Alice Springs

Get up close and personal with the reptiles of the Australian Outback at the Reptile Centre, where you will meet Terry the Saltwater Crocodile and a range of other scaly friends such as goannas, frill-neck lizards and thorny devils.

You will then visit the Royal Flying Doctor Service Base to learn about the vital medical care the service provides to thousands living in Outback Australia.

Travel by coach to the historical precinct of the Alice Springs Telegraph Station. Here you will learn about day to day life of the first European settlement in Alice Springs and how the station played a pivotal role in bridging the isolation and communication gap between remote Australian towns. Established in 1872 to relay messages between Darwin and Adelaide, it is the best preserved of the 12 stations along the Overland Telegraph Line.

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, trousers and long sleeves are highly recommended.

*Inclusive for Platinum and Gold Service 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 is a unique experience that 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.

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, in a free-spirited aerial display. After the show, your backstage pass allows you to get up close and personal with the birds and trainers during a private training session.

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

The Simpsons Gap area is a magical location, where important elements of flora, fauna and Indigenous culture come together. It incorporates large stands of Mulga and is a major stronghold for more than 40 rare plants.

Here, you will enjoy walks that pass native plants of the area, including ancient Ghost Gums, and that also take in views of the West MacDonnell ranges.

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.

Recommended Fitness Level: High level mobility – Approximately 5km of walking over rocky and natural terrain. 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: If temperatures are forecasted to be 35 degrees or above, this experience may be amended.

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

Cycle your way along a winding trail to the famously dry Todd River, where you will experience some of the beautiful Alice countryside. Your tour will take you along the Ilentye trail, an Indigenous word, pronounced eeLINDGE, meaning Galah.

After a leisurely cycle on the ochre-coloured dirt, your Tour Guide will lead you to a picturesque spot in the sandy river, where you can take a few moments to soak up this amazing landscape. Your bike ride resumes along the Ilentye trail, running parallel to rugged terrain that is home to many black-footed rock wallabies, often spotted moving over the rocks.

This cycling tour provides an active and hands-on way to tour Alice Springs. You’ll learn about the history of the town and its geological formations, as well as immersing yourself in the captivating landscape.

Recommended Fitness Level: High level mobility – Guests need to be able to ride a push bike. Approx. 13km of cycling over sandy paths. 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 Platinum and Gold Service guests travelling the entire journey. Platinum and Gold Service guests leaving The Ghan in Alice Springs are required to pay $100 per person.

Discovering the outback from the air is simply spellbinding. Flying by helicopter is exhilarating at any time, but when you are soaring above the rugged ranges and open plains of the Red Centre, it is an experience you will never forget.

Taking to the skies on a 15 minute helicopter flight, your first aerial encounter with the landscape is a fly over spectacular Simpsons Gap and its permanent waterhole. You will track the cliff faces of the Mount Gillen Ridgeline and the Larapinta Trail and throughout your aerial safari, you will be treated to the pilot’s expert commentary, providing detail on the wonders unfolding before you.

After your adventure, you are invited to wind down with a relaxing swim in the hotel pool whilst enjoying refreshments and high tea.

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 the helicopter without assistance. Weight restrictions apply – the maximum weight of any individual cannot exceed 130kgs. Sunscreen and hats are recommended as well as bathers for use of the pool. Towels provided by Crowne Plaza Lasseters.

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

What better vantage point to catch sight of kangaroos and other native wildlife than from atop a camel? Your guide will lead you into White Gums Station to enjoy sweeping outback views, take in the MacDonnell Ranges, make friends with your gentle camel team, and ride aboard our ‘ships of the desert’, the same mode of transport used by outback settlers.

Visit the ‘Camel Lounge’ to learn about these characterful creatures and browse a range of souvenirs. Chat with friendly ‘cameleers’ about the history of camels in Central Australia and camel farm life. Here you can also sip on a chilled drink and nibble on light canapés featuring outback bush flavours, including homemade humus wattle seed dip or bush tomato tapenade with crackers – and more.

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 need to be able to ascend 6 steps to reach the loading platform to climb aboard the camel. Not recommended for guests with ongoing back issues, planning or recently had a hip replacement or are pregnant. Adequate balance required to sit stably on the camel. 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.