Blue Train Package Tours 2025/2026
Yes, The Blue Train is still running. Many bucket lists have South Africa at the top, and there is no better way of seeing it than on a luxury train. The Blue Train is an ultra-luxury train operating scheduled between Pretoria and Cape Town, Durban and Victoria Falls (new). It derives its name from the colour of the locomotives, railway cars and leather seats in the original train set. Blue Train bookings made on this page via SA Travel Online (a tour operator and reseller of Blue Train journeys) qualify to access our exclusive adventure experiences in Cape Town (at a small additional fee), and earn our unique travel vouchers for reviews (simply email your review and photos of a previous rail trip or any other travel booking made with us and we'll send you a voucher to discount the cost of this Blue Train trip). If there are problems with Blue Train price quotations or bookings; email rob@southafrica.to; or WhatsApp Blue Train Bob.
Availability last updated on 09 Oct 2025 for Rovos Rail; on 25 Sep 2025 for The Blue Train
Best Blue Train Deals
Prices are shown based on your selection in the 'Travellers' filter. While you are on The Blue Train and Rovos Rail, accommodation is included, fine dining (excluding caviar), beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic - except French champagne), and off-train excursions. External phone calls and gratuities are excluded. The longer you take to book the greater the chance of prices and availability changing. Select your preferred currency at the top - US Dollars, Bitcoin, Rands, Great Britain Pounds, Euros, Canadian Dollars or Australian Dollars; the prices are automatically adjusted for current exchange rates. We are the only official reseller showing prices in US Dollars, Great Britain Pounds, Euros, Canadian Dollars and Australian Dollars. We accept payment in most cryptocurrencies. Credit card payments accepted. WhatsApp Rob (any time of night or day) for more info. Email rob@southafrica.to to firm up a booking.
No surcharge for Credit Card payments
Blue Train Tour from Pretoria to Cape Town
W are offering an adventure tour including:
- Luxury Blue Train trip from Pretoria to Cape Town
- Stay 2 nights in Cape Town
- Choose between these adventure experiences:
- "King of the Cave" : crawl through the mountain-top in the Boomslang Cave above Kalk Bay, with soaring views of Fish Hoek as you come out of the opposite end of the mountain to that which you entered. Not for the claustrophobic (at own risk).
- "King of the Beach" : three tidal pool beach walk/swim including St James tidal pool, Danger Beach, Dalebrook tidal pool and the Brass Bell tidal pool (at own risk).
Limited availability, contact us to check for prices and dates. To enquire email rob@southafrica.to; or WhatsApp, with:
- The full name and contact details of the lead passenger.
- The month in 2025 in which you want to travel.
Pretoria to Cape Town on The Blue Train
- Is 1600 kilometres
- has a stopover and excursion in Kimberley.
On the Cape Town - Pretoria route, see the mountains in the Cape, the wide open Karoo, the farmland of the North Westand the goldfields near Johannesburg. On the Pretoria to Cape Town journey you stop at Kimberley where you can view the Diamond Museum and the Big Hole. On the Cape Town to Pretoria journey you can visit Matjiesfontein, where the first cricket match between SA and England took place, and see the old Car Museum and the Lord Milner Hotel.
Click here to see a detailed itinerary of the Blue Train journey from Pretoria to Cape Town.
Cape Town to Pretoria on The Blue Train
- has a stopover and excursion in Kimberley.
Click here to see a detailed itinerary of the Blue Train journey from Cape Town to Pretoria.
Pretoria to Kruger with Blue Train
Click here to see a detailed itinerary of the Blue Train journey from Pretoria to the Kruger and back again.
Check-in
Check in one hour prior to departure at the Blue Train departure lounge at Pretoria or Cape Town Railway Station. Enjoy a cup of coffee, pastries or bubbly and canapes. Before boarding you are introduced to your butler and escorted by him onto the train.
All inclusive
Once you are on board the Blue Train, the only time you need to use your wallet is if you visit the boutique, or want to switch from SA's best bubbly to imported French Champagne and caviar. WiFi is free & available throughout the train.
Dinner
Jackets and ties are compulsory for the men, and ladies are encouraged to dress in elegant eveningwear.
Meals
Vegeterians, Halaal, Kosher and other special dietary requirements (if specified before you make a booking) are catered for. Meals may be enjoyed in your suite or at the dinnertime settings (there are 2 sittings, each wit a maximum of 42 people). You can select your sitting once you board. All meals, except caviar, are included in the rate.
Telephone calls not included
The costs for external calls are not included in the rate.
Coaches
There are 4 suites per coach in the De Luxe coaches, 3 with showers and 1 with a bath (and a Butler's cabin at the end). There is a choice of double or twin beds. Each De Luxe suite features either double beds with a bathtub and handheld shower, or twin beds with a shower. All of the suites on the train have wifi.
The Luxury Suites are a metre larger, and the twin or double beds suites offer a full sized bath. There's a selection of DVDs and CDs to choose from.
White cotton sheets and down duvets are standard. Irish Linen is used in the train (Linen may only be branded "Irish Linen" if the crafsmanship, skills and technology that go into spinning the yard are Irish and take place in Ireland).
Only a limited amount of baggage can be stored in your suite, so it's advisable to pack an overnight bag.
Lounge and club car
Two wood-panelled cars link the private suites of the Blue Train, namely the club and lounge cars. The lounges are positioned for after-dinner conversation over cognac, Cuban cigars and coffee. Afternoon snacks and tea are served in the Lounge Car.
Casino
The Blue Train offers a variety of gambling experiences such as blackjack and roulette.
Temperature
An internal temperature of 20 to 21 degrees celsius is maintained, but each suite can control temperatures from 18 to 24 degrees.
Train sets
There are 2 Blue Train sets:
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Trainset 1 has 37 suites accommodating 74 guests
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Trainset 2 has 29 suites accommodating 58 guests, and features a Conference/Observation Car at the back of the train.
Train schedule
Click through the link to see the Blue Train's full schedule for:
Why is The Blue Train famous?
The Blue Train began life in the 1920s as the "Union Limited", which helped people travel between Johannesburg and England, by offering then as luxurious a train trip as possible from Johannesburg to Cape Town, from which they would sail to Egnland. Iit was officially named in 1946 after its distinctive sapphire-blue carriages.
1975. Here's The Blue Train at its platform at Johannesburg Station:
Terms and conditions
Click here to see the Blue Train's detailed Terms and Conditions
Recommended reading for train trip
"The Mystery of the Blue Train", a detective novel by Agatha Christie.
The music must be the blues
Different Blue Trains across the world
- Le Train Bleu (the ‘Blue Train) was a luxury rail service that ran in France from 1886 to 2003. It journeyed from the French Riviera to Calais; and featured famously in Agatha Christie’s book "The Mystery of the Blue Train".
- PRASA's blue trains are short-distance commuter trains, and are not the same as the ultra luxury Blue Train which is the subject of this article. The Railway Safety Regulator of South Africa's Annual Report 2023/2024 says that "The development of modernised trains such as, the Prasa blue train, has proven the theory that investing in rail creates value not only for communities at large but for the wider economy.
- The Blue Train Park is near the Greenpoint lighthouse in Cape Town, and offers a miniature train ride on "The Old Lady".
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