What to expect
Outback Experience
Uluru Rock & Sounds of Silence Dinner
Great Barrier Reef Trip
Catamaran Cruise to tropical Green Island
Great Ocean Road Drive
Wander the epic coastline & national parks
Australian Wildlife
Spot kangaroos, koalas, crocodiles & more
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About this trip...
What's Included
Rooms for sole use
Breakfast daily, four lunches and six dinners
Australia Zoo, Koalas and Penguins at Philllip Island-
Blue Mountains
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Cairns, the Great Barrier Reef and Kuranda Rainforest
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Explore Noosa at the Sunshine Coast
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Great Ocean Road
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Uluru Rock and Kata Tjuta National Park
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Tours of Melbourne and Sydney
Accompanying Solos Tour Leader
What's extra:
- International flights are not included
- Travel insurance
- Tips & drinks
- Meals when not included in the itinerary
- Activities when not included in the itinerary
Itinerary
- Arrival in Australia
- Puffing Billy steam train and Melbourne sights
- Melbourne and Phillip Island
- Free day in Melbourne
- The Great Ocean Road
- Melbourne to Uluru
- Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Park
- Uluru to Cairns
- Free day in Cairns
- Green Island and Great Barrier Reef
- Karunda Rainforest
- Cairns to Brisbane and Australia Zoo
- Noosa on the Sunshine Coast
- Sunshine Coast to Sydney
- Sydney
- The Blue Mountains
- Free day in Sydney
- Onward flight
What you'll be doing
Day One: Arrival into Melbourne
Day Two: 'Puffing Billy' steam train & sightseeing tour of Melbourne
- Breakfast & dinner included
Day Three: Touring Melbourne & wildlife spotting on Phillip Island
We spend part of the morning enjoying a brief walking tour of Melbourne with a local guide, discovering many of its hidden secrets located in the small alleyways and arcades. Returning to our hotel, we have the remainder of the morning free. Early afternoon, we make our way to Phillip Island to visit the Phillip Island Koala Conservation Centre & the Nobbies Centre. Overlooking the waters of Bass Strait, the Nobbies Centre showcases Australian fur seals and unique marine life. After dinner at the Rusty Water Brewery Restaurant & Bar, we witness the 'Penguin Parade', part of the Phillip Island Nature Park - a reserve designed to protect and promote awareness of little penguins.
- Breakfast & dinner included
Day Four: Free day in Melbourne
Today is a free day in Melbourne to explore the city further at our own pace.
- Breakfast included
Day Five: Exploring the Great Ocean Road
Today we have a full day exploring one of Australia’s most spectacular coastal drives – The Great Ocean Road. Following an early breakfast, we travel west, bypassing Geelong, to Anglesea and it’s here we commence our breathtaking drive. Built to honour the servicemen and women of World War One, the Great Ocean Road extends more than 300 kilometres along some of the best coastal scenery Australia has to offer. We travel to the coastal town of Lorne - the first place to be declared an area of 'Special Significance and Natural Beauty' by the Victorian Government.
- Breakfast & lunch included
Day Six: Melbourne to Uluru with outback experience
After breakfast, we transfer to Melbourne Airport for our direct flight to Uluru. In the late afternoon, we begin our preparations for dinner, for tonight we’re dining out - way way out! The Sounds of Silence Dinneris a gourmet dinner under the stars. Winner of many tourism awards, the Sounds of Silence is a unique outback experience. The romance of the desert, the setting of the sun behind the domes of Kata Tjuta and Uluru, the haunting sounds of a didgeridoo, sumptuous outback fare, the star-filled heavens - this is the best of the Red Centre, distilled into four magical hours.
- Breakfast & dinner included
Day Seven: Uluru & Kata Tjuta National Park
We spend today immersing ourselves in the unique beauty of Uluru and the local area. Early morning, we depart for the Sunrise Viewing Area to experience the first glimpse of the day and some brilliant photo opportunities of Uluru. We return to the resort for breakfast, before our touring takes us to the area known as 'The Olgas' - commonly referred to as ‘Kata Tjuta,’ or 'place of many domes'. Once at the Valley of the Winds lookout, we take some time to gaze out over the central valley of Kata Tjuta before returning to the resort.
- Breakfast included
Day Eight: Uluru to Cairns
Our flight to Cairns, the capital of the Tropical North, marks the start of a new adventure in a different state, offering a completely distinct atmosphere from the landscape we're leaving behind. Our coach will meet us on arrival for the transfer to our hotel, with an orientation tour en route. The remainder of the afternoon is free for personal sightseeing or to enjoy the hotel’s facilities. Cool off with a swim in the hotel pool and later tonight, we come together to enjoy dinner in the hotel restaurant. This modern, colourful city is the capital of the Tropical North. The cosmopolitan Esplanade traces the bay foreshore and blends the city life of cafes and shopping with the natural attractions of the Coral Sea.
- Breakfast & dinner included
Day Nine: Free day in Cairns
Following several action-packed days, we now have the chance to relax and enjoy a day at leisure. The day is free for shopping and personal sightseeing with several museums and the Cairns Aquarium nearby. Dinner tonight is overlooking the Cairns Marina at Dundees on the Waterfront Restaurant.
- Breakfast & dinner included
Day Ten: Green Island & the Great Barrier Reef
Today we will be having a complete Great Barrier Reef and Queensland tropical island experience. From the hotel, we have a short walk to the Reef Fleet terminal, where we take a fast 45-minute catamaran ride to beautiful Green Island, enjoying two hours on this unique reef and rainforest coral cay. Then, we depart Green Island to continue our day of adventure and discovery with three hours on board 'Great Adventures' spacious activity platform, moored on the majestic Outer Great Barrier Reef. We enjoy lunch, with the afternoon spent either snorkelling, viewing the underwater observatory or taking a tour in the semi-submersible sub. Late afternoon, we arrive back in Cairns following a wonderful day on the Great Barrier Reef.
- Breakfast & lunch included
Day Eleven: Karunda Rainforest
This morning, we have a short drive to the north of Cairns where we board the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. Making our way up the range, we stop off to visit a rainforest interpretative centre and take a short walk through the rainforest before arriving in the pretty village of Kuranda. From the Sky Rail Kuranda Station, we have a short walk through the Kuranda Village to meet our transfer to Rainforestation Nature Park. Here we learn about one of the oldest surviving cultures in the world with the Pamigirri Aboriginal Experience.
- Breakfast & lunch included
Day Twelve: Cairns to Brisbane & Australia Zoo
After breakfast, we transfer to Cairns Airport for our morning flight to Brisbane. No holiday to this part of Australia would be complete without a visit to Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast – home to the late Steve Irwin. Australia Zoo has a reputation for conservation work, due mainly to the popularity of the documentary series 'The Crocodile Hunter'. Many millions of dollars have been invested in the park so that it is an ever-changing and growing attraction. Late afternoon, we make our way to Noosa and check into our accommodation at the RACV Noosa Resort.
- Breakfast included
Day Thirteen: Noosa on the Sunshine Coast
Surrounded by pristine beaches, rivers, hinterland and national parks, the RACV Noosa Resort is located just three minutes' drive from Noosa’s iconic Hastings Street and famous Noosa Surf Beach - all within walking distance. The resort offers a free shuttle service into Hastings Street, with many shops, restaurants and cafes. Take a walk through the Noosa National Park or take the local ferry along the Noosa River to Tewantin. The day is free to relax and enjoy the stunning Sunshine Coast.
- Breakfast included
Day Fourteen: Sunshine Coast to Sydney
We transfer to the Sunshine Coast Airport for our direct flight to Sydney this morning. Radiating from the sparkling waters of Sydney Harbour, Australia’s largest city stretches from the shores of the Pacific Ocean to the foot of the Blue Mountains. On arrival into Sydney, we make our way into Darling Harbour and check-in to our hotel.
- Breakfast included
Day Fifteen: Sightseeing in Sydney
A private coach will collect us this morning for a city sights tour visiting the historical Rocks area, where the First Fleet landed in 1788 to establish Australia's first European settlement. Our touring also includes a drive across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to Manly - one of Australia’s most iconic beaches. We have some free time here to purchase lunch and take a look around. Our final visit of the day is to the iconic Sydney Opera House for a guided tour. Over sixty years ago, Danish architect Jorn Utzon designed what is now considered one of the greatest buildings of all time.
- Breakfast included
Day Sixteen: The Blue Mountains
This morning, we are ready to begin our tour of the Blue Mountains to the west of Sydney. Travelling through the western suburbs of Sydney, past the former Sydney 2000 Olympic site, we make our first stop at Featherdale Wildlife Park. This is where we will see Australia’s unique wildlife in a natural bush setting. We have the opportunity to feed a kangaroo, wallaby or emu. Featherdale has one of Australia’s largest private collections of native animals and birds.
Our coach climbs into the Blue Mountains as we take the scenic Cliff Drive to Echo Point and see the Three Sisters at Katoomba – a great stop for a photo opportunity and our lunch venue is at the nearby Lookout Restaurant. Near here is Scenic World where we ride on the Scenic Railway, the world’s steepest incline railway. We descend 415m down the escarpment at a gradient of 52 degrees and travel through the tunnel and ancient rainforest. When we disembark, we walk the 300m rainforest boardwalk to connect with the Flyway platform.
The Scenic Cableway is the steepest aerial cable car in Australia. It will take us on a 545-metre ride up through the World Heritage listed rainforest of the Jamison Valley. Our final adventure at Scenic World is to join the Scenic Skyway to take the journey 270m above ancient ravines and dazzling waterfalls. The 360-degree birds eye view takes in the Three Sisters, Katoomba Falls, Mount Solitary and the never-ending expanse of the Jamison Valley.
- Breakfast & lunch included
Day Seventeen: Free day in Sydney & farewell dinner cruise
Today is a free day for shopping or more sightseeing in Sydney. Our farewell dinner tonight will be a dinner cruise on Sydney’s beautiful harbour.
- Breakfast & dinner included
Day Eighteen: Flight back home
We enjoy breakfast together for one final morning, before transferring to the airport to start our onaward journey.
- Breakfast included
Accommodation
- Batman’s Hill on Collins - Melbourne
- Voyages Outback Hotel & Lodge - Outback
- Pacific Hotel Cairns - Carins
- RACV Noosa Resort - Noosa
- Novotel Darling Square - Sydney
Dates & Prices
Essential Information
We recommend that you check passport and visa requirements for the country you are visiting at the State Department if you have a U.S. Passport. Most countries require that your passport have at least six months validity when traveling internationally, and many require that you have one to two blank visa pages for either an entry stamp or visa. As a general rule, please check that your passport has six months validity beyond your planned trip, and if not, please renew your passport with plenty of time to provide Solos with your updated passport information by the final payment due date.
We recommend that you check if vaccinations are required for your destination at the CDC’s recommendations for your visited destination(s). We also recommend you purchase travel protection. A travel protection plan can often assist with medical emergencies and reimburse costs that are covered by the plan. Please verify coverage details with Solos before you travel.
- Luggage is restricted to one item of ‘checked in’ luggage and one smaller item of ‘under seat’ or hand luggage per person.
- Due to limited storage capacity in the motorcoaches used on tour, each ‘check in’ luggage item should have dimensions not exceeding 30” x 20” x 12” (76x51x30cm) and weight not exceeding 50lbs (23kg).
- ‘Under seat’ or hand luggage is restricted to one piece per person, not exceeding 17” x 13” x 8.7” (43x33x22cm). ‘Under seat’ or hand luggage handling is the responsibility of each guest and must be taken on and off the motorcoach by you each day of the trip.
