A journey on board The Ghan is an iconic Australian experience; a legendary rail journey which captures the spirit of adventure of the Afghan cameleers after whom the train is named.

More than 120 years ago, before a road or rail infrastructure was developed, camel drivers came to Australia from Afghanistan to lead camel trains throughout outback Australia, transporting supplies to regional towns, mines and cattle stations. The railway line was opened in 1929, with the train dubbed the Afghan Express, or ‘Ghan’, and ran initially from Adelaide to the remote town of Stuart, later renamed Alice Springs. A mere 75 years later, the railway line was completed with the opening of the Alice Springs to Darwin route.

Today, regarded as one of the world’s greatest rail journeys, and the ultimate in relaxed travel, an overnight journey on board The Ghan is a true highlight of Distant Journeys’ tours of Australia and never fails to amaze our guests.

Whether you choose the rail journey from Adelaide to Alice Springs, which forms part of our Wonders of Australia tour, or the crossing from Alice Springs to Darwin, which is included on our Very Best of Australia tour, you can look forward to an amazing experience both on and off the train.

Distant Journeys are proud to offer some of the world’s best rail tours across our destinations. Travelling on this iconic train, you can enjoy the comfort and solitude of your private cabin, socialise in the relaxing lounge, or simply gaze out of the window at your ever-changing landscape.

Your Journey

Life on board The Ghan is the ultimate in slow travel – with no phone signal or WiFi, you can switch off, go incommunicado and lose yourself in a reverie as you gaze through the window at the glorious scenery unfolding before you with every passing kilometre. Along your journey, depending on your choice of itinerary, you will either stop in the desert after dinner, to take in the velvety night sky studded with stars; alight the train before dawn to watch the sunrise in the heart of the Australian outback; or explore the pristine wilderness of Katherine with a cruise through Nitmiluk Gorge.

Dining

One of the undoubted highlights of your journey will be the quality of the food and wines you enjoy. Using the finest locally sourced ingredients chefs create innovative, regionally-inspired menus accompanied by all-inclusive fine wines and beverages. Expect to find delicious menus such as a South Australian seafood tasting plate, or a regional Barossa Valley cheese plate paired with outstanding local wines.

Outdoor Explorer Lounge

The social hub of the train and the place to get to know your fellow travellers. The lounge has comfortable seating and picture windows to soak up the amazing views over morning coffee or a pre-lunch aperitif. By night, the Outback Explorer Lounge is where guests gather before dinner and relax over a nightcap before retiring to bed.

Travel in comfort and style

Our guests travel in style on board The Ghan, in Gold Service accommodation. Enjoy your own private cabin with a dedicated Cabin Steward. You won’t find a television in the cabin, so your cabin provides the perfect place to relax and recharge as the outback passes by.

Gold Twin Cabins

  • Upper and lower berths that convert to a three-seater lounge by day
  • Private en suite bathroom with toilet, washbasin and shower
  • Power outlets in cabin
  • In-cabin music channels and journey audio commentary available

Gold Single Cabins

  • A bed that converts to a seat by day
  • Washbasin and vanity unit
  • Shared shower/toilet facilities located at either end of the carriage
  • Power outlets in cabin
  • In-cabin music channels and journey audio commentary available

Gold Inclusions

  • All-inclusive dining in the Queen Adelaide Restaurant. Hearty breakfasts, two-course lunches and three-course dinners.
  • All-inclusive Australian wines, beers, base spirits and non-alcoholic beverages in the Outback Explorer Lounge

Upgrade to Gold Premium 

For those looking to enhance their outback adventure aboard the Ghan, upgrade to Gold Premium. Guests are accommodated in newly designed, contemporary cabins and have exclusive access to the Gold Premium Lounge and Gold Premium Dining carriages. Slightly larger than Gold Service, within your cabin, guests find high-quality luxuriously soft linen, a satin eye mask, and premium toiletries.

Gold Premium Cabins

  • A comfortable lounge by day that converts to bunk-style sleepers at night
  • Private en suite bathroom with LaGaia amenities
  • Power outlets in cabin
  • In-cabin music channels and journey audio commentary available

Gold Premium Lounge & Dining

Guests in Gold Premium have exclusive access to both the Gold Premium Lounge and the Gold Premium Dining carriages. The lounge is your social hub, with leather seating and swivel chairs, perfect for enjoying a mid-morning coffee, or an after-dinner nightcap. Each meal is served in the dining room and features the finest ingredients from local suppliers, farmers and providers. All accompanied by a selection of premium beverages and Australian wines.

Gold Premium Inclusions

  • All-inclusive dining in the Gold Premium Dining carriage. Hearty breakfasts, two-course regionally-inspired lunches and four-course dinners
  • All-inclusive premium beverages and Australian wines in the Gold Premium Lounge

Itineraries

Adelaide to Alice Springs
Day 1: Depart Adelaide
Step aboard the legendary Ghan at noon. Once you’ve settled into your private cabin, venture to the classically styled Queen Adelaide Restaurant carriage for a delicious lunch, accompanied by your choice of fine wines. With all meals and beverages included in your Platinum or Gold Service fare, you can afford to leave your credit card tucked away in your cabin.

Watch the rolling pastoral lands of South Australia merge into rugged mallee scrub. Marvel as the spectacular Flinders Ranges disappear into the horizon, all the while enjoying the solitude of your cabin, reading or catching up on your favourite podcast, then mingling with fellow travellers in the Lounge car for afternoon tea.

A three course meal in the Queen Adelaide Restaurant is bound to satisfy and as darkness falls outside the train’s windows, talk inevitably turns to the impressive outback gourmet menu. Entrees include a South Australian Regional Seafood Tasting Plate, a succulent rack of lamb for mains, and your choice of desserts including a regional cheese plate with Barossa Valley brie, Limestone Coast clothed cheddar and Lobethal goat blue.

The selection of wines is equally outstanding and staff are expert in helping you find the perfect drop to match your meal. For those with a little steam left in the engine, make new friends in the Lounge or if all that mouth-watering food and sightseeing has taken it out of you, head back to your cabin for a good night’s sleep in anticipation of a striking outback sunrise.

Day 2: Alice Springs
Wake up with a coffee or juice and witness an unforgettable outback sunrise at our new morning stop in Marla in the remote reaches of SA. Back on board, it’s time for brunch. Enjoy a light bite from the extensive menu or order something a little more substantial – perhaps a full breakfast complete with eggs just the way you like them. And while you’re in the Queen Adelaide Restaurant why not try the Belgium chocolate waffle with strawberries, chocolate sauce and double cream? You are on holiday after all! After a few more coffees, fresh juices and more incredible outback scenery, you’ll be arriving in iconic Alice Springs.

Alice Springs to Darwin
Day 1: Depart Alice Springs
Step aboard the legendary Ghan at noon. Once you’ve settled into your private cabin, venture to the classically styled Queen Adelaide Restaurant carriage for a delicious lunch, accompanied by your choice of fine wines. With all meals and beverages included in your Platinum or Gold Service fare, you can afford to leave your credit card tucked away in your cabin.

Watch the dramatic Outback landscape disappear into the horizon, all the while enjoying the solitude of your cabin, reading or catching up on your favourite podcast, then mingling with fellow travellers in the Lounge car for afternoon tea.

A three course meal in the Queen Adelaide Restaurant is bound to satisfy and as darkness falls outside the train’s windows, talk inevitably turns to the impressive outback gourmet menu. Entrees include a South Australian Regional Seafood Tasting Plate, a succulent rack of lamb for mains, and your choice of desserts including a regional cheese plate with Barossa Valley brie, Limestone Coast clothed cheddar and Lobethal goat blue.The selection of wines is equally outstanding and staff are expert in helping you find the perfect drop to match your meal.

For those with a little steam left in the engine, make new friends in the Lounge or if all that mouth-watering food and sightseeing has taken it out of you, head back to your cabin for a good night’s sleep in anticipation of a striking outback sunrise.

Day 2: Darwin
After breakfast, The Ghan arrives into Katherine, where we disembark and have the opportunity to visit nearby Nitmiluk National Park, home to the spectacular Katherine Gorge. The gorge is a series of 13 sandstone gorges carved over many millions of years by the Katherine River. As we cruise up Katherine River, calls of the cicada resonate across the water between the towering sandstone cliffs. Listen to stories of how the gorge was named, whilst marvelling at the sheer walls, etched by time and the elements, and home to a myriad of plant and animal life. Afterwards we return to The Ghan in time for a delicious lunch and continue our journey to Darwin.