Great Adventure Down Under with the Legendary Ghan Train - 2022
Great Adventure Down Under with the Legendary Ghan Train - 2022
28 Days Starting in Melbourne VIC, Australia and ending in Auckland, New Zealand
Visiting: Melbourne, Hobart, Tasman Peninsula, Adelaide, Kangaroo Island, Uluru, Alice Springs, Indian Pacific Train Bookings, Katherine, Darwin, Kakadu National Park, Cairns, Great Barrier Reef, Sydney, Christchurch, Aoraki / Mount Cook, Queenstown, Milford Sound / Piopiotahi, Rotorua, Waitomo Caves, Auckland
Tour operator:
Tour code:
495362
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Physical rating:
None
Age range:
5-99
Special diets catered:
Vegetarians, Please make Cosmos aware at the time of booking what your requirements are and they will endeavour to assist with your request.
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Active, Adventure Tours, Cruise, Walking Hiking and Trekking
Interests:
Cultural, Gardens & Nature Tours, Rail Tours, Wildlife Tours
Activities:
Tour Overview
It’s easy to lose your train of thought on this all-encompassing, 28-day tour through Australia and New Zealand, especially when it includes world-class cities, extraordinary scenery, unique wildlife, and an incredible overnight rail journey on the legendary The Ghan train—an exhilarating crossing through the heart of the Australian Outback to the tropical coast of the Northern Territory. Other moving Experiences on this over-the-top Down Under vacation include an outback barbecue in the Red Center, a jumping crocodile cruise in Darwin, a snorkeling excursion at the Great Barrier Reef, and a wetlands cruise on the Yellow Water Billabong. In New Zealand, prepare to be moved by a cooked-by-hot-stone Hangi dinner, a gondola ride to the peaks of Queenstown, a cruise through the towering rock walls of Milford Sound, and even a silent boat trip through Waitomo’s famous eerily lit Glowworm Caves. Board here for unrivaled views, unexpected experiences, and an unbelievable adventure.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Arrive In Melbourne, Australia
Location: Melbourne
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: The Savoy Hotel on Little Collins (or similar)
Meals Included: Dinner
Welcome to Melbourne! Hotel check-in available upon arrival. A pre-night is not required for early check-in. Schedule flights to arrive by 3 pm in time for a welcome meeting and dinner.
Day 2 : Melbourne
Location: Melbourne
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: The Savoy Hotel on Little Collins (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast
MELBOURNE Morning sightseeing includes Federation Square, Parliament House, the Shrine of Remembrance, Queen Victoria Market, and beautiful Fitzroy Gardens. Free time in the afternoon and evening.
Day 3 : Melbourne
Location: Melbourne
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: The Savoy Hotel on Little Collins (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast
MELBOURNE Free day. ENHANCE YOUR FREE TIME in Melbourne with an excursion to Yarra Valley, home to award-winning wines or an excursion to see the world-famous Penguin Parade. These and many more options throughout your tour are available for purchase with MyGlobus. Get local maps and tips for free time on your GlobusGO mobile app.
Day 4 : Melbourne–Hobart
Location: Melbourne, Hobart
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: The Old Woolstore Hotel (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Fly to Hobart. HOBART Guided walking tour of the waterfront district. Dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 5 : Hobart. Excursion To The Tasman Peninsula
Location: Tasman Peninsula, Hobart
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: The Old Woolstore Hotel (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
TASMAN PENINSULA Sightseeing includes the blowhole, the Devil’s Kitchen, and the Tasman Arch formations. Walking tour with a Local Guide at Port Arthur Historic Site (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and the Tasmanian Devil Unzoo. HOBART Free time this evening.
Day 6 : Hobart–Adelaide
Location: Hobart, Adelaide
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Majestic Roof Garden Hotel (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast
Fly to Adelaide (via Melbourne). ADELAIDE Orientation drive. Free time this evening.
Day 7 : Adelaide. Excursion To Kangaroo Island
Location: Kangaroo Island, Adelaide
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Majestic Roof Garden Hotel (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
ADELAIDE Travel by motorcoach and ferry to Kangaroo Island. KANGAROO ISLAND LF Sightseeing includes Seal Bay Conservation Park with a Park Ranger plus a visit to the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park to see native koalas, wallabies, and wombats. Visit Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery before returning to Adelaide this evening.
Day 8 : Adelaide–Uluru (Ayers Rock)
Location: Uluru
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Desert Gardens Hotel (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Fly to Uluru (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). ULURU Sunset drink followed by an LFOutback campfire and barbecue.
Day 9 : Uluru (Ayers Rock)
Location: Uluru
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Desert Gardens Hotel (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast
ULURU Sightseeing with a Local Guide includes a walking tour at Uluru and Kata Tjuta (the Olgas). Free time this evening.
Day 10 : Uluru–Alice Springs–The Ghan Train
Location: Uluru, Alice Springs, Indian Pacific Train Bookings
Accommodation: The Ghan Train - Alice Springs to Darwin
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Scenic drive through the Outback en route to Alice Springs. ALICE SPRINGS Embark on legendary Ghan train.
Day 11 : Ghan Train–Katherine–Darwin
Location: Katherine, Darwin
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hilton Darwin (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
KATHERINE GORGE LF Choice of sightseeing includes a scenic cruise or a visit to a working Outback cattle station. DARWIN Free time this evening.
Day 12 : Darwin–Kakadu National Park
Location: Darwin, Kakadu National Park
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
DARWIN Guided jumping crocodile cruise.KAKADU NATIONAL PARK Guided sightseeing in Kakadu National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
Day 13 : Kakadu National Park–Darwin
Location: Kakadu National Park, Darwin
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hilton Darwin (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
KAKADU NATIONAL PARK Guided LF wetlands cruise on the Yellow Water Billabong.DARWIN City orientation drive includes the Darwin Museum and lunch at a local roadhouse.
Day 14 : Darwin–Cairns
Location: Cairns
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Pullman Cairns International (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast
Fly to Cairns, “Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.”
Day 15 : Cairns. Excursion To The Outer Great Barrier Reef
Location: Great Barrier Reef, Cairns
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Pullman Cairns International (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
OUTER GREAT BARRIER REEF Scenic catamaran cruise to the Outer Great Barrier Reef (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) includes the option of snorkeling, a glass-bottom-boat tour, an underwater observatory, and watching a fish feeding. CAIRNS Free time this evening.
Day 16 : Cairns
Location: Cairns
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Pullman Cairns International (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast
CAIRNS Free day. ENHANCE YOUR FREE TIME in Cairns with a 4-wheel-drive excursion in the Daintree Rainforest. This and many more options throughout your tour are available for purchase with MyGlobus. Get local maps and tips for free time on your GlobusGO mobile app.
Day 17 : Cairns–Sydney
Location: Cairns, Sydney
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Sydney Harbour Marriott (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast
CAIRNS Visit to the Koala Gardens includes having your photo taken with a koala. Fly to Sydney. SYDNEY Free time this evening.
Day 18 : Sydney
Location: Sydney
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Sydney Harbour Marriott (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast
SYDNEY Guided sightseeing includes the financial district, Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, the botanic gardens, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Walking tour with a Local Guide at the Sydney Opera House (A UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Bondi Beach, followed by a Sydney Harbour cruise. Free time this evening.
Day 19 : Sydney
Location: Sydney
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Sydney Harbour Marriott (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
SYDNEY Free day before dinner at a waterfront restaurant.
Day 20 : Sydney–Christchurch, New Zealand
Location: Christchurch
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Distinction Hotel Christchurch (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast
Fly to Christchurch.
Day 21 : Christchurch–Mount Cook
Location: Christchurch, Aoraki / Mount Cook
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: The Hermitage (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
CHRISTCHURCH City sightseeing. Scenic drive to Mount Cook National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage area). MOUNT COOK Evening at leisure.
Day 22 : Mount Cook–Queenstown
Location: Aoraki / Mount Cook, Queenstown
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Heritage Hotel Queenstown (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast
MOUNT COOK Free time this morning before a visit to the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Center.Scenic drive en route to Queenstown.QUEENSTOWN Free time this evening.
Day 23 : Queenstown. Excursion To Milford Sound
Location: Milford Sound / Piopiotahi, Queenstown
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Heritage Hotel Queenstown (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
MILFORD SOUND Full-day sightseeing in Fiordland National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) includes a scenic cruise in Milford Sound with the chance to see marine wildlife, waterfalls, glaciers, and rainforests. Late evening return to Queenstown. Please note that the excursion to Milford Sound may happen on Day 24 based on weather and road conditions today.
Day 24 : Queenstown
Location: Queenstown
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Heritage Hotel Queenstown (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
QUEENSTOWN Free day before a scenic gondola ride to the top of Bob’s Peak, including dinner with amazing views of Coronet Peak, The Remarkable Mountains, Lake Wakatipu, and Queenstown. ENHANCE YOUR FREE TIME in Queenstown with a thrilling jet-boat ride on the Kawarau and Dart Rivers. This and many more options throughout your tour are available to purchase with MyGlobus. Get local maps and tips for free time on your GlobusGO mobile app.
Day 25 : Queenstown–Rotorua
Location: Rotorua
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Distinction Hotel Rotorua (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Fly to Rotorua. ROTORUA Traditional LF Hangi dinner with a Máori (indigenous Polynesian people) cultural performance.
Day 26 : Rotorua
Location: Rotorua
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Distinction Hotel Rotorua (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast
ROTORUA Guided sightseeing includes the Agrodome sheep farm, and Rainbow Springs Nature Park to see native bush and wildlife, including the shy Kiwi bird and Te Puia with its geysers, boiling mudpools, and silica terraces. Free time this afternoon and evening.
Day 27 : Rotorua–Waitomo–Auckland
Location: Waitomo Caves, Auckland
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Skycity Hotel (or similar)
Meals Included: Dinner
WAITOMO Sightseeing with Local Guide at the Waitomo Glowworm Caves includes a boat trip through the Glowworm Grotto. Continue to Auckland.AUCKLAND Farewell dinner at Sky Tower.
Day 28 : Auckland
Location: Auckland
Meals Included: Breakfast
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.
What's Included
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Meals
26 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 10 dinners
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Accommodation
It may occasionally be necessary to use alternative hotels of a similar standard to those shown.
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All Domestic Transportation (including internal flights)
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Fully Guided
What's Not Included
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International Travel
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Tipping and Gratuities
Check out our Q&As
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Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes
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Are flights included in this tour?
Yes
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Will passengers from another country be participating in the tour?
Yes
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Will I know the names and details of all the accommodation before I depart?
Yes
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Are children permitted to take part in the tour?
Yes
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Since 1961
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Cosmos is committed to minimizing our impact on the environment and to reducing dependence on non-renewable resources. In this endeavor, we have implemented policies to support this mission and are working carefully to enhance our products with this mission and our values combined. We are committed to complying with all relevant legislation and/or regulations.
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
Travel documents, including any air tickets, itineraries, and other information, are available approximately two to three weeks prior to departure provided full payment has been received.
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
All guests are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for travel through February, 2023. Beginning March 1, 2023, while we highly recommend vaccination, we will no longer require it. We ask all guests to comply with airline and destination requirements, which still may apply. To check your destination requirements for your travel dates, view the Latest Travel & Health Restrictions for Travel.
Reviews of this Operator
Book with Confidence
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Low Deposit
Cosmos requires a minimum deposit of 200 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 60 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of cosmos charges.
Up to 65 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 64 days before tour starts: Forfeit 20% of booking price.
At 21 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 7 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 1 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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