Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Australia at a slower pace: Sydney, Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef
12 days from Sydney to Cairns at a slower pace: four nights by Sydney Harbour with the Blue Mountains, three at Uluru, and four in Port Douglas for the reef, the Daintree and Kuranda.
12 days · Sydney to Cairns · up to 12 guests
Sydney Harbour at sunset from McMahons Point Photo: Gibrate1, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sydney_Harbour_including_Harbour_bridge_and_Opera_House.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 12 days, 11 nights
- Start and end
- Sydney to Cairns
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Easy
Under 5 km on foot every day, usually 1.5 to 3.5 km in short stretches on flat paths, boardwalks and firm desert tracks, with a bench, a cafe or the vehicle seat between them. One early start, for sunrise at Uluru. No drive is longer than about 1.5 hours at a time, and the two long distances are flown. Every walk has a seated way to sit it out, and the reef can be seen without getting wet.
- Meals included
- 11 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 6 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,815 (estimated price)
- Season
- May, June, August and September
Highlights
Why this trip
- A guided tour inside the Sydney Opera House, in its step-free format where it runs
- The Three Sisters from Echo Point and the Skyway's glass floor over the Jamison Valley
- Sunset at Uluru from the viewing area, and sunrise from the ramps of Talinguru Nyakunytjaku
- The Sounds of Silence dinner in the dunes under the desert stars
- The outer Great Barrier Reef from an underwater observatory and a semi-submarine, or snorkelling from the pontoon steps
- Mossman Gorge with a Kuku Yalanji guide and a seated Daintree River crocodile cruise
- Up to Kuranda by heritage train and back over the rainforest by Skyrail
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 1,815 (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 The Rocks, Circular Quay and the Opera House
- Dinner
- Stay in Sydney
- Drive about 30 min
Your trip starts at Sydney Airport (SYD), about 10 km south of the city centre. We meet you in the arrivals hall, take your bags and drive you to your hotel near The Rocks and Circular Quay, your base for four nights, so you unpack once for the whole Sydney stay. Hotels on this trip are chosen with lifts to every floor; we name yours when we confirm your dates. You are free to rest after the long flight until the group meets. At about 5 pm your trip leader meets the group in the lobby for a gentle walk of about 1.5 km on flat paved paths along Circular Quay, where the ferries come and go under the Harbour Bridge, opened in 1932, to the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House, on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2007. There are benches along the water if you want to pause.
Evening
Dinner together follows at about 6:30 pm, close to the hotel, where your leader runs through the twelve days ahead.
Included
- Pick-up at Sydney Airport (SYD)
- Evening walk along Circular Quay to the Opera House (about 1.5 km, flat)
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the 5 pm group walk
Activity: About 1.5 km on foot today, all flat.
Inside the Opera House
The Opera House, the Royal Botanic Garden and Mrs Macquarie's Chair
- Breakfast
- Stay in Sydney
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
A late start: breakfast at your own pace and we meet at 9:30 am. We walk the short, level way round Circular Quay to the Sydney Opera House for a guided tour inside, seeing the concert hall and the foyers under the great shells and hearing how Jørn Utzon's design was built. The standard tour climbs a good number of stairs, so we book the venue's step-free access tour where it runs on our date, or a tour with lift access; we confirm the format with your booking. Afterwards our vehicle picks us up at the forecourt and drives the few minutes through the Royal Botanic Garden to Mrs Macquarie's Chair, a sandstone ledge carved by convicts in 1810, with a view across the water to the Opera House and the bridge together.
Afternoon
Back at the hotel by about 12:30 pm, the afternoon is free. Take a seat on a harbour ferry with an Opal card, visit the Art Gallery of New South Wales or the Museum of Contemporary Art at the Quay, or simply rest.
Included
- Guided tour inside the Sydney Opera House (step-free or lift-access format where available)
- Mrs Macquarie's Chair viewpoint by vehicle through the Royal Botanic Garden
Optional experiences
- A harbour ferry ride on your own with an Opal card or a contactless card
Easier option: Ride the vehicle to the Opera House forecourt instead of walking.
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: About 2 km on foot, flat, with seating on the tour and at the viewpoint.
The Blue Mountains
Sydney to Echo Point, Scenic World and Leura, and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Sydney
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
We leave at 8:30 am, after the morning traffic has eased, and drive west about an hour and a half to the Blue Mountains, part of a World Heritage area listed in 2000 for its eucalypt forests and deep sandstone valleys. The blue haze comes from fine droplets of eucalyptus oil in the air. At Echo Point in Katoomba the vehicle drops us close to the main lookout, a short level path from the Three Sisters view across the Jamison Valley; the three pillars hold a place in the stories of the Gundungurra and Darug peoples. At Scenic World we ride the Cableway down into the valley and the glass-floored Skyway across the gorge, both in enclosed cabins with standing room and space to hold a rail. The steep Scenic Railway is an option for those who want it, and the rainforest boardwalk at the bottom has a short loop.
Evening
Lunch is a sit-down meal in Leura, a village of cafes and gardens, and we are back in Sydney by about 4:30 pm, with dinner together at 6:30 pm.
Included
- Echo Point and the Three Sisters lookout
- Scenic World: Cableway and Skyway, with the Scenic Railway as an option
- Lunch in Leura
- Dinner in Sydney
Easier option: Stay at the top on the Skyway and the lookout cafe while others ride down into the valley.
More active option: Ride the Scenic Railway down and walk the longer rainforest boardwalk loop.
Activity: About 3 hours by road in all today, in two legs of about 1.5 hours each way, with a long break in Leura and stops at Echo Point and Scenic World. Under 2 km on foot.
Bondi and a harbour lunch
Sydney to Bondi Beach, then back to the city
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Sydney
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
Another unhurried morning. We drive out to Bondi at about 9:30 am, around 25 minutes, and the vehicle drops us on Campbell Parade above the beach. The flat promenade runs the length of the sand, about a kilometre, with benches facing the surf and the board riders. At the south end is the Bondi Icebergs ocean pool, cut into the rocks, its lanes washed by the waves; you look down on it from the clifftop path. From May to November humpback whales migrate along this coast, so keep watching the sea. The famous coastal walk to Coogee has many steps and slopes, so we do not walk it as a group; anyone who wants a taste can follow the cliffs to Tamarama with the leader and meet the vehicle there.
Afternoon
Lunch is together near the water, and we are back at the hotel by about 2 pm.
Evening
The afternoon and evening are free: a last harbour ferry, a drink at a bar in The Rocks with a view of the bridge, or an early night before tomorrow's flight.
Included
- Bondi Beach promenade and the Icebergs pool lookout
- Lunch near the water
Easier option: Stay on the promenade benches or in a beach cafe.
More active option: Walk the clifftop path from Bondi to Tamarama (about 1.5 km with steps and slopes).
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 1.5 km on foot on the flat promenade.
Fly to Uluru
Sydney to Ayers Rock by air, then sunset at Uluru
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Yulara
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
A late breakfast, then our vehicle takes you and your bags to Sydney Airport for the mid-morning non-stop flight to Ayers Rock (AYQ), about three and a half hours; from the window the green coast gives way to red sand and dry salt lakes. We book a flight that does not need a dawn start, and wheelchair assistance at both airports is easy to arrange if walking long airport corridors is hard. On our trip dates Northern Territory time is half an hour behind Sydney. At your hotel in Yulara, the resort village beside the park and your base for three nights, there is time to check in and rest.
Evening
In the late afternoon we drive about 20 km into Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, owned by its Anangu traditional owners and listed by UNESCO for both nature and living culture, to the sunset viewing area. You watch from the viewing area beside the vehicle, with seating where the operator provides it, as the rock deepens from orange to rust. Dinner together at the resort follows.
Included
- Flight from Sydney (SYD) to Ayers Rock (AYQ), with transfers
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park pass (3 days)
- Sunset at Uluru from the sunset viewing area
- Dinner at the resort
Free time: Time to rest at the resort before sunset
Activity: Very little walking today. About 1 h 15 by road in short legs: the hotel to Sydney Airport, Ayers Rock Airport to Yulara, and about 20 km each way to the sunset viewing area.
Uluru at sunrise
Talinguru Nyakunytjaku, the Kuniya walk and the Cultural Centre
- Breakfast
- Stay in Yulara
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
The one early start of the trip, because Uluru at sunrise is the reason to be here. We leave about an hour before sunrise, with a warm layer, as desert mornings can be close to freezing in June to August. At Talinguru Nyakunytjaku, the sunrise viewing area, sealed paths and ramps lead to platforms that look across to Uluru and, far off, Kata Tjuta. Watch the first light reach the rock, then we drive round to the Kuniya walk, about a kilometre return on a flat, firm path to Mutitjulu Waterhole, one of the few places where water lasts all year, with rock art on the way. Some parts of Uluru are sensitive sites: signs ask you not to photograph them, and we ask the same. Next is the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre, where Anangu tell the story of the land in their own words, with seats and a cafe.
Afternoon
We are back at the hotel by late morning for breakfast and a long free afternoon by the pool.
Evening
Dinner tonight is your own, at one of the Yulara restaurants a short walk or free shuttle ride away; your leader helps book a table. If you have the energy, the Field of Light, thousands of glowing lights over the dunes, is an optional extra after dark; most will want an early night.
Included
- Sunrise at Talinguru Nyakunytjaku
- Kuniya walk to Mutitjulu Waterhole (about 1 km return, flat)
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre
Optional experiences
- Field of Light after dark, a short walk on gentle paths (booked ahead, at extra cost)
Easier option: Watch sunrise from the first platform and wait at the Cultural Centre cafe instead of the Kuniya walk.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free; dinner on your own at Yulara
Activity: Early start, about an hour before sunrise. About 2.5 km on foot in all, on flat paths.
Kata Tjuta and Sounds of Silence
Kata Tjuta, the base of Uluru by road, and dinner in the dunes
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Yulara
- Drive about 2 h
A gentle 8:30 am start for Kata Tjuta, about 50 km west of the resort, a group of 36 great domes, the tallest rising about 200 metres higher than Uluru. Kata Tjuta means many heads in the Pitjantjatjara language, and it is a sacred place under Anangu law. From the dune viewing area, reached on a short boardwalk with shade and benches, you see the domes spread across the plain. Then we drive to Walpa Gorge: the walk into the gorge is about 2.6 km return over a rocky, gently rising stream bed, so walk as far as is comfortable and turn back when you like; the shelter at the start has seats. On the way back we drive the road around the base of Uluru, stopping where the rock rises close beside us.
Afternoon
Lunch is together at the resort, then the afternoon is yours to rest.
Evening
In the evening we go to the Sounds of Silence dinner in the dunes: canapes at sunset over Uluru and Kata Tjuta, a dinner under the stars and a talk about the night sky.
Included
- Kata Tjuta dune viewing area
- Walpa Gorge walk, as far as you like (about 2.6 km return in full)
- Drive around the base of Uluru
- Lunch at the resort
- Sounds of Silence dinner in the dunes
Easier option: Stay at the Walpa Gorge shelter or the dune viewing area while others walk in.
More active option: Walk the full length of Walpa Gorge to the lookout at its end.
Activity: Up to about 3.5 km on foot today if you walk the whole gorge. The dune dinner site is reached on a short path; ops confirm access.
Fly to the tropics
Ayers Rock to Cairns by air, the coast road to Port Douglas
- Breakfast
- Stay in Port Douglas
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
No early start: after breakfast the airport is about ten minutes away for the mid-morning flight to Cairns, about two and a half hours and the only non-stop link between the Red Centre and the tropical north. Clocks go forward half an hour into Queensland time, and the desert gives way to green ranges and the blue of the Coral Sea. From Cairns Airport we drive north on the Captain Cook Highway, about an hour, squeezed between rainforested hills and the sea, with a stop at Rex Lookout if the light is good; you can see it from the car park without walking. Port Douglas is a small, easygoing town at the end of a sandy peninsula, and your base for four nights.
Evening
Check in, then the rest of the afternoon and evening are free. Four Mile Beach is a few minutes from the town centre, flat and firm at low tide, and Macrossan Street, the main street, has restaurants serving reef fish and prawns. Swim between the flags when lifeguards are on duty.
Included
- Flight from Ayers Rock (AYQ) to Cairns (CNS), with transfers
- Drive up the Captain Cook Highway to Port Douglas, with the Rex Lookout stop
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: Very little walking today.
The Great Barrier Reef
A full day at an outer reef pontoon from Port Douglas
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Port Douglas
- By boat
Today we go to the Great Barrier Reef, which stretches more than 2,300 km along the Queensland coast and has been a World Heritage site since 1981.
Morning
We take a large, stable catamaran from the Port Douglas marina, with a morning departure, time confirmed at booking and never at dawn; the crossing to the outer reef takes about 90 minutes, with seats inside and out. We spend the day at a moored reef pontoon, which suits every swimmer and non-swimmer. The underwater observatory lets you see coral and fish from a dry, seated room below the waterline, and the semi-submarine glides over the reef with you seated behind glass. If you want to snorkel, steps with handrails lead into the water, and the crew hand out stinger suits, buoyancy vests and floats; you can stay close to the pontoon. Expect hard and soft corals, giant clams, parrotfish and schools of reef fish, with turtles a likely sight.
Afternoon
Lunch is served on board.
Evening
We are back in the late afternoon, and dinner together is at about 6:30 pm.
Included
- Full day at an outer reef pontoon by large catamaran, with lunch, the underwater observatory, the semi-submarine, snorkel gear, stinger suits and the reef charge
- Dinner in Port Douglas
Optional experiences
- A helicopter scenic flight over the reef from the pontoon, where offered
Easier option: Stay dry: the observatory and the semi-submarine show the reef without getting wet.
More active option: Snorkel further out with the crew's guided snorkel tour, where offered.
Activity: The pontoon has steps between decks. Reef conditions depend on the weather on the day.
Mossman Gorge and the Daintree River
Mossman Gorge, the Daintree River and Daintree Village
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Port Douglas
- Drive about 2 h
A day in the Wet Tropics of Queensland, a World Heritage area since 1988 and home to some of the oldest rainforest on Earth. We leave at 9 am for Mossman Gorge, about 25 minutes north. From the Mossman Gorge Centre a shuttle bus takes visitors into the gorge, so there is no long walk in. A Kuku Yalanji guide leads the Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk, about an hour and a half at an easy pace. It begins with a smoking ceremony, then follows rainforest paths while your guide shows plants used for food, medicine and tools and shares stories of the land, with the Mossman River running clear over granite boulders below. Then we drive on to the Daintree River for a one-hour cruise on a covered boat with seats, looking for saltwater crocodiles on the mudbanks and kingfishers in the mangroves.
Afternoon
Lunch is together in Daintree Village, and we are back in Port Douglas by about 3 pm. The rest of the afternoon is free, perhaps for Wildlife Habitat, a few minutes from town, or the pool.
Included
- Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk at Mossman Gorge with a Kuku Yalanji guide, with the gorge shuttle bus
- One-hour Daintree River crocodile cruise
- Lunch in Daintree Village
Optional experiences
- Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas, for koalas, cassowaries and wetland birds up close
Easier option: Wait at the Mossman Gorge Centre cafe or walk only the first part with the guide.
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: About 2 km on foot, on rainforest paths with some uneven ground.
Kuranda by train and cableway
Freshwater to Kuranda by the Scenic Railway, back by Skyrail
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Port Douglas
- Drive about 2 h
We drive south at 8 am to Freshwater station in Cairns, about an hour, for the Kuranda Scenic Railway, a heritage line built in the late nineteenth century that climbs about 1 hour 45 minutes through rainforest, tunnels and gorges, past waterfalls and the Barron Gorge, in reserved seats.
Afternoon
Kuranda is a mountain village of markets and cafes; we walk its few level streets slowly, and lunch together is a sit-down meal here. In the early afternoon we ride down on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, about 7.5 km over the canopy in a seated gondola, with stops at Barron Falls and Red Peak, where boardwalks lead into the forest; you can stay in your gondola at either stop. Our vehicle meets us at the bottom station in Smithfield and we drive back up the coast to Port Douglas, arriving at about 4:30 pm.
Evening
Tonight is the farewell dinner, a chance to look back on twelve days from the Opera House to the desert and the reef.
Included
- Kuranda Scenic Railway from Freshwater to Kuranda, reserved seats
- Skyrail Rainforest Cableway from Kuranda to Smithfield
- Lunch in Kuranda
- Farewell dinner
Easier option: Stay in the gondola at the Skyrail stops and rest in a Kuranda cafe.
More active option: Walk the Red Peak boardwalk at the Skyrail stop.
Activity: About 1 hour each way by road. Under 2 km on foot.
Depart from Cairns
Port Douglas to Cairns Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
A last unhurried breakfast in Port Douglas and, if you like, one more stroll along Four Mile Beach or a coffee on Macrossan Street. At about 10 am we load the bags and drive back down the Captain Cook Highway to Cairns Airport (CNS), about an hour, arriving by about 11 am, so please book flights home or onward that leave after 1 pm. Cairns has direct flights to Australia's main cities and to several destinations in Asia and the Pacific, which makes it an easy place to connect; wheelchair assistance through the terminal can be booked with your airline. If you would like more time in the tropics, we can book extra nights in Port Douglas, Palm Cove or Cairns for you, with the transfers. Your trip leader sees you off at the terminal and the trip ends here, in the far north of Queensland, after twelve days from the harbour to the outback and the reef at an easy pace.
Included
- Drop-off at Cairns Airport (CNS)
Optional experiences
- Extra nights in Port Douglas, Palm Cove or Cairns
Activity: Book flights that leave after 1 pm.
- Sydney4 nights
- Yulara3 nights
- Port Douglas4 nights
- Cairnsend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: We run in May, June, August and September, the coolest and driest months for this route. Sydney is mild, around 17 to 23 C by day, and humpback whales pass its headlands from May to November. The Red Centre is dry and sunny, comfortable by day and cold before dawn, close to freezing in June to August, so bring a warm layer for the one sunrise. October is left out because Red Centre afternoons get hot. Port Douglas is in its dry season, about 26 to 29 C. Marine stinger season runs from about November to May, so May departures catch its tail end; the reef crew hand out full-body stinger suits on every trip. Kangaroos and wallabies are likely at dusk, reef fish are certain on a calm day and turtles and crocodiles are likely; wild cassowaries are rare.
Want this plan in your inbox?
Get the day-by-day itinerary by email, or ask us anything about this trip. A trip planner replies the same or next business day.
Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers over 60 who want Sydney, Uluru and the reef without long days or early starts
- Anyone who walks comfortably for 20 to 30 minutes at a time but not for hours
- Non-swimmers and nervous swimmers who still want to see the coral
- Couples and solo travellers who like three or four nights in each base and a free afternoon every other day
Not for you if you want
- Wheelchair users who need a fully step-free trip: the reef pontoon and some boats have steps and desert tracks are rocky
- Hikers who want the Kings Canyon Rim Walk or long days on foot; see our Sydney, Uluru and Great Barrier Reef trip
- Travellers looking for an outback camping or four-wheel-drive trip
- Anyone who wants to see as much of Australia as possible in twelve days
Most guests are 60 and over
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
11 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Sydney4 nights
- Yulara3 nights
- Port Douglas4 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 11 nights in central hotels with lifts, twin share: 4 in Sydney, 3 at a hotel in Yulara, beside Uluru and 4 in Port Douglas
Transport
- Pick-up at Sydney Airport (SYD) and drop-off at Cairns Airport (CNS)
- Flights from Sydney to Ayers Rock (AYQ) and from Ayers Rock to Cairns (CNS)
- A vehicle with a licensed local driver in Sydney, the Red Centre and Far North Queensland, with help with your bags
- The Kuranda Scenic Railway and the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
- The reef catamaran and the Daintree River cruise boat
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours trip leader with the group for the whole trip
- The Opera House tour guide in Sydney
- A Kuku Yalanji guide on the Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk
- The reef crew and the Daintree River cruise guide
Activities
- Guided tour inside the Sydney Opera House
- Mrs Macquarie's Chair and Bondi Beach, Sydney
- Echo Point and Scenic World Cableway and Skyway, with the Railway as an option, Blue Mountains
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park pass (3 days)
- Sunset and sunrise at Uluru, the Kuniya walk and the Cultural Centre
- The Sounds of Silence dinner, Uluru
- Kata Tjuta and Walpa Gorge
- Full day at an outer Great Barrier Reef pontoon with the observatory, semi-submarine, snorkel gear, stinger suit and the reef charge, Port Douglas
- Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk at Mossman Gorge with the gorge shuttle bus
- One-hour Daintree River crocodile cruise
- Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail
Meals
- 11 breakfasts
- 6 lunches: Leura, Bondi, Yulara, the reef boat, Daintree Village and Kuranda
- 6 dinners, including a welcome dinner in Sydney, the Sounds of Silence dinner at Uluru and a farewell dinner in Port Douglas
Not included
- International flights to Sydney and from Cairns
- Australian ETA or eVisitor visa
- Travel insurance, which should cover medical care and evacuation
- Lunches and dinners not listed
- Drinks other than those served at sunset and at the Sounds of Silence dinner
- Optional experiences, such as Wildlife Habitat and a reef helicopter flight
- Tips
- Personal expenses
- Airport wheelchair assistance is free but booked with your airline
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,815 (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 trip include?
11 nights in central hotels with lifts, both flights within Australia, airport transfers, a vehicle with a licensed driver in each region, a See Sight Tours trip leader throughout, the Opera House tour, Scenic World, the park pass, Sounds of Silence, a full reef pontoon day, the Ngadiku walk, the Daintree cruise, the Kuranda railway and Skyrail, 11 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 6 dinners.
How much walking is there each day?
Under 5 km every day, usually 1.5 to 3.5 km, in short stretches on flat paths, boardwalks and firm desert tracks, with seats along the way. The vehicle drops you close to every lookout. The rockiest walk is Walpa Gorge, and you can walk as far as you like or wait at the shelter. Hotels have lifts to every floor.
Are there early starts?
Only one. On day 6 we leave about an hour before sunrise for Uluru at first light, then breakfast back at the hotel and a free afternoon and evening. Every other morning leaves at 8 am or later, most at 9 or 9:30, and the reef boat has a morning departure, time confirmed at booking.
Can I see the Great Barrier Reef if I do not swim?
Yes. We go to a reef pontoon with an underwater observatory, where you sit dry below the waterline, and a semi-submarine that glides over the coral. If you do snorkel, steps with handrails lead into the water, and the crew provide stinger suits, buoyancy vests and floats.
How big is the group and who leads it?
The small group runs with 7 to 12 guests and one See Sight Tours trip leader for the whole trip, with licensed local drivers in each region, an Opera House guide, a Kuku Yalanji guide at Mossman Gorge and the reef crew.
I am travelling solo. What does a room of my own cost?
A room of your own is from CAD 1,815 more, about 18 percent of the price, and it is the same room type as everyone else's. If you would rather share, tell us when you book and we will pair you with another solo traveller of the same gender where one is booked.
When is the best time to go?
We run in May, June, August and September. The Red Centre is comfortable by day and cold before dawn, the tropics are in their dry season and Sydney is mild. October is left out because desert afternoons get hot, and May catches the tail of the stinger season, when the reef crew hand out stinger suits.
Do I need a visa for Australia?
Yes. Canadians and Americans need an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA), applied for in the official AustralianETA app before you fly; many European passport holders use the free eVisitor. Check the current rules for your passport well before you travel.
Can I bring my prescription medicines to Australia?
Yes. Bring them in their original packaging with a copy of the prescription or a doctor's letter, and declare them on arrival. Australia limits personal imports of prescription medicine to about three months' supply, so check the Australian rules for any controlled medicine before you fly.
Do I need travel insurance, and what about the heat and my health?
Yes, travel insurance that covers medical care and evacuation is required, and it must declare any pre-existing conditions. There is no altitude on this trip. The Red Centre is dry and sunny even in winter, so carry water, a hat and sunscreen; we keep desert walks to the cooler hours, with the vehicle close by.
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 18,145 per person. Travelling independently on your own dates is not a style of this trip, but ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels, flights and visits.
How does booking work?
The small group starts from CAD 10,080 per person sharing, with taxes and both domestic flights. Send your preferred dates as an enquiry. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request.
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.
Book your Tour
Get in Touch
- Toll Free1-888-961-6584
- Local1-289-271-9767
© 2026 See Sight Tours. All rights reserved.