Day 1 – Adelaide – Alice Springs

Board Adelaide midday
Settle into your cabin or seat and watch Adelaide’s gracious edges flatten into wine country, desert and scrubs. Pass through coastal Coonamia and Port Augusta. Cross over Dog Fence, the world’s longest fence and speed through Cadney Homestead at the gateway to the Painted Desert. Look out at the small, rustic railway towns and vast tracts of Aboriginal land, where communities have maintained their connection with the land for thousands of years. In the morning, you’ll cross the Northern Territory border and travel through the small bush town of Kulgera and over the sandy Finke River. Take in the multicoloured vistas with morning tea before arriving in Alice Springs.

Day 2 – Arrive Alice Springs midday
Explore Alice Springs on one of the many whistle stop tours. Learn about the area’s outback pioneers or immerse yourself in its Aboriginal history with a Central Arrernte guide. Visit a working camel farm or see the region’s birds and wildlife at Alice Springs Desert Park. Fly over Simpson’s Gap and the Larapinta Trail on a helicopter or go quad biking across the desert. Reboard in the late afternoon and watch the train pull out of Alice before the sunset flames on the horizon. In the morning you’ll race through the gold-mining town of Tennant Creek and into the historic pioneering township of Katherine.      

Day 3 –Arrive Katherine morning
Hop off in Katherine just after breakfast and head off on one of the many half-day tours. You can cruise down Katherine Gorge past magnificent sandstone cliffs or fly over its interconnecting gorges on a helicopter. Get up close to the birds and animals of Nitmiluk National Park on a nature cruise or canoe down the Katherine River. If you just want to explore the town, take the shuttle bus and hop off at attractions such as the Railway Museum, historic Springvale Homestead and the local Aboriginal art gallery. Back on the train, you’ll pass through Pine Creek and Adelaide River, once a World War II military headquarters, on your way to Darwin.

Arrive Darwin late afternoon
The dusty plains make way for tropical foliage as you roll into the capital of Darwin. Your Ghan journey ends here, but you can continue your adventure in Darwin’s parks, harbour, historical attractions and outdoor festivals and markets. This is also your gateway to the waterfalls and rock pools of Litchfield National Park and the colourful communities of the Tiwi Islands.