Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Australia's East Coast: Sydney to Cairns by K'gari and the Whitsundays
14 days from Sydney to Cairns: the Blue Mountains, Byron Bay, a night on K'gari, Whitehaven Beach, the outer reef and the Daintree, with three flights instead of overnight buses.
14 days · Sydney to Cairns · up to 12 guests
Shute Harbour and the Whitsunday Islands, Queensland Photo: Theo Crazzolara, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shute_Harbour_in_the_Whitsunday_Islands,_Queensland,_Australia.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 14 days, 13 nights
- Start and end
- Sydney to Cairns
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Mostly easy to moderate walking: about 3 km of cliff path with steps in the Blue Mountains, the 3.7 km Cape Byron loop with climbs, and soft sand on K'gari. Three days on the water with snorkelling and kayaking in open sea; on each you can stay aboard or on the beach instead.
- Meals included
- 13 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,310 (estimated price)
- Season
- May to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- Wentworth Falls and the Three Sisters in the morning, before the coaches, then a cliff walk to lunch in Leura
- Cape Byron lighthouse in the late light, and a sea kayak with dolphins the next morning
- A night on K'gari, so you swim in Lake McKenzie early, before the day tours arrive
- Hill Inlet from the Tongue Point lookout, then Whitehaven Beach and a reef snorkel
- Two snorkel sites on the outer Great Barrier Reef from Cairns, with lunch and the reef charge included
- The Skyrail over the rainforest to Kuranda
- The Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk at Mossman Gorge with a Kuku Yalanji guide, then Cape Tribulation where the rainforest meets the reef
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,310 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Sydney
Sydney Airport to your hotel in the city centre
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Sydney
- Drive about 30 min
Fly into Sydney Airport (SYD), where a driver meets you in arrivals for the half-hour drive to a central hotel within walking distance of Circular Quay. Sydney sits on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, and your guide starts the week with that story. If you land early, walk down to the harbour: the Opera House forecourt and the Royal Botanic Garden next door are free to wander, and the ferries coming and going from Circular Quay are a show of their own.
Evening
Plan to land by about 3 pm to make the early-evening briefing, where your See Sight Tours guide walks the group through the two weeks ahead: the three flights, what to pack for K'gari and the reef, and how each day is paced. Then we sit down together to a welcome dinner at a restaurant near the harbour.
Included
- Pick-up at Sydney Airport (SYD)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the early-evening briefing
Sydney Harbour on foot and by ferry
The Rocks, the Opera House and the Royal Botanic Garden, then the ferry to Manly
- Breakfast
- Stay in Sydney
- By ferry
We start on foot at 9 am, before the cruise-ship crowds, walking from the hotel through the city centre past Harry Seidler's round Australia Square tower and down into The Rocks, the oldest part of colonial Sydney, with its sandstone lanes and the first views of the Harbour Bridge. From Circular Quay we walk around the Opera House, listed by UNESCO in 2007, and on through the Royal Botanic Garden to Mrs Macquarie's Chair for the classic view of bridge and Opera House together.
Morning
Late morning we take the public ferry from Circular Quay to Manly, about 30 minutes across the harbour past the heads.
Afternoon
In Manly lunch is your choice, then your guide walks with anyone who wants along the shore path to Shelly Beach, a sheltered cove in the Cabbage Tree Bay aquatic reserve where you can swim or snorkel among fish close to the rocks.
Evening
The afternoon and evening are free; the ferries back run all day.
Included
- Guided morning walk: the city centre, The Rocks, Circular Quay, the Opera House and the Royal Botanic Garden to Mrs Macquarie's Chair
- The ferry from Circular Quay to Manly and back
- The shore walk to Shelly Beach
Optional experiences
- A guided tour inside the Sydney Opera House (price shown at booking)
Easier option: Stay in the city after the morning walk and ride the ferry to Manly later at your own pace.
More active option: Walk the Spit Bridge to Manly track, about 10 km of harbour bushland and beaches, with the guide's directions, and meet the group in Manly.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 2 to 3 hours on foot in the morning on city pavements and garden paths.
The Blue Mountains
Sydney to Wentworth Falls, Katoomba and Leura, and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Sydney
- Drive about 3.5 h
We leave Sydney at 8 am and drive about two hours west into the Greater Blue Mountains, listed by UNESCO in 2000, where the eucalyptus forest gives the valleys their blue haze.
Morning
First stop is Wentworth Falls, where a short walk leads to the lookouts over the falls and the Jamison Valley, quieter in the morning than the main viewpoints later in the day.
Afternoon
Then on to Echo Point at Katoomba for the Three Sisters, before the tour coaches fill the platform at midday. From there your guide leads the Prince Henry Cliff Walk along the escarpment to Leura, about 3 km of fenced cliff-edge path with lookouts and some steps, and we sit down to lunch in Leura's main street.
Evening
After lunch there is time to walk Leura's gardens and shops before the drive back to Sydney, arriving late afternoon with the evening free.
Included
- Wentworth Falls lookouts
- Echo Point and the Three Sisters
- The Prince Henry Cliff Walk from Echo Point to Leura with your guide
- Sit-down lunch in Leura
Easier option: Skip the cliff walk: ride with the driver from Echo Point to Leura and wait at a cafe or the lookouts.
More active option: At Wentworth Falls, walk the Charles Darwin Walk down Jamison Creek to the top of the falls before rejoining the group.
Free time: Evening free in Sydney
Activity: About 3 km on the cliff walk with steps; good shoes and a warm layer, since the mountains run several degrees cooler than Sydney.
Fly to Byron Bay
Sydney to Ballina Byron by air, then Cape Byron at sunset
- Breakfast
- Stay in Byron Bay
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
A slow morning, then we transfer to the domestic terminal for the flight north to Ballina Byron Gateway Airport, about an hour and a half in the air instead of the two long road days other trips spend on this stretch.
Afternoon
A 30-minute drive brings us into Byron Bay, a surf town on the far north coast of New South Wales, in time for a late lunch of your choice. In the late afternoon we walk the Cape Byron Walking Track, a 3.7 km loop through rainforest and over the headland to the lighthouse, first lit in 1901, at the most easterly point of the Australian mainland. From June to November humpback whales pass close to the cape on their migration, and dolphins are often in the surf below the lookouts. We time the walk to reach the lighthouse for the late light, then head down into town.
Evening
Dinner tonight is your choice; Byron has plenty of it.
Included
- Transfer to Sydney Airport and flight to Ballina Byron (BNK)
- The Cape Byron Walking Track to the lighthouse with your guide
Free time: Late lunch and evening free
Activity: The Cape Byron loop is 3.7 km with steady climbs and steps; you can walk only the flat beach section to Wategos and meet the group there.
Byron Bay by kayak
A morning on the water in the Cape Byron Marine Park, then a free afternoon
- Breakfast
- Stay in Byron Bay
At about 8:30 am, while the sea is usually calmest (the operator sets the exact start by the conditions), we head out on a guided sea kayak tour in the Cape Byron Marine Park with a licensed local operator. The double kayaks are stable and no experience is needed; the guides take you along the shore of the bay, where bottlenose dolphins are regularly seen and, in the migration months, whales pass further out.
Morning
Back on land by late morning, the rest of the day is yours. Walk the length of Main Beach, take a beginner's surf lesson on the gentle breaks at The Pass, browse the cafes and shops of the town centre, or rest at the hotel. If you missed the lighthouse in the light you wanted yesterday, the cape is a short walk away at sunrise.
Evening
Your guide stays in town and can suggest places for dinner, or gather anyone who wants company at one table.
Included
- Guided sea kayak tour in the Cape Byron Marine Park
Optional experiences
- A beginner surf lesson at The Pass (price shown at booking)
Easier option: Skip the kayak and walk the beach to the Pass and back with your guide.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 2 to 3 hours of paddling at an easy pace in double kayaks; a life jacket is provided and you can swim off the kayak if the sea allows.
North into Queensland and Noosa
Byron Bay to Noosa on the Pacific Motorway and the Bruce Highway
- Breakfast
- Stay in Noosa
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
After breakfast we drive north across the Queensland border, about three and a half hours and 300 km on the Pacific Motorway, passing behind the Gold Coast and around Brisbane on the Gateway Motorway, with a coffee stop on the way. From October to early April New South Wales is on daylight saving and Queensland is not, so clocks go back an hour as we cross. We reach Noosa around lunchtime.
Afternoon
Lunch is your choice on Hastings Street or by the river. In the afternoon, when the day visitors start to leave, we walk the coastal track in Noosa National Park from the headland past Tea Tree Bay and Dolphin Point towards Hell's Gates, with surfers on the point breaks below and koalas sometimes in the trees above the path.
Evening
The evening is free in Noosa. Tomorrow is the longest day in the vehicle, so we keep tonight easy.
Included
- Drive from Byron Bay to Noosa with your guide
- The Noosa National Park coastal walk
Easier option: Walk as far as Tea Tree Bay and swim there, then return to town.
Free time: Evening free in Noosa
Activity: The coastal track is a well made path with some short climbs; about 2 hours there and back at an easy pace.
Across the sand to K'gari
Noosa to Rainbow Beach, the Inskip Point barge and up the eastern beach of K'gari
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in K'gari (Fraser Island)
- Drive about 5 h
We leave Noosa at 8 am for the two-hour drive to Rainbow Beach; beach driving on K'gari is timed around low tide, so on some dates we start up to an hour earlier. At Rainbow Beach we change into a high-clearance 4WD with our local driver-guide, and a vehicle barge takes about ten minutes from Inskip Point to the southern tip of K'gari, the island the Butchulla people have always called by that name, listed by UNESCO in 1992 as Fraser Island. The eastern beach is a gazetted road, and we drive north along it.
Afternoon
First the walk over a sand blow to Lake Wabby, green at the foot of a moving dune, then lunch.
Evening
Further north we wade up the clear water of Eli Creek, see the rusting hull of the SS Maheno, beached in a cyclone in 1935, and the coloured sand cliffs of the Pinnacles just beyond, before turning back to our island lodge for dinner. Counting the island, this is about five hours in vehicles, the one day over our usual cap: the barge, the walk, lunch and three stops break it up, and no beach stretch is much over an hour.
Included
- Drive from Noosa to Rainbow Beach
- 4WD tour of K'gari with a local driver-guide
- The Inskip Point barge
- The walk to Lake Wabby
- Eli Creek, the Maheno wreck and the Pinnacles coloured sands
- Lunch on the island and dinner at the lodge
Easier option: Stay at the Lake Wabby lookout instead of walking down to the lake over the dune.
Activity: The walk to Lake Wabby is over soft sand with a steep dune at the end; the beach and inland sand tracks are bumpy and slow, so about three of the day's five vehicle hours are on the island. Dingoes (wongari) live on the island: we walk as a group and never feed them.
Lake McKenzie and fly north
K'gari to Lake McKenzie, the ferry to River Heads, then Hervey Bay to the Whitsundays by air
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Airlie Beach
- Drive about 2.5 h
We drive inland early to reach Lake McKenzie, Boorangoora to the Butchulla, before the day tours arrive from the mainland. It is a perched lake, fed only by rain and ringed by sand that is almost pure silica, and the water is clear enough to see your feet at chest depth. After a swim we walk the boardwalk along Wanggoolba Creek at Central Station, where tall satinay and kauri pines grow out of the sand around a creek so clear it barely shows.
Afternoon
Lunch is on the island, then the passenger ferry takes about 50 minutes from Kingfisher Bay to River Heads, and our driver takes us to Hervey Bay Airport.
Evening
The flight to the Whitsunday Coast connects through Brisbane, so this is a seated afternoon rather than a long drive or an overnight train, and we arrive in Airlie Beach in the evening. It is the tightest day of the trip, so we book the connection with room to spare and keep the evening free.
Included
- Lake McKenzie (Boorangoora) early, before the day tours
- Central Station and the Wanggoolba Creek boardwalk
- Lunch on the island
- The ferry from Kingfisher Bay to River Heads
- Flights from Hervey Bay (HVB) to the Whitsunday Coast (PPP), via Brisbane
- Transfer to Airlie Beach
Activity: A long chain: lake, ferry, two flights and a transfer. Exact flight times change with the airline schedules and we send them with your final itinerary. If the afternoon flights do not connect on your dates, we stay a night in Hervey Bay instead, fly to the Whitsundays the next morning and move the boat day to day 10, flying to Cairns that evening.
Whitehaven Beach and the reef
A full day by boat in the Whitsunday Islands
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Airlie Beach
- By boat
A full day on the water in the Whitsunday Islands, part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. We go with a licensed day-boat operator, leaving from the Airlie marina or Shute Harbour depending on the boat, whose route puts us at the Hill Inlet end of Whitsunday Island at a good tide: a short climb through the bush leads to the Tongue Point lookout, where the white silica sand and turquoise water swirl through the inlet below. Then down to Whitehaven Beach itself, about 7 km of white sand with no buildings on it, for time to swim and walk.
Afternoon
Lunch is on board, and in the afternoon the boat moves to a fringing reef site where you snorkel over corals with reef fish and, often, turtles. Snorkel gear and a stinger suit are provided, and the crew briefs anyone who has never snorkelled.
Evening
We are back in Airlie Beach in the late afternoon, with the evening free on the main street or by the lagoon.
Included
- Full-day Whitsunday Islands boat trip with lunch
- Hill Inlet and the Tongue Point lookout
- Whitehaven Beach
- Snorkelling on a fringing reef, with gear and a stinger suit
- The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park charge
Easier option: Stay on Whitehaven Beach or aboard while others snorkel; the crew can give you a mask to look from the shallows.
More active option: Swim further out with the crew's guided snorkel group on the reef stop.
Free time: Evening free in Airlie Beach
Activity: The lookout path at Hill Inlet is short but steep in places; the boat rides can be choppy when the trade winds blow.
Airlie Beach morning, fly to Cairns
Airlie Beach to the Whitsunday Coast Airport, then by air to Cairns
- Breakfast
- Stay in Cairns
- Drive about 45 min
Morning
The morning is free in Airlie Beach. Walk the boardwalk that follows the shore from the town towards Cannonvale, swim in the free, stinger-free public lagoon on the foreshore, or sit over a long breakfast and watch the boats.
Afternoon
After lunch our driver takes us to the Whitsunday Coast Airport near Proserpine for the flight to Cairns, about an hour and a half on a direct flight on the days one runs, otherwise via Brisbane; we tell you which with your final itinerary. From Cairns Airport it is ten minutes into the city and a hotel near the Esplanade. Cairns is the land of the Gimuy-Walubarra Yidinji people, and the Esplanade runs along the mangrove-lined shore of Trinity Inlet with its own swimming lagoon.
Evening
The evening is free: the night markets are a few streets back, and the Esplanade restaurants face the water.
Included
- Transfer to the Whitsunday Coast Airport (PPP)
- Flight to Cairns (CNS)
- Transfer to your hotel in Cairns
Free time: Morning and evening free
The outer Great Barrier Reef
A full day on the outer reef from Cairns
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Cairns
- By boat
This is the day the trip builds to.
Morning
We board a licensed reef boat at the Reef Fleet Terminal in the morning and cross about one and a half to two hours to the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef, listed by UNESCO in 1981, where the water is clearer than on the inshore reefs. The boat visits two outer reef sites, so you snorkel twice over coral gardens with reef fish, giant clams and, often, turtles.
Afternoon
The crew gives a reef talk on the way out and a snorkel briefing, and lunch is served on board between the two sites. Snorkel gear, a stinger suit and the reef charge are included. If you want to go deeper, an introductory dive with an instructor needs no certificate and is offered on board at a price shown when you book.
Evening
We are back in Cairns in the late afternoon, and the evening is free.
Included
- Full-day outer reef trip from Cairns with two snorkel sites
- Lunch on board
- Snorkel gear, stinger suit and reef talk
- The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park charge
Optional experiences
- Introductory scuba dive with an instructor, no certificate needed (price shown at booking)
- Certified dives (price shown at booking)
Easier option: Snorkel from the boat's platform in the shallows with a flotation noodle, or stay on deck; many boats also have a glass-bottom or semi-submersible tour.
More active option: Join the crew's guided snorkel tour at each site, or add an introductory dive.
Free time: Evening free in Cairns
Activity: About 3 to 4 hours in the boat over the day; take seasickness tablets before you board if you are prone to it.
Skyrail to Kuranda, on to Port Douglas
Cairns to the Skyrail at Smithfield, Kuranda, then by Mareeba and Mount Molloy to Port Douglas
- Breakfast
- Stay in Port Douglas
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
After breakfast we drive 20 minutes north to the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway at Smithfield. The gondolas run 7.5 km over the canopy of the Wet Tropics, listed by UNESCO in 1988, with two stops on the way: Red Peak, for a boardwalk among the treetops, and Barron Falls, for the lookout over the gorge.
Afternoon
At the top is Kuranda, a village in the rainforest with markets and cafes, and you have time to walk it and have lunch of your choice. Our driver meets us in Kuranda and we drive about an hour and three quarters across the tablelands by Mareeba and Mount Molloy, then down the range to the coast at Mossman and on to Port Douglas, where we stay two nights.
Evening
Arrive in time for a late-afternoon walk on Four Mile Beach, and the evening is free in the town's restaurants along Macrossan Street.
Included
- The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway from Smithfield to Kuranda, with the Red Peak and Barron Falls stops
- Time in Kuranda
- Drive over the tablelands to Port Douglas
Optional experiences
- Ride the Kuranda Scenic Railway down to Cairns instead and transfer to Port Douglas separately (price shown at booking)
Free time: Lunch in Kuranda and evening free in Port Douglas
Mossman Gorge, the Daintree and Cape Tribulation
Port Douglas to Mossman Gorge, the Daintree River and Cape Tribulation, and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Port Douglas
- Drive about 3 h
We start early at Mossman Gorge, in the southern part of Daintree National Park, on the land of the Eastern Kuku Yalanji people. A Kuku Yalanji guide leads the Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk, about an hour and a half through the rainforest with a smoking ceremony, bush food and the stories of the place. Then north to the Daintree River for a cruise looking for saltwater crocodiles on the banks and birds in the mangroves, before the cable ferry takes us across the river into the forest beyond.
Afternoon
We stop at the Alexandra Range lookout over the river mouth and sit down to lunch near Cape Tribulation. In the afternoon we walk the boardwalks at Cape Tribulation, where the rainforest comes down to the beach and the reef lies just offshore, and see the cape from the sand.
Evening
We drive back to Port Douglas in the late afternoon for a farewell dinner together.
Included
- The Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk at Mossman Gorge with a Kuku Yalanji guide
- Daintree River cruise
- The Daintree River ferry
- The Alexandra Range lookout
- Sit-down lunch near Cape Tribulation
- The Cape Tribulation boardwalks and beach
- Farewell dinner in Port Douglas
Easier option: Stay at the Mossman Gorge Centre or the swimming spot at the start of the gorge instead of the full guided walk.
Activity: Do not swim in the sea, rivers or creeks unless your guide says the spot is safe: saltwater crocodiles live along this coast.
Depart from Cairns
Port Douglas to Cairns Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
The last morning is free. Walk Four Mile Beach early while it is cool, climb to the Flagstaff Hill lookout for the view down the beach, or have a last swim in the hotel pool. Then our driver takes us about an hour and ten minutes south on the Captain Cook Highway, which follows the shore for much of the way, to Cairns Airport (CNS), which has flights to the rest of Australia and international departures. Your guide comes with you to the airport and sees you to check-in. Book a flight leaving after about 1 pm, or ask us to add nights in Cairns or Port Douglas if you want more time in the tropics. On a Sunday, the Port Douglas market in Anzac Park by the water is worth an hour before we leave.
Included
- Drop-off at Cairns Airport (CNS)
Free time: Morning free in Port Douglas
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 1 pm.
- Sydney3 nights
- Byron Bay2 nights
- Noosa1 night
- K'gari (Fraser Island)1 night
- Airlie Beach2 nights
- Cairns2 nights
- Port Douglas2 nights
- Cairnsend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: May to October is the dry season in the tropical north, with mild days and the clearest reef water, and humpback whales pass Byron Bay and K'gari from about June to November. Sydney and the Blue Mountains are cool in June to August. From December to April the north is hot and wet, with cyclone risk and stingers in the sea.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want the whole east coast in two weeks without overnight buses or trains
- Swimmers and first-time snorkellers who want the reef twice, with crews who brief beginners
- A mix of guided days and free afternoons at the beach
- Solo travellers who want a small group and a hotel room, not a hostel dorm
Not for you if you want
- A party trip: this is not an 18 to 35s hostel tour
- Travellers who want to drive every kilometre of the coast
- Anyone who cannot get in and out of boats or walk on soft sand
- A December to April wet-season trip
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
13 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Sydney3 nights
- Byron Bay2 nights
- Noosa1 night
- K'gari (Fraser Island)1 night
- Airlie Beach2 nights
- Cairns2 nights
- Port Douglas2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 13 nights in central hotels of at least a 3-star-plus standard: 3 in Sydney, 2 in Byron Bay, 1 in Noosa, 1 at a lodge on K'gari, 2 in Airlie Beach, 2 in Cairns and 2 in Port Douglas
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Sydney Airport (SYD) and drop-off at Cairns Airport (CNS)
- Three flight days within Australia, economy with one checked bag: Sydney to Ballina Byron, Hervey Bay to the Whitsunday Coast (via Brisbane) and the Whitsunday Coast to Cairns
- A private air-conditioned vehicle with a licensed local driver on every road day, and airport transfers in Byron, the Whitsundays and Cairns
- A 4WD with a local driver-guide on K'gari, the Inskip Point barge and the Kingfisher Bay to River Heads ferry
- The Manly ferry
- The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway to Kuranda
- The Daintree River ferry and a Daintree River cruise
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from Sydney Airport to Cairns Airport, on every flight and road day
- A local driver-guide on K'gari
- A Kuku Yalanji guide on the Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk
- Licensed local guides and crews for the kayak, the Whitsundays day and the outer reef
Activities
- Sydney walk: The Rocks, the Opera House and the Royal Botanic Garden
- The Blue Mountains: Wentworth Falls, the Three Sisters and the Prince Henry Cliff Walk
- The Cape Byron Walking Track to the lighthouse
- Sea kayak tour in the Cape Byron Marine Park
- The Noosa National Park coastal walk
- K'gari 4WD tour: Lake Wabby, Eli Creek, the Maheno wreck, the Pinnacles, Lake McKenzie and Central Station
- Whitsundays day: Hill Inlet, Whitehaven Beach and reef snorkelling
- Full-day outer Great Barrier Reef trip from Cairns with two snorkel sites
- Snorkel gear, stinger suits and the reef charge on both reef days
- The Skyrail and Kuranda
- The Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk at Mossman Gorge
- Cape Tribulation and the Alexandra Range lookout
Meals
- 13 breakfasts
- 6 lunches: in Leura, two on K'gari, on the Whitsundays boat, on the reef boat and near Cape Tribulation
- 3 dinners: a welcome dinner in Sydney, dinner at the K'gari lodge and a farewell dinner in Port Douglas
Not included
- International flights to Sydney and home from Cairns
- Your Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) or visa
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities: a surf lesson, the Opera House tour, scuba dives and the Kuranda Scenic Railway
- Checked baggage above the allowance on domestic flights
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,310 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Thirteen nights in central hotels and a K'gari lodge, three flights within Australia with a checked bag, airport transfers, a private vehicle and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, 13 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 3 dinners, and every activity in the day plan, including the K'gari 4WD, the Whitsundays day, the outer reef, the kayak and the Skyrail.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, against 16 to 20 on most Sydney to Cairns tours. That keeps us in one vehicle, at one table for lunch and quick on and off the boats.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the Sydney welcome dinner to check-in at Cairns Airport on the last day, including on all three flights. Local guides join where they add something: a Kuku Yalanji guide at Mossman Gorge, a driver-guide on K'gari and the reef and kayak crews.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderate. The longest walks are about 3 km of cliff path with steps in the Blue Mountains, the 3.7 km Cape Byron loop and soft sand on K'gari. Snorkelling and kayaking are optional on every water day; you can stay aboard or on the beach, and the crews help beginners.
I'm travelling solo. Do I pay more?
Prices are per person sharing a twin room. A room of your own is from CAD 1,310 more for the whole trip, shown before you request to book and never added later, with the same room standard as everyone else. If you would rather share, tell us when you book and we will say whether a same-gender roommate is possible on your departure.
When is the best time to go?
May to October. It is the dry season in Far North Queensland, the reef water is clearest and stingers are mostly absent, and humpback whales pass Byron Bay and K'gari from about June. Sydney is cool in winter. December to April brings heat, heavy rain and cyclone risk in the north.
Why fly instead of driving the whole coast?
Sydney to Cairns is about 2,500 km by road. The road-and-train itineraries we studied spend several days of 5 hours or more in a vehicle plus a night on a train. Flying the three longest stretches keeps road days to about three and a half hours, apart from the K'gari island day, and gives that time back to the beaches, the island and the reef.
Is it safe to swim in Queensland?
Yes, where your guide says so. Saltwater crocodiles live in Far North Queensland rivers and along the coast, and box jellyfish are in the tropical sea mostly from November to May. We swim in the free, stinger-free public lagoons in Airlie Beach and Cairns, in Lake McKenzie and at the reef sites, with stinger suits included on both reef days.
Do I need a visa for Australia?
Most visitors need permission before flying. Canadian and US passport holders apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) in the official Australian ETA app, usually approved quickly; other passports may need an eVisitor or visa. We remind you when you book and ask for passport details for the domestic flights.
How does booking work?
Choose a start date and request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until then. The small group starts from CAD 7,695 per person sharing, taxes and the three domestic flights included; international flights are extra.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The trip also runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 13,850 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels, flights and local trips without a guide.
How is this different from your Sydney, Uluru and Great Barrier Reef trip?
This trip follows the coast: Byron Bay, Noosa, a night on K'gari, the Whitsundays and two reef days, ending in Cairns and Port Douglas. The Sydney, Uluru and Great Barrier Reef trip flies inland to the Red Centre for Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon instead of the coast between Sydney and Cairns.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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