Australian Highlights
Australian Highlights
Australian Highlights
13 Days Starting in Melbourne, Australia and ending in Sydney, Australia
Visiting: Melbourne, Alice Springs, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Uluru, Cairns, Great Barrier Reef, Sydney
Tour operator:
Tour code:
IMSE24
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Age range:
16-
Tour operated in:
EnglishInterests:
Activities:
Tour Overview
Embark on an unforgettable journey through Australia's most iconic landscapes with the "Australian Highlights" tour. This 13-day adventure begins in Melbourne, where you'll explore vibrant laneways and art-filled alleys. Travel to the remote Northern Territory, experiencing the awe-inspiring Uluru and the rich Aboriginal culture of Central Australia. Dive into the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and marvel at its diverse marine life. In Sydney, uncover the secrets of the Sydney Opera House and enjoy a scenic harbour cruise. With premium accommodations, expert guides, and internal flights included, this tour offers a seamless and enriching exploration of Australia's cultural and natural treasures. Whether you're stargazing in Alice Springs or strolling along Bondi Beach, each day promises new discoveries and unforgettable memories.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Welcome To Melbourne
Location: Melbourne
Accommodation Name: Crowne Plaza Hotel Melbourne
Meals Included: Dinner
Settle into your hotel on the banks of the Yarra River and meet your Travel Director for a welcome reception and dinner at the South Wharf riverside pub, The General Assembly restaurant. It's a great opportunity to get to know everyone in a unique setting.
Day 2: Melbourne Sightseeing And Free Time
Location: Melbourne
Accommodation Name: Crowne Plaza Hotel Melbourne
Join your Travel Director for a city sights tour that includes a private walk through Melbourne's famous hidden laneways. You'll discover the city's eclectic little lanes, arcades, café society and fascinating street art. There's time afterwards to explore the city on your own, enjoy an optional experience to the Penguin Parade (own expense) or simply relax and watch the world go by.
Day 3: Melbourne Free Time
Location: Melbourne
Accommodation Name: Crowne Plaza Hotel Melbourne
If you’re still getting your Melbourne bearings, linger in town to explore boutiques, galleries, and eclectic suburbs. Or, perhaps exploring the city on foot with a History and Donuts Walking Tour is more your thing. But if it’s time to venture further afield, you might want to sign up to discover the Great Ocean Road, a stretch of coastline that deserves its reputation as one of the most scenic touring routes in the world.
Day 4: Melbourne - Alice Springs
Location: Alice Springs
Accommodation Name: Mercure Alice Springs Resort
Some parts of Australia are so remote that the only way kids can get an education is remotely via the School of the Air. Your next stop is the birthplace of the Alice Springs township, the historic Telegraph Station. Being this far flung also means there’s no light pollution from cars or skyscrapers. The result? Unrivalled stargazing (and a BBQ feast) with the Falzon family at their eco-oriented Earth Sanctuary World Nature Centre.
Day 5: Alice Springs - Uluru
Location: Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
Accommodation Name: Desert Gardens
Spiritual, sacred and spectacular, the world's largest rock monolith will give you goosebumps. In Australia's Red Centre, Uluru has been home to the Anangu for millennia. Their connection is palpable, as you'll discover when you arrive at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, at sunset watching the shifting colours transform the desert with every last ray (sparkling wine essential).
Day 6: Uluru And Kata Tjuta
Location: Uluru
Accommodation Name: Desert Gardens
If there’s one thing worth getting out of bed early for, it’s sunrise over Uluru. Incredibly, the Rock’s base caves are home to First Nations art that dates back tens of thousands of years. What an honour to glimpse it. The ochres and silvery greens of the NT outback follow you to Kata Tjuta, where Walpa Gorge humbles with its soaring cliffs. Wander through the tallest domes before yet another sparkling sunset (and sparkling wine).
Day 7: Uluru - Cairns
Location: Uluru
Accommodation Name: Hilton Hotel Cairns
Ok, so the other reason to get up early is to view artist Bruce Munro’s installation Field of Light at dawn – 50,000 glowing spindles of light blanketing the desert. Clamber to the top of a sand dune to marvel in the morning unfolding over this very special part of the world. Later an Anangu artist will explain just what makes it so spiritual over an introduction to Western Desert art, introducing totems and symbols important to the region and represented in paintings and installations. Head to your next stop in tropical Cairns.
Day 8: Cairns Free Time
Location: Cairns
Accommodation Name: Hilton Hotel Cairns
Meals Included: Dinner
If you’re in the habit of getting up early now, you may wish to begin your day with an optional horizon-bending hot-air-balloon ride over the Atherton Tablelands. Prefer to stay grounded? Sign up for a guided walk through the Daintree Rainforest, or surround yourself with nature riding the Scenic Railway to Kuranda returning on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway – perhaps with a side visit to Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures for wetlands cruise? Tonight, celebrate the end of an incredible day at dinner on Cairns’ waterfront at Salt House for regional seafood plucked straight from the ocean, highlighting fresh, local ingredients, and prepared on their custom-built Argentinian wood fired grill.
Day 9: Great Barrier Reef
Location: Great Barrier Reef
Accommodation Name: Hilton Hotel Cairns
Meals Included: Lunch
The world’s largest living organism, the Great Barrier Reef, never fails to dazzle. Set out on a catamaran to explore this natural wonder of over 1,500 species of fish, 215 different birds, 3,000 molluscs, six of the world’s seven marine turtle species, and 30 species of dolphins and whales are residents. Strap on a snorkel or visit an underwater observatory and semi-submersible craft to take in the menagerie without getting your hair wet. A tropical buffet lunch is served on board before returning to Cairns.
Day 10: Cairns - Sydney
Location: Sydney
Accommodation Name: InterContinental Hotel Sydney
Touch down in Australia’s largest city, and spend time at leisure in the buzzing metropolis of Sydney. Take a stroll along the iconic harbour, visit one of the city’s many bars, pubs, or restaurants, or simply while away the day at the beach. You decide how best to enjoy this bustling city of delights.
Day 11: Sydney
Location: Sydney
Accommodation Name: InterContinental Hotel Sydney
Meals Included: Lunch
Bring your stamina: today is one of innumerable highlights. Go on a tour of the Sydney Opera House, discovering its architectural and performance secrets. If these sails could talk. Then see the city from the water on a Sydney Harbour Highlight Lunch Cruise enjoying a menu focusing on local food and wine. One icon to another: The world’s most famous beach beckons this afternoon, with your chance to pad along the sand at Bondi with Sydney’s beautiful people.
Day 12: Sydney Free Time
Location: Sydney
Accommodation Name: InterContinental Hotel Sydney
Meals Included: Dinner
The hardest decision you have to make today: explore more of Sydney, or head to the Blue Mountains, 11,400 square kilometres of World Heritage listed wilderness. Or why not linger around the harbour – perhaps it’s time to glimpse it from above on a Sydney BridgeClimb? Back at ground level, you’re in the heart of the Rocks, the city’s original colonial settlement and a place of cobbled alleys and private galleries. This evening, farewell Sydney at Dinner at Midden restaurant at the Sydney Opera House.
Day 13: Farewell From Sydney
Location: Sydney
What an epic journey, with so many destinations explored in less than two weeks. Now you just have to sort through the photos…
What's Included
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Specialist team of two highly experienced Travel Director and Driver Guide
The tour includes a specialist team of two highly experienced Travel Director and Driver Guide.
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3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
The tour visits 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park, Great Barrier Reef, and Sydney Opera House.
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Centrally located premium hotels
Accommodation in centrally located premium hotels is included in the tour.
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Arrival and departure private airport transfers
Private airport transfers upon arrival and departure are included in the tour.
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Internal-holiday flights
Internal-holiday flights are included in the tour package.
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Return airport to hotel transfers
Return airport to hotel transfers are included in the holiday price.
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Guided tours and experiences
The tour includes guided tours and experiences such as a city sights tour in Melbourne, a tour of the Sydney Opera House, and a catamaran trip to the Great Barrier Reef.
What's Not Included
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Return airfares from your home port
Return airfares from your home port are not included in the tour price.
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Optional experiences
Optional experiences such as the Penguin Parade and hot-air-balloon ride over the Atherton Tablelands are not included in the tour price.
Mode of Transport
Internal-vacation flights included. Day 1 – flights to arrive prior to 12 noon into Melbourne Airport. Day 13 – flights to depart anytime from Sydney Airport. Internal-holiday flights: Day 4 – Melbourne to Alice Springs. Day 7 – Ayers Rock to Cairns. Day 10 – Cairns to Sydney. Return airfares from your home port are not included in the price above. Return airport to hotel transfers are included in the price above.
Accommodation
Your Guided Holiday includes a range of quality accommodation for your comfort. The accommodation you will enjoy on this tour includes: Crowne Plaza Hotel Melbourne, Mercure Alice Springs Resort, Desert Gardens, Hilton Hotel Cairns, InterContinental Hotel Sydney.
Check out our Q&As
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What unique experiences are included in the tour of the Sydney Opera House?
The tour of the Sydney Opera House includes discovering its architectural highlights and performance secrets with an expert guide.
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What cultural experiences are offered in Central Australia?
In Central Australia, you will learn about Aboriginal culture and hear stories of the Anangu people.
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What can I expect during the visit to the Great Barrier Reef?
During the visit to the Great Barrier Reef, you can explore the ecosystem by snorkeling or using an underwater observatory and semi-submersible craft. A tropical buffet lunch is served on board the catamaran.
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What is the significance of Uluru in the tour?
Uluru is a spiritual and sacred site in Australia's Red Centre, home to the Anangu people for millennia. The tour includes experiencing the shifting colors of Uluru at sunset and sunrise, and learning about First Nations art.
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What kind of accommodation is provided during the tour?
The tour includes quality accommodation at centrally located premium hotels such as Crowne Plaza Hotel Melbourne, Mercure Alice Springs Resort, Desert Gardens, Hilton Hotel Cairns, and InterContinental Hotel Sydney.
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Are internal flights included in the tour package?
Yes, internal flights are included in the tour package. These flights are from Melbourne to Alice Springs, Ayers Rock to Cairns, and Cairns to Sydney.
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What level of physical fitness is required for this tour?
A low level of fitness is required for this tour.
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Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?
The beauty of taking a holiday with us is you’ll have the opportunity to meet and travel with people from all over the globe.
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
It is important to adhere to departure times while on tour for the comfort of everyone on-board, and to make sure no one misses out on the planned experiences. The coach will not be able to wait for you, and in some instances, if you miss a departure time you will need to make your own way to the next destination to re-join the tour.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
AAT Kings operated Guided Holidays have competitive single supplement rates available if you prefer to confirm your own room. Or we can match you to share with a guest of the same gender at no extra cost. If we fail to match you, we will accommodate you in a single room at no extra cost.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Over 100 years
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
We will email your documents to you approximately four weeks before your departure date provided you have completed your pre trip registration using the My Travel Portal. If you’ve booked through a travel agent, your documents will be emailed directly to your agent.
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Low Deposit
AAT Kings requires a minimum deposit of 100 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 60 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of aat kings charges.
Up to 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 59 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 15 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 7 days before tour starts: Forfeit 90% of booking price.
At 1 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.