Alice Springs

Start the day in the world’s largest classroom, the Alice Springs School of the Air. Established in 1951, the school covers 1.3 million square kilometres and is still in operation. This was the first school to use two-way radio broadcasts to help with the education of students in remote areas who are unable to attend face-to-face lessons. If you are lucky, you may be able to witness a class firsthand. ​

Next up is the Alice Springs Reptile Centre, where you will be treated to an informative display and discussion about the wide and varied scaly inhabitants of the region. You will meet famous locals like frillneck lizards, thorny devils, perentie goannas and geckos. ​

At Yubu Napa Gallery in Alice Springs, you can admire high-quality artworks, knowing that the artists represented are treated to comfortable studios and are paid fairly for their work. ​

Finally, to end the day, discover the colourful history of Alice Springs and the unique culture of this iconic outback town on a coach tour of the town highlights. 

Please note: Yubu Napa Gallery is closed on Sunday

Recommended Fitness Level: Moderate level mobility – Guests are required to climb coach stairs several times, with walking and standing for short periods. Guests are strongly encouraged to dress for the weather conditions. Enclosed sturdy shoes are required. Sunscreen, a hat and long sleeves are highly recommended.

*Inclusive for guests travelling the entire journey. Platinum and Gold Service guests leaving The Ghan in Alice Springs are required to pay $100 per person.

As distinctive as the Australian desert itself, the Alice Springs Desert Park captivates and educates. Located at the base of the West MacDonnell Ranges, the Desert Park is closely connected to the local Arrernte people. The stories and history of the Arrernte people, together with the plants and animals they are responsible for, are told through the interpretation and creation of three distinct desert habitats – Desert Rivers, Sand Country and Woodland. ​

Highlights include stepping into the Nocturnal House on your guided walk. Let your eyes adjust to the evening light and enjoy spotting animals such as the bilby or the rare mala wallaby, in their natural environment. ​

Then, prepare for an aerial display. Feel the adrenalin rush as raptors of the desert sky fly over your head. The free-flying birds of prey will demonstrate their natural survival skills, including hunting and foraging. After the show, your backstage pass allows you to get up close and personal with the birds and trainers during a private training session. ​

After the Desert Park, we’ll visit the Yubu Napa Gallery in Alice Springs. The gallery is dedicated to providing quality artwork and ensuring that the artists work in comfortable studios and are paid fairly for their work. ​

A coach tour that includes the highlights of Alice Springs will also be part of your day of exploration.

Please note: Yubu Napa Gallery is closed on Sunday

Recommended Fitness Level: : Moderate level mobility – Guests are required to walk approx. 4km on gravel and sandy pathways, broken into short distances. Guests are strongly encouraged to dress for the weather conditions. Enclosed sturdy shoes are required. Sunscreen, a hat, trousers and long sleeves are highly recommended.​

Personal electric scooters are available for mobility assistance (limited availability) – guest needs to be able control scooter independently. Scooters to be requested at time of guest tour booking. Indemnity form to be completed prior to use.

*Inclusive for guests travelling the entire journey. Platinum and Gold Service guests leaving The Ghan in Alice Springs are required to pay $100 per person.

Standley Chasm is a significant cultural icon in Central Australia. Traditionally called Angkerle Atwatye, meaning ‘Gap of Water’, itis a 3-metre-wide, 80-metre-high gorge in the West MacDonnell Ranges, about 50km west of Alice Springs. ​

Once a narrow tributary of the Finke River system, persistent rainfall and flooding intricately carved the sandstone slope over millions of years, creating a dramatic and picturesque effect, where the geological colours of the outback are on display. ​

We’ll also visit another magical location, where flora, fauna and Indigenous culture come together. The Simpsons Gap area incorporates large stands of Mulga and is a major stronghold for over 40 rare plants. ​

Known as Rungutjirpa to the Arrernte people, Simpsons Gap is the mythological home of a group of giant goanna ancestors. Several dreaming trails and stories cross at this important spiritual site. Enjoy the serenity as you admire the canyon walls as they glow with reflected sunlight, creating a breathtaking display of stark form and rich colour.​​

We’ll also visit the highly rated Yubu Napa Gallery in Alice Springs. The gallery is dedicated to providing quality artwork, while ensuring the artists that work with them have comfortable studios and are paid fairly for their work. 

Please note: Yubu Napa Gallery is closed on Sunday

Recommended Fitness Level: Moderate level mobility – Approximately 3.5km of walking over rocky and natural terrain, with standing required. Guests are strongly encouraged to dress for the weather conditions. Enclosed sturdy shoes are required. Sunscreen, a hat, trousers and long sleeves are highly recommended. 

*Inclusive for guests travelling the entire journey. Platinum and Gold Service guests leaving The Ghan in Alice Springs are required to pay $100 per person.

The Cassia Hill Walk is a short loop wander of about 1.8km. This walk gives elevated views of the West MacDonnell ranges and the Simpsons Gap area. Local plant life is illustrated along the trail. ​

The highlight of course, is Simpsons Gap, a magical location where important elements of flora, fauna and Indigenous culture all come together. The area incorporates large stands of Mulga and is a major stronghold for over 40 rare and relict plants. ​

Known as Rungutjirpa to the Arrernte people, Simpsons Gap is the mythological home of a group of giant goanna ancestors. Several dreaming trails and stories cross at this important spiritual site. Enjoy the serenity and peacefulness as you watch the walls glow from reflected sunlight, creating a breath-taking display of stark form and rich colour.​

We’ll stop off along the way at the highly rated Yubu Napa Gallery. The gallery is dedicated to providing quality artwork, while ensuring the artists that work with them have comfortable studios and are paid fairly for their work. ​

We’ll also visit at the Telegraph Station, where an extensive trail network winds its way in and around the picturesque reserve. You will enjoy some of the best walking trails in Alice Springs whilst at the same time enjoying spectacular views of the Australian Outback. 

Please note: Yubu Napa Gallery is closed on Sunday

Recommended Fitness Level: Very High level mobility – Approximately 8km of bush walking over rocky and uneven natural terrain. Climbs, descents and river crossings may be experienced. Trails are suitable for competent walkers. Guests are strongly encouraged to dress for the weather conditions. Enclosed sturdy shoes are required. Sunscreen, a hat, trousers and long sleeves are highly recommended. 

*Inclusive for guests travelling the entire journey. Platinum and Gold Service guests leaving The Ghan in Alice Springs are required to pay $100 per person.

Take the hard work out of cycling with an e-bike tour of Alice Springs. The ride begins at Red Centre Adventures, from where you will wind along the famously dry Todd River until you approach the southern entrance to town, Heavitree Gap, know to the locals as The Gap. You’ll also make your way to the Telegraph Station, the birthplace of Alice Springs township. ​

Stop off along the ride to visit the highly rated Yubu Napa Gallery in Alice Springs. The gallery is dedicated to providing quality artwork, while ensuring the artists that work with them have comfortable studios and are paid fairly for their work. ​

We’ll cruise through town to reach our lunch destination at Desert Park. Here, you’ll enjoy a ploughman’s style lunch before resuming the ride, heading back to the Red Centre Adventures base. ​

To finish the day, discover more of Alice from the comfort of a coach, taking in sights like ANZAC Hill, dedicated in 1934 to the ANZACS of World War I. This lookout is the most visited landmark in town. 

Please note: Yubu Napa Gallery is closed on Sunday

Recommended Fitness Level: High level mobility – Guests need to be confident riding on a push bike. Electric bikes can reach speeds up to 25km/h. Electric bikes weigh up to 30kg. Only one size available. Approx. 20km of cycling. Guests are strongly encouraged to dress for the weather conditions. Enclosed sturdy shoes are required. Sunscreen, a hat, trousers and long sleeves are highly recommended. Minimum age of participation is 14 years old. 

*Inclusive for guests travelling the entire journey. Platinum and Gold Service guests leaving The Ghan in Alice Springs are required to pay $100 per person.

This is the Central Australian adventure you’ve been dreaming of. Departing Alice Springs Airport, you will fly south of Pine Gap, the United States and Australian Defence Space Research Facility. Take in the spectacular outback scenery and vastness of Australia with a unique bird’s eye view as you fly directly to Uluru – Kata Tjuta.​

On arrival at Ayers Rock Airport, you will be met by your tour guide to commence an immersive experience of Uluru. Rising out of the surrounding desert, Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) dominate the landscape. World Heritage-listed Uluru is one of Australia’s most iconic natural landmarks. The ancient monolith is impressive; Uluru is 348 metres above the plain, more than 860 metres above sea level, and has a circumference of 9.4 kilometres.​

Enjoy lunch at the Sunset Lookout and stop for a picture-perfect postcard photo – the one to wow your friends with.​

Travelling around the base of Uluru, you’ll visit the Mutitjulu Waterhole, home of Wanampi, an ancestral water snake. For centuries, Mutitjulu was an important campsite for Anangu people at Uluru. On this walk, you will learn about Kuniya Tjukurpa – the great battle between Kuniya (woma python) and Liru (poisonous snake man). ​

On return to Ayers Rock Airport, board your aircraft and take to the skies again, flying around Uluru for a different perspective and seeing Kata Tjuta from the air. ​

Kata Tjuta is a Pitjantjatjara word meaning ‘many heads’. The formation is made up of 36 domes, spread over an area of more than 20 kilometres. The tallest is Mount Olga, which rises 546 metres above the plain, or 1,066 metres above sea level. The ochre-coloured shapes are a mesmerising sight.

To avoid disappointment, we highly recommend guests pre-book this tour. For more information on how to pre-book, please contact our travel centre on 1800 703 357 or contact your travel agent.

If you choose this experience, you will not be able to participate in the included Off Train Experiences.

Recommended Fitness Level: Moderate level mobility – Guests are required to board and disembark aircraft unassisted, walking and standing required. Weight restrictions apply – the maximum weight of any individual cannot exceed 100kg. Guests are strongly encouraged to dress for the weather conditions. Enclosed sturdy shoes are required. Sunscreen, a hat, trousers and long sleeves are highly recommended.​

PLEASE NOTE: This tour is subject to availability and conditions; all upgrade optional experiences are non-refundable.

Guests are advised to take appropriate clothing with them for the Telegraph Station Outback Dinner as they may not return to the train prior.

Take to the skies for an unforgettable Red Centre adventure. After a sumptuous lunch at the Desert Park, you’ll transfer to Alice Springs Airport, from where you will fly south of Pine Gap, the United States and Australian Defence Space Research Facility. Take in the spectacular outback scenery and vastness of Australia as you fly directly to Uluru – Kata Tjuta.​

Rising out of the surrounding desert, Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) dominate the landscape. World Heritage-listed Uluru is one of Australia’s most iconic natural landmarks. The ancient monolith is impressive; Uluru is 348 metres above the plain, more than 860 metres above sea level, and has a circumference of 9.4 kilometres. ​

You’ll have a brief rest on land at Ayers Rock Airport to stretch your legs while the aircraft refuels before you take to the skies again, flying around Uluru for a different perspective, before heading to Kata Tjuta. ​

Kata Tjuta is a Pitjantjatjara word meaning ‘many heads’. The formation is made up of 36 domes, spread over an area of more than 20 kilometres. The tallest is Mount Olga, which rises 546 metres above the plain, or 1,066 metres above sea level. The ochre-coloured shapes are a mesmerising sight.​

Continue your flight out to the sandstone sculptures of the remarkable Kings Canyon. As Uluru’s companion, the chasm is almost as deep as Uluru is high. Standing at 300 metres, Kings Canyon is awash with ancient cycads, palm filled crevices and a permanent waterhole known as the Garden of Eden. 

To avoid disappointment, we highly recommend guests pre-book this tour. For more information on how to pre-book, please contact our travel centre on 1800 703 357 or contact your travel agent.

If you choose this experience, you will not be able to participate in the included Off Train Experiences.

Recommended Fitness Level: Moderate level mobility – Guests required to board and disembark aircraft unassisted. Weight restrictions apply – the maximum weight of any individual cannot exceed 100kg. Guests are strongly encouraged to dress for the weather conditions. Enclosed sturdy shoes are required. Sunscreen, a hat, trousers and long sleeves are highly recommended. ​

PLEASE NOTE: This tour is subject to availability and conditions; all upgrade optional experiences are non-refundable.​

Guests are advised to take appropriate clothing with them for the Telegraph Station Outback Dinner as they may not return to the train prior. 

After a day of touring, sit back and relax under a blanket of stars at a truly unique dinner experience. Be immersed in the history and grandeur that is the Australian Outback.​

Step back in time as you walk around the historic Telegraph Station site, gaining an understanding of early settler life. Learn about the importance of the Telegraph Station in building a communication network across the country and connecting to the rest of the world.​

You can also watch the local blacksmith crafting away using traditional tooling and methods, or maybe take the opportunity to climb aboard a camel for a short ride.

Recommended Fitness Level: Low level mobility – Seated outdoor dinner. Wheelchair accessible. 

PLEASE NOTE: Temperatures can drop significantly at night time. Please bring a warm jacket or shawl with you.