Australia Encompassed - Australia

Sydney, Melbourne, Fraser Island, the Whitsundays — your crash course in all things Australia starts now. For 25 days, you’ll head up the East Coast (and participate in wine tastings, surf lessons, and maxi yacht sailing), fly to Alice Springs, then go down south to Kings Canyon, Uluru, and Adelaide, just to name a few destinations. The Great Ocean Road will eventually lead you to Melbourne, and a wide variety of accommodations and transport along the way will keep things exciting. With a competitive price and small tour group, there’s never been a better time to discover the Land Down Under.

Day 1 Sydney
Arrive at any time.

There's nothing quite like a night out to get people comfortable with one another. Hit up Side Bar, connected to where you will be staying at the Wake Up Hostel in Sydney. This is the liveliest bar around, sporting a huge young and local crowd. There’s always non-stop action with the entertainment so get ready to have a few drinks, let your hair down, and dance until you drop!

Day 2 Sydney
Enjoy a free day to explore Sydney. Opt to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge, hop on a jet boat ride through the harbour, or chill out at Bondi Beach.

Day 3 Sydney/Tamworth
Travel to the Hunter Valley for a wine tutorial before continuing on to Tamworth for a taste of Australian country living.

Day 4 Tamworth/Yamba
Travel over the Great Dividing Range to Yamba, a quaint beach town. Go for a swim at the beach, relax, and enjoy the view.

Day 5 Yamba/Byron Bay
Continue up the coast to Byron Bay, an alternative hippie paradise. Hit the beach and enjoy an included surf lesson.

Day 6 Byron Bay
Enjoy free time to hit the beach, get a massage, or try sea kayaking.

Day 7 Byron Bay/Brisbane
Venture north with your group to the capital of Queensland; Brisbane. Pass by national parks, mountains, surfy enclaves, and endless stretches of sand bordering brilliant blue water. Feeling hungry? Grab a delicious pastry creation from the famous Yatala Pie shop, serving hungry patrons for 130 years. Word of advice… make sure those cameras are charged and ready. Experience a night out with the group in Queensland's capital.

Day 8 Brisbane/Noosa Everglades
Escape the city as you journey north up the coast to the Noosa Everglades. Get ready for an evening surrounded by stunning wilderness in one of the most pristine wetlands in the world. Relax as you cruise along this "river of mirrors" and chow down with a delicious Aussie BBQ lunch before further exploring your surroundings. Grab a kayak to get up and personal with the dark, tranquil waters as you paddle through ancient landscapes and sub-tropical rainforest. Then relax around the lake or hike one of the trails to further appreciate the serenity that seeps from this unique landscape.

Day 9 Noosa Everglades to K'gari (Fraser Island)
On your mark...get set.... go! Travel by private vehicle and ferry with your group to reach K'gari (Fraser Island); for a true Aussie experience. K'gari (Fraser Island) is the largest sand island in the world and the only known place where rainforest grows on sand. Think pure paradise; with striking blue lakes, crystal clear creeks, giant dunes, and dense rainforests in a place truly unlike any other. Once on the island the group will go for a 4x4 tour, driving along over 100km of beach to get a sense of your surroundings. Then take a swim in Lake Mckenzie, or be on the lookout for wild Dingoes (this is one of the few places in Australia where you are able to see them).

Day 10 K'gari (Fraser Island) to Airlie Beach
Your second day on K'gari (Fraser Island) comes with more free time to enjoy this paradise. In the morning continue exploring by 4x4 along wide stretches of pearly white beach and then duck into the shade of the forest to really appreciate the peaceful solitude that surrounds you. In the afternoon board an overnight train (get ready to post some ‘grams) north to Airlie Beach, where more sand, sun, and fun await you.

Day 11 Airlie Beach/Whitsunday Islands
Awake as the train pulls to a stop in your next destination. Hop out, stretch those legs, and head out for brunch with the group in Airlie Beach; home to the Whitsunday Islands and located on the Great Barrier Reef. Then head to the marina and embark on a maxi yacht which will be your home for the next two nights. Set sail to a secluded cove (we’re so excited for you) in the Whitsunday islands where you will drop anchor for the night. Our only advice; try not to pinch yourself too many times because no, this is not a dream, it is reality and we want you to experience it as best you can!

Day 12 Whitsunday Islands
Remember those stranded-on-a-deserted island fantasies that we all had growing up? (no, just us?) Either way get ready to relive that castaway dream as you hike to an island lookout over Whitehaven Beach (one of the most famous beaches in the world) and enjoy the views of powdery sand and the Coral Sea’s azure waters. You probably won’t ever want to leave. And you haven’t even gone below the surface yet!

After some free time on the beach basking in the sun you’ll spend time as a group learning about the community efforts to protect and restore coral in the Great Barrier Reef before heading out to snorkel; over a Planeterra-supported coral garden. Then it’s off to another secluded tropical island spot where the group will anchor for the night.

Day 13 Whitsunday Islands/Airlie Beach
Expected forecast today is; peace, serenity, paradise, and lots of gorgeous views. You may want to pull out your phone or camera every chance you get, but try to refrain and simply enjoy the moment as you and the group continue sailing through the picturesque backdrop of the Whitsunday Islands. Swim, snorkel, or lounge on the boat deck before sailing to the resort town of Airlie Beach for a night on the town with your best adventure buds! Live it up because let’s face it, how often are you really in this kind of paradise?

Day 14 Airlie Beach/Cairns
With an early morning departure, admire the scenery on the train ride north to Cairns.

Day 15 Cairns
Cairns is quite the place to visit if you love warm weather (it would be headline news for the city’s temperature to drop much below 20°C (68°F)) and want to visit the Great Barrier Reef. Take advantage of a free day to book one of the many optional activities that will get you out in nature’s playground. Snorkel or dive in the Great Barrier Reef, get that adrenaline pumping by whitewater rafting, skydiving, or bungee jumping and cap it all off on a Big Night Out in Cairns with your fellow travellers. Drinks all around are well deserved after spending the day escaping your comfort zones.

Day 16 Cairns/Alice Springs
Hop on a place to fly to Australia's interior where you'll transfer to your hostel in Alice Springs; the spiritual epicentre of Australia. Spend your free day journeying through the heart of the landscape. Active lovers rejoice as you walk a portion of the Larapinta Trail. History buffs visit the different cultural galleries, museums, sculptures and sacred sites in town offering a unique experience of Aboriginal art and heritage. At the end of the day simply enjoy the delights of this vibrant and diverse town from quirky bars to lively cafes, and restaurants with stunning views everywhere there’s plenty to choose from.

Day 17 Alice Springs/Uluru
Depart early and travel to the Red Centre. Hike the awe-inspiring Kings Canyon (seasonal) before continuing on to Uluru.

Day 18 Uluru
Visit an Indigenous culture centre and enjoy the informative Mala Walk at Uluru. Catch the sunset over Uluru with a glass of bubbly in hand. Camp under the stars of the night sky—the only way to really experience the Outback.

Day 19 Uluru/Coober Pedy
Travel to the town of Coober Pedy, the world's opal mining capital. After a guided tour of a mine, escape the heat like the locals by spending the night underground.

Day 20 Coober Pedy/Ikara-Flinders Ranges
Admire the Outback while travelling to the Flinders Ranges for the night.

Day 21 Ikara-Flinders Ranges/Adelaide
Explore the Flinders Ranges before travelling to Adelaide. Enjoy a local food experience in the Clare Valley along the way.

Day 22 Adelaide
Get ready to stuff your face in the food and wine capital of Australia; Adelaide. Wander the clean laneways and sample your way from place to place as the sun warms your skin. With an emerging art scene, natural beauty, interesting attractions, and incredible restaurants, Adelaide has tons to see and do. Get out and discover the hub of South Australia!

Day 23 Adelaide/Halls Gap
Skip sleeping in this morning and travel inland to Grampians National Park. Trek through lush forest, view the craggy sandstone Wonderland range in the distance, and examine impressive indigenous rock art. Home to some pretty amazing scenic lookouts this national park will grant you with many photo opportunities so make sure those cameras are charged before heading into the thick of it all. Walk to the stunning Balconies for expansive views of the Victoria Valley below, then stop at one of the largest waterfalls in Victoria; Mackenzie Falls and watch the water cascading down cliff faces as it creates rainbows in the air. Close your eyes, breathe in the fresh air, and find peace in the moment.

Day 24 Halls Gap/Port Campbell
Open your eyes to the smells and sounds of the lush forest of Grampians NP and lace up those hiking boots for an early morning walk within the park. Are you feeling historical? Visit an Indigenous Cultural Centre where you can choose to throw a boomerang, sample local delicacies like emu or kangaroo, and walk through gardens planted with native herbs and plants to help you learn about the history of Australia’s Indigenous peoples. Then drive along the iconic Great Ocean Road, viewing sites like the collapsed London Arch on the way to Port Campbell.

Day 25 Port Campbell/Melbourne
No need to say goodbye to the Great Ocean Road just yet! Continue travelling along the road with the group making visits to Loch Ard Gorge and the 12 Apostles along the way. It’s no wonder that the 12 Apostles are the star of the show on the Great Ocean Road. They are the kind of landmark that somehow finds a way to be more stunning in person than in photos.

Gaze in wonder at smooth pearlescent bays surrounded by clear, blue water, flanked by yellow-washed cliff faces, and feel the wind whipping through your hair. Then travel past world-famous surf beaches before walking through the rainforest one last time in Great Otway National Park. After soaking up all the nature you can, continue to the hip city of Melbourne in the evening.

Tour ends on arrival to Melbourne.