• 9 Breakfast (B)

• See Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge on a city sights tour. Walk the cobblestone streets and view colonial buildings of the Rocks District. Discover the sand and surf culture at Bondi Beach, see the famous Bondi Lifesavers and stroll along the coastal walk for stunning ocean views
• Uluru: Visit UNESCO World Heritage Site Ulu?u-Kata Tju?a National Park, explore the base of Ulu?u, walk to the Mu?itjulu Waterhole, view ancient Aboriginal rock art and hear traditional First Nations stories, kick back with sparkling wine or beer at sunset, while Uluru is lit up in brilliant red and orange.
• Cairns: Orientation tour along the Cairns Esplanade, take a swim in the saltwater lagoon and visit the night markets

• Deluxe coach travel
• 3-star stays
• Selected hotel dinners

• Sydney: See the Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Bondi Beach on a city sights tour
• Uluru: Guided tour at the base of Uluru
• Uluru: Enjoy sparkling wine at an Uluru sunset
• Cairns: Orientation tour along the Cairns Esplanade, take a swim in the saltwater lagoon and visit the night markets

Explore Sydney on a curated city orientation, taking in the sculptural sails of the Sydney Opera House, the steel arch of the Harbour Bridge, and the surf culture of Bondi Beach. Pause along the headland path to stroll the coastal walk and watch boardriders and the red-and-yellow Bondi Lifesavers at work.

Wander the cobbled lanes of The Rocks to see heritage sandstone warehouses and terrace houses in Australia’s first European settlement. Hear stories of convicts and sailors as you pass historic courtyards and lookouts framing the harbour’s blue water and ferry wakes.

Discover Ulu?u-Kata Tju?a National Park on a guided base walk to the shaded Mutitjulu Waterhole. Trace rock curves and caves where ancient Aboriginal rock art records ceremony and daily life, and learn the Kuniya and Liru creation stories shared by A?angu Traditional Owners.

Feel the sandstone’s heat ease near the waterhole as birds chatter in river red gums. Your guide interprets songlines, bush foods, and the significance of key sites, revealing why Ulu?u is both a geological monolith and a deep cultural landscape.

Gather at a prime vantage as the monolith glows from ochre to crimson during Ulu?u sunset. Raise a glass of sparkling wine or beer while the rock’s iron-rich surface shifts through a painterly spectrum and the desert air cools.

Listen for distant bird calls and watch long shadows stretch across spinifex grasses. This relaxed sundowner offers time to pause for photos and reflection in one of Australia’s most evocative desert settings.

Walk the breezy waterfront on a guided orientation of the Cairns Esplanade, passing the foreshore boardwalk, public art, and the crystal-clear saltwater lagoon. Take in Coral Sea views where mangroves meet mountains and watch locals enjoy open-air fitness and buskers at dusk.

Later, browse the vibrant night markets, a lively maze of tropical treats, artisan crafts, and local souvenirs. This casual introduction helps you find your bearings and favorite spots for evening strolls and seaside dining.

Ascend the great steel ribs on the Sydney Harbour BridgeClimb, reaching 134 metres above the water for sweeping views of Houses of Parliament and Big Ben—sorry, of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House’s white sails, headlands, and ferries tracing wake lines below.

Strapped into safety gear, follow your climb leader along catwalks and ladders as seabreezes and harbour sounds rise around you. This is an optional experience available at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Venture to Blue Mountains National Park, where sandstone cliffs drop into eucalyptus valleys veiled in the park’s famous blue haze. Gaze across to the Three Sisters from Echo Point, then descend to the forest floor on Scenic World’s record-steep passenger railway.

Walk boardwalks amid tree ferns and waterfalls while learning about endemic flora and Aboriginal lore tied to the plateau’s rock formations. This is an optional experience available at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Embrace Sydney’s surf culture with a beginner session on Bondi Beach. After a beachside briefing on ocean safety from instructors who work alongside the iconic Bondi Lifesavers, practice your pop-up and balance before paddling out to catch your first green waves.

Feel the board plane beneath your feet as sea spray and sunshine sharpen the senses. Boards, wetsuits, and local know-how are provided. This is an optional experience available at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Cruise the glittering water on a classic Sydney Harbour circuit, gliding beneath the Harbour Bridge and past the sail-like shells of the Opera House. See bays, headlands, and historic islands unfold from the best seat in the city—its working waterway.

Enjoy commentary that weaves together Indigenous significance, colonial history, and modern maritime life as seabreezes and gulls accompany the view. This is an optional experience available at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Follow a local guide through The Rocks’ cobbled lanes to a trio of characterful heritage hotels. Between tastings, hear tales of convicts, smugglers, and sailors that shaped Sydney’s earliest streets, and learn how sandstone quarries and terrace pubs anchored community life.

Sip a craft ale or classic lager as you admire pressed-tin ceilings and vintage tiles in storied bars. This is an optional experience available at additional cost and bookable on tour. Guests must be 18+ for alcohol service.

Lift off over the desert for a bird’s-eye survey of Ulu?u and Kata Tju?a, the rust-red domes and monolith rising from sunlit plains. Trace dry river channels and the shimmering white of Lake Amadeus salt pans while your pilot outlines geology and sacred landmarks.

The aerial perspective reveals scale and isolation impossible to grasp from the ground—perfect for photography and orientation. This is an optional experience available at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Walk among the towering domes of Kata Tju?a on the Valley of the Winds trail, where desert breezes funnel through boulder-strewn gullies. Follow your guide to lookouts such as Karu and Karingana for expansive views over spinifex plains and distant ranges.

Learn about plant adaptations, desert ecology, and cultural stories attached to this sacred men’s area. The terrain is uneven and rocky in places. This is an optional experience available at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Circle the monolith on a 10.6-kilometre Ulu?u base walk, moving from sun-baked faces to cool rock overhangs, waterholes, and groves of river red gums. Spot rock art shelters and learn how seasonal rains shape the desert’s rhythms.

This unhurried circuit reveals Ulu?u’s textures and stories at close range, ideal for photography and quiet reflection. Good fitness and sun protection recommended. This is an optional experience available at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Watch the domes of Kata Tju?a ignite with dusk light from the dune viewing area, where soft grasses ripple and silhouettes sharpen against the sky. As colours shift from copper to violet, capture sunset over the domes with telephoto or wide-angle shots.

Guides share geological context and cultural notes while you pause for photos and reflection in the cooling desert air. This is an optional experience available at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Dine at a secluded desert setting with an outback BBQ dinner, salads, and dessert as twilight deepens and a canopy of stars emerges. Listen to a guide deliver a captivating star talk, pointing out Southern Hemisphere constellations and planets far from city glow.

Share stories at lantern-lit tables and feel the quiet of the desert night settle around Ulu?u’s silhouette. This is an optional experience available at additional cost and bookable on tour. Dietary needs can usually be accommodated with advance notice.

Sail to the Great Barrier Reef on a fast catamaran bound for Moore Reef. Slip into clear water to snorkel over coral gardens with parrotfish, green turtles, and clownfish, or stay dry in a glass-bottom boat and underwater observatory for close-up reef viewing.

Marine biologists and lifeguards are on hand for briefings and safety, with optional add-ons like introductory scuba, Seawalker helmet dives, or a scenic heli flight. This is an optional experience available at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Ride heritage carriages on the Kuranda Scenic Railway through hand-cut tunnels and over bridges to Barron Gorge National Park. Explore Kuranda’s market village before returning to sea level on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, gliding just above the tropical canopy.

Pause at lookouts for sweeping views of mountains, coast, and the thundering Barron Falls in season. Interpretive displays reveal rainforest ecology and conservation. This is an optional experience available at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Encounter North Queensland wildlife at Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures. Glide through Melaleuca wetlands on a boat to spot massive estuarine crocodiles surfacing beside the hull, then attend keeper talks that spotlight the region’s reptiles and birds.

See salties leap for food during scheduled presentations and learn about conservation and safety in croc country. A snake show highlights Australia’s formidable species. This is an optional experience available at additional cost and bookable on tour.

AAT Kings