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Great Rail Journeys · Independent tour

Grand Tour of Australia Including the Ghan

15-day Australian rail circuit from Sydney through The Ghan to Uluru

Illustration of Grand Tour of Australia Including the Ghan

Great Rail Journeys' Grand Tour of Australia Including the Ghan is a 15-day independent journey that departs from London and spans three of Australia's most celebrated trains and largest cities. You begin in Sydney with two days to explore its beaches and cultural attractions at your own pace. The XPT carries you 600 miles south to Melbourne, where another free day allows you to wander the laneways and markets. The Overland train then takes you to Adelaide through diverse Australian landscapes. The centrepiece is a night aboard The Ghan sleeper train, departing Adelaide and traveling deep into the Outback. You wake early at Marla to watch the sun rise over remote red desert, then continue across the MacDonnell Ranges to Alice Springs. From there, a transfer brings you to Ayers Rock (Uluru) for two days in the Red Centre, including a sunset experience with sparkling wine. Throughout the tour you stay in 4 and 5-star hotels, and The Ghan offers two-course lunch and three-course dinner service in the dining car. The tour suits luxury-seeking repeat rail travellers and couples who value independence: Great Rail Journeys books all transfers and rail seats, but leaves substantial free time for self-directed exploration.

Price history

Across 5 checks, this price has risen £780 since 4 Jul, to £6,335.

£6,335£5,5554 Jul12 Sep

Each point is a day we checked this operator's own page, not a weekly average, and the line holds flat between checks rather than guessing at movement we did not see. 3 of 5 points are a live read of the operator's page. Hollow points are values shown when the trip was first listed here and never confirmed with the operator.

What to know before you look closer

  • The from-price covers the package including rail fares and London flights; confirm final hotel selection with the operator, as each city lists multiple 4 and 5-star options
  • Days 3, 4, 6, 8, 11, and 13 are entirely free with optional excursions available but no guided activities included

Day by day

The operator's published day-by-day is incomplete (day 13 is not published). Day counts and hotel changes are not calculated from it.

  1. Days 1 to 2overnight: In flight

    Days 1 & 2 – UK to Sydney

    Your journey of a lifetime begins today when you take your flight from London to Sydney.

  2. Day 3overnight: Sydney

    Arrival in Sydney

    Landing in Australia's most populous city, you are transferred to your hotel. Choose from the 5-Star Amora Hotel Jamison or the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

  3. Day 4overnight: Sydney

    Exploring Sydney

    A free day in Sydney, with must-sees including the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, or a choice of optional excursions: a panoramic city tour, a walking tour of the Sydney Cricket Ground, a Sydney Harbour lunch cruise, or a Blue Mountains day tour.

  4. Day 5railovernight: Melbourne

    To Melbourne aboard the XPT train

    Transferred to Sydney Central Station, you travel 600 miles aboard the XPT train from Sydney to Melbourne, passing farmsteads, woods and open plains, before transferring to your hotel. Choose from Hotel Indigo Melbourne on Flinders or the Grand Hyatt Melbourne.

  5. Day 6overnight: Melbourne

    Discovering cultural Melbourne

    A free day in Melbourne, with options including galleries, street art laneways, AC/DC Lane, the Botanic Gardens, St Kilda beach and Luna Park, or Queen Victoria Market, or a choice of optional excursions: a half-day city tour or a Great Ocean Road full day tour.

  6. Day 7railovernight: Adelaide

    The Overland to Adelaide

    Transferred to Southern Cross Station to board the Overland train for Adelaide in Standard Red Service, with the option to upgrade to Red Premium for more legroom and meals served at your seat. Checking in to the Eos by Skycity hotel on arrival.

  7. Day 8railovernight: Onboard The Ghan

    Boarding the luxurious Ghan

    Your south-to-north journey on the Ghan begins this afternoon, with all dining and drinks included. By early evening you arrive at Long Plains and transfer to a South Australian wine region for a special dinner experience, before returning to the train for the night.

    Meals: Dinner

  8. Day 9railovernight: Onboard The Ghan

    Through the Flinders Ranges

    The Ghan arrives at Port Augusta, gateway to the outback. After breakfast, an off-train excursion explores the Flinders Ranges' gorges and red rock outcrops, before rejoining the train for a relaxed evening of dinner and drinks onboard.

    Meals: Dinner

  9. Day 10overnight: Alice Springs

    Marla & Alice Springs

    Wake to a spectacular outback sunrise at Marla, gathering round a bonfire, then enjoy a leisurely brunch onboard as the desert unfolds on the journey to Alice Springs, where you make your own way to your hotel for two nights.

    Meals: Brunch

  10. Day 11overnight: Alice Springs

    Free day in Alice Springs

    A free day in Alice Springs, a vibrant outback town in the Red Centre, nestled between the MacDonnell Ranges, with options including the Araluen Arts Centre and local Aboriginal heritage and culture.

  11. Day 12overnight: Yulara

    Into the Red Centre to Uluru

    Transferred from Alice Springs to Yulara, near Uluru, with a sunset Uluru tour including sparkling wine and light refreshments as the rock changes colour. Checking in to your hotel, choosing from the 4-Star Desert Gardens Hotel or the 5-Star Sails in the Desert Hotel.

  12. Day 14overnight: Yulara

    Free day in Yulara

    Time at leisure in Yulara, with options including cultural plaques, a local art gallery, a didgeridoo workshop or bush food experience, or optional excursions: the Sounds of Silence Dinner or a Kata Tjuta tour.

  13. Days 14 to 15

    Days 14 & 15 - Homeward bound

    Transferred from your hotel at Yulara to Ayers Rock Airport for the overnight flight back to London via Sydney and Dubai, arriving back in the UK.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 5Day 5: the XPT train travels 600 miles from Sydney to Melbourne, passing farmsteads, woods, and open plains across Eastern Australia
  • Day 9Day 9: you board The Ghan for the journey from Adelaide to Alice Springs, with access to the Outback Explorer Lounge and two-course lunch and three-course dinner in the dining car
  • Day 10Day 10: early morning stop at Marla in the Outback, where you can step off the train to watch the sunrise over the remote landscape before crossing into the Northern Territory
  • Day 12Day 12: transfer from Alice Springs to Ayers Rock (Uluru) with a sunset tour including sparkling wine and light refreshments

Included

  • 2 nights on the Ghan luxury train in a Gold Twin Cabin
  • 10 nights in 4 & 5-Star hotels on a Bed & Breakfast basis
  • All rail and transfers throughout your tour
  • Flights from London Heathrow to Sydney, Ayers Rock to London Heathrow

Not included

  • Cancellation & Travel Insurance

Questions travellers ask

How much does it cost?
From £6,335 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $8,557 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.
Is all train travel included?
Yes, all rail travel is included: the XPT from Sydney to Melbourne, The Overland from Melbourne to Adelaide, and The Ghan from Adelaide to Alice Springs in a Gold Twin Cabin.
Is this tour escorted or independent?
Great Rail Journeys operates this as an independent tour. You receive transfers between stations and hotels, but days in each city are free to explore on your own; optional excursions are available.
What meals are included?
Breakfast is included at all hotels. On The Ghan, a two-course lunch and three-course dinner are served in the dining car on Day 9, and brunch is served on Day 10.
What is not included?
Cancellation and travel insurance are not included. Optional excursions, meals outside set times, and any activities beyond the itinerary are at your own expense.

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