8 Day The Ghan Expedition & Kakadu

Inspiring Vacations has been globally recognised and awarded for its handling of COVID-19 during the pandemic. The safety and wellbeing of our guests is our highest concern during this time of uncertainty, and we are continuously monitoring the evolving COVID-19 situation. 

We have adopted the advice of the WHO to ensure all customers can travel with the knowledge of how to travel safely and with confidence.

Australian owned and operated with 100% Australian Customer Service support 

We are proudly 100% Australian owned and operated, with our head office located in Melbourne, Victoria. When you make your booking, you will receive dedicated and ongoing support from our team of travel professionals throughout your booking, up until you are due to depart.

Flexible Date Change Option

INCLUDED - Date change may be requested prior to 65 days* before your original selected departure date ONLY IF due to government imposed restrictions only ie. Border closures. 

*some packages may have a varied period in which you can request a date change due to limitations with the third-party provider.

The Flexible Date Change option does not cover cost incurred for components not fulfilled by Inspiring Vacations or in the event extra services have been booked with Inspiring Vacations outside of the standard package, including but not limited to airfares, pre/post accommodation or insurance.

Airfare Inclusive packages - The Flexible Date Change option applies to the tour portion of your package. Airfare flexibility will be subject to the airline’s fare rules and a change fee plus any fare difference may be applicable. 

Cooling off period 

If you change your mind within 7 days of making your booking online, you can request a refund of your initial deposit payment as part of our cooling off period. 

Once your purchase date falls outside of the 7 day period, our standard terms and conditions will apply. Please ensure that any request to cancel your booking is received via email to support@inspiringvacations.com, including the reason for cancellation.

Deposit & Payments

• Book now and secure your package with a $99 deposit per person.
• Pay a 2nd instalment of $4,500 per person within 7 days. This is a requirement of The Ghan to secure your cabin. 
• Note: If upgrading to Platnium, the upgrade cost will be added to your 2nd instalment. 
• You will then be invoiced for final payment 90 days prior to departure.

Booking Process

• 'Sign Up' first by entering your email and creating a password
• Then select the red 'Book now' tab of the tour you have selected
• Select your Departure Date, Number of Passengers, Room Configuration, any Upgrade Options, and enter any Special Requests
• Click the red ‘Proceed to Secure Checkout' tab
• Enter your credit card or PayPal details to secure your deposit/payment. You may also pay via BPAY (not available within 70 days of departure)
• Once your order is complete, you will be prompted to complete a Booking Form so that we can fulfil your booking
• Your booking is on request and will be confirmed by Inspiring Vacations once all components of your package have been secured with our partners, please see below for further information

Booking On Request

• Your Inspiring Vacations package is made up of multiple components and travel partners. Once your booking is made and passenger details form submitted, we will begin to confirm all of your arrangements. Please note, this process can take several business days to complete.
• Once all elements have been confirmed we will send you an email confirmation, if we are unable to confirm we will provide you with alternative dates or offer a full refund of your deposit or re-credit your account if a travel credit was used.
• Please DO NOT book any additional services, such as flights, until we have confirmed your Inspiring Vacations package in writing. Inspiring Vacations will not be liable for any fees or charges incurred to change or cancel components not booked by Inspiring Vacations should your selected package be unavailable. 

You can enhance your holiday by arriving early or staying longer upon conclusion of the tour. On this tour you can choose from the following options:

Pre and post tour accommodation

• Pre-tour accommodation in Darwin: $282 per room per night for double/twin/single including breakfast
• Post-tour accommodation in Adelaide: $296 per room per night for double/twin/single including breakfast

To enhance your journey, we are offering guests a choice of the following optional activities (prices are per person):

• Darwin (Day 3) - Darwin Sunset Cruise - $111 per person
• Alice Springs (Day 5) - Uluru Fixed Wing Scenic Flight & Outback BBQ Dinner - $1,259 per person

Optional tours can be selected once you have finalised your tour purchase and paid your deposit. When completing your Passenger Booking Form, you will be asked if you would like to add Optional Tours, where any applicable cost will be added to your final balance. If you choose not to select them at this time, you can choose to add them later by logging in to your Account online or speaking with your Dedicated Support Agent for assistance.

Please note that you must select your Optional Tours no later than 65 days before departure, after which you will be required to purchase them on tour. Please keep in mind that anything purchased on-tour is subject to availability. We appreciate your understanding.

• International or domestic airfares not mentioned on the itinerary
• Airport transfers
• Visas (if applicable)
• Travel insurance (compulsory)
• Tipping
• Anything not mentioned in the itinerary
• Optional activities
• Personal expenses

COVID-19
Due to COVID there maybe disruptions to standard operating schedules of particular components of this itinerary. Should a component be effected a substitute will be confirmed prior to departure.

Fitness Requirements
While the itinerary should give you some guidance and overview to the expected requirements, to determine if this tour is right for you we categorise each of our tours in terms of their intensity. These guidelines are to ensure that each tour group is conducted as expected and to ensure the overall satisfaction of all Inspiring Vacations customers.

As a general rule, porterage is not included, therefore at all times you are expected to handle your own luggage where help may not be available.

This particular tour is categorised as a “2”.

2 - Leisurely Pace - This itinerary will be conducted at a relaxed pace. You will typically spend several nights at one location which means less time spent packing and unpacking, and more sightseeing. You will be required to move about unassisted, including getting on and off vehicles, walking up and down stairs and handling your own luggage.

Accommodation
The accommodation listed is subject to change. Any changes will be of an equal or higher standard. Bedding configurations (double or twin) are requests only. All efforts will be made to meet your preferences, however any changes are beyond our control.

Please note:

Gold Service - Available in twin configuration only. If selecting double upon check out, this configuration will only apply to your hotel accommodation. 

Platnium Service - Available in double or twin configuration

Covid Itinerary Changes
Due to COVID there maybe disruptions to standard operating schedules of particular components of this itinerary. Should a component be effected a substitute will be confirmed prior to departure

Single Supplement on the Ghan
There is no single supplement for the Ghan if utilising a Single Room. Single Rooms on the Ghan are very limited and pricing is subject to availability. If the single cabins are not available at the time of booking, you will need to pay for a twin cabin at an additional cost of approx $3,900 for a Gold Twin in addition to the package price. This price is subject to change and as such, cannot be confirmed until after a booking has been made. If you are not happy with the price of the single supplement provided, you can request to cancel and receive a refund of your deposit. If the single supplement cost is suitable, this will be added to your invoice and part of the final balance payable. For an indicative cost prior to purchase, you are welcome to contact our Customer Service team.   

Single Supplement for the hotels
The single supplement for this portion of the trip is $728. Please see above regarding The Ghan.

Triple Share
Not available.

Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is required to protect yourself against the unexpected.

We have partnered with nib to offer our customers competitive rates for their travel insurance. You can book comprehensive or budget cover simply by clicking HERE to arrange your policy.

Tour Documentation
Final documentation including, e-tickets and hotel details, will be provided approximately 30 days prior to travel.

Children
Children must be 5 years old or above and share a room with parents at all times. Children are charged the same price as adults.

Group Size
This package is made up of multiple components which will be provided by different operators throughout your trip. Group size will differ from operator to operator and can be as small as 2 people or up to 60 people depending on the activity. There may be unique cases where it exceeds this for special events or types of activities. For packages which include a train or cruise, you will travelling with other customers up to the capacity of this component. 

• Independent - On these packages you will travel from city to city on your own, exploring at your own pace. We have arranged transportation in most cases and day tours for you to see the destination. Enjoy the time and flexibility to linger longer or pick up the pace and see as much as possible.
• Partially Escorted - A portion of these packages runs as a group tour where you will be escorted by an expert tour leader. Another portion is independent, whether conducted by rail, cruise or land, and you will travel between destinations on your own, with free time to explore at your own pace.
• Fully Escorted - This tour is fully escorted by an expert English-speaking guide who will accompany you throughout the tour.

Who is operating this package
We have partnered with a wide range of third party operators to deliver you this holiday. Each package will consist of multiple operators which means guides and fellow travellers may change day to day. However, regardless of the operator, you'll be in good hands to experience the destination.