Board the trip of a lifetime with these luxury train rides around Australia!
With landscapes ranging from tropical rainforests to arid deserts, snowy mountains to sandy beaches, Australia’s vast and diverse outback is waiting to be explored. One of the best ways to see this natural beauty is with a stunning train ride, letting you to sit back, relax and enjoy the scenery as it unfolds before your eyes. Whether you are looking for a short and scenic trip, or a long and luxurious journey, there is a train ride for you in Australia.
Not sure which to take? Choo-choose the right train ride for you with our guide to the most beautiful and picturesque train ride experiences across Australia, each making the most of Australia’s stunning landscapes!
Photographed by Andrew Gregory. Image via Journey Beyond
Rail Expeditions and Tourism and Events Queensland.
The Ghan
Slicing across the width of Australia, The Ghan offers an unparallel journey from Adelaide to Darwin. Operating for over 90 years, The Ghan promises an adventure like no other: this outback adventure will take you through the Great Australian Desert with comfort and style, including scrumptious dining cars and elegant private cabins. And with the option for Off Train Experiences along your journey, make sure to come aboard The Ghan, one of the best train journeys to take in Australia!
Photographed by Taras Vyshnya. Image via Shutterstock.
Great Southern
Travelling between Adelaide and Brisbane, the Great Southern train offers a spectacular adventure along the southern coast of Australia. Showing off rugged coastline, sun-kissed beaches, forested peaks, and buzzing cities, the Great Southern is truly a front-row seat to the diverse and natural beauty of Australia. Taking about up to four days to complete, this is one of the best eastern seaboard train rides in Australia!
Photographed by Andrew Gregory. Image via Journey Beyond
Rail Expeditions and Tourism and Events Queensland.
Indian Pacific
One of the most beautiful train rides in Australia, the Indian Pacific offers an epic adventure across Australia between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. This three-legged transcontinential journey will take you from Adelaide, Sydney and Perth, letting you gawk at the epic scale as you traverse mountain ranges, arid deserts and goldfields, rocky valleys and subtropical savannahs. There’s no better way to experience the spectacular interior landscape of Australia than with the Indian Pacific.
Image via Tourism and Events Queensland.
Kuranda Scenic Railway
Far North Queensland’s World Heritage-listed rainforest, the Wet Tropics, is among the oldest rainforests in the world. Truly a land lost before time, one of the best ways to see this spectacular part of Queensland is with the Kuranda Scenic Railway. Winding its way from Cairns to the small town of Kuranda, this scenic train ride in Queensland will get you right up to spectacular waterfalls and even the awe-inspiring Barron Gorge. Operating two return services daily, you’ve got plenty of chances to see this breath-taking slice of Queensland with the Kuranda Scenic Railway.
Image via Tourism and Events Queensland.
Mary Valley Rattler
Are you ready to hop aboard a stunning journey through Queensland? Then the Mary Valley Rattler is for you! This heritage steam engine train will take you from Gympie Station to the quaint Amamoor Village Green — letting you disembark and see a functioning train turntable in action — before making your way back to Gympie. Along the way you’ll pass through the stunning Mary Valley region filled with farmlands, hills and villages, all the while listening to stories of the railway’s past by volunteer guides. Taking about three hours, after one visit you’ll soon realise why the Mary Valley Rattler is one of the most scenic train trips in Australia!
Image via Visit Victoria.
Puffing Billy
Step into a timeless piece of history with Australia’s favourite steam train, Puffing Billy. Located in the heart of the Dandenong Ranges and only an hour drive east of Melbourne, Puffing Billy offers an authentic heritage steam train experience, complete with old fashioned conductors and track dating back to 1900. Whether you’re after a wistful adventure through the Dandenong Ranges, experience a nostalgic slice of Australiana, or just want to get out with the family for the day, Puffing Billy is the perfect excuse to spend some time with the people you love in this magical time machine. So for those after the most beautiful train rides in Victoria, hop on board Pugging Billy for a steaming adventure!
Image via Destination NSW.
Scenic Railway
More rollercoaster than pleasant puffer train, the Scenic Railway in New South Wales is a thrilling train ride through the Jamison Valley of the Blue Mountains. The railway is the steepest passenger railway in the world, with a sharp incline and glass-roofed carriages to give passengers a panoramic view of the dense rainforest and cliffs. Once you’re at the top, a scenic walkway is conveniently accessible for people to gaze out at their own pace, a welcome reprieve from the train ride down. Taking a mere five minutes to ride, the Scenic Railway more than makes up for it with an unforgettable journey to one of the most beautiful places in Australia, the Blue Mountains.
Photographed by Darkdriver84. Image via Shutterstock.
Spirit of the Outback
Roll through the rich Queensland heartland in style and comfort with Spirit of the Outback. This journey between Brisbane and Longreach in central Queensland gives you a relaxing train ride through some of the most picturesque landscapes in Australia over this 26-hour journey, including mountain ranges, sunburnt plains and historic towns. Operating twice a week, the Spirit of the Outback is the perfect train ride to see the beauty of Queensland.
Image via Tourism and Events Queensland.
Spirit of Queensland
Running along the spine of Queensland, the Spirit of Queensland helps you experience the luxury and splendour of Queensland with this sensational train ride. Rolling from Brisbane to Cairns and stopping at Townsville, Fraser Coast and the Sunshine Coast to name a few, Spirit of Queensland is one of the best ways to see Queensland. So for those wanting to get out of the big city and see the sights in Queensland, book a luxurious trip on the Spirit of Queensland.
For incredible international train rides, check out The 12 Most Beautiful and Scenic Train Rides in the World. Or embrace fine architecture at these Top 10 Most Famous and Gorgeous Train Stations in the World.
We acknowledge the traditional owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging.
