Sydney to Perth
Sydney → Perth
The Indian Pacific's Sydney to Perth service is one of the world's great train journeys — a four-day, 4,352-kilometre transcontinental crossing that links the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean through the heart of Australia. Departing Sydney Central Station on Wednesday afternoons, the train traces a dramatic arc through forested mountain valleys, the ancient Flinders Ranges, a vast limestone desert, and finally the gentle green hills of Western Australia before pulling into Perth.
What sets this journey apart is its seamless blend of wilderness immersion and genuine comfort. Guests sleep in well-appointed private cabins, dine on regionally inspired cuisine in the Queen Adelaide Restaurant, and step off at remote outposts — Broken Hill, Adelaide, Cook, and Rawlinna — that most Australians will never otherwise see. The all-inclusive fare covers meals, wines, beers, spirits, and a curated menu of off-train experiences at every stop.
Whether it is watching dawn break over the ochre plains of the Nullarbor, sharing a long-table dinner under a sky ablaze with southern stars, or simply nursing a glass of Barossa Shiraz as the Blue Mountains slip past your window, the Indian Pacific delivers experiences that no aircraft or road trip can replicate. Contact Palace Trains at 1-800-724-5120 or travel@palacetours.com to reserve your place on this iconic Australian adventure.
- ✦4,352 km coast-to-coast crossing from Sydney to Perth in 4 days
- ✦Off-train excursion in Broken Hill — Pro Hart Gallery and outback art culture
- ✦Choice of Adelaide wine-region and culinary experiences
- ✦478 km of dead-straight track across the vast Nullarbor Plain
- ✦Star-lit long-table dinner at remote Rawlinna outpost (September–May)
- ✦Ghost town of Cook — one of Australia's most haunting rail heritage sites
- ✦All-inclusive fine dining and beverages throughout the journey
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1 — Sydney & the Blue Mountains
The journey begins at Sydney Central Station, one of Australia's most magnificent railway termini, with a mid-afternoon departure at 14:10. As the city's western suburbs give way to the outer reaches of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, the landscape transforms dramatically — sandstone cliffs plunge into forested valleys, and eucalypt canopies stretch to every horizon. The train winds along the famous Lapstone Hill deviation and crests the plateau before heading inland. Guests settle into their cabins, explore the Outback Explorer Lounge, and gather for the first regionally inspired dinner paired with all-inclusive Australian wines, beers, and beverages. The evening is yours to spend as you please — drinks in the lounge as the last of the daylight fades over the ranges, or an early night rocked to sleep by the rhythm of the rails.
Day 2 — Broken Hill & Adelaide
The train arrives in Broken Hill — New South Wales' famous Silver City — at around 06:30 Thursday morning for a curated off-train experience. Broken Hill's story is one of extraordinary mineral wealth and equally extraordinary culture: the Miners' Memorial honours those who built the city, while the Pro Hart Gallery showcases one of Australia's best-loved outback artists. The Palace Hotel murals and the vibrant artist colony that took root here in the 1970s make Broken Hill unlike any other Australian town. Back aboard, lunch is served as the train cuts south through the ancient, folded ridges of the Flinders Ranges — some of the world's oldest exposed geology. The Indian Pacific arrives in Adelaide at 16:05, and guests have their choice of off-train adventures before the 21:50 departure: sip award-winning reds in the McLaren Vale wine region with dinner at the cliff-top Star of Greece restaurant; explore the Adelaide Hills with gin and cheese at Haus in Lobethal; tour the historic Coopers Brewery; or wander the colourful stalls of Adelaide Central Market. All excursions include drinks and dinner before guests rejoin the train.
Day 3 — The Nullarbor Plain & Rawlinna
Guests wake to one of the most singular landscapes on Earth: the Nullarbor Plain, a vast limestone plateau stretching 200,000 square kilometres across South Australia and Western Australia. Breakfast is served as the train runs along the longest stretch of straight railway track in the world — 478 kilometres of arrow-straight line with barely a curve. The horizon is immense; the silence between train whistles, absolute. At Cook (12:35), the train pauses at a near-ghost town that once housed a bustling railway community with a hospital, pool, and school — today its empty streets are one of Australia's most haunting heritage sites, and guests can explore on foot. In the early evening, the train pulls into Rawlinna (17:55) on the edge of Rawlinna Station, one of Australia's largest sheep stations. From September through May, guests descend into the desert for a spectacular long-table dinner under a canopy of stars — fires, outback canapés, and the Milky Way overhead. In the cooler winter months, a bonfire gathering with canapés captures the same spirit of remote Australian hospitality.
Day 4 — Avon Valley & Perth
The final morning brings a gentle, cinematic conclusion to the crossing. As the train descends from the plateau into the cool, green Avon Valley — a tapestry of rolling wheat farms, granite outcrops, and winding streams quite unlike anything seen in the previous three days — a leisurely onboard brunch is served. The Indian Pacific arrives at Perth's East Perth Terminal at 14:45 on Saturday, completing an unforgettable 4,352-kilometre journey from ocean to ocean. Perth itself rewards those who linger: Kings Park's wildflower gardens, the Swan River foreshore, the gold-rush heritage of the Perth Mint, and the easy ferry crossing to Rottnest Island and its famous quokkas all await beyond the platform.
Destinations & Highlights
Sydney & the Blue Mountains
Sydney Central Station, opened in 1906, is one of the southern hemisphere's grandest Victorian railway buildings and a fitting launch pad for a transcontinental adventure. Within an hour of departure, the train enters the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area — 1.03 million hectares of sandstone plateau, deep canyon systems, and ancient Aboriginal heritage. The Three Sisters at Echo Point and the Jamison Valley are among Australia's most photographed landscapes. The Blue Mountains also mark the first great engineering challenge of the Australian rail story: the zig-zag switchbacks at Lapstone Hill that early railway builders devised to conquer the escarpment.
Broken Hill
Founded on a phenomenally rich lode of silver, lead, and zinc discovered in 1883, Broken Hill is one of Australia's most remarkable cities. Its isolation — surrounded by red desert in far-western New South Wales — forged a fierce community identity and an improbable artistic culture. The Pro Hart Gallery preserves works by the city's most celebrated painter; the Miners' Memorial pays tribute to the hundreds who died building the city's wealth; and the Palace Hotel's extraordinary murals (inspired by the film Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) attract visitors from around the world. Broken Hill operates on South Australian time and has its own phone number prefix — testament to the degree to which it has always looked west rather than east.
Adelaide & South Australia's Wine Regions
South Australia's capital is Australia's most liveable city by many measures — compact, elegant, and surrounded by world-class wine country within 45 minutes in any direction. The Barossa Valley produces some of the planet's most celebrated Shiraz; McLaren Vale, perched on cliffs above the Gulf St Vincent, is famous for its boutique wineries and extraordinary restaurant scene; the Adelaide Hills offer cool-climate Riesling and Pinot Gris, and charming German-founded villages like Hahndorf. Adelaide Central Market, trading since 1869, is one of the finest fresh produce markets in the southern hemisphere. The city's compact grid of parklands, Georgian sandstone buildings, and pedestrianised Rundle Mall makes it one of Australia's most walkable capitals.
The Nullarbor Plain & Cook
The Nullarbor — from the Latin nullus arbor, meaning no trees — is one of the world's largest expanses of flat, treeless limestone. Stretching across the southern edge of Australia between the Great Australian Bight and the arid inland, it is a place of extraordinary emptiness and beauty. The Indian Pacific crosses it on the longest straight stretch of railway in the world: 478 kilometres without a curve. Cook, once a railway town of 3,000 people with its own hospital, pool, and golf course, was abandoned when diesel locomotives rendered its refuelling and repair role obsolete. Today it stands as an eerily beautiful ghost town, preserved by the desert air. Rawlinna Station, just to the east, runs up to 70,000 Merino sheep across three million acres — one of Australia's grandest pastoral enterprises.
Avon Valley & Perth
The Avon Valley is Western Australia's oldest farming district, settled by European colonists in the 1830s. Its rolling green hills, granite outcrops, and the winding Avon River provide a striking contrast to the Nullarbor. Towns like Northam and Toodyay preserve handsome colonial architecture. Perth, Western Australia's sun-drenched capital, enjoys more hours of sunshine than almost any other Australian city. Kings Park — 400 hectares of native bushland and formal gardens overlooking the Swan River and the city skyline — is one of the world's largest inner-city parks. Fremantle, Perth's port city, offers Victorian architecture, the famous markets, and the best fish and chips in Australia. Rottnest Island, a 30-minute ferry ride, is home to the quokka and some of the finest beaches in the Indian Ocean.