The Ghan Packages & Trips

– Destinations: Cairns (3 Nights), Darwin (2), The Ghan (1), Alice Springs (1), Uluru (2), Sydney (3)

– Day Tours: Cairns: Great Barrier Reef Cruise; Darwin: Kakadu Tour, The Ghan Train; Alice Springs: Deluxe Coach to Uluru; Uluru: Uluru Tour Pass, Sounds of Silence Dinner; Sydney: Opera House Tour, Harbour Cruise Express

Days 1 – 2: Fly to Australia

Fly into Cairns and settle into your 4.5-star tropical hotel steps from the Esplanade lagoon and night markets.

Days 3 – 4: Cairns – Great Barrier Reef & Tropical Rainforest

On Day 3, cruise by luxury catamaran to the Agincourt Ribbon Reef in the Great Barrier Reef. Snorkel the outer reef, explore from a glass-bottom boat or semi-submersible, visit the underwater theater, and enjoy a buffet lunch on board.

Day 4 is yours to explore Cairns, where you can venture into the Esplanade, Cairns’ famous Saturday markets, or the lively café and restaurant scene.

Optional add-ons (not included):

• Rainforest Canopy Safari — Ancient Wooroonooran National Park with crocodile spotting, Millaa Millaa Falls & Mulgrave River cruise.
• Cape Tribulation & Daintree Wilderness Safari — Mossman Gorge guided walk, Daintree River crocodile cruise, tropical rainforest lunch & Cape Tribulation beach.

Days 5 – 6: Darwin → Kakadu National Park & Aboriginal Culture

Fly to Darwin and check into your 4.5-star harbor-view hotel, perfectly placed for the famous Northern Territory sunsets. On Day 6, journey into World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park by 4WD. View superbly preserved Aboriginal rock art at Ubirr on the Arnhem Land escarpment, then board the Guluyambi Cruise along the East Alligator River with an Aboriginal guide, watching for crocodiles and learning the ancient stories of this land. With special permission, step ashore into Arnhem Land. Close the day at the Window on the Wetlands Visitor Centre with panoramic floodplain views and a complimentary glass of wine.

Days 7 – 8: The Ghan – Darwin → Alice Springs

Board The Ghan, Australia’s legendary transcontinental train, for an overnight journey through the outback. Watch the landscape transform from the tropical north through the rusty reds of the MacDonnell Ranges as you roll south toward Alice Springs. A bucket-list rail experience that connects Australia’s wildly different landscapes in one sweeping journey.

Why this is special:

The Ghan first ran in 1929. The Darwin extension only opened in 2004. It remains one of the world’s most iconic long-distance rail journeys — a moving window into Australia’s vast, empty interior.

Days 8 – 10: Alice Springs & Uluru, Red Centre

Arrive in Alice Springs, the Outback capital, with time to visit the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Alice Springs Telegraph Station, or the Reptile Centre before your luxury coach transfers you to Ayers Rock Resort. Two nights at a 4.5-star desert resort set the scene for two of Australia’s most extraordinary experiences.

On Day 9 evening, dine at the Sounds of Silence dinner with canapes and champagne at sunset over Uluru, followed by Outback delicacies (kangaroo, emu, barramundi) under a sky full of stars guided by an astronomer. Day 10 brings a full-day Uluru & Kata Tjuta tour pass: sunrise over the monolith with morning tea, a base walk with a cultural guide, Mutitjulu Waterhole, and an afternoon at Walpa Gorge before sunset wine and canapes at the viewing area.

Days 11 – 13: Sydney – The Iconic Finale

Fly to Sydney for three nights. Day 12 combines an inside look at the Sydney Opera House, its controversial history, six performance venues, and harbor views, with a full-day Harbour Express hop-on hop-off cruise stopping at Fort Denison, Taronga Zoo, Watson’s Bay, Luna Park, and Circular Quay. Day 13 is free: take a ferry to Manly, board the train to Bondi Beach, or explore the famous Bondi to Bronte coastal walk.

Optional add-ons (not included):

• Blue Mountains & Wildlife Day Tour — Three Sisters, Waradah Aboriginal Centre, Leura village lunch & Featherdale Wildlife Park.
• Sydney Harbour BridgeClimb — 3.5 hrs, 360° views, max 14 climbers.

Day 14: Sydney → Los Angeles

Shuttle to Sydney International Airport and fly home to Los Angeles. You’ll cross the International Date Line and arrive back the same calendar day you depart, with 14 days of extraordinary Australia memories packed into the trip of a lifetime.

– Destinations: Cairns (3 Nights), Uluru (2), Alice Springs (1), Ghan (1), Adelaide (2), Sydney (3)

– Day Tours: Cairns: Great Barrier Reef Cruise; Uluru: Uluru Tour Pass, Deluxe Coach to Alice Springs; Alice Springs: Ghan Train Ride; Adelaide: Barossa Wine Tour; Sydney: Opera House Tour, Harbour Cruise Express

Days 1 – 2: Fly to Australia

Fly into Cairns and settle into your 4.5-star tropical hotel steps from the Esplanade lagoon and night markets.

Days 2 – 4: Cairns – Great Barrier Reef

Day 3 is reef day. Board a catamaran for a 90-minute cruise to the outer reef, with five hours at two exclusive dive sites ranging from coral gardens to dramatic walls and drop-offs. One guided snorkel tour is included, with certified and introductory diving available as upgrades. A buffet lunch on board rounds out a perfect day.

Day 4 is free to explore Cairns at your own pace.

Optional add-ons (not included):

• Daintree Wilderness Safari — Mossman Gorge guided walk, tropical rainforest lunch & Daintree Ice Cream Company

Days 5 – 6: Uluru & Red Centre

Fly directly from Cairns to Uluru and settle into your 4.5-star desert resort, with poolside rooms and balcony views over the desert, and the best sunset lookouts just a short stroll away.

Your two-day Uluru & Kata Tjuta tour pass covers it all: Day 5 afternoon, a guided drive to Walpa Gorge through rare desert flora, followed by wine and canapes as the sun melts over the monolith. Day 6 morning, wake before dawn for tea and coffee as Uluru glows with the sunrise, then a full cultural base walk covering the geology, Anangu legend, and the sacred Mutitjulu Waterhole.

Optional evening (not included):

• Outback Aussie BBQ — Kangaroo, beef and gourmet sausages under the desert sky, with complimentary wine, beer and a star orientation tour. The perfect Red Centre evening.

Day 7: Alice Springs – The Outback Capital & Gateway to The Ghan

Board a luxury coach from Uluru for a scenic afternoon transfer east through the Red Centre, past the dramatic flat-topped mesa of Mt Conner, through the Outback plains, and north along the famous Stuart Highway to Alice Springs.

Arrive early evening with time to explore the town: the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Alice Springs Telegraph Station, Reptile Centre, and the story of the Arrernte people who have called this country home for 20,000 years.

Days 8 – 9: The Ghan – Alice Springs → Adelaide

Board The Ghan in Alice Springs and settle in as the outback unfolds outside your window. Watch the rusty reds of the Northern Territory give way to the lush green valleys approaching Adelaide. This is one of the world’s truly epic rail journeys, passing through landscapes most Australians will never see. Upgrade to Red or Gold Kangaroo Sleeper Cabins for the ultimate experience.

A living legend:

First departing Adelaide in 1929, The Ghan didn’t reach Darwin until 2004. Riding it is as much a piece of Australian history as it is a journey through the continent’s ancient heart.

Days 9 – 10: Adelaide – Food, Wine & the Barossa Valley

Arrive in Adelaide by private sedan from the Keswick Rail Terminal and check into your 4-star boutique hotel in the city’s cultural heart.

Day 10 is a highlight: a full-day Barossa Valley & Hahndorf tour through South Australia’s most celebrated wine country. Morning tea and tastings at the multi-award-winning Jacob’s Creek Visitor Centre, cellar door at Saltram Wine Estate, a two-course lunch with boutique wine pairings at the South Australian Company Store, then a stroll through the tree-lined main street of Hahndorf, Australia’s oldest German settlement, for art, craft, local produce, and more cellar doors.

Don’t miss Adelaide Central Market, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest fresh produce market, on your free morning.

Optional add-on (not included):

• Kangaroo Island Discovery — Sea-lion beach walk at Seal Bay, Flinders Chase National Park, Remarkable Rocks, Admiral’s Arch fur seal colony & a two-course island lunch. A full-day wildlife immersion just a ferry ride from Adelaide.

Days 11 – 13: Sydney

Fly to Sydney for three nights. Day 12 pairs an inside look at the Sydney Opera House, its controversial history, the Concert Hall, Opera Theatre, and Utzon Room, with a full-day Harbour Express hop-on hop-off cruise calling at Fort Denison, Taronga Zoo, Watson’s Bay, and Circular Quay.

Day 13 is all yours: Explore Bondi Beach, the Bondi-to-Bronte coastal walk, Manly by ferry, or the weekend Rocks Markets for local arts and crafts.

Day 14: Sydney to Los Angeles

Shuttle to Sydney International Airport for your flight home to Los Angeles. Cross the International Date Line and arrive back in the US the same calendar day you depart, carrying memories of five of the most extraordinary places on Earth.