Your Route
Pretoria → Heidelberg → Balfour → Nambiti → Spionkop → KZN Midlands → Valley of a Thousand Hills → Durban
Two nights is not long, and this is the shortest journey Rovos Rail run, but it may be the busiest. A Big Five game drive before breakfast is properly finished, an afternoon on the hill where Churchill, Gandhi and Botha all happened to be standing in January 1900, and a gallery of Zulu ceramics that museums queue up for.
The Durban Safari runs during the southern summer, which is when the KwaZulu-Natal bushveld is green and the game is out. It leaves Rovos Rail Station at Capital Park in Pretoria at ten in the morning and reaches Durban Station at four in the afternoon two days later, covering about 800 kilometres.
The first day crosses the goldfields of the Witwatersrand and the grassland plains of the Highveld, running down through Heidelberg, site of the first Rand gold strike, and Balfour, a small mining town in Mpumalanga. Dinner is served as the train travels on to Elandslaagte.
The second day is the one that earns the name. Breakfast is at five, the game drive in the Nambiti Conservancy at seven. Nambiti is a private Big Five reserve of 20,000 acres, malaria free, with savannah, grassland, thornveld and tall acacia inside a single boundary and a correspondingly long species list. After brunch on the train there is a transfer of about half an hour to Spionkop Lodge, and a choice: the story of the battle told on the ground by a historian, or a nature drive in the 11,000 acre reserve next door.
The last day belongs to the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, a landscape of green hills and lush pasture with an artistic reputation out of proportion to its size. Ardmore Ceramics, founded there in 1985, is the reason. Its artists work from Zulu folklore and the natural world and the results now sit in museum collections worldwide. From there the train runs down through the Valley of a Thousand Hills to the coast.
The included game drive at Nambiti, a 20,000 acre malaria-free Big Five reserve
Journey Highlights
The Nambiti Conservancy
A private Big Five reserve of 20,000 acres in KwaZulu-Natal, malaria free, and unusually varied for its size: savannah, grassland, thornveld and stands of tall acacia. The game drive is included and led by a qualified ranger.
Spionkop
The battle fought on this hill in January 1900 was one of the worst British defeats of the Boer War, and three men who would shape the next century were present: Churchill, Gandhi and Botha. Guests choose between a talk given on the ground by a specialist historian or a nature drive in the 11,000 acre reserve.
Ardmore Ceramics
Founded in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands in 1985, Ardmore is now collected by museums around the world. Its artists work from Zulu folklore and the natural world, and the results are unlike anything else in African ceramics. The gallery visit is included.
The Churchill Memorial
Near Chieveley a memorial marks the spot where the young Winston Churchill was captured in November 1899, trying to free an armoured train ambushed by Boer forces. The line runs straight past it.
The Valley of a Thousand Hills
The descent from the Midlands to the coast runs through a landscape of folded green hills above the Umgeni River, one of the best-known views in KwaZulu-Natal and a good deal better seen from a train than a road.
A Short Journey, Fully Inclusive
Two nights, three excursions and every meal, drink and gratuity on board included. It is the easiest way to sample Rovos Rail if you are already in South Africa, and it pairs well with the Cape Town or Victoria Falls routes.
Day by Day
Departure from Rovos Rail Station
Check in two hours before departure at Rovos Rail Station on Transnet Avenue in Pretoria for the welcome station tour and a visit to the museum. The workshops here rebuild the vintage coaches the train runs on.
The train leaves at ten in the morning and crosses the goldfields of the Witwatersrand and the grassland plains of the Highveld, running down through Heidelberg, site of the first Rand gold strike, and Balfour, a small mining town in Mpumalanga.
Lunch, afternoon tea and a formal dinner follow as the train travels on towards Elandslaagte, where it stands for the night.
All meals and beverages on board. Station tour and museum at Rovos Rail Station. One night on board.
Dinner is formal, and everything on the table and in the glass is included
Nambiti and Spionkop
Breakfast is served at five and the game drive leaves at seven. The Nambiti Conservancy is a private Big Five reserve set on 20,000 acres of malaria-free bushveld, and its biodiversity is remarkable for the area: savannah, grassland, thornveld and tall acacia all inside one boundary, with elephant, lion, buffalo, rhino and leopard among the residents.
Brunch is served back on board at eleven. In the afternoon there is a transfer of about half an hour to Spionkop Lodge, on a game farm adjoining an 11,000 acre nature reserve, where guests choose between two excursions: the story of the Battle of Spionkop told on the ground overlooking the reserve, or a nature drive.
The battle, fought in January 1900, was one of the worst British reverses of the Boer War. Winston Churchill was there as a correspondent, Mohandas Gandhi as a stretcher bearer, and Louis Botha commanded the Boer forces. All three would go on to lead their countries.
Dinner is served as the train travels to Lions River. Shortly after Chieveley, on the right of the track, a memorial marks where Churchill was captured in November 1899 trying to free an armoured train caught in a Boer ambush.
Game drive in the Nambiti Conservancy, the Spionkop excursion with transfers and entrance fees, all meals and beverages. One night on board.
Ardmore Ceramics and Durban
Breakfast is served until ten as the train runs through the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, a region of rolling green hills and lush pasture known for its artistic heritage and its historical interest.
The morning excursion visits the Ardmore Ceramics Gallery. Ardmore was founded here in 1985 and its artists are encouraged to work from their own imagination, from Zulu folklore and tradition and from the natural world. The pieces are now collected internationally and nothing else in African ceramics looks quite like them.
Lunch is served as the train traverses the Valley of a Thousand Hills, and it arrives at Durban Station on Jelf Taylor Crescent at four in the afternoon. Have your luggage ready fifteen minutes before arrival.
Durban has a good deal to keep you: the botanical gardens, the shark-netted beaches along the Golden Mile, and a food culture shaped by the largest Indian population of any city outside India.
Guided visit to the Ardmore Ceramics Gallery with entrance fees, breakfast and lunch on board. Durban hotels can be arranged by us.
Nambiti Big Five conservancy in the KwaZulu-Natal province
What Is Included
All Accommodation
Two nights on board in your chosen suite, each with an en-suite bathroom, air conditioning, a safe and a dedicated host or hostess.
All Meals
Breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner throughout, served in the wood-panelled dining cars. Dinner is a formal affair and the kitchen works from fresh South African produce.
All Beverages On Board
A curated selection of local and international wine, beer, cider, spirits, liqueurs, mixers, soft drinks and a cocktail menu. International sparkling wine may be pre-ordered at extra cost.
Guided Excursions
A game drive in the Big Five Nambiti Conservancy, an afternoon at Spionkop Lodge with a choice of the Spionkop battlefield talk or a nature drive in the reserve, and a guided visit to the Ardmore Ceramics Gallery, all with transfers and entrance fees.
Room Service and Laundry
Twenty-four hour room service and a limited laundry service, both included in the fare. Each suite has a dedicated host or hostess who services it daily.
Entrance Fees and Taxes
Entrance fees as set out in the itinerary, preselected local wines, beers and soft drinks on excursions, and government tax.
Not included: all other beverages, international sparkling wine, gratuities, personal expenses, visas, travel insurance, and pre and post tour transfers, accommodation and flights.
Fares and Departures
We price every journey in sterling once your dates and suite are confirmed. The table below shows the suite category guide prices, but these are subject to fluid pricing and currency fluctuations. Call or email us for a confirmed sterling price.
| Suite | Per person sharing |
|---|---|
| Royal Suite | from £5,010 |
| Deluxe Suite | from £3,770 |
| Pullman Suite | from £2,650 |
Fares are per person, one way, and include everything listed above. Single occupancy carries a supplement. Please call for a confirmed sterling price for your chosen departure.
2026 Departures
| Month | Departure dates |
|---|---|
| October | 2 |
| November | 13 |
2027 Departures
| Month | Departure dates |
|---|---|
| January | 22 |
| February | 19 |
| March | 12 |
| September | 3 |
| October | 1, 29 |
2028 Departures
| Month | Departure dates |
|---|---|
| January | 14 |
| February | 4 |
| March | 24 |
| May | 12 |
| September | 1 |
The Durban Safari runs during the southern summer only. Departure dates are taken from Rovos Rail's published 2026 to 2028 schedules and are subject to change. Please confirm your chosen date with us before booking flights.