Australia Highlights and Wildlife Experience

11 NIGHTS

PLEASE NOTE: We can help you add, adjust and tailor the itinerary to suit your requirements. Each clients itinerary is different. We work to your budget and take advantage of current specials in the marketplace for your time of travel.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS:

3 nights Sydney
Sydney Opera House Tour
Sydney city sights tour
Hop on Hop off tour of Sydney Harbour including Taronga Zoo
4 nights Adelaide and Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island Wildlife Discovery 4WD tour
Flinders Chase National Park and Wildlife tour
Barossa Valley wine tasting tour, Adelaide Hills and Hahndorf
4 nights Cairns
Great Barrier Reef tour, snorkeling, semi-submersible tours
Kuranda Tour with Skyrail Cableway and Rainforestation
All transfers throughout
Breakfast Daily

ITINERARY OVERVIEW:

Destinations: Sydney, Adelaide, Kangaroo Island, Cairns

Experiences: Culture, Scenery, Food and Wine, Wildlife

No. of days: 12 day/11 nights itinerary

Begin your Australian adventure in Sydney. Enjoy a visit to the famous Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour and Taronga Zoo where you can get your first wildlife experience. Then you’re off to Adelaide and Kangaroo Island for more wildlife and stunning scenic and coastal landscapes. You get to explore Kangaroo Island on a 4WD tour and Flinders Chase National Park. Following your wildlife activities, you have a day of wine tasting, Adelaide Hills and a visit to Hahndorf. Next stop is Cairns where you will snorkel the breath-taking Great Barrier Reef. You’re in the tropical north so a visit to the rainforest is a must on the Kuranda Scenic Railway including Rainforestation. With so many wildlife and scenic experiences on your itinerary there will be no shortage of great photo opportunities.

DAY BY DAY:

Day 1: Arrive in Sydney and transfer to your hotel. (3 nights Sydney). As your first introduction to Sydney you have a tour of the iconic Sydney Opera House. Visit areas off-limits to the public and capture photographs from rare vantage points. Explore theatres and foyers where more than 1600 concerts, operas, dramas and ballets take place each year. Spend the rest of the day relaxing and exploring the city.

Day 2: This morning you are off on a Sydney city sights tour. Learn about the historic Rocks area and hear early convict history. Enjoy magnificent views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. See the shopping heart of the city. Experience South Head, The Gap and Bondi Beach. Spend the afternoon at your leisure.

Day 3: You get to explore Sydney at your own pace today with a Hop on Hop off tour of Sydney Harbour including Taronga Zoo entry and a Sky Safari cable ride.

Day 4: Leaving Sydney today you fly to Adelaide. Transfer to your hotel. Spend the afternoon exploring Adelaide. (1 night Adelaide).

Day 5: You’re flying from Adelaide to Kangaroo Island today. Today’s full day 4WD tour of Kangaroo Island takes you through several island habitats and you’ll see wildlife in its natural environment. Explore beaches, take walks through majestic native bush land and have encounters with kangaroos, koalas, echidnas, wallabies, sealions and a variety of birdlife. Seal Bay is a highlight of the tour. (1 night Kangaroo Island).

Day 6: There’s more wildlife and stunning scenery to view today on a full day Flinders Chase Nature and Wildlife Tour. You’ll explore Flinders Chase National Park on a small group 4WD tour to view fur seals, koalas, kangaroos, tammar wallabies and other native wildlife. View Admirals Arch and wander among the Remarkable Rocks. Enjoy a gourmet picnic lunch served in a secluded bush setting. You will also visit Kelly Hill Conservation park and one of South Australia’s first Lighthouses at Cape du Couedic. After your tour has concluded you will fly back to Adelaide (2 nights Adelaide).

Day 7: Journey to the Barossa Valley today on your coach wine tour, enjoy wine tastings at several estates. Travel through the Adelaide Hills dotted with quaint villages to Hahndorf, Australia's oldest German settlement. Enjoy free time to walk and browse along the Elm lined main street, see quaint cottages, inns, craft shops and galleries.

Day 8: Leaving Adelaide today, transfer for your flight to Cairns. Check into your hotel and explore Cairns at leisure for the remainder of the day. (4 nights Cairns).

Day 9: You get to explore the Great Barrier Reef today! Travel aboard a 32 meter luxury sailing catamaran to Michaelmas Cay, which is a picturesque vegetated Sand Cay encircled by a superb fringing reef. Lunch is included. Enjoy four hours on the Reef where you can choose from a range of activities including snorkeling, semi-submersible tours and guided beach walks. Enjoy a glass of bubbles as you cruise home.

Day 10: Today is all about history, rainforest and wildlife. You get to ride the historic Kuranda Scenic Rail to Kuranda. Rainforestation, set in 40 hectares of lush gardens, is your next stop. Board the amphibious Army Duck and enjoy the Wildlife Park. Transfer back to Kuranda, then it’s time to board Skyrail Rainforest Cableway for your return journey.

Day 11: Relax and explore Cairns today at your leisure.

Day 12: Depart Cairns for your homeward flight!

GET STARTED ON YOUR TRIP TODAY!

TOP ACTIVITIES: Sydney | Adelaide | Kangaroo Island | Cairns

Customized Itinerary

All aspects of this itinerary can be changed to suit your requirements.
The itineraries provided are great introductions to your chosen destination. You can create a travel plan using the itinerary provided or make modifications to destinations, activities and accommodation and create the dream trip you want.
Not every traveler is the same, we get that and so that’s why we recommend making changes to suit your needs. In fact, we insist - we want you to have the best trip.
If you would like any recommendations for dinner or shopping areas please let us know we are happy to help and make bookings for you where necessary.

Visa requirements:

To travel to Australia you will need a US passport valid for at least 6 months and we can process an ETA Visa for free for US Citizens. We will need a copy of your Photo Page of your Passport. Nationalities of any other countries please enquire with your agent to see if you are eligible for a free ETA Visa or if you need to apply for a Visitor Visa.

To travel to New Zealand you will need a US passport valid for at least 6 months and an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority. More information on the NZeTA application requirements and process can be found on our FAQ page here.

Travel Insurance:

We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance to protect your investment. We will provide a travel insurance quote at the time of booking, and you are free to use our recommended insurance with Travelguard, find your own, or book without insurance.

A product that we can offer is a Cancel For Any Reason policy that will provide you with 80% back in refunds. If the cancellation is for medical reasons there is a 100% refund..

Additional information:

Downunder Journeys services travel requests from the United States and Canada for travel to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Cook Islands and Tahiti. All pricing on this website is in US Dollars.

All of the sample itineraries on this website do not include airfares as the airfare price changes daily and to ensure you get the best possible price we will work with the best airfares at the time. If you happen to buy your airfare first and then need a package to fit it, we can certainly help with that as well, just let us know.

As an idea for a 2-week vacation to Australia or New Zealand we recommend a budget of around $8,000-10,000 (including economy airfare), this would be for a 4 star and above itinerary, a little cheaper if we did more moderate accommodations.