Flourishing Australia Tour: Coastal Reverie, Thriving Cities, and Amazing Wildlife

Sailing on Sydney Harbour, NSW, Australia.  Photo © Tourism Australia

What to expect on this itinerary

Australia comes to life during this 15-day tour of Sydney, the Mary River Floodplains, the Daintree Rainforest, and the scenic city of Melbourne. Largely dominated by immaculate coastlines and the legendary bush, your visit will blend both the thrills of city life and the mystical charm of the world's oldest rainforest. Fall in love with each destination and the unique experiences available. By the time your journey concludes, it will be no surprise why Australia is a top tourist destination of the world.

Countries Visited

Australia

Places Visited

Sydney, Mary River Floodplains, Port Douglas, Daintree Rainforest, Melbourne

Suggested Duration

15 Days

Customizable Itinerary

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Day 1

Sydney – In the Thriving Metropolis

The friendly embrace of Sydney will be yours to enjoy on the inaugural afternoon of this 15-day adventure through Australia. As the capital of New South Wales, Sydney occupies two worlds: one where a sleek transit system and municipal facilities speak to the city's modernity and another where bandicoots and bats invade the city from the neighboring bush. After you get settled in to your comfortable accommodation, you will be able to celebrate your first day on a 40-foot yacht voyage around the harbor. During this adventure, your skipper will regale you with tales of this previous penal colony.

What's Included:

Accommodation
Transfer
Day 2

Sydney – Walking Tour of the City

Day 3

Sydney – Eat Your Way Across the City

Day 4

Sydney – Bird's Eye View of the City

Day 5

Bamurru Plains – The Mary River Floodplains

Day 6

Mary River Floodplains – An Animal Paradise

Day 7

Mary River Floodplains – A Swampy Setting

Day 8

Port Douglas – Coastal Reverie

Day 9

Port Douglas – Catamaran Cruise

Day 10

Daintree Rainforest – A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Day 11

Daintree Rainforest – Ziplining Adventure

Day 12

Melbourne – Australia's Second-Largest City

Day 13

Melbourne – The Capital of Victoria

Day 14

Melbourne – Snacking through the City

Day 15

Melbourne – Departure

Trip Highlights

  • Dive into the lurid details of Sydney's early origins as a British colony on an exciting tour of the New South Wales capital
  • Cruise the harbor on a comfortable yacht and allow a skipper to charm you with nautical tales of the city
  • Skim over the swampy surface of the Mary River floodplain
  • Fall asleep to the distant sounds of dingos and enjoy a romantic evening in the famed Australian bush
  • Enjoy a daily game drive with an expert, who will help you observe Australia's abundant and diverse flora and fauna
  • Survey the Great Barrier Reef by boat and take to the waves on a comfortable catamaran that is capable of accommodating multiple snorkeling expeditions
  • Fly through the jungle like Tarzan on a thrilling ziplining adventure through the canopy of the Daintree National Rainforest
  • Allow yourself to be enchanted by Australia's second-largest city of Melbourne, where the food is just as satisfying as the friendly locals
  • Amble through history on a guided walking tour of Melbourne, where the past will come to life through the enthusiastic descriptions of your guide

Starting Price

$15,900 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.

4.9

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 1807 reviews

Lee A.
Australia Tour Review: Sydney, Ayers Rock, Great Barrier Reef, Kuranda Village, Blue Mountains, Uluru, Port Douglas, Historic Rocks Tour, Boat Cruise, Opera House, Camelback Ride, Snorkeling, Private Tour, 10-Day Trip

Our trip to Australia was incredible! Zicasso's tour operator put together a very thoughtful, well-paced itinerary. Our transportation always met us on time and with a good attitude. We enjoyed the diversity of experiences curated for our stay.

They took our bucket-list items and created an itinerary that allowed us to see almost every one! We were grateful to have a tour of the Historic Rocks in Sydney, a boat cruise harbor tour, watch "Carmen" at the Sydney Opera House, take a sunset camelback ride in the desert to see Ayers Rock, snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, and get a private tour of a wildlife habitat (this was so special because we got to interact with some of the animals and learn from their keepers directly).

The only occasion on which I wish we'd had more time to spend was at Kuranda Village! There was so much to do and see, but we had an Army Duck tour and Aboriginal experience booked, which I really enjoyed because we got to ride through the jungle and enjoy performances from the Pamagirri community. Taking the Skyrail up and the train down was also a sight to see.

We enjoyed the intimate nature of tours, allowing us to ask questions about history, architecture, and daily life, and engage with our tour guides in a meaningful way. Highly prefer this style of private/small tours to the bigger bus tours. Our accommodations were impressive--from the luxurious hotel on George Street in Sydney to the desert resort in Uluru to the lodge on Captain Cook Highway in Port Douglas! We got to experience a range of climates. There was never a dull moment.

Even though the itinerary seemed jam-packed, we had just the right amount of time to rest and reset between activities and travel. Having such a detailed and professionally done itinerary gave us real peace of mind. The coordination of hospitality was also impeccable. Our hotels always communicated seamlessly with our pre-arranged transportation and tours. The trip was fun and totally stress-free! We were constantly delighted and charmed by this country and its people.

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Lorri D.
Australia, New Zealand Tour Review: 1 Month

This was a trip of a lifetime! We had wanted to go to Australia and New Zealand for 40-plus years and this trip did not disappoint.

Zicasso's trip expert was fantastic. When first beginning to plan the trip, he spoke to us by phone and email numerous times to get to know us and find out what we liked, wanted, and were physically able and not able to do. He really listened and planned our trip accordingly.

While we were traveling, he was always instantly available for anything we needed or any questions we had.

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Jen F.
Australia Travel Review: Sydney, Port Douglas, Melbourne, Diving, Safari, Food Tour, 14 Nights

From day one, I knew this was the company for me. Zicasso's travel expert was fantastic at communicating with me and making sure I stayed in my budget while getting the perfect vacation. Every detail was planned beautifully, so I felt like I was on a first-rate vacation. He provided very detailed instructions for transportation, hotels, food, and tours. I cannot rave enough about each of the tour providers he connected us with because each was outstanding.

Our main purpose for traveling was to dive in the reef and this experience exceeded our expectations because the tour was so organized. We also did an Australian safari, which was really off the beaten track and gave us a unique look at the biodiversity in the area that we could not have had with any other tour.

This company set us up for a perfect trip and one thing that was very evident was that our travel expert and staff do their homework! They know the companies they set you up with for tours and they know them because they have experienced them firsthand. I am so glad I picked the travel company for this trip and I can't wait to use them again!

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Katy P.
Australia Trip Review: Helicopter Ride, Snorkeling, 8 Days

First of all, I want to thank the travel company and Zicasso for an amazing experience in Australia. The trip was phenomenal, and all the travel arrangements were seamlessly planned. Our travel agent was stellar and responsive.

This trip had to be planned quickly and had a short turnaround time. He made everything happen for us. I had certain travel conditions that centered around a professional meeting and he made it work perfectly. Honestly, I wish that I could use the travel company for all of my future travel. Any chance you do travel plans for Europe?

Most importantly, our travel agent made very specific recommendations about experiences, such as the helicopter ride and the choice of hotel. He highly encouraged these two things. I was a bit dubious, particularly of the helicopter ride, but it was amazing, truly amazing. I am so appreciative of the travel company and our travel agent for being so thoughtful, so responsive, and so confident in their planning and recommendations. Thank you again.

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John T.
Fiji, Australia Vacation Review: Kangaroo Island, 20 Nights

Zicasso's travel professional was very attentive in listening to what was important to us and planned a trip that exceeded our expectations. All the details of our trip were provided well ahead of time and then a couple of weeks prior to our trip, he set up a video call to review the entire itinerary in detail to make sure we knew everything we needed to. I highly recommend the travel company and would definitely use them again if planning a trip to this region.

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Joyce T.
Australia Vacation Review: Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns, Port Douglas, Blue Mountains, Great Barrier Reef, Fitzroy, Whale Watching, Bridge Climb, Snorkeling, Wildlife, Local Cuisine, 15-Day Tour

This was our first trip to Australia. Zicasso’s travel agent took time to get to know our family and how we like to travel. She gathered our interests and preferences, and carefully curated an itinerary that showcased Sydney, Melbourne, and Cairns/Port Douglas, all within our budget.

This travel agent was very responsive before and during our trip, and monitored our activities to make sure we were happy. In fact, during our stay, one of our excursions (kayaking in Cairns) was canceled due to weather and she was right on top of it. She was able to book us immediately on another expedition (whale watching) of our choice. We appreciated her responsiveness.

Overall, our entire family was extremely happy with our travel agent's arrangements and had a memorable trip to Australia.

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist.

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