For many people a trip to Australia is a bucket list journey. But Australia is expansive and much larger than most people realize. And although it is the smallest continent in terms of square miles, it is the sixth largest country in the world. Travelers to Australia who want to explore more of this vast country will want to book a ticket on the country’s most iconic train trip – The Ghan. From the South Australian city of Adelaide to the northern outpost of Darwin, the Ghan travels a land as diverse as it is dazzling. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime luxury rail journey that travels past remarkable scenery through the heart of Australia. 

The Ghan provides a unique travel experience that includes gourmet cuisine, the best of wines from around the country, mahogany paneled sleeping cabins with ensuite bathrooms, and unforgettable off-train adventures. This deluxe, relaxing three-day, two-night journey spans two Australian provinces and gives guests a close-up look at Australia’s Outback.

The History of the Ghan

Originally known as the Afghan Express, the Ghan takes its name from the 19th-century Afghan camel drivers in Australia. They arrived 150 years ago to explore the country’s remote interior, carving a path to Alice Springs in Australia’s famed Outback. 

Often, visitors taking the iconic train journey aren’t aware of its history and the cameleers’ role in forging the path for the Ghan. In the 1860s, long before trains and trucks replaced them, the Muslim cameleers worked for and with early colonial expeditions. They founded the routes of transport across the Outback that later became the Ghan Railway’s path.

In 1929, the Ghan made its first journey from Adelaide to Alice Springs, but the track was extended 75 years later to Darwin in 2004. The average train speed is 85 kilometers per hour, with a maximum speed of 115 kilometers per hour. And it claims the title of the longest passenger train in the world. 

The Journey Begins

Excited to see parts of Australia that you cannot see from the window of an airplane, we make our way to the train station for our Ghan adventure. The long, sleek, silver train waits alongside the Adelaide Parklands Railway Station. Attentive staff welcome passengers and serve a Chardonnay/Pinot Noir sparkling wine out of Central Victoria. Our excitement rises as we await the conductor’s call for “All Aboard.”

For three days and two nights, we’ll dine on gourmet cuisine, taste Australian wines from around the country, learn about Aboriginal culture and history, make new friends, and explore the Outback through off-train adventures.

What to Expect on the Train

The Ghan train is a luxurious experience, with comfortable cabins, fine dining, and exceptional service. There are three levels of service on the Ghan: Platinum, Gold Premium, and Gold. Platinum service is the most luxurious, offering larger cabins, an exclusive dining carriage, and access to the private Platinum Lounge. Gold Premium service cabins are also spacious and comfortable, with a private ensuite. This level provides guests access to the Gold Premium Lounge, priority check-in, tour preferencing, and more. Gold service cabins have a private ensuite and access to the Gold Lounge. All cabins are comfortable and spacious enough to spend downtime relaxing or reading. They are air-conditioned, have panoramic windows, and include a bed that converts to a comfortable lounge during the day. 

Outback Explorer Lounge and Queen Adelaide Restaurant

We drop our luggage in our cabin and head to the Outback Explorer Lounge, each named after famous Australian outback explorers. Ours was named after the heroic pioneer John Eyre (1815 – 1901). He survived a murderous mutiny to complete an incredible expedition from Adelaide across the unforgiving Nullarbor Plain to Albany in Western Australia. 

The lounge is where the train adventure begins. It’s easy to make new friends in the narrow but comfortable seating in the lounge. Cocktails, beer, wine, and non-alcoholic drinks are available as part of the train ticket. We start the celebration while we wait for lunch with a glass of sparkling wine. The wine served aboard the train comes from famous wine regions across Australia. A hearty Shiraz from the Hunter Valley, a well-structured Rhone blend from the Barossa Valley, and modern-style Chardonnay from the Margaret River are just a few choices.

The art deco style of the Queen Adelaide Restaurant reflects the golden era and romance of rail travel. Named after the monarch who was the consort of King William IV in 1836 when settlers arrived in South Australia, the restaurant serves a wide choice of culinary options. 

The changing menu features intercontinental and Australian cuisine. Australian favorites include slow-cooked roasted lamb rump with grilled vegetables or regional options like a South Australian Coast seafood plate with Port Lincoln sardines, Spencer Gulf Prawns, and rich and salty Coffin Bay oysters. Authentic Australian cuisine like curried crocodile or grilled kangaroo is on the menu. But grilled halloumi and roasted vegetables over quinoa salad or seared filet mignon are just as tempting. And like the generous drink offerings, meals are also included in the ticket price.

Off Train Adventures

The Ghan train route travels through some of Australia’s most remote and captivating regions, with stops at iconic landmarks along the way. The journey begins in Adelaide, where passengers board the train and settle into their cabins. From there, the train makes its way north towards Alice Springs, a journey that takes around 24 hours. Along the way, passengers can enjoy stunning views of the Flinders Ranges, the Clare Valley wine country, and the Australian Outback’s red desert.

Australia’s Outback is a fabled land known for its stark appearance and Aboriginal lore and history. Massive stone outcroppings like Uluru, Australia’s most famous rock formation, dot this parched reddish copper desert.

Sunrise Over the Outback

The train quietly stops at the remote Marla Station early the following morning. We join fellow passengers as we step onto the mulga scrub landscape to witness sunrise over the Outback. Stunning red dawn colors spread across the sky like a giant artist’s paintbrush sweeping a canvas.

Attentive staff set up coffee stations to warm us in the chilly hours of dawn. We satisfy our morning hunger with egg and bacon sliders as we watch nature’s dawning light show.

Australia’s Red Centre

Later in the day, we reach Alice Springs, the gateway to Uluru. Alice Springs, named for a telegraph operator’s wife, is the capital of Australia’s Red Centre. It’s a four-hour stop for the Ghan, with several options for off-train excursions. It’s also the jumping-off point for passengers leaving the train for a multi-day side trip to Uluru. We opt for the helicopter ride, hoping to see more of the unique Outback landscape.

Our flight did not disappoint. We view the West MacDonnell Ranges from the helicopter, extraordinary for their immensity and array of maroon, purple, and sunburst orange colors. We see spectacular Outback scenery from a unique aerial perspective, like the iconic Simpson’s Gap (a waterhole) and Standley Chasm. 

Nitmiluk National Park

On the morning of the third and last day aboard the train, we arrived at Katherine. Towns are small in the Outback. However, with a population of 10,000, Katherine is considered a big town in this remote part of the country. Its namesake river carved out a series of 13 deep sandstone gorges over a few millennia. The stunning landscape of Nitmiluk Gorge is what draws visitors. 

We head to the national park for a two-hour scenic tour and meet our guide. He is a member of the Aboriginal tribe, the Jawoyn people, who are the traditional owners of Nitmiluk. For Jawoyn people, this is the place of cicada dreaming; a story explained to us by our knowledgeable guide once we’re seated on the tour boat.

As we sail, he also shares the geologic and spiritual history of the sandstone cliffs. Standing 70-meter high, the bluffs glow in the changing morning light.

While the water looks tempting in the warm temperatures of the morning’s heat, our guide warns us to keep our hands in the boat and our eyes peeled for freshwater crocodiles. In the second gorge, saltwater crocs make their home here.

A Train Ride is More Than Transportation

Like a river cruise, the train is more than simple transportation. The Ghan takes passengers far into the country’s interior, while the off-train excursions allow us to learn more about history and understand the culture of the Outback. It takes us to destinations we wouldn’t ordinarily travel the distance to visit or have access to.

Passengers are mixed at each meal service. This encourages conversation, though no one on this train seems to need the encouragement. We get to know more of our fellow adventurers in this mixing and pairing of perfect strangers. Wine makes friends, and conversation dissolves distances and differences. It doesn’t take long to realize the best part of this train trip is the people you meet!

Our first new friends are a college professor and her husband from Wollongong, which turns into a fast friendship. Over lunch, we bond with a couple from New Zealand who live next to vineyards in a famous wine region, Marlborough. Before the trip ends, we exchange contact information and plan to meet in New Zealand on a future trip. And yet a retired dairy farmer and his wife provide real insight into life in rural South Australia.

The Final Day

Back on the train, it’s time to pack our bags and enjoy one last lunch aboard. Oh, and maybe one last glass of wine. Through the panoramic windows, we watch the red dirt landscape flow by. A preponderance of small and enormous termite mounds cover the ground. Many unique plants and wildlife species have adapted to this arid desert environment across Australia’s Top End. Woodard’s wallaroos, Oenpelli pythons, and reptiles called skinks are abundant in the region. But the saltwater crocodiles roaming the waterways are the famous tourist attraction.

Soon, we cross the majestic Elizabeth River and glide into Darwin, the former pioneer outpost of Australia’s Northern Territory. We disembark at the Darwin Rail Terminal and gather our luggage. 

We know now that our journey on the Ghan was more than just a train ride. It provides luxury accommodation, gourmet cuisine, and a way to slow down and see more of the country from a different perspective. It’s an opportunity to delve deep into Australia’s culture, meet fellow adventurers seeking a different way of travel, and make new memories of this much-loved country.

If You Go:

Information and reservations for the Ghan are available at JourneyBeyond.com.

Major airlines fly into Darwin and Adelaide airports, including Jetstar, Qantas, and Virgin Australia.

The Doubletree by Hilton in Darwin provides easy access to the waterfront and a lovely view of the water. The Hilton Adelaide is in the city center and a 10-minute drive to the train station.