The Ghan: Inside Australia’s most iconic train journey

Named in honour of the Afghan cameleers who helped open up Australia’s remote interior to European settlers, The Ghan is today one of the world’s most iconic rail journeys. Several routes link Adelaide, Alice Springs and Darwin, but I opted for the Ghan Expedition, the longest and most immersive experience. This four-day, three-night adventure travels south from Darwin to Adelaide, offering the most in-depth exploration of Australia’s Red Centre. Below, I share my journey aboard this remarkable train.

Day 1 – Darwin to Katherine

We met our crew and fellow travellers at the Darwin Convention Centre early on the first day. Staying at the excellent Adina Waterfront – a mere 3-minute walk from the Convention Centre – was extremely convenient, but a coach was also available to collect guests and luggage from the Adina and most of Darwin’s major hotels. After a brief introduction to the team and the journey ahead, we boarded coaches to the departure station just outside of Darwin before settling quickly into our cabin and unpacking. It is worth noting at this point that guests are required to store their main luggage in the baggage car – which is not accessible during the journey – and take only hand baggage in the cabin for the journey. Cabins are, of course, compact but rather well-designed with a decent amount of storage space. All twin or double cabin categories – including my Gold Twin cabin – offer an en-suite bathroom, also ultra-compact but again, well-thought out.

Around half an hour later the train eased into the almost 3000km journey ahead. With a 4-hour stretch to our first stop we headed into the Outback Explorer lounge for a coffee. The lounge is the social hub of the train, where I was delighted to discover that barista-made coffees would be available at any time of day. However, coffee soon gave way to sparkling wine – including an excellent South Australia Crozer Petaluma – and introductions to our fellow guests, a mix of Australians, New Zealanders, North Americans and a few fellow Brits.

Nitmiluk Gorge

The Ghan clearly caters well to single and solo travellers – with a number of single cabins and a highly sociable onboard and off-train experience – as among them were several solo travellers. Before we knew it, we had arrived in Katherine for our first off-train experience. Some of the off-train excursion options change with the seasons and our April trip was at the end of the rainy season, meaning that there was only one excursion option available, the Nitmiluk Gorge cruise, which all guests undertook. The impressive gorge could only be in Australia, with ochre-coloured, jagged rocks towering either side of the water, trees growing from every conceivable crack. We saw a couple of crocodiles and some birdlife but, aside from the scenery, the most interesting feature what the excellent commentary that explained the cultural significance of the location to the local Jawoyn people, the traditional custodians of the gorge.

After a few hours we returned to the train for first of our three dinners, in the Queen Adelaide Restaurant. The a la carte menu offered an impressive choice of locally inspired and sourced dishes and unlimited drinks, including a choice of several quality South Australian wines. Indeed, it soon became clear that unlimited inclusive drinks really means ‘unlimited’ on the Ghan - the bar in the Outback Explorer lounge cars opens with the first guest arrival and only closes after the last guest goes to bed.

Queen Adelaide restaurant

After dinner, and the inevitable night-cap in the lounge, we settled in for the first night sleep. The twin beds in our Gold Twin were narrow but plenty long enough and surprisingly comfortable. The Ghan’s carriages date back to the 1960s, giving the experience a classic character; while there were a few gentle rattles in my cabin, the recently upgraded Gold Premium and luxurious Platinum cabins are reportedly a touch quieter (see ‘Good to Know’ below). The train paused for a scheduled stop during the night, and I found I drifted off even more easily then.

Day 2 – Alice Springs

A morning coffee in the Outback Explorer lounge was followed by a hearty breakfast. Again, there was a good selection of meal options, including healthier and lighter options. Today we would spend a full day in Alice Springs, in the very centre Australia. A wide range of off train experiences are available here. Most are included in the cost but there are some premium experiences at extra cost, such as scenic flights over Uluru and Kata Tjuta. Having been to Alice Springs before, we opted for 3 separate, short-ish walks either side of a buffet lunch at the Desert Park. Each walk showcased a different element of the landscape of the Red Centre. Most impressive was the visit to Simpson’s Gap in the late afternoon, where the setting sun painted the rocks with an increasingly rich palette of oranges and reds.

Simpsons Gap

All guests came together at the end of the day at Alice’s historic Telegraph Station for an outdoor barbecue dinner, one of the Ghan highlights that is only offered on the Ghan Expedition journey. A live band provided entertainment with an Australian country and western feel and dinner concluded with dancing into the night. It was relatively late by the time we returned to the train, but many guests still found time for a nightcap or two in the Outlook Explorer car.

Day 3 – Coober Pedy

After a leisurely breakfast we had some time to enjoy the passing scenery and to chat with fellow travellers. Later in the morning we stopped in Manguri from where we took a short coach journey to Coober Pedy, Australia’s opal mining town, where we had an hour to explore before lunch. It is an odd and intriguing place by any measure and still has many of its own unique laws that date from the early days of mining. To this day, people still sell up and settle here to trying their luck mining for opals. Many residents still live in underground in hand to cope with the inhospitable climate and even our lunch today was hosted in a cave restaurant, which was a surprising place to experience an a la carte menu.

For our afternoon excursion, we chose the option to visit the Breakaways Reserve, which took us deeper into the otherworldly landscapes of outback South Australia. Many of the sites that we visited among the low, colourful hills were featured in the film Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Before returning to the train, we were taken briefly to a viewpoint for a photo stop, where we got to see the full 1km length of the train in all its glory, the steel carriages glowing amber in the late afternoon sun. Prior to boarding, we moved to the other side of the train for sundowner drinks and nibbles, served on picnic tables that were set up alongside the train in the desert. After a final delicious dinner - and an extended evening of nightcaps – we retired for our final night’s sleep onboard.

Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park

Day 4 – Arrival into Adelaide

The final morning aboard was very leisurely as we slowly approached Adelaide. One notable moment was when we stopped to allow the Indian Pacific train – the other of Australia’s great rail journeys – to pass us. We bid a final farewell to fellow guests in the Outback Explorer lounge, took the chance to buy a few souvenirs and then before long we arrived at the Adelaide Parklands terminal.

Closing thoughts

Whilst not offering traditional luxury in the sense of the 1920’s glamour of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, for example, the Ghan offers a classic and uniquely Australian experience that should be on any traveller’s bucket list. The train is, of course, at the heart of the experience, but what makes the Ghan Expedition special is the off-train experiences – the destination is the real star here. Our expedition was incredibly well-organised and on reflection quite a feat of logistics to keep the train running and supplied through some extremely remote and challenging environments. For additional comfort and style onboard, book the upgraded Gold Premium cabins. Not only are the cabins more contemporary and comfortable but guests have access to redesigned lounges and restaurant carriages.

Or for the ultimate onboard experience, book the larger Platinum cabins, which offer double beds and additional nice touches including Bollinger champagne. And remember to book early – the Ghan remains an incredibly popular experience for Australians and visitors alike. For more information, see here for our guide to the Ghan cabins and experiences.