
Victorian Goldfields Rail Adventure
• MELBOURNE • BENDIGO • BALLARAT • HALLS GAP •
• THE MURRAY RIVER • CASTLEMAINE • DAYLESFORD • MALDON • MARYBOROUGH •
• THE BELLARINE PENINSULA • THE GRAMPIANS NATIONAL PARK •
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Departure
- Overview
- Highlights
- Map & Itinerary
- Trip Inclusions
- Transport & Accommodation
- Reviews
- FAQs
This special adventure celebrates this golden age of rail and river transport in Victoria, as well as the state’s culturally rich cities and towns, unique natural beauty, iconic gold-rush history, and sublime local gastronomy. You’ll enjoy various different rail experiences, a paddle steamer on the mighty Murray River, time at Sovereign Hill, a private charter of the charming DERM Railway, and ride the iconic ‘Puffing Billy’ and Australia’s premier rail restaurant the ‘Q Train’.
Departure dates
Per person twin share: $5985
Single Supplement: $795
Some highlights of your tour
- Heritage steam train on the Victorian Goldfields Railway to Maldon
- Enjoy an authentic paddle steamer cruise on the Murray River
- Ride vintage trams in Bendigo and the Ballarat Tramway Museum
- Uncover the Gold Rush history of Echuca, Bendigo, Ballarat and Sovereign Hill
- Private charter tour of the ‘DERM’ railcar on the Daylesford line
- Explore the must-see open-air museum of Sovereign Hill
- Visit Victoria’s greatest natural wonder, the Grampians National Park
- Ride the legendary Puffing Billy, Australia’s most popular heritage railway
- Enjoy a lavish lunch on the Q Train along the Bellarine Railway
Your Journey
Arrive in Victoria’s vibrant capital and check-in to your hotel. Our tour commences at 6pm with a welcome drink in the hotel bar before enjoying a celebratory welcome dinner including drinks in the hotel restaurant.
Overnight: Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne on Spencer, Melbourne (D)
After breakfast and check out, we’ll make our way to the railway station to board a regional express train to Echuca. Watch the landscape whip past your window as we pass Bendigo, Elmore and Rochester and arrive in time to board our Paddlesteamer. Once we’ve settled in, we’ll enjoy a light lunch while the steamer rolls down the Murray River from the historic Port of Echuca and back again. Once back on shore, we’ll learn about the Port of Echuca’s colourful history with a guided town tour, before boarding our private coach for the journey to Bendigo, travelling along Victoria’s Silo Art Trail with stops in the towns of Rochester and Colbinabbin to marvel at some of the magnificent art works. We’ll continue on to the elegant and historic Shamrock Hotel, our home for the next three nights, where you’ll have some time to relax before heading out together for dinner in the evening.
Overnight: Shamrock Hotel, Bendigo (B, L, D)
This morning after breakfast, our private coach will take us to the quaint goldfield town of Castlemaine. Here we’ll embark on a return steam-hauled tour of the Victorian Goldfields Railway along the old branch line, with a stop in Maldon. Your first-class ticket entitles you to ride in the wonderful parlour cars with access to the bar for some refreshments along the way.
In Maldon, an iconic gold rush town awarded the ‘most intact townscape’ by the National Trust, you’ll be able to experience what life was like during the gold rush era. There’ll be plenty of time to wander past old weatherboard homes, solid stone buildings and decorative shop fronts in this lovingly preserved Australian gold mining town, before reboarding our train for the return journey. On arrival back in Castlemaine, we’ll enjoy lunch at the popular Railway Hotel, followed by a tour of Buda House, a classic, beautifully preserved Victorian Goldfields Villa, set on 8 acres of tranquil gardens, before heading back to Bendigo.
The evening and dinner is at leisure.
Overnight: Shamrock Hotel, Bendigo (B, L)
This morning we delve into the intriguing history and unique character of the city of Bendigo, an iconic gold rush town. Starting at the Bendigo Tramways Depot and Workshop, we’ll learn about the history and restoration of their iconic tram fleet, before embarking on a very special town tour on a vintage tram, showcasing the main sights and attractions of Bendigo. We’ll finish up at the Central Deborah Gold Mine where we will enjoy a surface tour. For those that are interested, you’ll also have the opportunity to don a hard-hat, grab a miners’ lamp and descend 61m to walk in the footsteps of past miners.
The rest of the afternoon is free to explore the city at leisure, with your Talking Tram ticket allowing you to hop on and hop off at will. Places of interest you may wish to explore include Lake Weeroona and the stunning Bendigo Art Gallery.
Your evening is free to enjoy the many dining options around the city.
Overnight: Shamrock Hotel, Bendigo (B)
It’s a lazy start today, with some free time after check out to continue exploring Bendigo or just relax in the hotel, before boarding our private coach for the journey to Maryborough. On arrival, we’ll spend some time in the town centre for lunch at leisure, before heading to one of Australia’s grandest regional Victorian era buildings, the Maryborough Railway Station, which Mark Twain famously referred to as “A Railway Station with a town attached”. After a historic guided tour of the station, we’ll leave our luggage with the coach and board the local V-Line train for a short cross-country run to the fair city of Ballarat, our base for the next two nights.
Upon arrival in Ballarat, our coach and luggage will be waiting to transfer us to our hotel. After some time to freshen up and relax, we’ll head out to a local bistro for dinner.
Overnight: Mercure Ballarat – Hotel & Convention Centre, Ballarat (B, D)
This morning after breakfast, we’ll board our coach and travel to Daylesford, a little town in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range. Here we’ll take a privately chartered DERM railcar for the scenic round trip journey to Bullarto. After some free time in Daylesford for lunch at leisure, we’ll head back to Ballarat.
On arrival we’ll go directly to the Eureka Centre, a museum dedicated to the social history of the colonial days on the goldfields, and home to the Eureka flag. After a visit here, we’ll continue to Sovereign Hill, the award-winning living museum presenting the story of Ballarat as a gold rush boomtown for a truly immersive experience. Gold was discovered here in 1851, triggering the greatest alluvial gold rush the world has ever known. This magnificent ‘town’ showcases rare trades, working machinery, exhibits, and costumed interpreters.
Our hotel is only a short distance from Sovereign Hill, so you can stay as long as you like and wander back to the hotel when it suits you, or explore further afield at leisure. In the evening we’ll regroup for dinner on the grounds of our hotel.
Overnight: Mercure Ballarat – Hotel & Convention Centre, Ballarat (B, D)
This morning after breakfast and check out, we’ll visit the Ballarat Tramway Museum for a look at their impressive collection of vintage trams, some of which are over 100 years old. Once the city’s main form of public transport, the museum showcases a bygone era of transport which existed on Ballarat’s streets from 1887 to 1971. A special treat will be a privately chartered run on the quaint Ballarat 4-wheel tram! Back in town we’ll have some free time to enjoy lunch at leisure before a quick look at the excellent regional gallery and botanical gardens.
In the afternoon we’ll travel by coach to Halls Gap via Dunkeld through the southern part of the Grampians on what is considered to be one of Australia’s most scenic road journeys. Upon arrival in Halls Gap, it’s straight to our hotel to settle in. Dinner tonight is hosted at a charming local pub just a short walk from our hotel.
Overnight: Country Plaza, Halls Gap (B, D)
This morning we’ll take some time to ‘smell the roses’ in this dramatic Aussie bush setting with a special coach trip deep into the heart of the spectacular Grampians National Park. Known for its rugged sandstone mountains, dramatic cliffs and plummeting waterfalls, you’ll see why it deserves its reputation as one of Victoria’s (and Australia’s) greatest natural wonders.
Upon our return to Halls Gap, we’ll enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before heading to a historic winery for an underground cellar tour and tasting. With full tummies, it’s on to the Ararat railway station to board the V/Line train to Melbourne. On arrival we’ll take a short stroll to our hotel and enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure.
Overnight: Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne on Spencer, Melbourne (B, L)
After breakfast this morning, we’ll head back to Southern Cross Station and jump on a metro train to Belgrave, the departure point for the legendary Puffing Billy, Australia’s most popular heritage railway situated in the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges. Originally built in the early 1900’s as a low-cost 2’6” gauge line to service the local communities and timber industry, a staged closure of the line began in the 1950’s. However, like so many great stories of heritage rail, it was saved by a group of dedicated volunteers and rail fans who worked to restore the line and the rolling stock. Since the 1960’s it has been one of Victoria’s most popular tourist attractions. We’ll get to experience a very special steam-hauled trip along the length of the character-filled narrow-gauge line, and have the chance to have a look around the new Lakeside Visitor Centre.
We’ll return to Melbourne in the late afternoon for an evening at leisure.
Overnight: Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne on Spencer, Melbourne (B,L)
This morning, after a gentle start to the day, we’ll walk down to Docklands to catch a ferry to Queenscliff and a transfer to Drysdale for a very special date with the Q Train, Australia’s premier rail restaurant, and the perfect venue for our last meal together as travelling companions. This award-winning rolling restaurant travels along the historic Bellarine Railway between Drysdale and Queenscliff in brilliantly restored carriages that originally formed part of the Queensland Railways Sunlander train. The rural and coastal scenery rolls by while you dine on fresh local produce, a fitting finale to our journey across Victoria. We’ll return to Melbourne later in the afternoon.
Your evening is at leisure to enjoy your last night in this dynamic city.
Overnight: Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne on Spencer, Melbourne (B, L)
Our tour concludes after breakfast in the hotel.
What's included
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10 night’s accommodation in comfortable, centrally located hotels
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Daily breakfast, five lunches and five dinners
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Drinks included with welcome and farewell dinners
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Chartered coach connections throughout
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Comprehensive sightseeing with your tour leader as mentioned
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All excursions and entrance fees to attractions, as listed in the itinerary
What's not included
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Airport transfers on arrival and departure
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Meals and services not mentioned in the itinerary
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All other personal expenses, such as drinks, phone calls, laundry services, etc.
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Excursions listed as optional and extra in the itinerary
Some ways you’ll travel
The best train trips possible, private luxury coach for off-train travel, guided walking where suitable, and other appropriate and appealing options to make exploration easy

PS Canberra
Victoria
Puffing Billy
Victoria
Victorian Goldfields Railway
VictoriaSome places you’ll stay
Hand-picked hotels and resorts based on location, customer feedback, value and atmosphere. Please Note: Hotels of a similar standard may be substituted.

Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne on Spencer

Shamrock Hotel

Mercure Ballarat - Hotel & Convention Centre

Country Plaza
Our track record
Hear from some of our adventurers that have already ridden the rails with us.
FAQs
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