Location
Alice Springs to Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia

The Ghan is a long-distance luxury passenger train that traverses 1,850 miles of the Australian Outback between Adelaide in the south and Darwin in the north. We board in Alice Springs and travel north to Katherine, covering nearly half the route on a one-night journey. Long considered one of the world’s great train trips, a journey on the Ghan recalls a storied era of rail travel, with gourmet meals, white tablecloths and elegant furnishings that evoke its inaugural service in 1929.

Congregate in the Outback Explorer Lounge, the train’s social hub, where leather banquette couches beneath large windows encourage conversation and camaraderie among fellow travelers. Staffed by knowledgeable attendants, the lounge features an open bar with a selection of beers, Australian wines, soft drinks and spirits. A well-stocked game library provides quaint entertainment.

Cabins have a well-designed layout, with a three-seater lounge that converts into upper and lower sleeping berths at night. Each cabin includes a private en suite bathroom with a compact shower and toilet.

Meals on the Ghan are a culinary highlight. The Queen Adelaide Restaurant offers two-course breakfasts and lunches, as well as three-course dinners, all showcasing regionally inspired dishes such as saltwater barramundi, buffalo curry and grilled kangaroo filet, paired with local wines. Savor the romance of nature on this journey as the vast expanse of the desert Outback unfolds outside your window.