Kuranda Scenic Rail- the perfect way to see the Atherton Tablelands

When making a wish list of things to do on a Cairns holiday, near the top of the list is always a ride on Queensland Rail’s Kuranda Scenic Railway, something visitors to Cairns have been enjoying for over 100 years. Opened in 1891, things have come a long way, with a new service launched recently especially for international visitors to Cairns and the tropical far north, called Gold Class - Kuranda Scenic Railway experience.

This new Kuranda Scenic Rail Gold Class ticket has a different emphasis showcasing local produce and the World Heritage listed Wet Tropics region’s interesting history. And all the locals know that the Kuranda Scenic railway has some of the best “selfie” photo opportunities in all of Queensland as it tracks through the World Heritage protected rainforest from Kuranda back to Cairns, down the Kuranda range mountainside, letting visitors on this Cairns day tour really relax as they take in the scenery in style.

The carriages of the Kuranda train have been hand-crafted in Victorian-inspired style, and feature relaxed club lounge seating, while allowing passengers to move around freely to the rear viewing platform, take photos from the timber-framed windows and capture that perfect photo of a waterfall or gorgeous tree ferns, from their seat.

The new on board Gold Class menu includes the finest Queensland and Tablelands produce throughout the almost 2 hour return train ride, with freshly baked muffins with Mango Sorbet, a epicurean selection of Queensland’s best cheese, nuts, dessert, wine and beer as they sit back and watch the chocolate-box views of waterfalls, steep ravines and deep green rainforest along the historic railway track with its fifteen hand-made tunnels and 37 bridges which reaches 328m above sea level.

For those visitors that want to really enjoy a total day of the most popular things to do, start off the morning with a ride from Cairns up on the Atherton Tablelands with Hot Air Balloon Cairns, then afterwards, stroll around the village of Kuranda before finishing after lunch, with the new Gold Class Kuranda Scenic Railway 3:30pm departure from Kuranda Station back to Cairns railway station.

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