TRIP HIGHLIGHTS:

• Melbourne City Sights Tour with Eureka Tower

• Lanes and arcades walk through the city with lunch

• Yarra Valley Ballooning and Wine Experience

• Phillip Island tour including Moonlight Sanctuary and the penguin parade

• All transfers

• Breakfast Daily

ITINERARY OVERVIEW:

Destinations:     Melbourne

No. of days:      5 Days

There’s plenty to do and see in Melbourne, Australia.  Victoria’s capital city has been repeatedly named as one of the world’s most liveable cities and you can see why.  There’s a great combination of world-class dining, art galleries, boutique shopping and a busy sports calendar that draws visitors from everywhere.  Arrive in Melbourne and orientate yourself with a city sights tour seeing all the highlights, iconic Melbourne spots and views of the city from Eureka Tower.  Wander through Melbourne’s famous laneways and back streets discovering all the best shops, cafes, street art and architecture.  Visit the Yarra Valley starting the day with a sunrise hot air balloon ride followed by a wine tour of the region. Head off to explore Phillip Island to tour the sites and visit a wildlife sanctuary finishing your day with a very cute penguin parade. All the best of Melbourne in 5 days.

DAY BY DAY:

Day 1:   Arrive in Melbourne, transfer to your hotel.  Enjoy a city tour and discover the secrets of Melbourne. See Captain Cook's Cottage, Queen Victoria Market, Fitzroy Gardens and Albert Park, home to the Australian Grand Prix. Stroll the Royal Botanic Gardens, see the Royal Exhibition Buildings and Federation Square. Visit the Shrine of Remembrance and see the Southbank waterfront precinct. See some of the city's architecture including St. Paul's Cathedral and the Princess and Regent theatres. Cross the Bolte Bridge for great city views. Included in your tour is a visit to Eureka Tower. In less than 40 seconds you will arrive at Level 88 in the fastest lift in the Southern Hemisphere and be amazed by the views of Melbourne from the floor to ceiling windows.

Day 2:   Melbourne is famous for it’s hidden laneways and you get to explore them today morning walk through the city. Join an indulgent morning walk through Melbourne's beautiful back streets and get orientated in the life of the city that locals love. Discover artisan and specialty retailers, and see quirky cafes, independent designers, street art, architecture and learn of historic tales in these walkways. Soak in the city via all your senses and engage with passionate creatives. There is something for everyone. Morning tea is included before a bistro lunch with a glass of wine. Get orientated and return to those places you like best in the afternoon, at your leisure.

Day 3:   You have a truly spectacular start to your day today. Sunrise Ballooning over the Yarra Valley is a bucket list favorite for many guests and provides breathtaking views over the Valley.  This provides an exhilarating start to the day before your food and wine tour of the Yarra Valley a world class wine region. Just an hour from Melbourne the tour route will take you to a mob of kangaroos before you make it to the wine region. Visiting 4 or 5 family owned and operated cellar doors for the most personalized cellar door experience you will hear the stories of this beautiful region and savor world class premium wines including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and spectacular sparkling varietals. Your food and wine experience includes international and local cheese and wine pairing and a 2 course lunch with a glass of wine expertly matched at the cellar door at a leading winery restaurant promoting local and seasonal produce. De Bortoli Estate is the first stop and is a tutored tasting where your wines, including the most awarded dessert wine in Australia, Noble One is paired with local and international cheeses from the Cheese Maturation Room. Next stop is to Meet the Winemaker, Graeme Miller who is a pioneer winemaker in the region. This event includes a cellar door tasting that overlooks a working winery before lunch. Al Fresco dining in the warmer months. After a delicious lunch that features local, seasonal produce you visit 10th generation French winemaker, Dominique Portet for a modern, Mediterranean cellar door experience.

Day 4:   After a leisurely morning you’re off to Phillip Island this afternoon to explore unique nature experiences and dramatic landscapes.  Before touring Phillip Island you will visit Moonlit Sanctuary Conservation Park where you will meet endangered species, kangaroos, wallabies and koalas plus an array of colorful birds and reptiles.  Phillip Island is the home of the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix and the famous Little Penguins. The tour visits Woolamai beach and to the western corner of the island to enjoy magnificent views of Bass Strait and the Nobbies, which is home to the largest colony of fur seals in Australia. After a dinner stop its time for the famous penguin parade. From a viewing platform you will see the little penguins come ashore, decked out in their tuxedos as they hurry off to find their burrows. Tour concludes at approximately 9.30pm (April to October) and 11.30pm (November to March).

Day 5:   Transfer to the airport for your flight home.

TOP ACTIVITIES:  Melbourne

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.

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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.

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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.