Australia and New Zealand are perfect destinations for the single traveler; safe, indelibly welcoming, incredibly diverse, and bursting with unique experiences. This handcrafted vacation of a lifetime unveils the best of both countries, sublimely combining iconic cities, unforgettable nature, indigenous culture, Middle Earth, and the continent’s best destinations for solo travelers. Just pack your adventurous spirit and get ready to explore…
Customizable Itinerary
Day 1
Sydney – Welcome to Australia
Gaze from the plane window and admire Sydney, the cityscape flanked by twinkling ocean and dissected by a meandering river. Touch down and smile. You’ve landed in Australia and 16 days of handcrafted adventure awaits. A chauffeur is waiting in arrivals, ready to whisk you away from the airport and into streets that dance with delight and intrigue. The rest of the day is free, giving you a chance to recover from the flight and explore a surprisingly compact and easy to navigate city center.
What's Included:
Day 2
Sydney – Ultimate Sydney Aerials and Learning to Surf at Bondi Beach
Day 3
Sydney – Majestic Beauty in the Blue Mountains
Day 4
Melbourne – The Chic Delights of Melbourne
Day 5
Melbourne – Kangaroos and Koalas in the Wild
Day 6
Uluru – Journey to the Red Center and Uluru
Day 7
Cairns – The Tropical Delights of Cairns
Day 8
Cairns – Immersion in Aboriginal Culture
Day 9
Cairns – Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef
Day 10
Auckland – Welcome to New Zealand
Day 11
Rotorua – A Journey to Hobbiton and Middle Earth
Day 12
Rotorua – Exploding Geysers and Maori Culture
Day 13
Rotorua – Trekking Up an Active Volcano
Day 14
Queenstown – Serenity Then Jet Boating in Queenstown
Day 15
Queenstown – The Unforgettable Beauty of Milford Sound
Day 16
Queenstown – Fond Farewells
Trip Highlights
- Journey to Middle Earth and Hobbiton, and travel to the red heart of Australia and unforgettable Uluru
- Fully immerse yourself in indigenous culture with whole days dedicated to Aboriginal lifestyles and Maori traditions
- Snorkel the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef, just one of your highlights in tropical Cairns
- Feel the exhilarating pull of New Zealand by trekking up an active volcano and taking a roaring jet boat down the Shotover River
- Spend three days exploring the different sides of Sydney, including surfing on Bondi Beach and climbing up Sydney Harbour Bridge
- Marvel at wild kangaroos and koalas, the evocative marsupials an iconic image of Australia
- Experience some of the planet’s most majestic landscapes, like the mystical Blue Mountains of Australia or the breathtaking New Zealand Fjordlands and Milford Sound
- Enjoy a handcrafted itinerary that’s been carefully tailored for single travelers, ensuring there’s lots of opportunity to meet the locals and forge new friendships
Detailed Description
Cast adrift in the Pacific Ocean that exudes an untamed charm, Australia and New Zealand are destinations that most people dream of visiting once in a lifetime. There’s no need to wait for a travel partner as this handcrafted itinerary is perfectly tailored for the solo traveler. It’s a journey of nonstop highlights, the continent’s finest destinations revealed in intimate detail. There’s adventure, tranquility, cultural immersion, and a perennial indulgence in the unique and iconic. Each destination rewards the single traveler; come alone and you’re able to discover more, as well as experience the local and hidden side of these majestic countries. With an expert collection of guides showing the way, these 16 days reveal the very best of two inimitable countries.
There might be a brief whiff of apprehension as you depart alone, but that’s soon silenced in Sydney, the exhilarating city on the coast providing an evocative taste of what’s to come. Like everywhere on this itinerary, it’s incredibly safe and cascading with opportunities to meet the locals. Climb Sydney Harbour Bridge, learn to surf on famous Bondi Beach, and explore the mystical Blue Mountains that overlook the city. Hop down to Melbourne for a further compelling dose of city delights, combined with a journey into the wilderness and a chance to meet Australia’s most adorable residents: wild kangaroos and koalas. Aboriginal residents are similarly memorable. First visit their most sacred homeland, the scorched desert that surrounds burning red Uluru (Ayer’s Rock), a spectacular monolith rising proud in the wilderness. Learn their lifestyles with a day discovering aboriginal art, traditional hunting, and the bush tucker that hides in the forest.
You’re halfway through the vacation by now, so change the pace as you jump into the marine blue and snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, another of nature’s wonders revealed in intricate detail. From tropical Cairns you cross the waters to New Zealand, where the enchantment of Hobbiton firmly confirms your suspicions that you’ve landed in Middle Earth. Geysers explode, mud bubbles, forests dance with mystery, and mountains roll across the horizon; this is all within a few miles of your base in Rotorua. Get even closer by trekking up a live volcanic crater, suggestive hissing and roaring accompanying standing on the rim. Each experience has been selected with single travelers in mind; small group tours make it easy to make new friends. Guides are skilled at unveiling the intimate and authentic, and there’s never a dull moment during these 16 days of highlights.
Queenstown is your final stop, its idyllic lakeside location belying a mischievous passion for adventure. Take a thrilling jet boat ride down the Shotover River, the pilot pulling 360º spins and hurtling alongside stark canyon walls. Cruise across the Fjordlands in a glass-ceilinged coach, one of the world’s most remarkable landscapes coming alive before your eyes. Then climb aboard a graceful boat and journey along world famous Milford Sound, exploring a natural wonder that juxtaposes the sublime with the ethereal. As with all Zicasso itineraries, every facet of this vacation can be customized. The beauty of traveling solo is there’s no need to debate and negotiate the options with a travel partner. So let your mind run free and prepare yourself for a vacation that exceeds longstanding travel dreams.
Starting Price
$6,600 per person (excluding international flights)
Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.
What's Included
- Accommodations
- In-country transportation
- Some or all activities and tours
- Expert trip planning
- 24x7 support during your trip
Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.
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