Vacations By Rail
Ultimate Australia & the Ghan
19 daysfrom $10,299
Vacations By Rail · Escorted tour
Ultimate Australia
Travel through Australia with a 21 days train tour. Experience world-renowned destinations such as the Great Barrier Reef, the Blue Mountains and the desert of Uluru.
Day by day
- Day 1overnight: Sydney
Welcome to Sydney
Meet the Tour Manager at the hotel in Sydney's Darling Harbor for the first of a four-night stay; free afternoon to unwind.
- Day 2overnight: Sydney
Sightseeing in Sydney and Bondi Beach
Free morning, then a guided coach tour through Sydney's eastern suburbs to Bondi Beach, with free time there; visit 'Mrs Macquarie's Chair' viewpoint; group dinner at a local restaurant.
- Day 3overnight: Sydney
Sydney Harbor cruise with lunch on board
Cruise around Sydney Harbor with buffet lunch on board, passing the Opera House and Harbor Bridge; free afternoon to explore The Rocks and the Royal Botanic Gardens.
- Day 4railovernight: Sydney
Blue Mountains and the Katoomba Scenic Railway
Rail excursion to the Blue Mountains, visiting the Three Sisters at Echo Point and the village of Leura, then a ride on the Katoomba Scenic Railway and the Scenic Skyway.
- Day 5railovernight: Melbourne
Sydney to Melbourne by cross-country rail
Cross-country train from Sydney to Melbourne in First Class, passing Australian bush, farmland and towns such as Wagga Wagga; check in to a central Melbourne hotel for four nights.
- Day 6overnight: Melbourne
Melbourne sightseeing and Yarra River cruise
Free morning, then a guided tour of Melbourne's Docklands, Botanic Gardens and Melbourne Cricket Ground, followed by an hour-long Yarra River sightseeing cruise and a visit to 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 stop) to the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge, returning to Melbourne in the evening.
- Day 8railovernight: Melbourne
A ride on the 'Puffing Billy' into the Dandenong Ranges
Heritage Puffing Billy steam train (dating to 1900) through the Dandenong Ranges rainforest to the Lakeside Visitor Centre for lunch, then the return trip and transfer back to the Melbourne hotel.
- Day 9railovernight: Adelaide
Travelling west on the Overland to Adelaide
Join the Overland train west to Adelaide, with breakfast and lunch served on board through Victoria and South Australia's farmland; check in to a hotel overlooking Victoria Square.
- Day 10overnight: Adelaide
An excursion to the Barossa Valley
Coach excursion to the Barossa Valley wine region, with tours and tastings at wineries including Lambert Wines and Seppeltsfield Estate, lunch amid the vineyards, and a stop in the historic German settlement of Hahndorf.
- Day 11overnight: Adelaide
Guided tour of Adelaide and afternoon at leisure
Guided tour of Adelaide taking in Montefiore Hill, Adelaide Oval and St Peter's Cathedral, followed by a free afternoon to explore the Botanic Garden, museums or Central Market.
- Day 12overnight: Alice Springs
Entering the Outback in Alice Springs
Morning flight to Alice Springs; visit Anzac Hill, the Old Telegraph Station, the School of the Air and the Royal Flying Doctor Service Museum.
- Day 13overnight: Uluru
Alice Springs to sacred Uluru
Coach journey through the Red Centre to Uluru, with a lunch stop en route; check in and witness a magical Uluru sunset with drinks and snacks.
- Day 14overnight: Uluru
Sunrise over Uluru and Sounds of Silence dinner
Sunrise visit to Uluru, then a guided tour of Kata Tjuta National Park (the Olgas); evening 'Sounds of Silence' dinner in the desert with sparkling wine, a bush-inspired barbecue buffet and a stargazing experience.
- Day 15overnight: Cairns
Arrival in tropical Cairns
Flight to Cairns, arriving early afternoon; transfer to a hotel overlooking Trinity Wharf with the rest of the day at leisure.
- Day 16overnight: Cairns
Exploring the wondrous Great Barrier Reef
Full-day catamaran excursion into the Great Barrier Reef, stopping at Green Island, then a pontoon for a buffet lunch, underwater observatory viewing, snorkeling and glass-bottom boat viewing.
- Day 17railovernight: Cairns
Rainforestation Nature Park & the Kuranda scenic railway
Coach transfer to Rainforestation Nature Park for an Army Duck ride and a Dreamtime Walk with a 'pamagirri' dance performance, then Kuranda village and a Gold Class ride on the Kuranda Scenic Railway through the Barron River Gorge.
- Day 18overnight: Cairns
A free day to explore the vibrant city of Cairns
Full day at leisure in Cairns, with optional activities such as horse riding, scuba diving, the Flecker Botanic Gardens or the Cairns Aquarium; final-night group dinner at the hotel.
- Day 19
Homeward bound
Final breakfast in Cairns before checking out; the tour concludes and travellers make their own way home or continue exploring independently.
Included
- Expertise of a Tour Manager from start to finish
- 18 nights' 4-Star hotel accommodation (17 if upgrading for an overnight rail journey onboard the Ghan in Gold Service)
- First Class rail travel on local rail networks
- All rail, cruise and coach travel throughout your tour
- All internal flights
- Flights and airport transfers
- 17 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 3 dinners
- All guided tours and excursions
Not included
- Cancellation & Travel Insurance is not included in the price of the tour but can be arranged
