Best Buys

East Meets West Wonderland

19 Day Guided Vacation | Sydney to Perth

One of the world’s most epic train holidays, the Indian Pacific connects two Australian coasts across three states and 4,353 kilometres. In between the two oceans are dozens of time-forgot towns, bewildering natural attractions, a bundle of country characters – and a whole lot of nothingness. And that’s why we love it; the hypnotic click-clack of the rails, sunburnt landscapes, blazing sunsets, all seen in supreme style thanks to your chariot.

Prices From CODE: WEMPRE

$9170

Adult Twin i A person 16 years and over (note a person 16–17 years must be accompanied by a person 18 years and over). All prices are per person, land only unless otherwise indicated.
Above lowest price is based on 2024-05-16 departure

$13400

Single i A person, who must be 18 years and over, travelling alone, must pay the single room price. All prices are per person, land only unless otherwise indicated.
Above lowest price is based on 2024-05-16 departure
Prices above are per person in USD
Single rooms are limited and subject to availability
Child prices may be available on request

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Trip Details

trip-details-whats-includedWhat's included

  • Specialist team of two highly experienced Travel Director and Driver Guide
  • Local Specialists (Guides)
  • Indian Pacific Gold Service, 4 Nights
  • Centrally located premium hotels

trip-details-diningDining

  • • 15 Full Breakfasts
  • • 3 a la carte breakfasts
  • • 4 Lunches
  • • 12 Dinners
  • • 1 Farewell Dinner

trip-details-flight-infoFlight Information

  • Day 1 – flights to arrive prior to 9.00am into Sydney Airport

trip-details-what-to-bringWhat to Bring

  • • Warm layers in cooler months
  • • Comfortable walking shoes
  • • Sunglasses, sunscreen and hat
  • • Camera
  • • Water bottle

trip-details-fitness-level-requirementsFitness Requirements

  • • Low level of fitness required

Itinerary Generating PDF...

image map

As the gleaming Indian Pacific pulls out of Sydney, the towers of Australia’s largest city soon fade into the silvery gums and serrated rock formations of the Blue Mountains. Talk about starting on a high. All you have to do is become acquainted with your cabin and staff, meet fellow guests over a cocktail or two in the Outback Explorer Lounge, and enjoy the scenery. Because boy does it dazzle.  

  Hotel: Indian Pacific Gold Service

  Included Meals: Dinner

Just about as far west as you can travel in NSW, Broken Hill is your backdrop when you wake to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. This frontier mining town enjoys a colourful creative scene and cast of quirky characters, not to mention galleries and museums that re-tell the region’s heritage. Back onboard the Indian Pacific, breakfast is served as you pull out of the station and ease into South Australia. The state dials up the natural drama as you chug through the Flinders Ranges, all rocky peaks and weathered gorges. It’s a fitting entrée to lunch and then Adelaide, where yet more indulgences await. Scour the city’s Central Market for tasty treats, or sip your way around the Barossa, McLaren Vale or Adelaide Hills. The choice is yours.

  Hotel: Indian Pacific Gold Service

  Included Meals: A la carte breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The Nullarbor Plain breaks records. For starters, it’s enormous – around four times the size of Belgium. It’s also home to the longest strait stretch of rail in the world, as you discover as you make your way west. It’s hauntingly beautiful, in a way that only deserts are. Quiet, endless, meditative. The tiny town of Rawlinna is in the middle of nowhere. Free from light pollution, the stars here appear like glitter dousing the sky, as you’ll discover when you step of the train for an alfresco dinner under the milky Way.

  Hotel: Indian Pacific Gold Service

  Included Meals: A la carte breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Your rail journey comes to an end on arrival into the Western Australian capital of Perth after lunch. Make your own way to the Rendezvous Hotel, where tonight's accommodation and breakfast tomorrow morning is included. Meet your Travel Director tomorrow afternoon for the start of your Western Wonderland tour.

  Hotel: Rendezvous Studio Hotel Perth Central

  Included Meals: A la carte breakfast, Lunch

Perth may be the West Australian capital, but it’s home to a remarkable amount of green space. Spend your day here exploring inner-city Kings Park, perhaps, to witness more than 3,000 floral species in the Botanic Gardens, overlooking the Swan River. It’s hard to believe how far you’ve come already – and what’s yet to come. Get the low-down with your Travel Director over dinner.

  Hotel: Rendezvous Studio Hotel Perth Central

  Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Wave Rock deserves its name – the cliff resembles an enormous surf wave about to crash into the bush. Stretching 110 metres, the rainbow-hued granite swell was formed more than three million years ago. It’s a short walk from another imaginatively named rock formation: Hippo’s Yawn. You can actually climb through the hippo’s ‘neck’ to grab a happy snap. Wave Rock locals are a friendly bunch, and they’re truly passionate about the place they call home. But don’t take our word for it. Meet Sheenagh, who will proudly show you around her farm and discuss life on the land. Which can be harsh, but also extremely healing, in a way unique to the wide open spaces of the Aussie outback. You even get to feed her cattle and glimpse her collection of vintage cars.

  Hotel: Wave Rock Motel, Hyden

  Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Get your bearings on a Kalgoorlie town tour, with vistas over the staggering ‘Super Pit’ open-cut gold mine. Today’s outings continue to gleam as you visit Hannans North Mine; nothing puts life into perspective like standing next to enormous U-Haul trucks and loaders.

  Hotel: Rydges Kalgoorlie

  Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

More than 31,000 hectares of sweeping heathlands, rugged coastal peaks and white sandy beaches… it’s no wonder Cape Le Grand National Park is voted among the most alluring of its kind in Australia. Just when you thought WA couldn’t get any prettier, you arrive at Thistle Cove – sun, sand, sea and sculpted rock formations that ‘whistle’ with the sounds of the wind and waves – and Lucky Bay, a postcard-worthy cove where kangaroos sunbake on the sand.

  Hotel: Comfort Inn Bay of Isles

  Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today’s journey takes you through Fitzgerald River National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, then Stirling Range National Park, blanketed with 1,500 species of wildflowers, some of which are found nowhere else on Earth. Enjoy perspective from the Bluff Knoll Lookout, one of WA’s highest peaks.

  Hotel: The Dog Rock Motel

  Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Nature, history, food and wine… there’s not much that Albany can’t do. The hardest thing you have to decide is which direction to wander. Perhaps opt for a tour to the last port of call for ANZAC troopships departing Australia in WWI. Maybe explore Torndirrup National Park, where steep cliffs give way to dramatic rock formations and whales are a common sight. Or get a taste for the region on a culinary excursion. The choice is yours.

  Hotel: The Dog Rock Motel

  Included Meals: Breakfast

Suspended 40 metres above the forest floor, the Tree Top Walk gives you a bird’s-eye view of the soaring tingle trees that stand large through the Valley of the Giants. More lofty attractions await at the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, the tallest of its kind in Australia, set at the tip of a peninsula where the Indian and Southern oceans meet. Standing here, the wind in your hair, you’ll feel like you’re on the edge of the Earth. Being amid nature makes you thirsty. It’s a good thing the Margaret River wine region is on the horizon.  

  Hotel: Stay Margaret River

  Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

The Margaret River’s 200 vineyards produce 25 per cent of Australia’s premium wines. And then there are the gourmet purveyors in between… you’re in for a tasty day. Vasse Virgin makes olive oil that’s sweet enough to drink. We recommend you savour it with bread, however, while learning how it’s made and browsing other products it’s used in – like delicately scented soaps. Lunch is leisurely, at a vineyard with plenty of time to sip and savour local drops, many of chich take home global awards. If you still have room for dinner, ask us for recommendations. 

  Hotel: Stay Margaret River

  Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

The Margaret River is one of the only wine regions in the world where grapes are grown just metres from the sand. The coastal backdrop follows you all the way to  Busselton, home to the longest wooden jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. Tip your cap to those who built this 1.8-kilometre structure out into Geographe Bay. The afternoon is all yours in Freo. Hot tip: The city’s markets feature 150 stalls under one roof, and there are hip new lifestyle precincts to while away the evening in.  

  Hotel: Esplanade Hotel Fremantle - by Rydges

  Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Sometimes, the most memorable travel days are those where you lose yourself wandering the foreshore, lingering over lunch or a cool ale. We highly recommend you spend this day of leisure doing just that (Freo’s Little Creatures Brewery is legendary). Of course, having a local show you around also has its benefits, with a Fremantle tour revealing those hidden haunts most visitors pass right on by. If you’re catching the ferry for a Rottnest Island tour, make sure you have your phone ready to capture selfies with the island’s smiley quokkas, not to mention the blindingly turquoise water.

  Hotel: Esplanade Hotel Fremantle - by Rydges

  Included Meals: Breakfast

Yanchep National Park is staggeringly beautiful. It’s also incredibly spiritual, as you’ll discover on an Aboriginal cultural experience revealing First Nations history through Dreamtime stories and didgeridoo sessions. It’s a hands-on experience – don’t worry if you can’t make the didg hum; there are traditional tools to play with. We’ve left some of the best to last: entering Nambung National Park you’re greeted by an ethereal moonscape. Your Pinnacles tour meanders around this collection of head-scratching limestone formations. This afternoon, Geraldton’s moving HMAS Sydney Memorial beckons. 

  Hotel: Mantra Geraldton

  Included Meals: Breakfast

The colours of UNESCO World Heritage-listed Shark Bay are so vivid, you’ll think they’re painted on, a patchwork of blues fading into powdery sand so white you’ll need your sunglasses. This is what awaits in Monkey Mia. We wouldn’t blame you wandering barefoot along the beach, ordering sundowners as the day disappears in a blaze of glory. Other than a cruise to spot all sea creatures great and small, perhaps the best way to gain perspective of the vast coastline is on an optional scenic flight over Shark Bay Marine Park. 

  Hotel: Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort

  Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Bring your stamina – today’s adventures begin early. But if there’s anything worth getting out of bed for, it’s Monkey Mia’s wild dolphins, which swim close to shore to greet visitors every morning. Keep your sunnies handy at Shell Beach, a powder-white cove formed from billions of coquina bivalve shells up to 10 metres deep, and Hamelin Pool, the world’s best-known colony of stromatolites. Believe it or not, these rock-like formations are alive. Arriving at Kalbarri National Park you’ll take in the Murchison River Gorge from the Hawks Head Lookour. If you’re here during wildflower season, expect acacia, banksia and caladenia in full bloom. 

  Hotel: Kalbarri Edge Resort

  Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Just when you thought WA couldn’t get any more colourful, Hutt Lagoon appears on the horizon – just one of the state’s bubblegum pink lakes. Arriving back in Perth you have a Farewell Dinner to swap contact details with your new friends and reminisce about the last two weeks.

  Hotel: Travelodge Perth

  Included Meals: Breakfast, Farewell Dinner

Bid farewell to your fellow travellers when your trip concludes after breakfast.

  Included Meals: Breakfast

Please note: This itinerary may be subject to change.


East Meets West Wonderland

Best Buys

19 Day Guided Vacation

Sydney to Perth

One of the world’s most epic train holidays, the Indian Pacific connects two Australian coasts across three states and 4,353 kilometres. In between the two oceans are dozens of time-forgot towns, bewildering natural attractions, a bundle of country characters – and a whole lot of nothingness. And that’s why we love it; the hypnotic click-clack of the rails, sunburnt landscapes, blazing sunsets, all seen in supreme style thanks to your chariot.

Highlights

Flexible Vacations

We’ve curated optional experiences to reveal Albany. Or find your own adventure in this historic WA town.

Iconic Sites

Nature humbles at Wave Rock and the Pinnacles, kangaroos sleep on beaches in Esperance, and ocean awaits along Busselton’s jetty.

Time For You

It’s hard not to smile when you spot a quokka on Rottnest. Explore the island’s powdery beaches and turquoise waters at your own pace.

Sustainable Travel

The Aboriginal connection to Yanchep National Park is strong, your enlightening visit supporting custodians of the land.

Natural Wonders

Crossing the Nullarbor is a rite of passage, your commute through Australia’s desert all rusty reds as far as you can see. Mesmerising is an understatement.

Accommodation

Your Guided Holiday includes a range of quality accommodation for your comfort.
The accommodation you will enjoy on this tour includes:

Optional Experiences

Please note, prices for Optional Experiences are subject to change.

To ensure your holiday is filled with memorable experiences, we have included a range of quality Optional Experiences for you to choose from and partake in, if you wish, during your holiday. The experiences can be booked on tour through your Travel Director.

Albany History & Highlights (Albany)

Adult Price: AUD $147.00 Child Price: AUD $133.00

The history of the Great Southern is revealed in stories with a guided tour at Mt Clarence and the Padre White Lookout, and discover Albany’s role in Australia’s ANZAC story at the National ANZAC Centre. From whalers to warships, explorers to entrepreneurs, wool to wheat, and story-telling to sculptures Amazing Albany comes to life.

Albany History & Highlights

Didgeridoo Dreaming - Aboriginal Night Tour (Monkey Mia)

Adult: 90.00

Child: $50.00

After the sunsets relax around a campfire with didgeridoo meditation. Your local aboriginal host will teach you about local Aboriginal culture and history. As the fire flares up some cooking of bush tucker or seafood over the open campfire begins as you are stepped through how to play the didgeridoo.

Didgeridoo Dreaming - Aboriginal Night Tour

Francois Peron National Park 4WD Tour (Monkey Mia)

Adult Price: AUD 229.00   Child Price: AUD 229.00

This is a full day trip adventuring through a spectacular, special piece of earth, right where outback Australia meets the coast. Your tour is a combination of cultural history, sensational scenery, fascinating plants, wild animals and bush survival skills. Includes lunch, morning and afternoon tea, sunscreen, use of binoculars, polarised sunglasses and an expert local guide.

Francois Peron National Park 4WD Tour

Fremantle Walking Tour- Convicts, Culture & Street Art (Two Feet & a Heart Beat )

Adult Price: AUD $50.00 Child Price: AUD $40.00

Fremantle is Perth’s hip and historical cousin with streets full of heritage buildings, cafés, street art and amazing stories waiting to be shared. Starting at the Fremantle Town Hall, this walking tour is no boring history lesson, but rather takes a non-traditional route, discovering factual, anecdotal, and downright fascinating local stories, all as you wander Freo’s vibrant cappuccino strip, boat harbour, narrow West End streets and see the landmarks, including the Fremantle Prison and the Roundhouse. Once home to whaling stations and mass immigration, Freo is now a charming town celebrated for its variety of culture and multicultural history. The locals here were as hard as nails salty sea dogs who rubbed shoulders with newly arrived immigrants to create a town full of characters – some of who’s stories you’ll be amazed to hear about from your local guide! You’ll hear tales from prisoner escapes and convict antics to the expulsion of Indigenous peoples to Rottnest Island. Find out why almost 10,000 men were transported from Great Britain and Ireland, how they built their own prison and helped shape the future of Western Australia. There is no better way to explore Freo than with a local guide to share all its fascinating stories and visit the amazing sites, of which there are many, if you hadn’t guessed!

Fremantle Walking Tour- Convicts, Culture & Street Art

Fremantle Walking Tour - Food Lovers Tour (Fremantle )

Adult: $120.00

Child: $120.00

Fremantle is a foodie’s delight full of funky restaurants, historic pubs, cool cafes and the old world charm of a colonial port. Experience a festival of food on the Fremantle Food Lovers Tour.

Enjoy a selection of the best foods and venues, from cheese and charcuterie in a private courtyard, to hole-in-the wall takeaways and uber cool restaurants. You will visit at least 4 venues and enjoy the time to delight in their house specialties.
Learn the neighbourhood’s legendary stories while you dine, drink, and experience the the high streets and the narrow lanes with an expert local guide. Artisan foods, ethnic flavours, street art and fun history – We promise that you will leave satisfied!

Fremantle Walking Tour - Food Lovers Tour

Rottnest Island Day Tour (Fremantle)

Adult Price: AUD $138.00 Child Price: AUD $70.00

Enjoy a ferry cruise to and from the island. Explore the beauty and tranquility as you tour the island in the comfort of an air-conditioned coach. Enjoy commentary of historical, cultural and natural points of interest along the way. There is free time to explore more of the island by bike or by foot. Don't forget to pack your swimwear for a refreshing dip in the beautiful turquoise water. 

Rottnest Island Day Tour

Taste of the Territory Sunset Cruise (Darwin)

Adult Price: From AUD 74.00

The ‘Tumlaren’ is a beautifully presented sailing schooner. This cruise includes complimentary sparkling wine at sunset and a delicious light tasting plate of Territory style food including smoked kangaroo with bush tomato relish, semi-dried tomatoes, Australian olives and a variety of cheeses. Experienced crew share interesting and informative commentary on the sites and rich history of Darwin Harbour, Cyclone Tracy and WWII. Return transfers can be organised at extra cost.
*Post tour bookings only

The Gap & Natural Wonders (Albany)

Adult Price: AUD $115.00 Child Price: AUD $104.00

Your tour begins curving around Princess Royal Harbour with a view to King George Sound and the Southern Ocean beyond. Be delighted by the floral displays of the native vegetation preserved in the National Park. Enjoy the pristine marine environment of the southern Australian coastline, seen in magnificent splendour on the journey through the Torndirrup National Park. Take in the vista of the powerful ocean as it heaves itself against the granite walls and feel the exhilarating force. Simply breathtaking! Later, relax, reflect and savour morning tea. An Amazing South Coast experience.

The Gap & Natural Wonders
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East Meets Western Wonderland
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