Adventure, elegance and marvel describe what luxury train travel in Africa is all about. You experience the beauty and splendour of the continent in style. African train rides have a peculiar way of showing you breathtaking sceneries, gorgeous landscapes, savannahs and much more. Moreover, you dine and wine on board the train as it snakes its way across different destinations.
Some rides last for days, while others can take up to 24 hours depending on your destination preference. All this combined, you get a holistic African train and nature safari.
Best Luxury Train Travel in Africa
Rovos Rail in South Africa is the fanciest train ride you will get in Africa and beyond since 1989 when it was established. Its reputation holds a special place in the hearts of African travellers with a soft spot for style and opulence.
What Makes Rovos Rail Luxurious
Rovos Rail’s reputation rests in its custom-made world-class safari experience. With a capacity of 72 passengers, tourists stylishly traverse Eastern, Western and Southern Africa for nights in the most exclusive train ride package. The diesel-powered locomotive has an endearing rustic yet modern look with tastefully rebuilt wood panels interior finish.
Rovos Rail safari is the most luxurious in Africa and beyond. It’s main station is in Pretoria. Photo/Art of Safari
The Rovos Safari train has 36 exclusive suites on board while its chartered Events Train can host 250 guests. Rovos Events Train mostly operates during the day to destinations of choice requested by guests. The luxury rail safari recently introduced electric trains to reduce the carbon footprint and better performance.
The rail also has a 48-hour luxury train travel in Africa crisscrossing the width and breadth of South Africa. Rovos blends the best of an African safari – sceneries, wildlife, nature, landscapes – into a single train safari experience.
A 15-night train experience includes an off-train excursion to popular destinations within the route. Explore popular South African cities such as Durban, Cape Town and wine-producing regions before crossing over to Victoria Falls. Vic Falls, a top tourist destination in Southern Africa is on the Zimbabwean-Zambian border. The journey to the nostalgic Zimbabwean landscapes starts at Rovos Rail Station in Pretoria and stretches 1400km to the gorgeous Victoria Falls.
Other destinations you can explore on this world-class ride include the following.
Inside the world’s most famous and luxurious safari trains, Rovos Rail in South Africa. Photo/Go2Africa
- Namibia – a 3400km safari to Namibia for 11 nights through the Kalahari Desert to the Namib Desert. Explore Namibia’s capital Windhoek and a game safari at Etosha National Park.
- Golf safari – feel the depth of luxury train travel in Africa with Rovos Rail golf safari for nine nights, 2100km away from Pretoria to Sun City. Step into well-manicured golf courses and surrounding scenery.
- Southern cross ride – this train safari traverses South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, eSwatini, Zambia and Zimbabwe for 11 nights (2500km from Pretoria).
- Africa Collage – enjoy the spoils of Pretoria – Cape Town safari including golfing and non-golfing activities. The African collage is a 12-night safari, covering 3700km through Mzansi to eSwatini and back. This one gives you an up-close wildlife experience at Kruger National Park and the coastal life in Durban.
- African trilogy – a 15-night safari covering 5000km from Pretoria, Botswana, eSwatini, and Namibia and back. Highlights of this trilogy roundtrip are an off-train game safari in Kruger, Hluhluwe wildlife reserve and desert drives in Namib and Kalahari Deserts respectively.
- Dar es Salaam safari – Pretoria to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania marks another highlight of luxury train travel in Africa. This memorable journey some 5,530km away from Rovos Rail main station based in Pretoria lasts 16 nights. It cuts through Cape Town, Pretoria, Victoria Falls and onwards to Chisimba Falls for a bush walk. The train proceeds onwards to East Africa, grinding past the Great Rift Valley, escarpments and mountains before appearing at Nyerere National Park and finally, Dar es Salaam.
- Copper Trail safari – consider a safari to mineral-rich countries in East, west and South Africa. The Copper Trail ride takes 14 nights covering 3100km. It leaves Pretoria’s main train station headed to Zimbabwe, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and ends in Angola.
How Much Does it Cost to Ride the Rovos Pride of Africa?
The number of nights and choice of accommodation determine the cost of the Rovos ride. A three to four-night train safari costs at least $1500 per person. Long-haul journeys from five days to 16 days cost around $14000 per person. Your preferred package determines the ultimate cost of the rail safari. All things considered, luxury train travel in Africa is worth every cent you pay.
