The Kuranda Scenic Railway is a 1 hour and 45 minutes long train ride stretching 34 km between Cairns and Kuranda. It offers spectacular views of the surroundings about 327 metres above sea level. A truly unforgettable experience. We were absolutely amazed by the beauty of the train ride itself and just loved the way the whole train sort of quietly rocked you to the sounds of clickety-clack while slowly rolling forward with windows down giving us the chance to smell the rainforest and feel the fresh breeze in our hair.

It felt a bit like traveling back in time. All along the trainride you get a history lesson and you are not only mesmerized by the stories of the past and the incredible feat of 1500 men constructing the railway but you also get to enjoy the ride sitting in beautiful carriages made from Silky Oak timber that date back to the early 1900´s. And for us, traveling in Gold Class, we also had the pleasure of tasting exquisite cheese, crackers, sparkling wine or beer and mango sorbet ice cream – making it a surreal experience we can hardly forget. Surely it is one of the most epic train rides we have ever done and the Gold Class experience was just the icing on the cake.  

In addition the service onboard was nothing short of excellent. Throughout the whole train ride we were well taken care of and the train attendant even gave us heads up when some of the more famous attractions along the track showed up.

The Gold Class experience, such as the one we did will cost you around 100 AUD per adult one way and about 174 AUD return ticket. It is well worth the price considering everything you get in return. 

The Kuranda Scenic Railway stretches between Cairns station and Freshwater to Kuranda Station. If you travel from Cairns you can hop on the train at Cairns Central. We traveled the other way around from Kuranda towards Cairns. The Gold Class experience is only available between Freshwater and Kuranda, or the other way around – but of course everyone can commence or end their journey at Cairns station.  

To enjoy this epic train ride, a journey you will never forget, you can fill out the booking enquiry and reserve your tickets on the Queensland Rail Travel website or simply just show up at the ticket office at the train station. However we suggest booking in advance because it is highly popular and tickets are prone to sell out, especially on weekends.

For inspiring photos and the possibility of learning more of this experience check out Queensland Rail Travel Instagram or website and give them a like or follow. When visiting Cairns and Queensland – this is an experience not to be missed.