Australia: The Land Down Under

Depart on an overnight flight from the U.S. to Sydney, Australia.

Lose one day crossing the International Date Line.

Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel by Sydney Harbour and the Circular Quay. Gather for a walk in the Royal Botanic Gardens. Gather this evening for a festive welcome dinner.

Enjoy a morning guided tour of Sydney including Sydney Harbour Bridge and the historic Rocks area. Then travel through the eastern suburbs to the well-known Bondi Beach. Have lunch at the iconic Bondi Icebergs Club, overlooking the sea. Walk along the cliffs of Sydney Coastal Park on a privately guided tour. Along the way, learn about aboriginal inhabitation, and native foods, and examine ancient rock engravings depicting local aboriginal totems. This evening embark on a harbor cruise and dine with your fellow travelers as the sun sets on this spectacular city and picturesque waterways.

Today explore two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Sydney Opera House and Hyde Park Barracks, considered one of the world’s most significant convict locations. Then enjoy an evening at leisure to explore this inspiring city.

Transfer to the Sydney airport for a morning flight to Cairns the tropical gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. Travel further north to the village of Port Douglas on a spectacular coastal road surrounded by forest and the Coral Sea. Join a marine biologist for a specially arranged dinner and lecture this evening introducing the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. (3 Nights)

Embark a sailing catamaran for a cruise of the UNESCO World Heritage designated Great Barrier Reef alongside an onboard marine biologist. Wet suits and snorkeling gear is provided to allow you to discover the stunning coral and marine life of the Low Isles. After a delicious lunch on board return to Port Douglas for an evening at leisure. The evening is free to explore this quaint but sophisticated town and its famous Four Mile Beach.

Privately guided excursion to explore the spectacular waterfalls and river that tumble through the sheer-walled Mossman Gorge. Next—visit the palm-fringed beaches of Cape Tribulation, named by Captain James Cook after a nearby reef severely damaged his ship, the HMS Endeavour. End the day at Daintree National Park, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Wet Tropics region. The oldest tropical rainforests in the world are home to 85 of the rarest species on earth, including the six-foot-tall, flightless Southern Cassowary.

Depart on a morning flight to Uluru, or ‘Ayers Rock,’ in the “red center” of Australia. After time to settle into your Yulara resort hotel, enjoy an Aboriginal ranger-led tour of the famous rock, including several of its sacred sites, followed by an Aboriginal art class at the Maruku Arts Center. Gather at sunset for a special twilight viewing of Uluru. (2 Nights)

Enjoy a morning excursion to the Olgas, or Kata Tjuta, a formation of 36 domes hiding numerous gorges and chasms. Enjoy a picnic lunch in route back to Yulara for an afternoon at leisure. Wrap up the day with a private dinner in the sand dunes under the stars.

Depart on a late morning flight to Melbourne, the capital of Victoria and Australia’s fastest-growing major city. Transfer to our centrally located hotel. (2 Nights)

Morning tour of the city and its parklands before traveling down Victoria’s Great Ocean Road, arguably the country’s most spectacular coastal drive. Stop for tea at the historic Werribee Estate, home to the National Rose Garden. Arrive at the seaside resort village of Lorne for lunch and return to Melbourne in the afternoon. Gather this evening for a farewell dinner at one of Melbourne’s iconic restaurants.

Transfer to the airport for international flights home or fly to Launceston for the Tasmania extension.

Visit the Woolmers Estate, a rural settlement dating from the 19th century and the National Rose Garden. Spend two nights at Cradle Mountain National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site containing some of the most spectacular alpine scenery and mountain trails in Australia. Travel to Strahan, a former port of the west coast of Tasmania, and take a twilight cruise to Bonnet Island to see a colony of fairy penguins. Journey to Hobart stopping at Nelson Falls, Lake St. Clare. Outside of Hobart embark on a specially designed boat for a tour of the sea cliffs of Tasman National Park. Stop at the Tasmanian Devil Wildlife conservation. (4 Nights)