Tour Introduction
Kyneton, Buda House, Murder on the Orient Express, Daylesford, Garden ArtHighlights
Visit to Piper Street in Kyneton to explore the many art, fashion and souvenir shops
Private lunch and garden tour at historic Buda House in Castlemaine
Nighttime "Murder on the Orient" Express rail experience
Visit to the Sunday Daylesford markets
Lunch at Swiss Mountain Hotel, a historic country pub
Private tour of Overwrought Garden Art
Inclusions
Return coach travel from Melbourne on Rosa 11.
Lunch and a garden tour of historic Buda House, an authentic Goldfields villa house
Nighttime "Murder on the Orient Express" experience onboard an authentic steam train
Visit to the Sunday markets at Daylesford
Lunch at Swiss Mountain Hotel
Overnight accommodation in Castlemaine at Campbell Street Lodge
Free time in Castlemaine and Daylesford
Private tour of Overwrought Garden Art
Notice
Join us for a fun night onboard an authentic steam train as we view the classic 1974 star studded version of the ultimate whodunnit "Murder on the Orient Express". Enhance your experience by getting dressed up as we enjoy an evening of suspense and great company. Think feather boa. The trip concludes at 10:30pm.
Basic Fitness Rating: A basic level of fitness is required for this tour. Typically, a day of walking entails approximately 10,000 steps, and you should be capable of boarding and disembarking coaches and boats unaided, as well as managing steps and uneven terrain, including cobblestones and unsurfaced roads and paths. Please CLICK HERE for more details.
Itinerary
Day 1 - Saturday 13 June 2026
Melbourne - Kyneton - Castlemaine (L)
Meet your tour hostess and fellow travellers at the designated Bus– Southern Cross Coach Terminal, 205 Spencer Street, Melbourne.
We'll travel to Kyneton to explore the touristic street of Piper Street which comes alive on weekends. Free time to enjoy the collection of art, fashion and vintage shops.
We'll then continue onto Castlemaine in time for a lovely lunch at Buda historic House and garden. This is an authentic heritage listed goldfields villa. After lunch we have a guided walk through the homestead and gardens. We check in to our hotel with the remainder of the afternoon free before an early dinner tonight.
We then head to the Castlemaine railway station to begin our unique rail experience onboard an authentic steam train. In arguably the best cinematic version of the ultimate murder mystery we accompany Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot (Albert Finney) and a star-studded cast as he solves his most baffling case. A welcome aboard glass of champagne sets the scene. A short introductory talk explains some of the background and actual events that led Agatha Christie to pen the novel. We view the movie as our train slowly steams through the night to Maldon. Accompanied by the sights and sounds of our steam engine, the level crossing bells, the passing lights in the night, it is an unforgettable experience. Feel free to dress up in the fashion on the time. Upon arrival back into Castlemaine, we'll transfer back to our hotel.
Overnight – Castlemaine
Day 2 - Sunday 14th June 2026
Castlemaine - Daylesford - Melbourne (B,L)
This morning after breakfast, we'll head to Daylesford to enjoy their popular Sunday markets. These markets are an institution so come prepared with a pocketful of change and a shopping bag. Time to explore Daylesford at leisure before we head to Blampied to enjoy lunch at the Swiss Mountain Hotel. After lunch we have a guided tour at Overwrought Garden Art with the artist and designer David Dawson.
Travelling back to Melbourne mid afternoon. Return around 5:15pm.
**Luggage - Due to limited luggage space, please ensure you bring a small suitcase / cabin bag. Think standard carry-on aircraft dimensions.
**We have nearly booked out the whole Campell Street lodge and there is a slight difference in room sizes so first booked will be allocated accordingly. Request for ground floor will be accommodated where possible.
**Itinerary subject to change