Kiama Picnic Train 2026 and 2027 dates, tickets and timetable

Check the Kiama Picnic Train facts before you book

The Kiama Picnic Train is run by The Picnic Train, a non-profit group of volunteers who operate and maintain heritage steam locomotives and 1930s carriages. It is not a Transport Heritage NSW trip, and the operator says it has no connection to Sydney Trains or NSW TrainLink, so you can't buy tickets at a station booking office.

All times are indicative. The operator emails final times and platform numbers in the week before your trip.

Plan around the 2026 dates and the 2027 gap

The Picnic Train has published six Kiama dates for the rest of 2026, all on weekends. Pay attention to the departure station, because it changes on the middle weekend.

Earlier in 2026 the train ran winter trips from Tempe on 4 and 5 July and 15 and 16 August, according to the official booking page.

2027 dates have not been announced. Neither the Kiama page nor the trips page lists any 2027 Kiama trips yet. The operator says new tours are released from time to time on its website and social media, and you can join its mailing list to hear when they go on sale. Its trips page also says steam-hauled journeys pause in the hotter summer months, with some diesel-hauled trips in air-conditioned carriages over summer. We will add 2027 dates here once the organiser publishes them.

For everything else on in town, see our Kiama events guide.

Ride the route from Sydney through the Royal National Park

The train leaves the Sydney suburbs, runs south through the Royal National Park and follows the coast past Wollongong to Kiama. Here is the operator's indicative timetable for 2026.

Arrive at least 20 minutes before departure. The operator says the train will not wait for latecomers, and on the day the crew will tell you the exact time to be back on board at Kiama. Weather and other trains on the network can cause delays.

The train is usually hauled by one of the group's two 1950s steam locomotives: 5917, built by Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton in the United States for the NSW Government Railways, or R766, a former Victorian Railways engine converted to run in NSW. The locomotive is not guaranteed and can change without notice.

If you would rather drive or catch a regular train, our Sydney to Kiama guide compares every option.

Choose your seat and book on the official page

Fares are for same-day return travel and are priced per group, not per person, except for High Tea. These are the organiser's published prices for the 2026 Kiama trips. Prices can change, so check before you book.

A few rules worth knowing before you pay:

• There are no one-way fares and no senior or concession discounts.
• Babies in arms and small toddlers who don't need their own seat travel free.
• High Tea does not cater for dietary requirements, and pairs share a table of four.
• Booths seat four and compartments seat eight, strictly.
• Groups can board at different stations if each person has a copy of the tickets.

Book through the Kiama Picnic Train page, which links to the operator's TryBooking ticket page. You can show your confirmation email on your phone when you board. Tickets may be sold on the day, but there is no guarantee of a seat. For a large group, the operator offers whole-carriage hire on quote.

Pack the picnic and know the rules on board

The name is a hint. The operator encourages you to bring your own picnic hamper, and a buffet car sells light snacks, hot food and drinks, by cash or card.

• Alcohol: BYO is allowed and the buffet car sells drinks, but large eskies are not allowed, and no alcohol can be taken or drunk off the train.
• Air-conditioning: only the dining and lounge cars have it. Heritage carriages have windows that open.
• Phones: there are no power points or USB outlets, so bring a battery pack.
• Toilets: most carriages have one, but they are locked through the metropolitan area.
• Prams: only small collapsible prams that fit on the luggage racks.
• Access: the heritage carriages are not wheelchair accessible. Contact the operator before booking to talk about options.
• Dogs: only guide dogs.

You keep the same seats both ways, and the operator says the train is locked while it waits at Kiama, so you can leave bags on board.

Spend your 3 hours 45 minutes in Kiama

The train pulls into Kiama station at about 12.35pm and leaves at about 4.20pm. That is time for lunch and one or two sights, not a full tour, so pick a plan before you arrive. If you plan to eat in a restaurant, the operator suggests booking lunch ahead.

• Walk to the Blowhole. The Kiama Blowhole is about a 14-minute walk (1.2 km) from the station, next to Kiama Lighthouse. It is free and sprays highest in a south-east swell.
• See the Collins Street terraces. The row of restored timber terrace houses is about a 9-minute walk (0.6 km) from the station, and makes an easy stop on the way to the harbour.
• Time it with the Seaside Markets. The Kiama Seaside Markets run on the third Sunday of each month at Black Beach Reserve. In 2026 that lines up with the Sunday 15 November train, when the markets start at 9am.
• Eat by the harbour. Our where to eat in Kiama guide lists cafes, pubs and lunch spots around town.

Set an alarm for 4pm. The train will not wait, and the next regular train home costs you an Opal fare on top of your ticket.

Stay the night and walk to Kiama Ridge Waters

The operator lets passengers get off at Kiama, although your ticket is priced and sold as a return trip. That makes the Picnic Train a memorable way to start a weekend: ride the steam train down, stay a night or two, and catch a regular train home on your Opal card. Our Sydney to Kiama guide covers those trains and fares.

Kiama Ridge Waters is about a 27-minute walk (2.2 km) from Kiama station. The train arrives at about 12.35pm and check-in is from 3pm, so you have time for lunch and the Blowhole on the way. Each of our three-bedroom apartments sleeps six, with two bathrooms and a full kitchen, and there is garage parking if someone in your group drives down instead.

If you have booked a Private Compartment for eight, two apartments on the same site will sleep the whole group, and you can book more for a bigger party. See our weekend stays, group stays or browse all our apartments.