Australia's adventure trains

Today your flight departs for Sydney via Singapore.

After a good night's sleep, explore Australia's boomtown Perth. A detour through downtown, then it's off into the botany in Kings Park - on the Tree Top Walk you stroll through the crowning eucalyptus trees. In the afternoon, a boat trip on the Swan River takes you to the harbor town of Freemantle, where maritime flair awaits you. Return to Perth in the evening. 

The scenery in Nambung National Park north of Perth looks like another planet. Thousands of weathered limestone pillars, up to 4 m high, rise out of the golden sand into the blue sky. The Indian Ocean is not far away! Fancy a dip in the warm waters or sunbathing on the deserted natural beaches? Relax and return to Perth. (F)

Today begins your epic train journey from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific. Over lunch in the dining car, you glide through the picturesque hills of the Avon Valley. In the evening, your train stops in the gold rush town of Kalgoorlie - the atmosphere of the Wild West in its purest form! (FMA)

Today you take the train to the Barossa Valley, probably Australia's most famous wine-growing region. (FMA)

In the morning, experience the impressive sunrise over the Nullarbor Plain. Look out for kangaroos in this ancient desert and enjoy the seemingly endless limestone desert! 

Today your flight departs for Sydney via Singapore. 

Arrival in Singapore in the early morning and onward flight to Sydney. If you wish, we can reserve a stopover for you with an overnight stay in a hotel in Singapore. Otherwise, you will fly on to Sydney after a short layover. Here you will be warmly welcomed at the airport and transferred to your comfortable hotel, where you will spend three nights.

After a good night's sleep, you will explore the city of Sydney on a city tour. Of course, you will visit the world-famous White Opera House inside and out before plunging into the colorful hustle and bustle of the old town lanes in The Rocks district in the shadow of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Experience Australia's metropolis from the most beautiful perspectives on a harbor cruise. What other major city has 94 beaches in its urban area? Drive through the exclusive residential suburbs of Double Bay and Rose Bay to the most famous of them all: The curved, crescent-shaped Bondi Beach with its white sand is one of the most famous surf spots in the world. The day ends with a welcome dinner with flair. (FA) 

An excursion today takes you to the “Blue Mountains” southwest of Sydney, which are more than 250 million years old. Sandstone formations from ochre to pink and a view more spectacular than the last! According to Aboriginal legend, the bizarre rock trio of the “Three Sisters” are three sisters turned to stone by their father to protect them from a water spirit. A trip on the Katoomba Scenic Railway in the Jamison Gorge is a special experience. The narrow-gauge funicular is the steepest inclined elevator in the world with a gradient of up to 52 degrees and a length of 310 metres. It was built in the 1880s to transport coal and oil shale uphill from the bottom of the valley. 

A short flight takes you from Sydney to Adelaide. South Australia's capital surprises with a relaxed atmosphere between green parks and interesting architecture. In the South Australian Museum, you will not only learn about the magnificent nature of the fifth continent, but also encounter the heritage of the Aborigines for the first time. Pinot noir and sauvignon blanc - Australia's wines are world class! You can see this for yourself during a small wine tasting at the National Wine Center of Australia. You will spend the night in a comfortable hotel in Adelaide. 

Today, “The Ghan” awaits you at Adelaide station. There are many stories surrounding the name of this legendary train. One says that the name “The Ghan” is a reminiscence of the “Afghan” guides of the camel caravans, who ensured the transport of goods in the interior of Australia before the advent of motorization. Since 2004, one of the longest railroad lines in the world has run 2,979 km through the Dreamtime Land of the Aboriginal People. After 120 years of construction, the train cuts through Australia from coast to coast, crossing 22 degrees of latitude and four climate zones. You travel from Australia's Mediterranean wine country through the red center to the tropical north. Make yourself comfortable in your cabin and watch the hilly landscape of South Australia from your window. Soon some of the oldest rock formations in the world, the Flinders Ranges, appear. As darkness envelops the rugged outback, enjoy an exquisite dinner and fine wines. Overnight stay on the train. 

At sunrise, the red desert comes to life outside your compartment window. Soon you pass Marla, an outback outpost with just 100 inhabitants. At midday your train reaches Alice Springs, the only major town in the red center, founded in 1872 as part of the construction of the Trans-Australian Telegraph Line. Here you interrupt the journey on The Ghan and immerse yourself in the pioneering days of the white outback settlers at the telegraph station. Afterwards, you will learn at the School of the Air that online lessons for farm children have a long tradition. You will spend the night in Alice Springs. 

Today we travel through the endless semi-desert to Kata Tjuta National Park. The round rock formations of the Olgas lie like giant red marbles in the desert sand. Explore the bizarre scenery on a short hike. The day's destination is Australia's most famous motif: Ayers Rock. The 3.6 km long, 2.4 km wide and 348 m high monolith Uluru is a sacred place for the Aborigines. At sunset, the mountain massif glows in ever-changing shades of red. Overnight stay at Ayers Rock (F)

You have to get up early today, but it's worth the effort. The sunrise at Uluru is a unique experience: a play of light and shadow in the cool morning outback. Afterwards, you will discover caves and rocks on a tour around the sacred mountain, which tell of the myths and dream paths of the Aborigines. Then it's back through the red desert to Alice Springs, where you will spend the night once again. 

The area around Alice Springs offers a wide variety of landscapes. An excursion takes you into the mountain world of the Mac Donnell Ranges. Here, several gorges are strung together like pearls on a necklace. Each gorge is different. One is narrow, the other wider, one with a waterfall, the other without. The waterhole, a so-called billabong, in the striking Simpsons Gap carries water all year round. Keep an eye out for black-footed rock kangaroos! Another spectacular gorge is Standley Chasm (Angkerle Atwatye), a place of great spiritual significance for the Aborigines. In the evening you will board The Ghan again at Alice Springs station. Overnight stay on the train. 

What a change overnight - from the desert in the red center to the tropical north of Australia. The small town of Katherine has been settled by European immigrants since the end of the 19th century and is characterized by fruit and vegetable growing and cattle breeding. From the train station, you set off into the untouched wilderness of Nitmiluk National Park. Admire ancient rock paintings on a boat trip through the breathtaking gorges on the Katherine River. Then it's off on the final 300 km leg from Katherine to Darwin. You reach the capital of the Northern Territory by the ocean in the evening. Overnight stay in a comfortable hotel. 

Today you travel to the 20,000 km² Kakadu National Park, one of Australia's most fascinating places and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park is home to one of the most beautiful and extensive collections of rock art in the world - an indication of how long the Aboriginal connection to this region has lasted. Sandstone plateaus, red cliffs, rushing waterfalls and rivers, alluvial plains and coastline are home to giant crocodiles, flying foxes, dingoes, kangaroos, wallabies and numerous other prey animals. On your drive through the national park, admire magnificent Aboriginal rock paintings over 20,000 years old at Ubirr Rock and Nourlangie Rock. On the boat trip on the Yellow Water, keep an eye out for the dangerous groin crocodiles, kookaburras, rift-footed geese, jabirus and sea eagles. Overnight stay in the national park.

A short domestic flight takes you from Darwin to Cairns on Australia's Pacific coast. Cairns was founded in 1876 as an export port for gold and other mineral resources. On a city tour in the afternoon, you will explore the city between Marlin Marina and Saltwater Lagoon. Stroll through the lively night markets in the city in the evening. 3 nights in a comfortable hotel in Cairns.

A special experience awaits you today. From the historic Freshwater Station, take the nostalgic Kuranda Scenic Railway on an adventurous mountain route over bridges and past waterfalls to Kuranda. Enjoy champagne and canapés as tropical greenery and tunnels pass by the open window. In the former hippie village of Kuranda, you can enjoy the unique flair between the bird park, markets and hip boutiques, accompanied by the sounds of the didgeridoo. In a gondola on the Skyrail Cableway, you float above the canopy of the rainforest and return to Cairns.

Enjoy a free day in the port city of Cairns. Or take a catamaran excursion to the Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Whether with snorkel and fins or on dry feet in a semi-submarine with a glass bottom - a rendezvous with the colorful underwater world is an unforgettable experience. 

Some free time for last-minute shopping in the morning, and then it's off to Cairns International Airport. Return flight to Switzerland via Singapore.