Australia: Sydney, Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef

1. Day 1: Arrive in Sydney

   Sydney Airport to The Rocks, Circular Quay and the Opera House

   • Drive about 30 min
   • Dinner
   • Stay: Rendezvous Hotel Sydney The Rocks or similar
   Day 1 details

   Your trip starts at Sydney Airport (SYD), about 10 km south of the city centre. We meet you in the arrivals hall and drive you to your hotel in The Rocks, the old sandstone quarter where the British colony began in 1788, and your base for three nights. The rest of the day is yours to settle in. In the early evening your trip leader meets the group for a walk around Circular Quay, where the harbour ferries come and go beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge, opened in 1932. We follow the water to the Sydney Opera House, designed by the Danish architect Jørn Utzon, opened in 1973 and on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2007, and watch its white sails take on the colours of dusk. Then we sit down together for a welcome dinner, where your trip leader runs through the twelve days ahead, from the harbour to the desert and the reef.

   Included

   • Pick-up at Sydney Airport (SYD)
   • Evening walk around Circular Quay to the Opera House
   • Welcome dinner

   Free time: Day free until the evening walk

   

2. Day 2: Sydney's harbour and beaches

   The Manly ferry or the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk

   • By ferry
   • Breakfast
   • Stay: Rendezvous Hotel Sydney The Rocks or similar
   Day 2 details

   This morning you choose your piece of the Sydney coast. One option is the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly, about 30 minutes across the harbour, past the Opera House, the little island fort of Fort Denison and the bush-covered headlands of Sydney Harbour National Park. At Manly, stroll the Corso to the surf beach, or follow the waterside path to Shelly Beach, a calm cove inside a marine reserve. The other option is the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk, about 6 km and easy, on paths and stairs along sandstone cliffs: past the ocean pool at Bondi Icebergs, the small beaches of Tamarama and Bronte, the clifftop Waverley Cemetery and the coves of Clovelly and Gordons Bay, ending with a swim or a coffee at Coogee. From May to November humpback whales migrate along this coast, so keep watching the sea. The afternoon is free for the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Royal Botanic Garden or a long lunch by the water.

   Included

   • Ferry from Circular Quay to Manly, or the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk (about 6 km, easy)

   Easier option: Take the Manly ferry instead of the coastal walk.

   Free time: Afternoon free

   

3. Day 3: The Blue Mountains

   Sydney to Katoomba and Leura, and back

   • Drive about 3 h
   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay: Rendezvous Hotel Sydney The Rocks or similar
   Day 3 details

   After breakfast we drive west out of Sydney, about an hour and twenty minutes, and climb into the Blue Mountains, part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, listed in 2000 for its eucalypt forests and deep sandstone valleys. The blue haze that gives the range its name comes from fine droplets of oil given off by the eucalyptus trees. At Echo Point in Katoomba you look out over the Jamison Valley to the Three Sisters, three sandstone pillars that hold a place in the stories of the Gundungurra and Darug peoples. At Scenic World your pass covers all four rides: the Railway, billed as the steepest passenger railway in the world, down into the valley; the Walkway, a boardwalk through rainforest under tree ferns; the Cableway back up; and the glass-floored Skyway across the gorge. Lunch is in Leura, a village of cafes and gardens. On the way back at dusk, kangaroos are likely grazing in the open clearings, and dinner together follows in Sydney.

   Included

   • Echo Point and the Three Sisters
   • Scenic World Unlimited Discovery Pass: Railway, Walkway, Cableway and Skyway
   • Lunch in Leura
   • Kangaroo spotting at dusk on the way back

   Activity: About 1 hour 20 minutes each way by road.

   

4. Day 4: Fly to Uluru

   Sydney to Ayers Rock by air, the Mala walk and sunset at Uluru

   • Drive about 1.5 h
   • Breakfast and dinner
   • Stay: Desert Gardens Hotel, Ayers Rock Resort or similar
   Day 4 details

   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, dunes 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, your base for three of the next four nights. In the late afternoon 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. The Mala walk, about 2 km return on flat ground, follows the base of Uluru past rock art in shallow caves to the quiet of Kantju Gorge. Then we watch the sun set on the rock as its colour deepens from orange to rust and purple. After dinner, walk among the more than 50,000 softly glowing lights of the Field of Light under the desert stars.

   Included

   • Flight from Sydney (SYD) to Ayers Rock (AYQ), with transfers
   • Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park pass (3 days)
   • Mala walk at the base of Uluru
   • Sunset at Uluru
   • Field of Light

   Activity: Some parts of Uluru are sacred sites; signs ask you not to photograph them.

5. Day 5: Kata Tjuta at sunrise

   Sunrise at Kata Tjuta, Walpa Gorge or the Valley of the Winds

   • Drive about 1.5 h
   • Breakfast
   • Stay: Desert Gardens Hotel, Ayers Rock Resort or similar
   Day 5 details

   An early start for sunrise at Kata Tjuta, about 50 km west of the resort, so pack a warm layer. From the dune viewing area you watch first light reach its 36 great domes of conglomerate rock, the tallest rising about 200 metres higher than Uluru. Kata Tjuta means many heads in the Pitjantjatjara language. Like Uluru it is a sacred place under Anangu law, and many of its stories are not shared with visitors. Then we walk while the air is still cool. Walpa Gorge, about 2.6 km return, follows a rocky stream bed between two of the highest domes into a sheltered gully of desert plants. The Valley of the Winds walk to Karu Lookout, about 2.2 km return over loose stones, looks into the heart of the domes. On very hot days the walk beyond Karu Lookout closes at 11 am, one reason we come at dawn. Back at the resort the afternoon is free, by the pool or at one of the free cultural activities in the town square.

   Included

   • Sunrise at Kata Tjuta
   • Walpa Gorge walk, or the Valley of the Winds walk to Karu Lookout

   Optional experiences

   • Sounds of Silence dinner among the dunes

   Easier option: Walpa Gorge is the gentler of the two walks.

   Free time: Afternoon free

6. Day 6: Across the desert to Kings Canyon

   Yulara to Watarrka National Park by the Lasseter Highway and Luritja Road

   • Drive about 3.5 h
   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay: Kings Canyon Resort (deluxe room) or similar
   Day 6 details

   A slower morning, then we leave Yulara for Watarrka National Park, about 300 km and a little over three hours by road. We follow the Lasseter Highway east past Mount Conner, a flat-topped mesa that many first-time visitors mistake for Uluru, and stop at Curtin Springs, a working cattle station with a roadhouse, before turning north on Luritja Road through red dunes and stands of desert oak. Lunch is together on the way or on arrival. In the afternoon we take the easy Kings Creek walk, about 2.6 km return along the shaded creek bed, to a viewing platform beneath the canyon walls, which rise more than 100 metres. White-barked ghost gums stand out against the red sandstone, and rock wallabies are sometimes seen on the ledges. At sunset we watch the George Gill Range glow from the viewing area near the resort, then share dinner. Tonight is our one night at Kings Canyon Resort, in a deluxe room.

   Included

   • Drive through the Red Centre past Mount Conner
   • Watarrka National Park pass
   • Kings Creek walk
   • Sunset over the George Gill Range

   Free time: Slow morning before the drive

   Activity: About 3 hours 10 minutes on the road, with a stop at Curtin Springs.

7. Day 7: The Kings Canyon Rim Walk

   The rim at first light, then back to Yulara

   • Drive about 3.5 h
   • Breakfast and dinner
   • Stay: Desert Gardens Hotel, Ayers Rock Resort or similar
   Day 7 details

   We set out at first light for the Kings Canyon Rim Walk, a 6 km loop of three to four hours and the hardest walk of the trip. It begins with a steep climb up rough rock steps, then levels out across the top of the canyon. The trail winds through the Lost City, a maze of weathered sandstone domes, crosses a footbridge and drops down wooden stairs into the Garden of Eden, a permanent waterhole shaded by ancient cycads, before following the south rim with views straight down the sheer walls. On very hot days the rim walk closes at 9 am, so the dawn start matters. If you would rather not climb, walk Kings Creek again in the soft early light, or simply rest. After breakfast at the resort we drive back to Yulara, about three hours with a stop, arriving in the afternoon. The evening is a quiet one at Ayers Rock Resort, with dinner together.

   Included

   • Kings Canyon Rim Walk at first light (6 km loop, 3 to 4 hours)

   Easier option: Walk Kings Creek again instead of the rim.

   Activity: One steep climb at the start of the Rim Walk. It closes at 9 am on very hot days.

   

8. Day 8: Fly to the tropics

   Ayers Rock to Cairns by air, the coast road to Port Douglas

   • Drive about 1.5 h
   • Breakfast
   • Stay: Mantra PortSea or similar
   Day 8 details

   An early 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 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, one of Australia's great coastal roads, squeezed 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. Check in, then the evening is free. Walk the length of Four Mile Beach, lined with palms, as the sun drops behind the ranges, then find dinner on Macrossan Street, the main street, where restaurants serve local 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

   Free time: Evening free

   

9. Day 9: The Great Barrier Reef

   A full day on the outer reef from Port Douglas

   • By boat
   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay: Mantra PortSea or similar
   Day 9 details

   Today is the day many people come to Australia for. The Great Barrier Reef stretches more than 2,300 km along the Queensland coast, the largest coral reef system on Earth and a World Heritage site since 1981. We spend the day on the outer reef with Wavelength, a small snorkel-only boat from Port Douglas with a marine biologist on board, about an hour's run out to the reef. The crew choose the sites on the day to suit the wind and tide, and you snorkel more than one, over hard and soft corals, giant clams, parrotfish and darting schools of reef fish, with green turtles a likely sight. Before each swim the biologist explains what you are about to see and how to look after the reef while you are on it. Lunch is served on board between sites. If you would rather not snorkel, swap at no cost to a larger boat and a reef pontoon with an underwater observatory and a semi-submarine. Dinner together tonight.

   Included

   • Full-day outer reef snorkel trip with Wavelength, with a marine biologist, snorkel gear and the reef charge

   Easier option: Swap at no cost to Quicksilver's reef pontoon, with an underwater observatory and a semi-submarine.

   Activity: Reef sites depend on the weather on the day.

   

10. Day 10: Mossman Gorge, the Daintree and Cape Tribulation

    Mossman Gorge, the Daintree River and Cape Tribulation

    • Drive about 3 h
    • Breakfast
    • Stay: Mantra PortSea or similar
    Day 10 details

    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 start at Mossman Gorge, about 30 minutes north, where a Kuku Yalanji guide leads the Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk, about an hour and a half. It begins with a traditional smoking ceremony, then follows rainforest paths while your guide shows you 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 continue north to the Daintree River for a one-hour cruise looking for saltwater crocodiles on the mudbanks, and for kingfishers and herons in the mangroves. A cable ferry carries us across the river, and the road winds through the forest over the Alexandra Range to Cape Tribulation, named by James Cook in 1770 after his ship Endeavour struck a nearby reef. Here the rainforest runs right down to the sand, with the reef offshore. Lunch is your own on the way, and we are back in Port Douglas by evening.

    Included

    • Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk at Mossman Gorge with a Kuku Yalanji guide
    • One-hour Daintree River crocodile cruise
    • Daintree River ferry
    • Cape Tribulation beach

    Activity: About 1 hour 30 minutes each way by road, including the river ferry.

    

11. Day 11: Free morning and Wildlife Habitat

    Port Douglas and Wildlife Habitat

    • Breakfast and dinner
    • Stay: Mantra PortSea or similar
    Day 11 details

    A free morning in Port Douglas. Walk the trail up Flagstaff Hill for the view along Four Mile Beach, hire a bicycle and ride the flat streets, take a stand-up paddleboard out on a calm day, or, if it is a Sunday, browse the market under the shade trees in Rex Smeal Park by the water. In the afternoon we visit Wildlife Habitat, a few minutes' drive from 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 you see these tall, helmeted birds up close, along with koalas, wallabies and kangaroos, crocodiles and wetland birds. In the evening we gather for a farewell dinner, a chance to look back on twelve days from the Opera House to the outback and the reef, and to swap photos and favourite moments with the group before the trip ends tomorrow.

    Included

    • Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas
    • Farewell dinner

    Free time: Morning free

    

12. Day 12: Depart from Cairns

    Port Douglas to Cairns Airport

    • Drive about 1.5 h
    • Breakfast
    Day 12 details

    A last breakfast in Port Douglas and, depending on your flight, time for one more walk along Four Mile Beach. Mid-morning we drive back down the Captain Cook Highway to Cairns Airport (CNS), about an hour, so please book flights home or onward that leave after noon. 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. If you would like more time in the tropics, stay on in Cairns or nearby Palm Cove: the Kuranda Scenic Railway, which climbs through rainforest past waterfalls, and the Skyrail cableway, which glides over the canopy, make a beautiful day trip to the mountain village of Kuranda, and we can book them with extra nights for you. Your trip leader sees you off at the terminal, and the trip ends here, in the far north of Queensland, with the reef and the rainforest fresh in your memory.

    Included

    • Drop-off at Cairns Airport (CNS)

    Optional experiences

    • Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail, with an extra night in Cairns

    Activity: Book flights that leave after noon.

Wildlife and weather: We run in May, June and August to October. 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, warm by day and cold before dawn in midwinter, getting hot again by October. 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; on any departure, wear a full-body stinger suit when you snorkel, and the crew advise on the day. Kangaroos and wallabies are likely at dusk, and reef fish are certain on a calm day. Turtles and crocodiles are likely. Wild cassowaries are possible but rare, so we see them for sure at Wildlife Habitat.

• 3 nights · Days 1, 2, and 3

  Rendezvous Hotel Sydney The Rocksor similar

  Sydney · Hotel

  In The Rocks, a short walk from Circular Quay

• 3 nights · Days 4, 5, and 7

  Desert Gardens Hotel, Ayers Rock Resortor similar

  Ayers Rock Resort (Yulara) · Hotel

  At Ayers Rock Resort in Yulara, about 20 km from Uluru

• 1 night · Day 6

  Kings Canyon Resort (deluxe room)or similar

  Kings Canyon · Hotel

  A short drive from the canyon; breakfast included

• 4 nights · Days 8, 9, 10, and 11

  Mantra PortSeaor similar

  Port Douglas · Hotel

  A short walk from Four Mile Beach and Macrossan Street