Australia Highlights

Once you have arrived at Melbourne Airport, a representative will meet you at the arrival gate with a signboard, before transferring you to your accommodation.

Melbourne sits on Port Phillip Bay and the Yarra River, and is widely regarded as Australia's cultural and culinary capital, with a modern skyline, leafy botanical gardens and the bohemian beachside neighbourhood of St Kilda all close by. The rest of the day is free for you to start exploring.

Please note: Please bring one piece of luggage or bag each for this transfer.

Today, you join a full-day guided discovery tour of Melbourne, learning about the city's founding and its growth from a gold rush settlement in the 1850s into one of the world's most liveable cities.

The tour takes you to Parliament Hill and along the grand stretch of Collins Street laid out during the gold rush boom, before stopping at Queen Victoria Market, Australia's largest open-air market, and Lygon Street, home to the city's Italian community and coffee culture.

From here, you visit the UNESCO-listed Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens, and Melbourne's sporting precinct, where you learn about Australian Rules Football.

The afternoon continues to St Patrick's Cathedral, built from bluestone and sandstone in the Gothic-revival style, and Fitzroy Gardens, home to Cook's Cottage and the Conservatory, before finishing at Federation Square and the Shrine of Remembrance, Victoria's national war memorial, where you can walk to the top for views across the city.

Please note: Hotel pickup and dropoff, and food and drinks, are not included on this tour.

Today is free for you to continue exploring Melbourne. You could wander the bohemian streets of St Kilda, with its beaches and lively cafe scene, or spend some time in the city's Botanical Gardens.

Once you arrive into Sydney, you transfer to your accommodation. The rest of the day is free for you to continue exploring Sydney.

Bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the Hawkesbury River, Sydney is considered one of the world's most liveable cities, home to landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Bondi Beach, with the unspoiled ranges of the Blue Mountains just outside the city.

You could stroll through the Royal Botanic Gardens along the harbour foreshore, or visit St Mary's Cathedral, the city's main Catholic cathedral, both an easy walk from the centre.

This morning, a coach collects you from your accommodation for a half-day sightseeing tour of Sydney, beginning with the historic Rocks district and its stories of early convict history.

You continue through the Central Business District and Macquarie Street, passing 18th-century sandstone buildings including NSW Parliament House, the Rum Hospital, Hyde Park Barracks and St Mary's Cathedral, before reaching Mrs Macquarie's Point for views over the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

The tour continues through Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, taking in Kings Cross, Double Bay and Rose Bay, with a stop at Watsons Bay where you can join a short coastal walk overlooking the entrance to Sydney Harbour.

From here, you travel on to Bondi Beach for a 30-minute stop to walk the promenade before continuing past Tamarama and Bronte beaches, then back through Centennial Park and the boutique-lined streets of Paddington.

The tour ends at Darling Harbour, where those who have booked a harbour lunch cruise can join it here or at Circular Quay, at an additional cost.

Please note: Hotel dropoff is not included at the end of this tour; drop-off is at Circular Quay or Darling Harbour.

Today is free for you to continue exploring Sydney. If you haven't yet, you could wander the Royal Botanic Gardens along the harbour foreshore, or head further afield with a day trip to the Blue Mountains.

This morning you continue your journey from Sydney to Cairns. On arrival at Cairns Airport, make your way to the Arrivals Hall. Once you have been met, you transfer to your accommodation in Cairns, a regional city founded in 1876 and the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and Far North Queensland.

Please note: Please bring one cabin bag and one checked bag each for this transfer.

Please note: Customs and quarantine clearance times can vary; if delayed, contact the transfer desk directly for assistance.

This morning, you board an air-conditioned catamaran at Cairns Marina for the 1.5-hour cruise out to Moore Reef on the Outer Great Barrier Reef.

Once at the pontoon, you have around two and a half hours to snorkel, ride the waterslide, take a glass-bottom boat or semi-submersible tour, or relax in the enclosed ocean pool, with the option to join a Seawalker helmet dive or a scenic helicopter flight at an additional cost.

From here, you continue to Fitzroy Island, where 99% of the island is covered in rainforest, granite outcrops and coral-fringed beaches. You enjoy a buffet lunch at Zephyrs restaurant before spending the afternoon at leisure, with the option to join a Turtle Talk session, a rainforest walk or kayaking.

You return to Cairns by late afternoon.

Please note: Check-in for this excursion closes at 7:30 am at the Sunlover Cruises desk inside the Reef Fleet Terminal at Cairns Marina; passengers arriving after this time may miss boarding.
Please note: Hotel pickup and dropoff are not included for this excursion; please arrange your own transfer to the Reef Fleet Terminal.

Today is free for you to continue exploring Cairns. You could stroll the rainforest boardwalks of Centenary Lakes, or visit the City Botanic Gardens, both a short distance from the centre.

On your final day, you transfer to Cairns Airport for your onward flight, bringing your 10-day Australian tour to a close.