The Overberg Explorer adds new dates for nostalgic rail adventure
This heritage rail journey, operated by Ceres Rail Company, runs between Botrivier Station and the lively Elgin Railway Market, offering a one-hour scenic ride each way through the rolling landscapes of the Overberg.
📅 Trip dates: 5 & 6 July, and 9 August (Women's Day)
🕰️ Departure options: Morning and afternoon return trips
🎟️ Tickets: Adults R295 | Children R180 | Under-3s ride free
Passengers have 1–2 hours to explore Elgin Railway Market - a converted apple warehouse buzzing with artisan food stalls, live music and local crafts. It's a wholesome day out filled with nostalgia, family-friendly fun and countryside charm.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Ceres Rail Company (@ceresrailcompany)
While Ceres Rail also offers full-day steam trips from Cape Town to Elgin (departing 7.45 am, returning 6 pm), the Overberg Explorer from Botrivier is a shorter, more flexible option. It's ideal for those wanting to skip the day-trip train journey and instead base themselves in the Overberg for a slower-paced winter escape.
Why overnight in Botrivier?
Just 90 minutes from Cape Town, Botrivier is a small town with big soul. Surrounded by vineyards and rugged mountains, it's known for its warm hospitality, characterful wine farms, and proudly off-the-grid attitude. It makes the perfect base for a relaxed overnight or weekend stay, where you can enjoy winemaker-led tastings, local farm fare, and misty morning views before hopping on the train to Elgin and back.
The wider Overberg region, stretching from the Hottentots-Holland mountains to beyond Caledon, is one of the Western Cape's most underrated destinations.
Whether you're in it for the rail nostalgia, a foodie market fix, or a countryside getaway, the Overberg Explorer is a timeless winter adventure waiting to happen.
Notable Stops on the Way to Botrivier (via N2):
Somerset West
A gateway to the Helderberg wine region, stop here for a tasting at Vergelegen or Lourensford, both offering beautiful gardens, restaurants and historic Cape Dutch charm.
Strand & Gordon's Bay
A slight detour toward the coast gets you sea views, beach walks, and the Clarence Drive (R44) scenic coastal route, ideal if you want a breathtaking drive through to Kleinmond later. It's also the home turf of our now world-famous elephant seal Gordy.
Sir Lowry's Pass
Climb into the mountains via this iconic pass - pull over at a viewpoint for panoramic shots of False Bay and the Cape Flats below.
Grabouw / Elgin Valley
This is Apple country with a twist: cool-climate wines, forest hikes, mountain biking and farm stalls abound. Don't miss Peregrine Farm Stall for hearty pies and fresh produce.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Peregrine Farm Stall (@peregrinefarmstall)
Houw Hoek
Pop in to Houw Hoek Farm Stall or the Houw Hoek Hotel for a tea break or light lunch — it's one of South Africa's oldest licensed hotels and steeped in charm.
So there you have it. These stops make the road tip to Botrivier worth savouring, whether you're stocking up on local treats, wine-tasting en route, or stretching your legs with a scenic view.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time Out
an hour ago
- Time Out
Melbourne is officially the second best city in the world for Gen Z to live in
Move over, Melbourne millennials – Gen Z (you know, those born between 1997 and 2012) have well and truly stepped into the spotlight, and they've got thoughts on the best cities for young people right now. Every year, Time Out releases its annual ranking of the world's greatest cities (ICYMI, Melbourne was named the world's fourth best). This comprehensive survey quizzes more than 18,500 locals on everything from their city's nightlife, food and culture, as well as important lifestyle factors like happiness, access to green space and walkability. These insights were then filtered to include only responses from those aged 30 and under, revealing which city is best for Gen Z in 2025. And, drum roll please... Melbourne has landed in second place (slay!), beating out zoomer hot spots like Barcelona, Edinburgh and Mexico City. According to the data, 77 per cent of Gen Z described Melbourne as diverse and inclusive, with a whopping 96 per cent giving high ratings to the city's art and culture scene. Our beloved city also scored highly for quality of life, with an impressive 91 per cent of twenty-somethings saying the quality of life in Melbourne is 'good' or 'amazing'. To dive a bit deeper, we reached out to our Gen Z audience via Instagram to discover exactly what they love most about Melbourne – and yep, the responses well and truly confirmed the global findings. The most common answer was just how multicultural our city is, with Melbourne's café culture also getting plenty of mentions (given how twenty-somethings are gravitating towards 'third spaces ' that offer a matcha-fuelled antidote to nightlife fatigue, we're not surprised in the slightest). Street art, sport, the electronic music scene, theatre and how safe the city is were also specified. So, which city beat out Melbourne to snag the top spot for Gen Zs? It was none other than Bangkok. The Thai capital took the crown thanks to its stand-out scores in happiness (84 per cent of Gen Z say they're happy living there) and affordability (71 per cent say it's a budget-friendly city to live in). Rounding out the top five behind Melbourne were Cape Town, New York City and Copenhagen. The only other Aussie city to make the global top 20 list was Sydney, coming in at 11th. These are the world's best cities for Gen Z in 2025 1. Bangkok, Thailand 2. Melbourne, Australia 3. Cape Town, South Africa 4. New York City, United States 5. Copenhagen, Denmark 6. Barcelona, Spain 7. Edinburgh, United Kingdom 8. Mexico City, Mexico 9. London, United Kingdom 10. Shanghai, China 11. Sydney, Australia 12. Beijing, China 13. Paris, France 14. Tokyo, Japan 15. Berlin, Germany 16. Seville, Spain 17. Chicago, United States 18. Chiang Mai, Thailand 19. Prague, Czech Republic 20. Lisbon, Portugal Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. These are the best nightclubs in Melbourne for a big night out
Edinburgh Live
3 hours ago
- Edinburgh Live
ITV Big Brother star praises Edinburgh in visit but hits out at one thing
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Get the latest Edinburgh Live breaking news on WhatsApp A popular Big Brother star has hit out at one thing in Edinburgh while paying a visit to the capital. Jordan Sangha spent some time in the city and told of his experience. Describing the city as "delightful", he was left surprised by one aspect. The TV personality, who won his series of Big Brother in 2023, commented on the price of his Peroni, and said he "begrudged" paying £7.35. However, he did add he was "smitten" with the city and could "spend a lifetime here". Sharing a reel of moments on Instagram he said: "I wanted to escape the country so I came to Scotland. I am in Edinburgh and I am completely smitten. "From the cobbled streets, to the gorgeous buildings - Edinburgh feels absolutely delightful. I went to Spoons for lunch, I just like what I know and the interior was great. "Oh Edinburgh, how I adore you. I could spend a week, a month, a year or a lifetime here." Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sentstraight to your messages. He continued to add more information and captioned the reel: "Edinburgh, Scotland. A delightful capital city. "Edinburgh has glorious galleries, gorgeous architecture (mostly medieval and Georgian), and breath-taking views. "The only thing I begrudge is paying £7.35 for a pint of Peroni..." Many people were quick to share their thoughts on his visit. One person said: "Love Edinburgh, you definitely need to go back and spend a few days there." Another wrote: "Edinburgh is the most magical city. Amazing atmosphere. You should go to Greyfriars Kirkyard."
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Man takes London to Penzance sleeper train - but price has people floored
George Kimm, a UK travel and food content creator, took the Great Western Railway (GWR) Night Riviera from London Paddington to Penzance and shared his experience on Instagram A man who documented his experience on a sleeper train from London to Cornwall left social media viewers stunned when he revealed how much he paid for his small solo cabin. George Kimm, a UK travel and food content creator, embarked on an overnight journey from London to Cornwall via the Great Western Railway (GWR) Night Riviera, sharing his experience on Instagram. Departing from London Paddington, the train arrives in Penzance the following morning after a journey slightly longer than eight hours. The travel enthusiast shared his candid review of the trip, but it was the cost that left his Instagram followers gobsmacked. It comes after images show the cheapest seaside spot in England is full of abandoned £40k homes 'nobody wants'. George booked himself into a "very cosy" solo cabin on the train, complete with a single bed, a table that doubled as a sink, a wardrobe, and under-bed storage, which he found "very useful". GWR also provided some amenities, including soap. He pointed out that the toilets were located outside the cabins, but other than that, he felt the train company "really had thought of everything else". The London-based content creator added: "Before we left London Paddington I had a look in the onboard bar where you can sit down, relax. They also provide free tea and coffee with biscuits and when it comes to going to sleep, I actually had a really good experience." After getting settled and having a look around, George watched the train depart from the station before heading to bed. He revealed that he loved the sounds and motion of the train, as they helped him fall asleep. When George awoke the following morning, he had breakfast, which was included with his cabin. He chose a cup of tea and a sausage bap, commenting that it was "very delicious". The travel enthusiast added: "And it was so lovely to have my breakfast whilst watching the countryside whizz by." He concluded his Instagram reel by revealing the cost of his journey and cabin, saying: "My ticket cost £119 and an additional £149 for the cabin." George believed it was "such a cool experience" falling asleep in London and waking up in Cornwall. He felt that it was "honestly so worth it" and something that he would definitely do again. The Instagram post has garnered an incredible one million views, thousands of likes and more than 400 comments, Cornwall Live reports. One user highlighted: "£75 return to Paris, just saying." George responded: "Totally get it. This was a bucket list trip." Another commented: "Looks fun but the price is insane." A third amazed viewer questioned: "Omg... how much?" Someone else even branded the price as "criminal." Despite the steep price, some viewers found a silver lining. One remarked: "This looks like a great experience but it's very costly for a return journey. I guess the benefit is both journeys are during the night so you aren't losing out on any holiday time." Another chimed in: "Would love to do this! ! Honestly would see the cost as part of the holiday, so special." Great Western Railway Night Riviera passengers can snag an airline-style seat at no extra charge when they book a ticket for the train, with prices for a single cabin starting from just £49 per customer.
