Rovos Rail Tours

Wonderful. The best service we have ever experienced. We booked the 4 night trip Victoria Falls to Pretoria and it was fantastic. My expectations were low reading many reviews however we had a perfect experience. Our carriage was spacious, clean, had everything we needed. The shower was great. Great pressure. Three big windows in our room. Little treats each day. The food was outstanding. Service, we could not fault. The views were beautiful. We did a game drive on our second morning which was so much fun, a good chance to get to know the other passengers too. Our excursion on the third day was great too. So professional, everything ran smoothly. We had the trip of a life time. We’d definitely do it again. The train tracks coming out of Victoria Falls are very rough, remember this is a developing country, so the first night we got hardly any sleep but that’s just part of the adventure. The ear plugs they supply help, as well as the free flowing wine. Besides the rough tracks on the first night, we had absolutely no negative experiences during our time.

This is a trip of elegance and decadence. From the moment you arrive to the moment you depart. The owner founder of Rovos rail does an excellent guided tour and explains the origins of the railway. Also visit the small museum its very informative. The old style carriages are fully restored and carry all the original features. The dinning car is silver service and there is a butler service available. Evening meals are formal dress, shirt , tie and optional jacket for men. Evening or cocktail dress for the ladies. There is a small observation platform at the rear of the train. There are various stops on the way including an afternoon/ evening game drive. The inclusive package covers all food and drinks on the train. The staff are all very professional and attentive. The food is extremely well prepared and presented, nothing is too much trouble for the staff. There is a laundry service available at a small extra cost. The cabins are well appointed and luxurious. There was an unexpected celebration of mine and others who had a birthday. To go the extra mile to make a train journey into a life time wonderful experience is amazing. I would recommend Rovos Rail for all the reasons above. If you love trains, being pampered and really want to try the experience it's a must do.

Travelling on Rovos Rail was the adventure of a lifetime - but I'll be back! The level of service in the atmosphere on board of a "bygone era" of train travel was an experience like no other. The staff were professional and considerate. The rooms were luxurious, spacious (I travelled in the deluxe cabin) and full of thoughtful items to make the trip even more pleasant. Meals were both plentiful and exquisite, with matched wines available. The ability to lie in bed in the middle of the day, looking out the window of my train carriage, watching the African landscape go by as I had nowhere else to be was incredible!

We did the trip from Pretoria to Victoria Falls, and WOW! What an incredible experience, fantastic food, fantastic wine and fantastic service. The team who worked on the train couldn’t have done more to make us feel more welcome. I don’t think that they have the ability to use the work “no”. No matter what we asked to make ourselves more comfortable, they made happen. The route itself was really interesting. At one point we were having lunch and went past Hippo’s sunning themselves in the sun just outside the train. I’ve never watched animals from a train before. A truly unique experience. The trip also went past old industrial yards which gave some insight into the area, which I found interesting. Getting to Victoria Falls was also incredible. This is one of the top experiences I have had and I believe is a must if you are visiting or live in Southern Africa.

This is a must try, once in a life time (or more) (we will definitely do it again) all round fabulous experience. We did the trip from Pretoria to Victoria Falls. The train is in good condition. The staff are so friendly and helpful. The suits was big and roomy and the beds comfortable. I slept well despite the rocking and noise of the train. The food was top class and I personally complemented the chef for the delicious meals. A train ride is always social so we had a great time meeting new friends and making memories. The lounge compartments have lots of seating available. The game drive excursion was excellent. Looking forward to doing this again.

Amazing, amazing experience. Was my dream come true after many years and combined with Victoria falls - this was epic

Glamorous, wonderful opportunity to dress up for an excellent dinner with superb wine. How luxury train used to be and perhaps still should ;) service excellent

Absolutely NOT the most luxurious train in the world. Though lovingly restored the coaches can be no more comfortable than they were in the 1920s or 1930s which means they are very noisy and have poor suspension. The service varies between being superlative and dreadful. It's all very hit and miss. We booked one type of compartment and were told on arrival that it wasn't available because the coach we had booked had been written off in a head on collision a few weeks before. Instead of being offered an complimentary upgrade we were told that if we wanted a better compartment we needed to pay for it. Despite complaining when we got home and Rovos offering an apology no compensation was offered. The food and wine was excellent but the ban on mobile phones and laptops and the lack of WiFi reflects the owner's prejudices and is anachronistic, petty and annoying.