Train to Matjiesfontein: A Three-Day Jaunt in the Historic Karoo

The first trips sold out fast, and so Ceres Rail (known for its vintage train trips to Elgin) is running another three-day journey to Matjiesfontein in February 2027. Since it was founded in 1884, this Karoo village has barely changed – and is best visited the old-fashioned way. (The railway line, after all, is the reason it’s here.) Arriving at the historic station and disembarking is truly like stepping through a portal in time.

This special train trip includes a two-night stay in the town, so you’ll have plenty of time to relax and enjoy this peaceful and enchanting place at your leisure. It’s the very essence of slow travel, unplugged and soulful.

The scenic route

The train weaves its way out of Cape Town, past the Winelands, over the mountains and into the Karoo, including traversing the four Hex River tunnels – one being 13.5km long. After this dramatic stretch, simply sit back and be mesmerised by the changing scenery.

There are snacks and drinks, and lunch is also served onboard. Spending the entire day on a train, with no wifi, means you can settle into conversations, play card games or simply enjoy the soothing, rhythmic clickety-clack of the tracks.

The arrival of the train in Matjiesfontein is always an “event” for the locals – and passengers. After checking in at the landmark Lord Milner Hotel, filled with antiques and heirlooms (and ghosts, some say), head to the Laird’s Arms for a drink in the atmospheric saloon complete with a honky-tonk piano. The sound of a trumpet signals a three-course dinner in the grand dining room, served by red-jacketed waiters.

Matjiesfontein magic

With a main street just 300 metres long and lined only with Victorian buildings, this unique village may be small but it has many layers and colourful stories to uncover. The Village Museum alone is a maze of artefacts, relics and memorabilia, including a full-size apothecary – history buffs can easily spend almost the whole day here.

A river runs through the hotel garden, where there are plenty of quiet nooks and secret spaces to discover, or you can take a stroll out of town into the surrounding veld. Or play tennis with a view over the Karoo, or simply spend the day lounging beside the fabulous hotel pool – it’s truly an oasis, with palm trees and lush greenery.

Just before sunset, don’t miss the famous red London bus for the “world’s shortest bus tour” guided by characterful John Vital, and later there’s guided stargazing, along with a braai supper, under sparkling skies far from the city lights.

This is a weekend away that feels both cinematic, timeless and authentic. After a sojourn here, you’ll understand why Matjiesfontein was once a fashionable Victorian health and wellness resort. Writer Olive Schreiner, who had a cottage in the town, perhaps described it best back in 1890: “It is curious, and to me very attractive, this mixture of civilisation & the most wild untamed freedom; the barren mountains & wild Karoo & the railway train.”

Good to know

• Note that this is not a steam-train trip; it uses diesel and electric locomotives.
• The ticket includes the return train trip with lunch on board (plus tea, coffee and water); two nights’ accommodation (in the main hotel or the hotel’s Matjies Mews garden rooms) and all meals; the bus tour, museum visit and guided stargazing.
• Drinks, additional food or snacks, and other activities are for your own account.
• The luggage limit is one checked bag and one piece of hand luggage.

Dates 12 – 14 February 2027
Cost R10 300 per person sharing
R1 900 single supplement
Contact 079 401 9353, [email protected]
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