Is the train travel included?

Yes. The tour includes three named trains: Kuranda Scenic Railway, The Overland (Adelaide to Melbourne, Red Premium Service), and NSW Trainlink XPT (Melbourne to Sydney, First Class). All rail, coach, ferry, and internal flight travel are included.

Is this an escorted tour?

Yes. A professional Tour Manager travels with the group from start to finish, and all guided tours and excursions are included.

Four-star accommodations: Pacific Hotel (Cairns, 4 nights), Desert Gardens Hotel at Ayers Rock Resort (Uluru, 2 nights), Crowne Plaza Lasseters (Alice Springs, 2 nights), Hilton (Adelaide, 3 nights), The Savoy on Little Collins (Melbourne, 3 nights), and ParkRoyal Darling Harbour (Sydney, 4 nights).

What meals are included?

16 breakfasts, 7 lunches, and 4 dinners. Highlights include Christmas Eve wine tasting and lunch in the Barossa Valley, a Christmas Day buffet at a coastal resort, and a New Year's Eve buffet with unlimited wine, beer, and soft drinks.

How much walking and physical activity is involved?

Mobility Rating 3: the tour includes guided walks, multiple daily sightseeing tours in cities, and full-day excursions. There is sustained walking required on most days.

Are cancellation insurance and international flights included?

No. Travel insurance can be arranged separately. International flights and airport transfers are not included and must be booked separately.

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Vacations By Rail has withdrawn this trip from sale.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 at Christmas & New Year

19-day festive journey Cairns to Sydney with rail, reef, and Red Centre

Vacations By Rail's 19-day Ultimate Australia at Christmas & New Year is an escorted holiday from Cairns to Sydney timed for the festive season. A professional Tour Manager accompanies the group throughout, organizing all sightseeing tours, meals, and transfers. The journey weaves together three named trains (the heritage Kuranda Scenic Railway, The Overland, and NSW Trainlink XPT), internal flights, and coaches to connect Australia's Great Barrier Reef in the north, the Red Centre desert landmarks of Uluru and Kata Tjuta, the Barossa Valley wine region, and Sydney's coastal attractions. The itinerary balances free time in major cities with organized day excursions and dinners. Notable moments include a Christmas Eve wine tour and lunch in the Barossa Valley, a Christmas Day beach buffet in Adelaide, a sunset and stargazing experience in Uluru, and a New Year's Eve dinner at a revolving Sydney restaurant overlooking the harbour fireworks. Four-star hotels, extensive meals, and all internal transport and entry fees are included from USD 10,399.

What to know before you look closer

International flights and airport transfers are not included in the from-price; book separately.
The itinerary spans three time zones and multiple transport modes (flight, coach, rail, cruise); daily activity levels vary significantly, with some days free and others heavily scheduled.
This tour is timed for the Christmas and New Year holidays; no other departure dates are listed.

Day by day

Day 1overnight: Cairns
Welcome to tropical Cairns
Make your own way to the hotel overlooking Trinity Wharf. Free time to explore the Cairns Esplanade.
Day 2overnight: Cairns
A free day in Cairns
Free day at leisure: the lagoon, waterfront promenade, Flecker Botanic Gardens or Cairns Aquarium. Welcome dinner at a waterfront restaurant.
Day 3railovernight: Cairns
Kuranda and its Scenic Railway
Rainforestation Nature Park: an 'Army Duck' amphibious ride and a guided Dreamtime Walk with Pamagirri guides. Kuranda village craft market, then the 125-year-old Kuranda Scenic Railway through Barron River Gorge.
Day 4overnight: Cairns
Green Island & the Great Barrier Reef
Catamaran cruise to Green Island (two hours at leisure), then a platform moored on the Outer Great Barrier Reef with buffet lunch, underwater observatory viewing and a glass-bottom boat tour.
Day 5overnight: Ayers Rock (Uluru)
To the desert and sunset in Uluru
Flight to Uluru; guided sightseeing around the base of the rock including Mutitjulu Waterhole, and a visit to the Uluru Cultural Centre. Evening sunset viewing over Uluru with a glass of wine.
Day 6overnight: Ayers Rock (Uluru)
Witnessing an Uluru sunrise & Kata Tjuta
Sunrise viewing at Uluru, then a guided tour of Kata Tjuta (the Olgas). Evening gourmet barbecue dinner in Kata Tjuta National Park with stargazing.
Day 7overnight: Alice Springs
To Alice Springs, the heart of Australia's Red Centre
Coach through the outback to Alice Springs, stopping for lunch and a visit to James Range Camels. Check in for two nights.
Day 8overnight: Alice Springs
Touring the Alice area
Visit the Old Telegraph Station, the School of the Air, and the Royal Flying Doctor Base.
Day 9overnight: Adelaide
Alice Springs to laid-back Adelaide
Direct flight to Adelaide with a city sightseeing and orientation tour en route. Check in for three nights.
Day 10overnight: Adelaide
Christmas Eve in the Barossa Valley
Tour and tasting at Seppeltsfield Winery, lunch with wine at Lambert Wines, then a stop in the historic German settlement of Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills.
Day 11overnight: Adelaide
Christmas Day in Adelaide
Free morning, then a Christmas buffet lunch at a beachside hotel in Glenelg. Light dinner together in the evening.
Day 12railovernight: Melbourne
The Overland train to Melbourne
The Overland train east to Melbourne, with breakfast and lunch served on board. Check in to the central hotel for three nights.
Day 13overnight: Melbourne
Culture and sport in Melbourne
Sightseeing tour past the Old Treasury Building, Parliament House, the MCG and the Melbourne Tennis Centre; a Yarra River sightseeing cruise and the Melbourne Skydeck.
Day 14overnight: Melbourne
A day trip along the Great Ocean Road
Coach along the Great Ocean Road via Geelong, Anglesey and Lorne, lunch in Apollo Bay, through Great Otway National Park to the Shipwreck Coast and the Twelve Apostles.
Day 15railovernight: Sydney
To Sydney by rail
Full-day XPT Rail journey in First Class from Melbourne to Sydney, passing Wagga Wagga. Transfer to the Darling Harbour hotel.
Day 16overnight: Sydney
Getting to know Sydney
Sightseeing tour: The Rocks, Mrs. Macquarie's Chair, Bondi Beach, and a Sydney sightseeing cruise.
Day 17overnight: Sydney
New Year's Eve with views of Sydney's fireworks
Free day, then a New Year's Eve buffet dinner (55+ dishes, unlimited wine/beer/soft drinks) at a revolving restaurant in the Sydney Eye Tower with fireworks views.
Day 18overnight: Sydney
New Year's Day at leisure in Sydney
Free day: Sydney Harbour, the Royal Botanic Gardens, a ferry to Manly, or Watson's Bay.
Day 19
Traveling home
Check out of the hotel and make your own way to Sydney's international airport for the journey home.

The moments this trip is built around

Day 3Day 3: Ride the 125-year-old Kuranda Scenic Railway through Barron River Gorge after exploring Rainforestation Nature Park with guided Dreamtime Walk guides.
Day 4Day 4: Catamaran to Green Island and a moored platform on the Outer Great Barrier Reef with underwater observatory viewing and glass-bottom boat tour.
Day 6Day 6: Witness sunrise at Uluru, tour Kata Tjuta, then dine under the stars in Kata Tjuta National Park with a stargazing experience.
Day 10Day 10: Christmas Eve in the Barossa Valley: tour and taste at Seppeltsfield Winery, lunch at Lambert Wines, then visit historic German settlement Hahndorf.
Day 17Day 17: New Year's Eve buffet dinner at a revolving restaurant in Sydney Eye Tower with views of the city's fireworks over Sydney Harbour.

Included

Expertise of a Tour Manager from start to finish
18 nights' 4-Star hotel accommodation
1st & Standard Class rail travel on local rail networks
All rail, cruise, ferry and coach travel throughout your tour
All internal flights
16 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 4 dinners
Tips
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 the train travel included?: Yes. The tour includes three named trains: Kuranda Scenic Railway, The Overland (Adelaide to Melbourne, Red Premium Service), and NSW Trainlink XPT (Melbourne to Sydney, First Class). All rail, coach, ferry, and internal flight travel are included.
Is this an escorted tour?: Yes. A professional Tour Manager travels with the group from start to finish, and all guided tours and excursions are included.
What are the hotels?: Four-star accommodations: Pacific Hotel (Cairns, 4 nights), Desert Gardens Hotel at Ayers Rock Resort (Uluru, 2 nights), Crowne Plaza Lasseters (Alice Springs, 2 nights), Hilton (Adelaide, 3 nights), The Savoy on Little Collins (Melbourne, 3 nights), and ParkRoyal Darling Harbour (Sydney, 4 nights).
What meals are included?: 16 breakfasts, 7 lunches, and 4 dinners. Highlights include Christmas Eve wine tasting and lunch in the Barossa Valley, a Christmas Day buffet at a coastal resort, and a New Year's Eve buffet with unlimited wine, beer, and soft drinks.
How much walking and physical activity is involved?: Mobility Rating 3: the tour includes guided walks, multiple daily sightseeing tours in cities, and full-day excursions. There is sustained walking required on most days.
Are cancellation insurance and international flights included?: No. Travel insurance can be arranged separately. International flights and airport transfers are not included and must be booked separately.

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