Africa’s great railway journeys you can still experience

Travelling by train offers a different way to experience a destination. Rather than simply getting from one place to another, the journey becomes part of the adventure, with ever-changing landscapes, small towns and unforgettable scenery unfolding beyond your window.

Across Africa, you can still board historic railways, luxury trains and modern high-speed services that showcase the continent from a unique perspective. From elegant journeys through Southern Africa to wildlife-filled routes in Kenya and Morocco’s sleek high-speed network, these are Africa’s great railway journeys you can still experience.

Rovos Rail, Southern Africa

 

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Luxury on rails

Often described as one of the world’s finest luxury trains, Rovos Rail has been synonymous with elegant rail travel since 1989. Beautifully restored vintage coaches, fine dining, observation lounges and spacious suites make the journey every bit as memorable as the destinations themselves.

Its itineraries range from three-night escapes between Pretoria and Cape Town to epic expeditions lasting more than two weeks through Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia and Tanzania. Along the way, guests enjoy game drives, historic towns, vineyards and some of Southern Africa’s most spectacular scenery.

The Blue Train, South Africa

 

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A South African icon

Few trains are as legendary as South Africa’s Blue Train. Linking Pretoria and Cape Town, this luxurious service has been carrying travellers across the country for decades, offering butler service, gourmet cuisine, and elegant suites.

The approximately 1,600km journey crosses the grasslands of Gauteng before traversing the vast Karoo and arriving in the Cape Winelands. While Rovos Rail focuses on extended safari-style adventures, the Blue Train delivers a shorter but equally refined experience that showcases South Africa’s changing landscapes.

TAZARA Railway, Tanzania and Zambia

The bridge crossing on the Tazara Railway in Zambia in 2009/Richard Stupart/Wikimedia Commons

The Freedom Railway

Known as the Uhuru, or Freedom Railway, the TAZARA Railway stretches nearly 1,900km between Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia. Built during the 1970s with Chinese assistance, it remains one of Africa’s greatest engineering achievements.

The journey is far from luxurious, but that’s part of its appeal. Travellers pass through remote villages, fertile farmland, mountain escarpments and wildlife-rich landscapes, making it one of the continent’s most authentic long-distance rail adventures.

Following the resumption of passenger services in February 2026, the railway now operates one passenger train a week in each direction, departing Dar es Salaam on Fridays and Kapiri Mposhi on Tuesdays.

Madaraka Express, Kenya

 

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Wildlife from your window

Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway, commonly known as the Madaraka Express, has transformed travel between Nairobi and the coastal city of Mombasa.

The five-to-six-hour journey passes directly through Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks, where passengers regularly spot elephants, giraffes, zebras and antelope grazing alongside the tracks. Few rail journeys in Africa combine modern infrastructure with such rewarding wildlife viewing.

Al Boraq, Morocco

Al Boraq Alstom Euroduplex at Tangier’s Tanger-Ville Railway Terminal/Phil Richards from London, UK/Wikimedia Commons

Africa’s high-speed pioneer

Morocco’s Al Boraq is Africa’s first high-speed rail service and demonstrates just how modern rail travel on the continent has become.

Connecting Tangier with Casablanca in just over two hours, the sleek trains travel at speeds of up to 320km/h, dramatically reducing travel times between Morocco’s major cities. The service offers an easy way to combine destinations such as Tangier, Rabat and Casablanca into a single itinerary while showcasing a different side of African rail travel.

Le Lézard Rouge, Tunisia

One of the carriages of the Lézard Rouge/Elcèd77/Wikimedia Commons

Through dramatic desert canyons

Tunisia’s Le Lézard Rouge, or Red Lizard, is one of Africa’s most distinctive heritage railways. Originally built for the Bey of Tunis, the beautifully restored historic train now carries visitors through the spectacular Selja Gorge near Métlaoui.

The leisurely journey winds between towering canyon walls, rocky cliffs, and desert scenery, making it one of North Africa’s most scenic heritage rail experiences and a favourite for photographers.

Why train travel deserves a comeback

While flying remains the quickest way to travel across Africa, rail journeys offer something entirely different: the chance to slow down and appreciate the continent’s extraordinary diversity.

Whether you’re enjoying champagne aboard a luxury sleeper, watching elephants roam beside the tracks in Kenya or crossing remote landscapes on a historic railway, these journeys prove that sometimes the most memorable part of the holiday is getting there.

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