Vacations By Rail
Ultimate Australia
19 daysfrom $8,799
Vacations By Rail · Escorted tour
Ultimate Australia & the Ghan
Embark on an exceptional tour of Australia with two nights on the luxurious Ghan and explorations of the Great Barrier Reef and iconic Uluru.
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.
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
