Your Route
Cape Town → The Winelands → Hex River Valley → Matjiesfontein → The Great Karoo → Kimberley → The Highveld → Pretoria
Northbound, the best scenery comes first. Within a few hours of leaving Cape Town the train is climbing out of the vineyards into the Hex River mountains, and by breakfast the next morning the Cape has given way to the wide, empty Karoo.
The Blue Train from Cape Town to Pretoria
The northbound Blue Train follows the same line as the southbound service, about 1,600 km (994 miles) over two nights, but the rhythm is different. You see the Cape mountains in daylight on the first afternoon, spend the second day crossing the Karoo with an afternoon stop in Kimberley, and arrive in Pretoria on the third day.
It is a good choice if you want to finish your holiday with a safari, as Pretoria is close to Johannesburg and its airport, the usual gateway to the Kruger and the private game reserves. Many of our guests spend a few nights in Cape Town first, board the train, and then fly on to the bush.
Check-in is at The Blue Train's lounge at Cape Town Station in the late morning, with snacks and drinks before your butler takes you to your suite, and the train is scheduled to leave at 13:00. As on every Blue Train journey, the fare includes your suite, a butler for your coach, all meals and drinks, cognac and Cuban cigars, Wi-Fi and the off-train excursion. French Champagne and caviar are extra.
The Winelands and the Hex River Valley
Leaving Cape Town, the train runs out through the vineyards and fruit farms of the Boland towards Worcester, with mountains closing in on both sides. Beyond Worcester comes the Hex River Valley, a long green valley of vineyards between high, bare ridges, and the start of the climb up to the Karoo plateau. It is one of the most scenic stretches of railway in the country, and on this journey you see it from the comfort of the lounge in the first afternoon rather than first thing in the morning.
The Hex River Valley, where the line climbs from the Cape winelands towards the Karoo
Kimberley or Matjiesfontein
If scheduling and the weather allow, there is an off-train excursion, and The Blue Train offers two options on this route. We will tell you which is planned for your departure.
Kimberley and the Big Hole
On the northbound journey the Kimberley visit comes in the afternoon of the second day, after lunch. A guided tour takes you to the Big Hole and the open mine museum beside it. The hole was dug between 1871 and 1914 during the diamond rush that created the town. It covers 17 hectares and is about 463 metres wide and 240 metres deep. You are back on the train for high tea, and the train leaves Kimberley in the early evening, in time for dinner.
Matjiesfontein
The other option is Matjiesfontein, a small Victorian railway village in the Karoo that has hardly changed in over a century. Guests take a short tour of the village on an old red London double-decker bus, which covers the whole place in a few minutes, before stopping at the Lord Milner Hotel and its pub.
Transport, the guided tour and entry fees are included for whichever excursion runs.
Day by Day
Departure from Cape Town
Check in at The Blue Train's lounge at Cape Town Station in the late morning. After snacks and a drink, your butler shows you to your suite, and the train is scheduled to leave at 13:00.
Lunch is served as the train heads inland through the winelands, and the afternoon brings the mountains of the Hex River Valley. High tea is served in the Lounge Car, which is non-smoking, and the Observation Car is a good place to watch the climb.
Dinner is formal, with a jacket for gentlemen and elegant evening wear for ladies. Afterwards, the Club Car at the front of the train is the place for cognac and a Cuban cigar. It is the only part of the train where smoking is allowed.
Lunch, high tea, dinner and all drinks. One night on board.
The Karoo and Kimberley
Wake up in the Karoo. Breakfast is served from 07:00 to 10:00, in the dining car or in your suite, and the morning is for watching the long views of scrub, dry riverbeds and flat-topped hills. Lunch is served early, in two sittings, because Kimberley follows in the afternoon.
- 07:00 to 10:00 Breakfast
- 12:00 and 13:30 Lunch, two sittings
- 14:30 to 16:00 Tour of the Big Hole and mine museum
- 16:30 High tea in the Lounge Car
- 18:00 to 18:30 Train departs Kimberley
- 18:30 and 20:30 Dinner, two sittings
After the tour of the Big Hole and the museum you are back on board for high tea, and the train leaves Kimberley in the early evening. Dinner is served as it heads north-east towards the Highveld.
Excursion with transport, guide and entry fees, all meals and drinks. One night on board.
Across the Highveld to Pretoria
Breakfast is served from 07:00 to 10:00 as the train crosses the grasslands of the Highveld and the old gold-mining country of the Witwatersrand. A light lunch is served in the Lounge Car and the Observation Car from 13:00.
The train is scheduled to arrive in Pretoria at about 18:00. As it shares the line with freight trains, arrival times can vary, so we recommend a night in Pretoria or Johannesburg before any onward flight. We will confirm the arrival station and time with your travel documents.
Breakfast and lunch on board. Pretoria hotels, transfers and onward safaris can be arranged by us.
Timings are based on The Blue Train's published timetable and are a guide only. They can change, and confirmed times are sent with your travel documents.
What Is Included
Your Suite
Two nights in a De Luxe or Luxury Suite with its own bathroom and air conditioning, made up as a bedroom each evening.
Butler Service
A butler for every coach, on call 24 hours a day for anything from an early coffee to pressing your dinner jacket.
All Meals and Drinks
Every meal, high tea and snack, with wine, spirits, soft drinks, cognac and Cuban cigars. French Champagne and caviar are extra.
Off-Train Excursion
Kimberley or Matjiesfontein, weather and scheduling permitting, with transport, the guided tour and entry fees.
Wi-Fi, room service and a limited laundry service are included too. Gratuities are at your discretion.
Fares and Departures
We price every Blue Train journey in sterling once your date and suite are confirmed, so the fares below read as TBA for now. Call us on 0333 405 0192 for a confirmed price.
| Suite | Per person sharing |
|---|---|
| De Luxe Suite | from £TBA |
| Luxury Suite | from £TBA |
Fares are per person sharing a twin or double suite, one way, and include everything listed above. Children aged five and under sharing their parents' bed travel free, and children aged 6 to 11 pay half the adult fare.
Departure Dates
The Blue Train runs from Cape Town to Pretoria on scheduled dates through most of the year. Please call us for current departure dates, as the schedule changes from season to season.
Planning Your Trip
For ideas on where to stay before you board, see our Cape Town hotels, and for the end of the journey our Pretoria hotels. The Blue Train suites page explains the difference between De Luxe and Luxury, and General Information covers luggage, dress and health.
Travelling the other way suits some itineraries better; see Pretoria to Cape Town. For a longer, slower alternative on the same line, have a look at Rovos Rail, or go back to the Blue Train overview.
Frequently Asked Questions
For the latest travel advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, including safety, local laws, passports and visas, please see gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.