Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Australia: Sydney, Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef for three generations
12 days for grandparents, parents and children 6 and up: four nights in Sydney with the zoo, the Blue Mountains and Bondi, three at Uluru, and four in Port Douglas for the reef, Kuranda and the Daintree.
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
- Longest drive
- 3 h on day 3No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Easy
Most days are 2 to 4 hours on your feet with breaks, on paved paths, boardwalks and flat desert tracks; the longest walk is about 2.6 km (Walpa Gorge), and every longer walk has a seated way to sit it out. No single road leg is longer than about 1.5 hours; the longest days on the road are the Blue Mountains (about 1.5 hours each way, 3 in all) and Kuranda (about 1 hour each way, 2 in all). Two domestic flights replace the long drives. There is one early start (sunrise at Kata Tjuta, about 7:20 to 7:30 am in June and July) and an afternoon at the pool or the beach in every base.
- Meals included
- 11 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 6 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,800 (estimated price)
- Season
- June to October, with July and August for school holidays
Highlights
Why this trip
- Taronga Zoo by harbour ferry, then a gentle downhill walk past koalas and platypus
- The Three Sisters and the Scenic World rides in the Blue Mountains
- A beach morning at Bondi and the clifftop path to Bronte's sea pool
- Sunset at Uluru, then the Field of Light under the desert stars
- Kata Tjuta at sunrise and dot painting with an Anangu artist
- A day on the outer Great Barrier Reef from a pontoon, with an observatory for those who stay dry
- Up to Kuranda on the Scenic Railway and down on the Skyrail over the rainforest
- Mossman Gorge with a Kuku Yalanji guide, a Daintree crocodile cruise and cassowaries at Wildlife Habitat
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
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 1,800 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 3 h, on day 3.
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 hotel, then 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 your family in the arrivals hall and drive you to a central hotel near Circular Quay, your base for four nights, with the rooms you asked for together on one floor wherever the hotel can. The rest of the day is for sleeping off the flight, a swim if the hotel has a pool, or a short walk. At about 4:30 pm your guide meets everyone in the lobby for a flat, unhurried walk of about 1.5 km along Circular Quay, where the green and yellow harbour ferries come and go under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, to the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House, on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2007. The children can count ferries and spot the climbers on the bridge arch.
Evening
Then we sit down early, at about 6 pm, for a welcome dinner close to the hotel, where your guide runs through the twelve days and who sits where in the van.
Included
- Pick-up at Sydney Airport (SYD) and transfer to the hotel
- Evening walk along Circular Quay to the Sydney Opera House forecourt
- Welcome dinner at about 6 pm
Easier option: Stay at the hotel and join the group at dinner.
Free time: Afternoon free to rest after the flight
Activity: About 1.5 km on flat harbourside paths. Arrive whenever your flight lands; the walk is at about 4:30 pm.
Taronga Zoo by ferry
Circular Quay to Taronga Zoo by harbour ferry, and back
- Breakfast
- Stay in Sydney
- By ferry
A gentle first full day on the water. At about 9 am we take the public ferry from Circular Quay across the harbour to the Taronga Zoo wharf, a ride of about 12 minutes with the Opera House on one side and the bridge behind.
Morning
The zoo sits on a steep hillside, so from the wharf we ride up to the main entrance at the top by the bus or shuttle that meets the ferries (the old Sky Safari cable car is closed while it is rebuilt), and spend the morning walking gently downhill past koalas, kangaroos and wallabies, platypus, echidnas and Tasmanian devils, with harbour views between the enclosures. We aim to be seated for one of the daily animal presentations; your guide checks the times on the day.
Afternoon
Lunch is wherever the family likes in the zoo. We take the ferry back at about 1 pm, so the afternoon is free: the hotel pool, the Royal Botanic Garden next to the Opera House, with wide lawns and a children's garden, or an ice cream in The Rocks.
Evening
Dinner tonight is on your own; your guide suggests places that serve early and welcome children.
Included
- Return harbour ferry from Circular Quay to Taronga Zoo
- The ride from the zoo wharf up to the main entrance
- Taronga Zoo entry
- A morning at the zoo with your guide
Easier option: Rest on the benches by the koala walk while the others see the far enclosures, and meet at the wharf gate.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 3 km on paved paths, mostly downhill from the top gate. Benches and shade throughout. Back at the hotel by about 1:30 pm.
The Blue Mountains
Sydney to Katoomba and Leura, and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Sydney
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
We leave at about 8:30, after the morning traffic has eased, and drive west about an hour and a half into the Blue Mountains, part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, listed in 2000 for its eucalypt forests and sandstone valleys. The blue haze comes from fine droplets of oil given off by the eucalyptus trees. At Echo Point in Katoomba a short level path leads to the lookout over the Jamison Valley and the Three Sisters, three sandstone pillars in the stories of the Gundungurra and Darug peoples. Next door at Scenic World our pass covers all four rides: the Railway, a very steep ride down the cliff that children love and that the less keen can skip; the Walkway, a flat boardwalk through rainforest under tree ferns; the Cableway back up; and the glass-floored Skyway across the gorge.
Afternoon
Lunch is together in Leura, a village of cafes and gardens.
Evening
We are back at the hotel by about 4:30, with an early dinner together at about 6.
Included
- Echo Point lookout and the Three Sisters
- Scenic World pass: Railway, Walkway, Cableway and Skyway
- Lunch in Leura
- Dinner in Sydney at about 6 pm
Easier option: Take the Cableway down instead of the steep Railway, and sit by the Walkway's first lookout.
More active option: Walk the Prince Henry Cliff Walk from Echo Point toward Leura Cascades with your guide while the others take the rides again.
Free time: Evening after dinner free
Activity: About 1 hour 30 minutes each way on the road. About 2 to 3 km on foot, on boardwalks and paved paths. The Railway is steep (a 52-degree incline) but you sit throughout.
Bondi Beach morning
Sydney to Bondi and Bronte, and back
- Breakfast
- Stay in Sydney
- Drive about 45 min
Morning
A morning on Sydney's best-known beach, then the rest of the day as you like it. Our van takes us about 20 minutes to Bondi, where the long curve of sand faces the Pacific. Children can dig, paddle and watch the surf lifesavers set the flags; on a warm day you can swim between them, though in winter the sea is about 18 C and bracing. Your guide points out the Bondi Icebergs ocean pool at the south end, where waves break over the wall. For those who want a walk, we follow the clifftop coastal path about 2.5 km to Bronte, past the sandstone of Tamarama, and meet the others at Bronte's park, which has a playground, shade, barbecues and its own sea pool. From May to November humpback whales migrate along this coast, so keep an eye on the sea. We are back at the hotel by about 12:30.
Evening
The afternoon and evening are free: the ferry to Manly for a second beach, the hotel pool, or a quiet afternoon before tomorrow's flight.
Included
- A guided morning at Bondi Beach
- Bondi to Bronte clifftop walk, or the van to Bronte
- Transfers to Bondi and back
Optional experiences
- The ferry to Manly in the afternoon (on your own, with your guide's directions)
Easier option: Stay on the sand at Bondi and ride the van round to Bronte to meet the walkers.
More active option: Walk the full coastal path on from Bronte to Coogee, about 6 km in all, with your guide.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: The walk is about 2.5 km with some stairs; the van meets everyone at Bronte.
Fly to Uluru
Sydney to Ayers Rock by air, then the Cultural Centre, Mutitjulu Waterhole and sunset at Uluru
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Ayers Rock Resort (Yulara)
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
After breakfast we drive to the airport for the 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. Set your watch back: Northern Territory time is half an hour behind Sydney in winter and an hour and a half behind once Sydney's daylight saving begins in October. We check in at Ayers Rock Resort in Yulara, the only place to stay near the rock, for three nights, and there is time for the pool before we head out. At about 4 pm we drive into Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, owned by its Anangu traditional owners and listed by UNESCO for both its nature and its living culture. At the Cultural Centre the Anangu tell the park's stories in their own words, and then the Kuniya walk, about 1 km return on a flat path, leads to the Mutitjulu Waterhole at the foot of the rock.
Evening
We watch the sunset from the viewing area, then dinner at the resort.
Included
- Flight from Sydney (SYD) to Ayers Rock (AYQ), with transfers
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park pass (3 days)
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre
- Kuniya walk to Mutitjulu Waterhole
- Sunset at Uluru
- Dinner at the resort
Easier option: Stay at the Cultural Centre and its shaded seats while the others walk to the waterhole.
Free time: Time at the resort pool after check-in
Activity: About 1 km on a flat path; the sunset viewing is from the vehicle park. Some parts of Uluru are sacred sites; signs ask you not to photograph them.
Kata Tjuta and the Field of Light
Sunrise at Kata Tjuta and Walpa Gorge, then the resort and the Field of Light
- Breakfast
- Stay in Ayers Rock Resort (Yulara)
- Drive about 1.5 h
Today has the trip's one early start.
Morning
We leave about 45 minutes before sunrise, which is about 7:20 to 7:30 am in June and July and about 6 am in October, with a warm layer and a packed breakfast, for the dune viewing area at Kata Tjuta, about 50 km west of the resort. First light reaches its 36 domes of conglomerate rock, the tallest about 200 metres higher than Uluru. Kata Tjuta means many heads in the Pitjantjatjara language, and like Uluru it is sacred under Anangu law. While the air is cool we walk into Walpa Gorge, about 2.6 km return on a rocky but gently rising path between two of the highest domes; everyone turns back at their own pace.
Afternoon
We are at the resort by late morning, and the afternoon is for the pool and a rest. At about 3 pm, an Anangu artist teaches the family dot painting at a workshop in the town square.
Evening
After an early dinner on your own at the resort, we walk among the more than 50,000 softly lit stems of the Field of Light.
Included
- Sunrise at the Kata Tjuta dune viewing area, with a packed breakfast
- Walpa Gorge walk
- Dot painting workshop with an Anangu artist at the resort
- Field of Light at Uluru
Optional experiences
- Sounds of Silence dinner among the dunes, instead of an early dinner on your own
Easier option: Watch the sunrise and wait at the Walpa Gorge car park, which has shade and seats, while the others walk.
More active option: Walk the Valley of the Winds to Karu Lookout, about 2.2 km return over loose stones, with your guide.
Free time: Afternoon free at the resort
Activity: About 2.6 km on a rocky path, then about 1 km on a flat sand path at the Field of Light. On very hot days the Valley of the Winds beyond Karu Lookout closes at 11 am, one reason we come at dawn.
Around the base of Uluru
The Mala walk and the base of Uluru, then a free afternoon
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Ayers Rock Resort (Yulara)
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
A later start, at about 8:30 after breakfast. We drive to the Mala car park and walk the Mala walk, about 2 km return on flat ground, along the base of Uluru past rock art in shallow caves to the quiet of Kantju Gorge; your guide tells the Mala story as the Anangu share it with visitors. Park rangers lead a free Mala walk on some mornings, and when the time suits we join it. Then the family chooses how to see the rest of the rock. The active can hire bicycles and ride the flat base track, about 10.6 km, with your guide; the rest of us ride the van around the ring road, stopping at viewpoints where the walls are close enough to see the honeycomb caves.
Afternoon
We are back at the resort by about 1 pm for lunch on your own and a free afternoon by the pool.
Evening
Before sunset, ride a camel through the dunes if you like, then we gather for dinner at about 6:30, our last night in the desert.
Included
- Mala walk at the base of Uluru with your guide
- Drive around the base of Uluru with viewpoint stops
- Dinner at the resort
Optional experiences
- Bicycle hire to ride the Uluru base track
- A sunset camel ride in the dunes
Easier option: Ride round the rock in the van and walk only the first section of the Mala walk.
More active option: Cycle the 10.6 km base track with your guide.
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: About 2 km on flat ground. The bicycle ride is about 10.6 km on a flat sand and gravel track; children's bikes are available from the hire company (confirmed at booking).
Fly to the tropics
Ayers Rock to Cairns by air, the coast road to Port Douglas
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Port Douglas
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
Breakfast, then a short transfer to the airport 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 below the wing the desert gives way to green ranges and the blue of the Coral Sea. From Cairns Airport we drive north about an hour on the Captain Cook Highway, between rainforested hills and the sea, with a stop at Rex Lookout if the light is good. Port Douglas is a small, easygoing town at the end of a sandy peninsula and your base for four nights.
Afternoon
We check in by mid-afternoon, and then there is nothing to do but swim in the hotel pool or walk down to Four Mile Beach, where the children can build sandcastles while the sun drops behind the ranges.
Evening
We meet at about 6 pm for an early dinner together near Macrossan Street, the main street.
Included
- Flight from Ayers Rock (AYQ) to Cairns (CNS), with transfers
- Captain Cook Highway drive to Port Douglas
- Dinner in Port Douglas at about 6 pm
Free time: Afternoon free at the pool or the beach
Activity: About 1 hour on the road. Swim between the red and yellow flags on patrolled beaches.
The Great Barrier Reef
A day on the outer reef from Port Douglas, on a large boat to a reef pontoon
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Port Douglas
- By boat
The Great Barrier Reef stretches more than 2,300 km along the Queensland coast and has been a World Heritage site since 1981. For three generations we use a large, stable boat from Port Douglas to a pontoon moored on the outer reef, about 90 minutes out, rather than a small snorkel boat: it means everyone, swimmers or not, sees the reef. At the pontoon the children and the confident snorkellers go in from a platform with steps, in stinger suits and buoyancy vests, with the crew watching from the water and a lookout. Grandparents can stay dry and still see the coral and fish from the underwater observatory and on a semi-submarine ride, which glides over giant clams and parrotfish.
Afternoon
Lunch is a buffet on board. A marine biologist on the crew explains the reef, and a guided snorkel tour is offered for those who want one.
Evening
We are back at the marina by about 5 pm, tired and salty; the evening is free, with an early meal near the hotel.
Included
- Full day on the outer reef to a reef pontoon from Port Douglas, with the reef charge
- Snorkel gear, stinger suits and buoyancy vests
- Underwater observatory and a semi-submarine ride
- Buffet lunch on board
Optional experiences
- A guided snorkel tour or an introductory dive at the pontoon
- A scenic helicopter flight over the reef
Easier option: Stay dry: the observatory, the semi-submarine and the shaded deck.
More active option: Join the guided snorkel tour with the marine biologist.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: About 90 minutes each way on the boat; sea-sickness tablets are worth taking. Children 6 and up can snorkel in a vest with an adult; the operator's age and swimming rules apply.
Kuranda by rail and cableway
Port Douglas to Freshwater, the Kuranda Scenic Railway up, the Skyrail down, and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Port Douglas
- Drive about 2 h
A day with two rides through the rainforest that every age enjoys. We leave Port Douglas at about 8:15 and drive an hour to Freshwater station on the edge of Cairns for the Kuranda Scenic Railway, a heritage train that climbs about 330 metres through the Barron Gorge in about an hour and a half, past waterfalls and through hand-dug tunnels, built between 1886 and 1891. Kuranda is a small village in the rainforest.
Afternoon
After lunch together, we split as the family likes between the Kuranda Koala Gardens, to see koalas, wombats and wallabies up close, and the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, where blue Ulysses butterflies sometimes land on bright clothes. In the early afternoon we ride the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway down, about 7.5 km over the canopy in six-person gondolas, stepping off at Red Peak and Barron Falls for short boardwalks.
Evening
Our van meets us at the Smithfield terminal, and we are back in Port Douglas by about 5 pm, with the evening free.
Included
- Kuranda Scenic Railway from Freshwater to Kuranda
- Skyrail Rainforest Cableway from Kuranda to Smithfield, with the Red Peak and Barron Falls stops
- Kuranda Koala Gardens or the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary
- Lunch in Kuranda
Easier option: Stay in the gondola past the mid-stations, and rest at a cafe in Kuranda while the others visit the animals.
More active option: Walk the Jumrum Creek Conservation Park track in Kuranda with your guide.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: About 2 hours on the road in two legs. About 2 km on foot, on boardwalks and village streets. Train and Skyrail times are booked ahead and confirmed at booking.
Mossman Gorge and the Daintree River
Mossman Gorge, the Daintree River, then a free afternoon in Port Douglas
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Port Douglas
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
A morning in the Wet Tropics of Queensland, a World Heritage area since 1988 and home to some of the oldest rainforest on Earth. We drive about 30 minutes north to Mossman Gorge, where a Kuku Yalanji guide leads the Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk, about an hour and a half on level rainforest paths. It begins with a smoking ceremony, and your guide shows the family plants used for food, medicine and tools, and how to make paint from rock and ochre, with the Mossman River running clear over granite boulders below. Then we continue north to the Daintree River for a one-hour cruise in a covered boat, looking for saltwater crocodiles sunning on the mudbanks, and for kingfishers and herons in the mangroves.
Afternoon
Lunch is together on the way back. We are in Port Douglas by about 2:30, for a last swim at the pool or on Four Mile Beach.
Evening
At about 6 pm we meet for a farewell dinner, and the children can read out their favourite animal of the trip.
Included
- Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk at Mossman Gorge with a Kuku Yalanji guide
- One-hour Daintree River crocodile cruise
- Lunch on the way back
- Farewell dinner at about 6 pm
Easier option: The Ngadiku walk is level and slow, with places to sit; the cruise is seated throughout.
More active option: Walk the Rex Creek and rainforest circuit at Mossman Gorge, about 2.4 km, with your guide before lunch.
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: About 1.5 km on level paths at Mossman Gorge. Never swim in creeks or rivers in the north, where saltwater crocodiles live.
Wildlife Habitat and depart from Cairns
Port Douglas to Wildlife Habitat, then Cairns Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
A last breakfast in Port Douglas, then we load the suitcases into the van at about 8:15 and drive a few minutes to Wildlife Habitat at the edge of town, where walk-through enclosures recreate the wetlands, rainforest and grasslands of tropical Queensland. This is where we keep our promise on cassowaries: wild ones are possible in the Daintree but rare, and here the children see these tall, helmeted birds up close, along with koalas, wallabies and kangaroos, estuarine crocodiles behind glass and a lagoon full of wetland birds. After about two hours we drive south down the Captain Cook Highway to Cairns Airport (CNS), about an hour, arriving at about 11:45, so please book flights home or onward that leave after about 1:30 pm. Cairns has direct flights to Australia's main cities and several destinations in Asia and the Pacific. If you would like more time in the tropics, stay on in Cairns or Palm Cove and we can book the extra nights. Your guide sees you off at the terminal.
Included
- Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas
- Drop-off at Cairns Airport (CNS)
Easier option: Wildlife Habitat's paths are flat and shaded, with seats throughout.
Activity: Book flights that leave Cairns after about 1:30 pm.
- Sydney4 nights
- Ayers Rock Resort (Yulara)3 nights
- Port Douglas4 nights
- Cairnsend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: We run from June to October. Sydney is mild, about 17 to 23 C by day, and humpback whales pass its headlands from May to November. Uluru is dry and sunny, warm by day and cold before dawn in midwinter, warming toward hot by October. Port Douglas is in its dry season, about 26 to 29 C, and the sea is calm more often than not. Marine stinger season runs from about November to May, so our dates miss most of it, but everyone wears a stinger suit to snorkel. Kangaroos and wallabies are likely at dusk, reef fish are certain on a calm day, and crocodiles on the Daintree are likely. Wild cassowaries are rare, so we see them for sure at Wildlife Habitat. Australian school holidays (early July and late September) fill hotels at Uluru, so we book early.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Grandparents, parents and children 6 and up on a first trip to Australia together
- Grandparents in their 70s who can walk 2 to 3 km at a gentle pace with breaks
- Families who would rather fly the long distances and stay three or four nights in each place
- Children who want to see koalas, kangaroos, crocodiles and the reef, and ride ferries, trains and cable cars
Not for you if you want
- Children under 6: the reef day and the flights are planned for 6 and up
- Travellers who need step-free access everywhere: some paths are rocky and the reef pontoon has steps
- Adults without children who want Kings Canyon and a snorkel-only reef boat: see our Sydney, Uluru and Great Barrier Reef trip
- Families who want an outback camping or four-wheel-drive adventure
Minimum age: 6
Most guests are Grandparents, parents and children aged 6 to 16
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
11 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Sydney4 nights
- Ayers Rock Resort (Yulara)3 nights
- Port Douglas4 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 11 nights: 4 in a central Sydney hotel near Circular Quay, 3 at Ayers Rock Resort in Yulara and 4 in a Port Douglas hotel near Four Mile Beach
- Hotels of at least a 3-star-plus standard with a pool where the town allows, named when we confirm your dates
- Family, triple or connecting rooms requested for your party
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
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), with transfers at each end
- A vehicle with a licensed local driver in Sydney, the Red Centre and Far North Queensland
- The harbour ferry to Taronga Zoo and back
- The reef boat from Port Douglas
- The Kuranda Scenic Railway and the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
- The Daintree River cruise
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from Sydney Airport to Cairns Airport
- An Anangu artist at the dot painting workshop
- A Kuku Yalanji guide on the Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk
- The reef crew's marine biologist
Activities
- Sydney: the Circular Quay and Opera House walk, Taronga Zoo with the ride up from the wharf, a morning at Bondi and Bronte
- Blue Mountains: Echo Point and the Scenic World pass (Railway, Walkway, Cableway and Skyway)
- Uluru: the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park pass (3 days), the Cultural Centre, the Kuniya walk to Mutitjulu Waterhole, sunset at Uluru, sunrise at Kata Tjuta and Walpa Gorge, the dot painting workshop, the Field of Light, the Mala walk and the drive round the base
- Port Douglas: a full day on the outer reef at a pontoon with snorkel gear, stinger suits, the observatory, a semi-submarine ride and the reef charge; Kuranda with the Koala Gardens or the Butterfly Sanctuary; the Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk at Mossman Gorge; the Daintree River crocodile cruise; Wildlife Habitat
Meals
- 11 breakfasts, including a packed breakfast at Kata Tjuta
- 4 lunches: in Leura, on the reef boat, in Kuranda and on the Daintree day
- 6 dinners at about 6 to 7 pm, including a welcome dinner in Sydney and a farewell dinner in Port Douglas, with children's menus
Not included
- International flights to Sydney and home from Cairns
- Australian ETA or eVisitor for each traveller
- Travel insurance
- Lunches and dinners not listed
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities, such as the Sounds of Silence dinner, bicycle hire and camel rides at Uluru, a guided snorkel or introductory dive, and a helicopter flight over the reef
- Personal spending, such as the Bondi Icebergs pool entry and souvenirs
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,800 (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?
Eleven nights in central hotels with family or connecting rooms requested, both flights within Australia, airport transfers, a vehicle with a licensed local driver in each region, a See Sight Tours guide throughout, park passes, Taronga Zoo, Scenic World, the Field of Light, a dot painting workshop, a reef pontoon day, Kuranda by train and Skyrail, the Ngadiku walk, the Daintree cruise, Wildlife Habitat, 11 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 6 dinners.
Is this trip really suitable for grandparents in their 70s?
Yes, if they can walk 2 to 3 km at a gentle pace with breaks. No walk is longer than about 2.6 km, and no single road leg is over about 1.5 hours, though the Blue Mountains day has about 1.5 hours each way. On every active day there is a seated option: the van round Uluru, the observatory and semi-submarine on the reef, the Skyrail gondola.
What ages is this trip for?
Children 6 and up, parents and grandparents. We set six as the youngest age because of the long reef day and the flights; each reef operator has its own rules for young swimmers, which we confirm when we choose the boat. The rides, animals and beach mornings are planned with 6 to 14 year olds in mind, and teenagers get the active options: the coastal walk to Coogee, cycling round Uluru and a guided snorkel.
Can our family have rooms together?
We request family rooms, connecting rooms or rooms on the same floor for every party at every hotel when we confirm your dates, and tell you what each hotel has agreed before you travel. Family rooms are limited at Ayers Rock Resort, so booking early helps.
How big is the group?
The small group runs with 7 to 12 guests, children counted, and one See Sight Tours guide. In practice that is usually two to four families. If your own party fills most of the places, the private version may suit you better.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the airport in Sydney to the airport in Cairns. Local experts join where it matters: an Anangu artist for dot painting, a Kuku Yalanji guide at Mossman Gorge and the reef crew's marine biologist. Licensed local drivers do the driving in each state.
Is there a single supplement for a grandparent travelling alone?
Only if they want a room of their own, which is from CAD 1,800 more. A grandparent who shares with a grandchild, or a single parent sharing with a child, pays no supplement, and we can usually find a triple or family room for three.
When is the best time to take three generations to Australia?
June to October. July and August fit northern school holidays: Sydney is mild, the Red Centre is warm by day and cold at dawn, and Port Douglas is dry and about 26 C. Australian school holidays fall in early July and late September, so book early. We avoid November to May, when the desert is hot and the tropics are wet.
Do children have to snorkel on the reef?
No. The pontoon has an underwater observatory and a semi-submarine, so non-swimmers see the coral and fish without getting wet. Children 6 and up who want to snorkel go in from a platform with steps, wearing a vest and a stinger suit, with an adult beside them and the crew watching.
Is the trip suitable for someone with limited mobility or a wheelchair?
Partly, and we tell you honestly before you book. The zoo, the Opera House forecourt, the Uluru Cultural Centre, the Kuniya walk and the Mossman Gorge boardwalk are largely paved or flat, but Walpa Gorge is rocky, the Scenic World Railway and the reef pontoon have steps, and some vehicles need a step up. Tell us your needs and we check each site and hotel.
Can we climb Uluru?
No. The climb closed permanently in October 2019 at the wish of the Anangu traditional owners, for whom Uluru is sacred. We walk the Mala walk and to Mutitjulu Waterhole at the base, drive or cycle around it, and watch the rock change colour at sunset.
How does booking work?
Choose a date and send a request to book. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. Tell us the ages of everyone travelling, any mobility needs and food preferences when you request.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The private version is your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and vehicle, from CAD 17,990 per person sharing. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us for a quote: we can book the same hotels, flights, transfers and visits without a guide.
Do we need a visa for Australia?
Yes, every visitor does, children included. Canadians and Americans apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) in the official AustralianETA app; many European passport holders use the free eVisitor. Apply for each family member before you book flights, and check the current rules for your passports.
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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