aboard the Blue Train in a Double De Luxe cabin, five nights' hotel accommodation with breakfast, private transfers between airports and hotels, and an escorted tour of Kimberley Open Mine Museum.
Which hotels are used?
The Hyde Hotel in Cape Town (or similar) for four nights, and the Southern Sun Pretoria Hotel (or similar) for one night.
Is the journey escorted or independent?
Mixed. A butler and onboard hosts serve you aboard the Blue Train. In Cape Town and Pretoria you explore independently, with private transfers provided.
When does it run?
Tailor Made Rail offers departures from July to December 2026. Low season (January-August, November-December) starts from GBP 3,699; high season (September-October) from GBP 3,899.
How much walking is involved?
Four days in Cape Town are at your own pace; you may climb Table Mountain on foot or take the cable car. Pretoria offers one morning to explore. The Kimberley stop involves a guided mine tour.

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