The best tours to do in Australia

Australia’s biggest icons make up the showcase attractions on this classic tailormade adventure for first-time visitors. In doing our 13-day Sydney, Rock and Reef tour or a variation in its itinerary, you’ll experience Australia’s most famous city alongside two of its breathtaking natural wonders: Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock, and the Great Barrier Reef, the largest system of coral on the planet.

Return home with selfies by the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, wander through history in The Rocks, and learn to surf at Bondi Beach. Afterwards, fly into the Red Centre for a barbecue under the stars and a guided walk around the sacred Uluru monolith and the fascinating formations of Kata Tjuta. Finally, stay in laidback Port Douglas, just outside Cairns, where you’ll have access to the Great Barrier Reef’s marine wonderland and the Daintree Rainforest’s magical landscape.

If extra flights in and out of Uluru and Alice Springs don’t appeal to you, try taking the road from Sydney to Cairns instead. As you travel Australia’s sunniest coast, incredible stopping points include Port Stephens, Coffs Harbour, and Byron Bay at the top of New South Wales or the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast on either side of the southern Queensland city of Brisbane.

Continuing north takes you through shoreline towns offering easy access to the car-free sand island of K’gari, Hamilton Island, the Whitsundays, Cairns, Port Douglas, and the Great Barrier Reef. This trip can be completed on a luxury coach tour, an easy self-drive, or on a Campervan Adventure. Simply set aside your time and budget, then plan your tour to suit.

Lesser travelled than the east coast, Australia’s southwest is filled with some of its most beautiful and surprising natural locations. Beginning your journey in the Western Australian capital of Perth, a Wonders of the South West tour will first travel north to find the world’s oldest living fossils at Shell Beach and swim with dolphins at Monkey Mia.

Sweeping south, you’ll encounter the spectacular formation of Wave Rock, the gold mine Super Pit of Kalgoorlie, and the salt pans of Lake Lefroy. After witnessing the mystical Pink Lake, you’ll return through the stunning Margaret River wine region to the arty seaside resort of Fremantle.

Sydney might be home to the icons, but it’s not the only city in southeast Australia. One of the best Australian multi-centre holidays is a city-hopping journey through Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide. In constant competition with Sydney for the title of Australia’s biggest metropolis, Melbourne is home to artisan markets, laneway coffee shops, inspiring street art, and rooftop bars. It’s a laidback town filled with riverside attractions and historic sites, but the real relaxation happens just a tram ride away at St. Kilda. Here, you’ll find penguins living by the golden beach and a central street lined with cake cafés and book shops.

Speaking of food, Adelaide is home to some of Australia’s best restaurants and is the gateway to the wine and agricultural regions of the Barossa Valley and the McLaren Vale. It’s also just a short hop from the natural sanctuary of Kangaroo Island. If you have time, the drive between Melbourne and Adelaide takes you along the Great Ocean Road, one of the best scenic drives in the world.

If this is your second or third visit to Australia, you might want to push your boundaries and get off the beaten track. Consider heading north for a Darwin and Top End Highlights adventure from the Northern territory’s waterfront capital to the otherworldly Litchfield National Park, the tropical outback of Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge, and the saltwater crocs of Kakadu.

At the opposite edge of Australia, sail across the Bass Straight and explore mountains, lakes and waterfalls on a Tasmanian Wonders tour between Hobart and Launceston, which might even introduce you to an adorable Tasmanian Devil.

Driving is easy on Australia’s long, quiet roads, but it’s not for everyone. Another fantastic way to see the country is on its railways. Two luxury lines crisscross the nation, offering smooth rail journeys with endless sightseeing and fine dining as you go. The Ghan travels between Darwin and Adelaide with a stop in Alice Springs, while the Indian Pacific moves between Perth and Sydney via Adelaide. It’s an elegant and stress-free way to cover Australia’s giant land mass and a once-in-a-lifetime experience in itself.

For those who have the freedom, adding New Zealand to your Australia itinerary requires just a three-hour flight over the Tasman Sea. Direct flights to Auckland and Christchurch create opportunities to explore two nations in one when you combine individual tours or a complete journey, such as the 22-day Highlights of Australia and New Zealand.

Add the epic scale of Australia to the spellbinding landscape of New Zealand on a trip which takes in the diverse cultures, history, and locations of both nations. Bathe in geothermal waters in Rotorua, walk on ice sheets at Mount Cook, sail with dolphins at Milford Sound, or release your adrenaline in Queenstown. When you’ve travelled this far, you may as well make the most of it.