Your Riverina journey begins at Sydney’s Central Station, where you’ll check in before a short coach transfer to Darling Harbour. Here, board the Spirit of Migloo for a Morning Discovery Cruise with Journey Beyond Cruise Sydney. Enjoy a light breakfast and take in uninterrupted 360-degree views of Sydney Harbour, before returning to Central Station to board your Vintage Rail Journey.

As the train winds south from Sydney, settle into your cabin or relax in the lounge carriage before lunch is served onboard.

Then in the afternoon, step off train in the Southern Highlands for your first taste of the Riverina region.

Visit Retford Park, a grand heritage property in Bowral, where the Portuguese Pink mansion, gardens, sculptures, and art collection reveal the story of this remarkable estate. Alternatively, step into a world of vintage folk art and mechanical wonders at Fairground Follies, home to an extraordinary collection of historic carousel horses, mechanical music and a spectacular 101-key pipe organ.

Rejoin the train in Moss Vale and settle in for dinner as the it continues south towards Goulburn and stables for the evening. (L, D)

Wake to breakfast on board as the train continues along the Main South Line, passing through the charming towns and villages of the Canola Trail. As you’re carried deeper into the Riverina, keep an eye out for the grain silos punctuating the landscape.

Arrive in Junee for your choice of Off Train Experience, where the railway itself takes centre stage. Step inside the Junee Roundhouse Museum, one of the Southern Hemisphere’s few surviving roundhouses, and explore a remarkable collection of steam and diesel locomotives, historic carriages, and railway artefacts. Alternatively, indulge your sweet tooth at the Junee Licorice & Chocolate Factory, where passionate chocolatiers reveal the traditional craft behind its handmade treats before you browse the tempting collection in the factory shop.

Continue to Coolamon, a charming Riverina township where lunch awaits at the Coolamon Cheese Factory. Enjoy a selection of artisan cheeses, fresh sandwiches, seasonal treats, cakes and scones, with time to discover the traditions and stories behind the region’s local produce. Afterwards, wander through the township at your own pace, following a walking map created especially to uncover its historic buildings, quirky museums, and local character.

Return to the train at Coolamon Station, settle back into the lounge or your cabin, then enjoy dinner on board as the Riverina landscape continues to glide by. (B, L, D)

Enjoy breakfast on board before setting out to experience the people, produce, and agricultural traditions that define the Riverina.

Meet the producers behind some of the region’s most distinctive industries, from the fields of Southern Cotton to the agricultural story behind Whitton Malt House, then enjoy a relaxed lunch of local produce beside Lake Hulong. Alternatively, spend the morning at Morella Olive Grove Farm, where second-generation farmer Frank DalBon shares the story of the land, his family’s farming journey, and the craft behind their award-winning olive oils, condiments, and vinegars. Continue to Yarran Wines for a tasting of Riverina wines paired with a generous charcuterie-style lunch.

Return to the train in Yenda and settle into the rhythm of the afternoon as the train rolls towards Temora and the sun sets over the countryside. Enjoy dinner on board before settling in for the evening. (B, L, D)

After breakfast on board, discover Temora, a town rich in stories of rural life, innovation, and Australian history.

Explore the Temora Rural History Museum, where a collection of historic buildings, machinery, and everyday artefacts bring the region’s rural past to life. This includes a bush church and country dance hall, a one-room schoolhouse, and the slab cottage that was once Sir Donald Bradman’s first home. Alternatively, step into the world of aviation at Temora Aviation Museum, home to a remarkable collection of historic aircraft and a fascinating insight into Australia’s aviation heritage and the wartime role of the region.

Return to Temora Station and the dining carriage for lunch and watch as the train travels along freight-only lines through Stockinbingal. Spend a leisurely afternoon onboard, watching the Riverina landscape give way to the changing scenery of inland New South Wales.

As evening falls, enjoy dinner on board as the train travels through Parkes and joins the Broken Hill line, continuing towards Orange Rail Yard. (B, L, D)

Enjoy breakfast on board as you travel towards the Great Dividing Range. Pass through Lithgow and travel through the ten tunnels that replaced the historic Lithgow Zig Zag, before crossing the Darling Causeway towards Mount Victoria.

Here, the journey takes a step back in time aboard the iconic Zig Zag Railway. Settle into a scenic 90-minute steam train journey through the Blue Mountains, crossing historic sandstone viaducts built between 1866 and 1869. Along the way, there are opportunities to stretch your legs and watch the locomotive being repositioned as part of the railway’s unique zig-zag operation.

Enjoy lunch during the tour before continuing to Echo Point Lookout, where sweeping views across the Blue Mountains provide a spectacular final glimpse of the region.

Return to the train for the final leg of your journey back to Sydney’s Central Station. Settle in with a glass of bubbles as the landscape unfolds outside your window, and the city’s skyline comes into view, bringing your five-day Riverina journey to a close. (B, L, D)