Australia The Grand Tour

Your ultimate adventure through Australia begins with your arrival into Melbourne. Your private driver will welcome you and transfer to your hotel in the city. After getting settled in, you can enjoy the rest of the day to rest or stretch your legs by going out exploring. The country’s cultural capital is a mecca for shopping and tasty foods. Chapel, Street, the Melbourne Central Shopping Center and the elegant Royal Arcade are the top spots among shoppers. You’ll find mouth-watering eats around nearly every corner, from fancy food trucks serving gourmet burgers made from prime wagyu beef to funky cafes and fine dining restaurants.

Your private guide will bring you on a tour through the streets of Melbourne, including Queen Victoria Market, which has been selling handcrafted items, clothing and produce for more than a century. Some of the other sights you might explore include Federation Square, a venue for culture, arts, public events, as well as the Royal Botanical Gardens with its spectacular landscapes, rare and beautiful plants. You’ll have the rest of the day at your leisure. You might want to join a coffee tour to discover the city’s thriving coffee scene before enjoying live music at one of the many bars or pubs.

This is the perfect day to do what interests you most, with many fabulous day trips and excursions easily accessed from Melbourne. If you visit Phillip Island, you can get up close to koalas and wallabies, or take a boat tour to see the colony of fur seals during the day, and then watch the waddling fairy penguins that come ashore by the thousands, heading back to their burrows. Or, if you’re a wine enthusiast, go touring and tasting in the nearby Yarra Valley, known for producing some of the country’s top sparkling wine, pinot noir and other cool-climate varieties.

This morning private transfer brings you back to Melbourne’s airport to catch your flight to Adelaide. Get settled in and head out to explore on your own. The city is known for its magnificent architecture, including Old Colonial and Victorian, and boasts lots for culture vultures, history enthusiasts and foodies. As the opal mining capital of the world, you might want to pick up some opal jewellery while you’re here. Other highlights include the Adelaide Botanic Garden, renowned for its bicentennial conservatory, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest single span conservatory. There are plenty of idyllic beaches like Henley with its unspoiled white sands too.

Kangaroo Island is your next destination, one of the top spots for viewing the native wildlife. Some of the animals you’ll see not only include kangaroos and other marsupials like koalas, wombats and wallabies, but fur seals, whales, penguins and dolphins – you can even wander among endangered sea lions. Your first stop is Seal Bay where a local park ranger will bring you to witness the colony of rare sea lions. Next, explore the Flinders Chase National Park sanctuary to see koalas, wallabies, and kangaroos before soaking up a gorgeous ocean view and searching for adorable New Zealand fur seals near Admirals Arch.

Heading to the heart of the Outback today, private transfer will bring you to Adelaide’s airport to catch your flight to Uluru. Upon arrival you’ll be met by your private driver for delivery to your hotel. After taking time to relax and refresh, you’ll enjoy an afternoon tour, visiting the Olgas, a group of large domed rock formation, as well as the world-famous Uluru rock, sacred to the local Aboriginals. It’s surrounded by watering holes and springs, ancient rock art and caves with Aboriginal paintings. Conclude the day by sipping sparkling wine while watching a magnificent sunset over the massive red monolith.

Rising early this morning is worth the reward as you’ll be able to watch one of the world’s most impressive sunrises, with the sun’s light beaming across Uluru Rock and the surrounding landscape, changing its colours as it slowly creeps above the horizon. Afterward, you’ll be returned to your accommodation with the rest of the day yours to enjoy. Some of the possibilities include joining an Aboriginal art workshop, a bush tucker tour to learn about native Anangu foods, or a camel riding tour, or hiking around the “Rock.” Visit the Cultural Center to learn about the ancient traditions of the indigenous Anangu culture.

Enjoy a relaxed morning before catching the short flight to Darwin where you can take the rest of the day to explore it at your leisure. This colourful laidback city offers a lot for a small town in the Outback, including Crocosaurus Cove where you can get up close to massive crocodiles – the brave can even go down into the water with them in a transparent cage called the “Cage of Death. There are a ton of bars and eateries and museums like the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory with Top End-focused exhibits, including an impressive Aboriginal art collection.

Embark on a journey to UNESCO-listed Kakadu National Park this morning, traveling the Stuart Highway to explore its abundant wildlife and breath-taking scenery. It’s home to tropical birds, wild horses and saltwater crocodiles along with 2,000 different plant species, aboriginal rock art, rugged cliffs and magnificent waterfalls. You’ll visit the Nourlangie Rock Art Site, where the Aboriginal community has lived for tens of thousands of years while hearing the stories behind the fascinating paintings from your knowledgeable guide. Afterward, you’ll take a river cruise with a local guide, exploring the Yellow Water Billabong to look for crocodiles, concluding by meeting the indigenous Bininj people.

You’ll have the morning to do as you wish before catching a flight this afternoon to Cairns. Upon arrival, private transfer will bring you to your accommodation. Spend the rest of the day exploring on your own, perhaps relaxing and swimming at the Esplanade Lagoon, or, if you’re extra adventurous, this is Australia’s extreme sport capital. You might bungy jump from a 164-foot-high tower in the rainforest, dipping your head into a stream below, or swing through the rainforest on a giant swing at high speeds, accelerating as you drop from nearly 150 feet to just a few feet in only 3.5 seconds.

One of the many highlights on your itinerary – hop on a catamaran cruise to the Great Barrier Reef. Enjoy a full day out on the water, including snorkelling among the abundant sea life. This coral reef is the world’s largest, with more than 3,000 coral cays and reef systems, along with countless tropical fish, sea turtles, rays and other creatures. While on deck you’ll be surrounded by gorgeous islands while enjoying views of idyllic golden sands. The trip includes morning tea and a buffet lunch too. After returning to Cairns in the late afternoon, you’ll have the rest of the day at your leisure.

Today you can explore Cairns at your own pace, perhaps visiting the Cairns Wildlife Dome which features a rainforest environment home to free-flying birds like cockatoos, parrots, and lorikeets, along with koalas, kookaburras, wallabies, turtles, crocs and pythons. Or you might join a four-wheel drive tour of Daintree National Park exploring remote off-road corners and sites like ape Tribulation or Mossman Gorge. Another option is hopping on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway to view the rainforest from above. It will bring you to Kuranda, known for its markets showcasing local rainforest products like quirky artwork, handmade gifts, jewellery and souvenirs.

Your next transfer brings you to Sydney, catching the flight from Cairns and arriving in the afternoon. Take the rest of the day to explore on your own. See the famous Sydney Opera House and visit Darling Harbour, enjoyable just to stroll around while offering a host of attractions. The Chinese Garden of Friendship is ideal place to enjoy tranquillity among hidden pathways that meander alongside lakes, waterfalls, and exotic plants. It’s also home to SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, the National Maritime Museum and the Sydney Zoo. Cockle Bay Wharf is a dining mecca when you’re looking for a bite to eat.

Explore Sydney more in depth with an expert guide this morning, heading to its oldest neighbourhood, The Rocks. Stroll the cobbled lanes while soaking up its rich history as the birthplace of modern Sydney before venturing to Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair. This “chair” is carved right into a cliff providing stunning harbour views. Continue to Kings Cross, once simply known as Australia’s red-light capital, now a rich and vibrant lifestyle precinct. You’ll travel to stylish harborside Double Bay and Watsons Bay to enjoy more picturesque views, concluding at Bondi Beach, one of the country’s most famous, to enjoy the sun and the sand.

Your last full day is yours to enjoy at your leisure. Some of the options including touring and tasting through the Hunter Valley wine region, which produces everything from Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon to Chardonnay. Or climb to the top of Sydney Harbour Bridge for a jaw-dropping view over all of Sydney. Hiking enthusiasts won’t want to miss hopping on a train to explore the scenic trails in Blue Mountains National Park. If you’ve always wanted to learn to surf, take the ferry to Manly Beach where surfing lessons are offered – it’s a great place for sunbathing too.

After 15 nights your ultimate Australian journey comes to an end. Depending on the time of your flight you may have some last moments for picking up souvenirs. Otherwise, once you’ve checked out of your hotel, you’ll take private transfer to Sydney International Airport to catch your flight home.