One of the most exciting Australian Luxury tours is the Ghan Rail Journey. While many tours focus on regional, close-by interests around a certain place, this rail journey is an amazing way to see the beauty and scale of the entire country.
Beginning in Adelaide and ending in Darwin, the journey ultimately takes three days and crosses more than 1,800 miles of the country’s interior along the way. While there are standard seats available for those on a budget, there are also cabins for those who want to really experience the personal sense of comfort and luxury of a private room as they cross the great expanse.
The first day sets out from Adelaide and travels to Alice Springs. Beginning along the coasts of Southern Australia, the journey quickly brings travelers into the lands beyond the Great Dog Fence and into the Painted Desert. This land is dotted with aboriginal settlements and composed of an incredible beauty that will forever teach those who see it that calling a place a desert does not mean it has to be desolate.
Reached the morning of the second day, Alice Springs provides a stopover for the journey, letting passengers stretch their legs and take in one of the Australian cities that isn’t as often on a vacationer’s list of destinations. Guests can spend the entire morning and early afternoon enjoying the food, culture and society of this desert city, including a specially-arranged, 70-minute shuttle tour around town before reboarding the Ghan for the next destination.
The second leg of the trip brings the journey to the city of Katherine. Part of Australia’s pioneering and settlement heritage, Katherine is famous for the nearby gorges that cross the landscape. Passengers are invited to tour these in a helicopter before taking the final evening journey to Darwin.
Darwin itself is an idyllic destination, full of history from the days it was bombed in WWII as well as modern parks and conveniences for Ghan veterans to enjoy as they relax from their days flying across the Australian wilderness.
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