
Rovos Rail Prices 2025
Rovos Rail bookings made on this page via SA Travel Online (a licensed reseller of Rovos Rail 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 Rovos Rail trip). If there are problems with Rovos Rail price quotations or bookings; email "Rovos Rob" at rob@southafrica.to; or WhatsApp Rob. Click here to ask any questions about train travel in southern Africa on this page's forum.
Book Blue Train & Rovos Rail
*Prices subject to change and availability; pps stands for per person sharing, the price needs to be multiplied by 2 to get the price for a suite for 2 people. A single person supplement needs to be added to the pps price for suites with only one person. The single person supplement is usually 50 percent. Terms and conditions apply.
Rovos Rail Tours (Pty) Ltd is a private company owned by the Vos family. Founded by Rohan Vos in 1989, Rovos Rail offers luxury train trips. You can book discounted trips on Rovos by joining their club, once you have travelled twice with them (ie the discount is for your third trip).
Rovos Rail Durban
To start the reservations process, study and complete one of the following forms, and and email to rob@southafrica.to :
Rovos Rail Pretoria
Rovos Rail's Pretoria station is at 1 Transnet Avenue, Pretoria. It is also their head office. Below are the directions to Rovos Rail Pretoria Station, if you get lost phone 012-315-8242
Directions from JNB (OR Tambo International Airport) to Rovos Rail Station, Pretoria
- Exit the OR Tambo International Airport onto the R21.
- Stay in the left lane and merge onto Scheiding Street.
- Continue as Scheiding Street becomes Bosman Street.
- Drive to the end of Bosman Street and turn right onto Book Street.
- Take a slight left onto Paul Kruger Street.
- Cross over Flowers Street and Trouw Street.
- Drive under the first railway bridge, then take a slight left onto Transient Avenue.
- Follow the signs to Rovos Rail Station.
Directions from Johannesburg on the M1 to Rovos Rail Station, Pretoria:
- Drive down Kgosi Mamouru Street (formerly Potgieters Street).
- Turn right onto Boom Street.
- Take a slight left onto Paul Kruger Street.
- Cross over Flowers Street and Trouw Street.
- Pass under the first railway bridge, then take a slight left onto Transnet Avenue.
- Follow the signs to Rovos Rail Station.
Transfers from Rovos Rail Station Pretoria
An option is "Ulysses Tours & Safaris cc", who offer transfers as well as airport shuttles.
- Phone landline at +27-12-6530016
- Phone after-hours at +27-82-5665506
- Email reservations@ulysses.co.za
Gautrain Station
The nearest Gautrain station to Rovos Rail Station in Pretoria is the Pretoria Station. You can take a taxi or Uber drive from there to reach Rovos Rail Station, Pretoria; about a 15 minute drive.

Photo credit to Rovos Rail
The red carpet is rolled out for passengers at Rovos Rail Station in Pretoria.
A commemorative plaque at Rovos Rail Station reads: "This building was originally constructed in 1943 by the South African Railways as an apprentice school attached to the Capital Park steam locomotive depot. It was rebuilt with additions in 1999 by Rohan Vos to serve as a station and administrative centre for Rovos Rail. The new facility was officially opened by Mr Leslie Boyd vice chairman of Anglo American on Friday the 7th May 1999."
Luxury hotels near Pretoria Station
It's advised to book a night at a hotel in Pretoria at the start or end of your trip. Click here to see a list of luxury hotel options for Rovos rail guests.
Rovos Rail Victoria Falls
Our Rovos Rail Victoria Falls page has more details, but to start the reservations process, study and complete one of the following forms, and email to rob@southafrica.to :
Rovos Rail Namibia
Locomotives
It runs refurbished Rhodesia Railways trains.
Suites
All the Rovos Rail suites are luxurious compared to what you'd usually get in a train; but even luxurious comes in different grades. The Pullman suite is the most basic (but still has an en-suite shower/toilet), Deluxe suites have a bit more space in them, and tthe Royal suite is the largest (it even has a victorian style bath).
Pullman Suite
Pullman Suites (approximately 7m²) feature an en-suite bathroom equipped with a shower, toilet, and basin. During the day, the suite includes a cozy couch that can be transformed into several sleeping arrangements.
BEDS have several possible setups:
- Crosswise Double 189x150 cm
- Side-by-side Twin 189x75 cm (configured using single-bed linens; (the side by side twin looks exactly like the crosswise double but there are two mattresses and seperate linen for each)
- Single Lower Bunk 189x94 cm • Single Upper Bunk 189x60 cm (traditional upper bunk single and lower bunk single)
Double bunkbed setup in a Pullman suite (below):
View of a Pullman suite during the day when the bed gets folded into a couch (below):
Deluxe Suite
The Deluxe Suite may either be fitted for a double bed (see above) or twin single beds (see below).
Royal Suite
Rovos Rail's most luxurious suite is known as the "Royal Suite".
Note the massive Victorian style bath in the bathroom (deluxe suites only have a shower):
Twin beds setup in a royal suite:
Room service
Dining car
And from the outside of the train:
Romantic couple in the dining car.
Club lounge car
Lounge car
Observation car
A romantic couple on the observation balcony:
Cellphones & Computers
Passengers may only use their cellphones and omputers in their private suites. s
Amenity kit
Rovos Rail provide passengers with a nifty amenity kit containing a collection of soap, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, suntan lotion, ear buds and insect repellant.
History
- 27 Sep 2024. A Rovos Rail train is prepped for The Great Train Chase in Heidelberg.
- 13 Sep 2024 : Competition to win a trip in a Rovos Rail Pullman cabin.
- 2024. The Shongololo Express is dissolved into Rovos Rail.
- 2022. The launch of the Copper Trail and African Trilogy.
- 2019. The inaugural trip from Dar es Salaam to Lobito (Angola), the "Trail of Two Oceans".
- 2017. The Pretoria to Vic Falls train trip starts going through Beitbridge again.
- 2016. The first Rovos Rail diesel powered locomotive travels to Dar es Salaam.
- 2015. The Shongololo Express is bought.
- 2013. An observation car is launched.
- 2010. Seaforth House is bought.
- 2009. The St James Manor and Homestead are purhased by Rovos Rail.
- 2008. The inaugural Cape to Cairo itineraries were completed.
- 2007. A steam train is rebuilt for Bushtracks to become the Bushtracks Express at Victoria Falls.
- 2006. The direct rail route between Victoria Falls and Pretoria is reintroduced.
- 2005. Pullman suites are launched.
- 2003. 14 coaches are purchased.
- 2001. The first 9 day Rovos Rail Golf Safari.
- 2000. Rovos Rail Pretoria to Durban Safari's are launched; covering Hluhluwe, the Kruger and Mkhaya Reserve in (then) Swaziland.
- 1999. The new Rovos Rail Station is opened.
- 1998. Rovos launches a train journey from Pretoria to Swakopmund, via Kimberley, the Fish River Canyon and Windhoek.
- 1997. Transnet's property division signs a lease with Rovos Rail over Capital Park, Rovos Rail's railway yard.
- 1994: Rovos Rail breaks even for the first time. Train journeys from Pretoria to Victoria Falls via Botswana are launched.
- 1993. The inaugural Rovos Rail train trip to Dar es Salaam takes place; the start of a an annual visit to Tanzania.
- 1992. A few train trips were run between Pretoria and Maputo.
- 1991. Monthly train journeys between Pretoria and Cape Town are launched.
- 1990. To celebrate the company's first birthday, a series of steam train trips are arranged for the travel trade, between Simonstown and Cape Town.
- 1989 : The Victoria Hotel, a railway hotel from 1893, is restored; and serves as the company's offices and the departure point for the first Rovos Rail train trip through the (then) Transvaal Province.
- 1988. Rovos Rail appoints its first staff member in the marketing division, Joy Hayward
- 1987. The first trip in locomotive 2702 Bianca (Bianca is the name of Rohan and Anthea's daughter; all the locomotives are named after their children - Brenda, Bianca, Tiffany and Shaun).
- 1986. Rohan Vos get permission to run a train on South Africa's national rail network.
- Rovos Rail is founded by Rohan Vos
Direct booking with Rovos Rail
Note that if you book directly with Rovos Rail you wont qualify for SA Travel Online's travel vouchers for reviews, or be able to access Cape Town adventure experiences at package rates, or be able to earn R50 per golf hole parred on the Rovos Rail golf safari.
Rovos Rail's offices (including reservations) are open Monday-Friday 08h00-17h00 GMT+2. Public Holidays: 21 Mar, 29 Mar, 1 Apr, 1 May, 29 May, 17 Jun, 9 Aug, 24 Sep, 16 Dec, 25 Dec and 26 Dec 2024. You can contact them at:
- Phone, Pretoria: 012 315 8242
- Phone, Cape Town: 021 421 4020
- Email: reservations@rovos.co.za
- WhatsApp bookings
Rovos Rail PR & Marketing
communications@rovos.co.za
Jobs at Rovos Rail
trainhr@rovos.co.za (train applications)
hr@rovos.co.za (general Human Resources)
Rovos Rail's website
See www.rovos.com.
Company details
- VAT number : 4100127523
- Registration number : 1990/004503/07
- Director : Rohan B Vos.
- Head office address: 1 Transnet Ave, Capital Park, Tshwane, Gauteng Province, SA
- Cape Town address : Rovos Rail Lounge, 1 Adderley St, Paul Sauer Building,
- Durban address : Durban Station Lounge, Jelf Taylor Crescent, Stamford Hill
Associations
Rovos Rail Tours have memberships with the following travel organisations:
- ASA Africa
- ATTA Travel
- FEDHASA
- SATSA
- SKAL
- TOMSA
Reviews
- 4.7 star rating on Google for Rovos Rail Tours (Pty) Ltd.
- 4.5 star rating on Tripadvisor for Rovos Rail; 1st out of 32 in the Transportation in Pretoria category.
- Even on HelloPeter, South Africa's harshest consumer complaints platform, Rovos Rail has achieved a 3.6 star rating (click here to see details).
Travel Agents wanting to book Rovos Rail
Travel agents can book Rovos Rail trips for their clients in exchange for an agreed commission. If you're part of the travel trade, give us a shout and we'll put you in touch with the right people at Rovos Rail. Commission is reserved for travel companies that are actively selling Rovos Rail Tours (Pty) Ltd. products, including Rovos Rail and The St James Guesthouses
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