Is all the train travel included in the price?

Yes. The package includes First Class on the NSW Trainlink XPT (Sydney to Melbourne), Red Premium Service on the Overland (Melbourne to Adelaide), two nights in Gold Service on the Ghan (Adelaide to Alice Springs), plus the Katoomba Scenic Railway, Puffing Billy heritage steam train, and Kuranda Scenic Railway.

What meals are included?

Breakfast each day, 8 lunches, and 5 dinners. Beer, wine, spirits, and soft drinks are included on the Ghan. Other meals are at your own expense.

Is this an escorted tour?

Yes. A professional tour manager leads the group from Day 2 through Day 18, providing expertise and organizing all guided tours, excursions, and group activities.

Which hotels are included?

ParkRoyal Darling Harbor in Sydney (4 nights), The Savoy on Little Collins in Melbourne (4 nights), Hilton Hotel in Adelaide (1 night), Crowne Plaza Lasseters in Alice Springs (1 night), Desert Gardens Hotel at Ayers Rock Resort in Uluru (2 nights), and Pacific Hotel in Cairns (4 nights).

Can I upgrade the Ghan accommodations?

Yes. Optional upgrades include Gold Premium Class (Gold Premium Lounge, priority check-in, increased luggage, private en suite) or Platinum Class (spacious cabin, Platinum Club carriage, full-size en suite, expansive windows, premium toiletries).

How much walking and physical activity is involved?

Mobility Rating 2: city walking tours, stairs at some landmarks, and guided excursions. Most travel is by coach or train. Snorkeling and rainforest walks are part of the itinerary but depend on your fitness and interest.

No longer offered

Vacations By Rail has withdrawn this trip from sale. We keep the page for reference and comparison. Live alternatives are under Similar journeys below.

Vacations By Rail · Escorted tour

Ultimate Australia & the Ghan

19-day Australia loop: trains, reefs, deserts, and Uluru from Sydney to Cairns

Vacations By Rail's Ultimate Australia & the Ghan is a 19-day escorted journey from Sydney to Cairns that weaves together six named rail experiences with Australia's most celebrated destinations. A tour manager guides the group throughout, organizing all sightseeing and excursions. The centerpiece is a two-night voyage aboard the Ghan in Gold Service between Adelaide and Alice Springs, traveling through the Red Centre with meals in the Queen Adelaide Restaurant and drinks included. Days in Sydney include a Harbour cruise and the Blue Mountains' Katoomba Scenic Railway, the world's steepest passenger railway. Melbourne offers the Great Ocean Road and a heritage steam ride on Puffing Billy through the Dandenong Ranges and into the Yarra Valley wine region. From Alice Springs, you travel by coach to Uluru for sunrise and a Sounds of Silence desert dinner. The final section flies to Cairns for a full-day Great Barrier Reef catamaran with snorkeling and glass-bottom boat views, plus the Kuranda Scenic Railway through a World Heritage rainforest. Accommodation spans four well-regarded hotels, with multiple meals and all transport included.

What to know before you look closer

International flights to Sydney and from Cairns are not included; airport transfers are also separate.
The from-price of USD 10,299 per person excludes cancellation and travel insurance, which must be arranged separately.
Day 1 is a free independent arrival and check-in; the tour manager joins Day 2.

Day by day

Day 1overnight: Sydney
Welcome to coastal Sydney
Transfer independently to the Darling Harbour hotel and check in for four nights. Free time to explore.
Day 2overnight: Sydney
Sightseeing in Sydney & Bondi Beach
Guided tour: The Rocks, Mrs. Macquarie's Chair, Sydney Harbour views, and Bondi Beach. Group dinner in the evening.
Day 3overnight: Sydney
Sydney Harbour cruise with lunch on board
Buffet lunch cruise around Sydney Harbour, past the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Free afternoon.
Day 4railovernight: Sydney
The Blue Mountains and the Katoomba Scenic Railway
Rail into the Blue Mountains: Three Sisters at Echo Point, the village of Leura, the Katoomba Scenic Railway (world's steepest incline railway) and the Scenic Skyway. Return to Sydney by coach.
Day 5railovernight: Melbourne
From Sydney to Melbourne by cross-country rail
Cross-country train to Melbourne in First Class, passing Wagga Wagga. Check in to the central hotel for four nights.
Day 6overnight: Melbourne
Embarking on a Melbourne city tour & Yarra River cruise
Sightseeing tour past the Old Treasury Building and the MCG, a Yarra River sightseeing cruise, and the Melbourne Skydeck.
Day 7overnight: Melbourne
A day trip along the Great Ocean Road
Coach excursion along the Great Ocean Road via Lorne and Apollo Bay (lunch), viewing the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge.
Day 8railovernight: Melbourne
Puffing Billy & wine-tasting in the Yarra Valley
Puffing Billy heritage steam train (since 1900) through the Dandenong Ranges, then coach to the Yarra Valley for lunch at Rochford Wines and a tasting at Coombe Yarra Estate.
Day 9railovernight: Adelaide
Traveling west on the Overland to Adelaide
The Overland train west to Adelaide, with breakfast and lunch served on board. Check in to the hotel overlooking Victoria Square.
Day 10overnight: Overnight train (the Ghan)
Guided tour of Adelaide and boarding the Ghan
Guided tour of Adelaide (Montefiore Hill, Adelaide Oval, St. Peter's Cathedral), then board the Ghan and settle into Gold Service twin-occupancy cabins with ensuite bathrooms.
Day 11overnight: Overnight train (the Ghan)
A day aboard the iconic Ghan
The Ghan passes through desert landscapes into Australia's Red Centre; meals in the Queen Adelaide Restaurant. Final night on the Ghan.
Day 12overnight: Alice Springs
Arrival in the outback town of Alice Springs
Check in to the hotel for the night; tour of the Old Telegraph Station, the School of the Air, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service Museum.
Day 13overnight: Uluru
Through the Outback to sacred Uluru
Coach through the Red Centre to Uluru (the world's largest monolith, rising 1,142 feet). Evening Uluru sunset viewing with drinks and snacks.
Day 14overnight: Uluru
Sunrise over Uluru & Sounds of Silence dinner
Sunrise visit to Uluru, then a guided tour of Kata Tjuta (the Olgas). Evening Sounds of Silence dinner in the desert with a barbecue buffet and stargazing talk.
Day 15overnight: Cairns
Flying to Cairns in the tropical north
Flight from Alice Springs to Cairns; coach transfer to the hotel overlooking Trinity Wharf.
Day 16overnight: Cairns
Exploring the wondrous Great Barrier Reef
Full-day catamaran excursion to the Great Barrier Reef: Green Island, a pontoon with underwater observatory, buffet lunch, snorkeling, and a glass-bottom boat.
Day 17railovernight: Cairns
Rainforestation Nature Park and the Kuranda Scenic Railway
Guided Dreamtime Walk and Pamagirri dance performance at Rainforestation Nature Park; Kuranda village craft market; Gold Class heritage carriages on the 125-year-old Kuranda Scenic Railway through Barron River Gorge.
Day 18overnight: Cairns
A free day to explore Cairns
Free day at leisure: Flecker Botanic Gardens, Cairns Aquarium, or the city center. Final group dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 19
Traveling home
Check out of the hotel and transfer independently to the airport to begin the journey home.

The moments this trip is built around

Day 4The Katoomba Scenic Railway descends the world's steepest passenger incline railway through the Blue Mountains to the Scenic Skyway.
Day 10Board the Ghan in Adelaide and settle into Gold Service twin cabins with ensuite bathrooms for the overnight journey to Alice Springs.
Day 14Sounds of Silence dinner in the desert: a barbecue buffet under the stars with a stargazing talk at Uluru.
Day 16Full-day catamaran to the Great Barrier Reef includes Green Island, a pontoon with underwater observatory, snorkeling, and a glass-bottom boat.
Day 17The Kuranda Scenic Railway travels 125 years of heritage carriages through Barron River Gorge rainforest after a Dreamtime Walk and performance in Rainforestation Nature Park.

Included

Expertise of a Tour Manager from start to finish
18 nights' 4-Star hotel accommodation
2 nights' in Gold Service aboard the Ghan
First Class rail travel
Gold Service rail travel aboard the Ghan
All rail, cruise and coach travel throughout your tour
All internal flights
Breakfast each day, 8 lunches, 5 dinners
Beer, wine, spirits and soft drinks included on the Ghan
All guided tours and excursions

Not included

Cancellation & Travel Insurance is not included in the price of the tour but can be arranged
Flights and Airport transfers not included

Questions travellers ask

Is all the train travel included in the price?: Yes. The package includes First Class on the NSW Trainlink XPT (Sydney to Melbourne), Red Premium Service on the Overland (Melbourne to Adelaide), two nights in Gold Service on the Ghan (Adelaide to Alice Springs), plus the Katoomba Scenic Railway, Puffing Billy heritage steam train, and Kuranda Scenic Railway.
What meals are included?: Breakfast each day, 8 lunches, and 5 dinners. Beer, wine, spirits, and soft drinks are included on the Ghan. Other meals are at your own expense.
Is this an escorted tour?: Yes. A professional tour manager leads the group from Day 2 through Day 18, providing expertise and organizing all guided tours, excursions, and group activities.
Which hotels are included?: ParkRoyal Darling Harbor in Sydney (4 nights), The Savoy on Little Collins in Melbourne (4 nights), Hilton Hotel in Adelaide (1 night), Crowne Plaza Lasseters in Alice Springs (1 night), Desert Gardens Hotel at Ayers Rock Resort in Uluru (2 nights), and Pacific Hotel in Cairns (4 nights).
Can I upgrade the Ghan accommodations?: Yes. Optional upgrades include Gold Premium Class (Gold Premium Lounge, priority check-in, increased luggage, private en suite) or Platinum Class (spacious cabin, Platinum Club carriage, full-size en suite, expansive windows, premium toiletries).
How much walking and physical activity is involved?: Mobility Rating 2: city walking tours, stairs at some landmarks, and guided excursions. Most travel is by coach or train. Snorkeling and rainforest walks are part of the itinerary but depend on your fitness and interest.

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