March 3 - 14, 2027 12 Days / 11 Nights
This tour starts and ends in Sydney
$8,540 per person/double occupancy $1,980 optional single supplement $400 optional pretour night (includes a private airport transfer): single or double room Includes all fees and taxes
11 nights in modern, upscale hotels in Sydney, Uluru, Melbourne, and Cairns
11 breakfasts,5 lunches, 7 dinners, including drinks
4 domestic flights: Sydney to Uluru, Uluru to Melbourne, Melbourne to Cairns, Cairns to Sydney, including all airline fees and taxes
Private airport transfers on arrival and on departure in Sydney
Private, comfortable bus transportation throughout
The private Story of Sydney tour
The private Sydney Opera House tour
Privately guided tour of the Blue Mountains and the Featherdale Wildlife Park
Guided tours of Melbourne, the Great Ocean Road, Uluru, and Kata Tjuta
Aboriginal sunset cruise in Cairns
Full day catamaran tour of the Great Barrier Reef with snorkeling, a semi-submersible, and marine biologists' lectures
Tour of Kuranda rain forest (koalas, kangaroos, parrots, butterflies) by Skyrail gondolas and Golden Class Scenic Railway
Exclusive dinner cruise in Sydney Harbour
An experienced Sights and Soul Travels' Tour Director throughout the tour
Hotel porterage and all gratuities for drivers, guides, and restaurants
All activities and attractions as described in the itinerary, admissions, fees, and tourist taxes
NOT INCLUDED
Additional/optional costs may include: optional single supplement, hotels' early arrival check-in charges, optional travel insurance, meals not included in the itinerary, optional activities not included in the itinerary, optional Tour Director's gratuities, telephone charges, room service, mini bar charges, laundry, personal expenses.
The tour cost does not include airfare to and from the tour’s location.
HIGHLIGHTS
The Story of Sydney tour with Bondi Beach
Private Sydney Opera House tour
Blue Mountains and Featherdale Wildlife Park
Sounds of Silence dinner with guided stargazing
Sunrise at Uluru
Kata Tjuta domes and the Great Outback
Aboriginal Sunset Cruise with Mandingalaby Yidjinjiguides
Koalas, kangaroos, parrots, and butterflies in the Kuranda rainforest
Snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef
The artsy city of Melbourne
The Great Ocean Road and the Twelve Apostles Rocks
Kangaroos in eucalyptus forests
Exclusive nighttime dinner cruise in Sydney Harbour
Local Australian food and excellent wines
Testimonials
It was my first Sights and Souls trip. It was a step up in every aspect from my previous tours with other companies. 1st class hotels/restaurants and food.
- Sandy from Minnesota (Australia 2025)
I had a wonderful trip. Everything was first class and our tour guide Marta was so very helpful and knowledgeable. This won’t be my last tour with Sights and Soul.
- Kathy from Washington (Australia 2024)
Great trip, great meals, lovely hotel accommodations….Marta is the best of the best! I will continue to use your fine organization for my future trips! Thank you!
- Francine from Arizona (Australia 2024)
The trip was fantastic! A once in a lifetime adventure. The itinerary was wonderful as well as the food and the accommodations. My only complaint would be that the evening dinners sometimes lasted 3 hours and that took a toll on the travelers that wanted to relax after a day of sightseeing. Too many dinners that extended too long into the evening. Otherwise, I have no complaints.
- Joy from Maryland (Australia 2024)
Traveling with Sights and Soul is a dream come true. We packed in as much as you possibly could on the Australian tour and on my part it was so easy - just get yourself to the airport and the company takes over from there. I especially like having transportation provided from place to place. All the hotels we stayed at were very nice, clean, comfortable, and right in the middle of everything we wanted to see. And there's often some part of the tour that I would never have thought of doing on my own. Another huge plus is the new friends I've met on my tours with S & S. - Diane from Iowa (Australia 2 2023)
I did both the Australia and New Zealand tours and enjoyed them immensely. The tours hit the highlights of both countries. We are always “front of the line” and every experience is just a little bit more special than the average tourist. When there was a “hitch” (bad weather for a flight), it is wonderful to relax and let S&S take care of the changes and still have a great day. The local guides are the best, especially our bus driver in New Zealand. The restaurants were outstanding for location and experience, even if you’re not a foodie! The ladies on the tour were great—- there’s a friend for everyone if you’re a solo traveller!
- Barbara from Calgary (Australia 2 2023 and New Zealand 2 2023)
I really enjoyed traveling to Australia - this trip exceeded my expectations in many ways. The country is beautiful and the people are so warm and welcoming. From Melbourne, Uluru, Cairns, the Great Barrier Reef, and lastly, Sydney, we had so many unique and wonderful experiences during this trip. Thanks to everyone at Sights and Soul for everything you do before, during, and after our trips - you're the best!!!
- Marilyn from Texas
This was a great tour that touched on everything I wanted to see in Australia. I had a wonderful time and only wish to have spent more time in Cairns and Sydney, especially Cairns. I know the tour lasted about as much time as I had, but I would have liked to spend time in a pub getting to know the locals! However, this was a well-crafted tour, touching on everything I was interested in seeing and more that I didn't know about. Our tour guides were chatty and interesting and I really felt like my money was used on their experience, travel amenities and great food. I had a good time throughout the experience and was happy to have an experienced tour director along to deal with the travel ups and downs. The ladies on the tour were all amenable, so no clashing personalities, which was also great.
- Janet from California
Excellent tour. Very well planned and kept us going. We saw so much. The special things like one free drink with each meal, paying for extra luggage, $10 credit on the plane etc. was really nice.
- Angela from North Carolina
Tour was great. Lots of good activities, tour guides were great. Food experiences were great. Especially enjoyed the 5 course Captains Gold dinner on Day 9.
– Liz from Texas
Trip of a lifetime! Thoroughly enjoyed meeting women with diverse interests, discussing our travels, books we’ve read, and adventures we have taken or hope to take. I would travel with this same group and our tour leader Marta again – loved it!
– Lisa from California
Loved the opportunities to do adventure activities during the tour – camel ride, snorkeling and the Sydney Bridge climb!
– Kathleen from Michigan
What a terrific adventure! Trip of a lifetime. Sights and Soul always does a wonderful job planning different activities. Kudos to everything on this Australian trip.
- Sydney from Alabama
I wouldn’t leave a single thing out of this perfectly outstanding trip. I have been on 7 of your trips now and all of them have been terrific!
- Linda from Massachusetts
I have the highest regard for S&S. They care about meeting all our needs and giving us the best experiences, the most opportunities, highest quality restaurants and hotels, and the friendliest and most knowledgeable staff.
- Amy from New York
This is a note to all older women who may consider travel with this wonderful tour group. My "travel buddy" and I recently returned from the Spectacular Australia tour. We are both in our late 70's, curious, active, and enthusiastic travelers. This tour was so well planned and organized that we could participate in every activity at our own pace and level. We never felt that we had to do everything scheduled. Our co-travelers were social, enthusiastic, and much younger, and that was fine. Hotels were carefully selected for locale, size, and quality. Our tour leader made everyone feel special. Such attention had been paid to detail before we even got there, so days were full and seamless in the flow of activity. Our views were listened to daily. So if you are in doubt about whether or not this tour group is for you, doubt no more. We have traveled all over the world for many years, and this tour was the best! Hands down! Now if someone could just shorten the flight time, it would be perfect! Pack and go! Do it!
- Lois from New Mexico
The sights were all equally fabulous. What I enjoyed the most were all the other people and how we all hit it off so fast & easily, the dinners and accommodations were fantastic. The trip seemed to be for the correct length of time. I would have liked some more free time for shopping, although I really did like the flexibility shown by Yolanta.
- Gayle from Hawaii
I had a great trip and it was REALLY hard to go back to work. The trip was everything I wanted it to be - a real escape, lots of variety, land and water, some good conversations, Judaic sites, immersion in a foreign culture, and a chance for me to spread my wings a bit and remember that, when I'm not working all the time, I can have a good time.
- Robin from Pennsylvania
Tour Director: Marlene Boyer
Australia’s unique allure is boundless. Its mystical splendor emanates from the timeless land and sea, dynamic scenery and majestic wildlife, captivating flavors and enchanting culture. A giant island afloat in the Great Southern Ocean, cut off from the rest of the world for millennia, this most ancient of continents has long hidden its startling beauty and remarkable native wildlife from the rest of the world. Inhabited by Aboriginal people who have coexisted with the land for more than 40,000 years, it was into this pristine wilderness that the British first arrived in 1788, and for the next 100 years, this beguiling land remained the haunt of convicts, explorers and spirited free settlers, who along with growing bands of intrepid gold-miners, pearlers, farmers and traders, forged an Australian spirit that is characterized by independence, irreverence, and a good dose of humor. Today, Australia dazzles with its contrasting landscapes and its extraordinary diversity. This vast, pristine land is affluent, sophisticated, multicultural, and laced with natural splendor: from tropical rainforests to fiery red deserts in the vast Outback, from scenic vineyards, producing excellent Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, to gleaming modern and funky cities, and from the idyllic underwater paradise of the Great Barrier Reef to the Aboriginal culture and art.
Journeying through Australia could last a lifetime, and choices have to be made. The Spectacular Australia tour will immerse us in the radiance of the world Down Under, letting us experience the essence of the continent's unparalleled diversity and the beauty of its unforgettable landscapes. This tour will combine experiencing the breathtaking scenery and cultural achievements with the indigenous Aboriginal heritage stretching back for tens of thousands of years.
In the architecturally breathtaking city of Sydney, we'll explore the wealth of cultural attractions, from its modern skyline to a private tour of the famous Sydney Opera House. We'll follow the Story of Sydney, relax at Bondi Beach, and enjoy an elegant nighttime dinner cruise in Sydney Harbour.
In the arid expanse of the Outback, we'll be left speechless by the timeless mystique of the spiritual Uluru, as it rises from the parched desert with an otherworldly presence. We'll learn about the Aboriginal culture,experience the unique Sounds of Silence dining experience, and a guided stargazing. We'll take an easy hike to explore the startlingly beautiful Kata Tjuta, among the vividly colored, steep-sided domes rising out of the desert floor.
In the artsy, livable Melbourne, we'll explore its arts scene and historical highlands, study the juxtaposition of styles between colonial leftovers and gleaming futuristic buildings, we'll marvel at the city from the highest observation platform in the Southern Hemisphere, and journey along the iconic Great Ocean Road, enjoying encounters with kangaroos and koalas in eucalyptus forests leading to the Twelve Apostles Rocks.
In Cairns, we'll snorkel among the pristine soft and hard corals and marine life-rich waters of the Michaelmas Cay of the Great Barrier Reef, the largest structure on Earth made by living organisms, and one of the seven wonders of the natural world. We'll take the Skyrail gondolas to Kuranda Village to explore the primeval rainforest, walk among thousands of fluttering butterflies, visit with koala bears, and maybe pet a kangaroo. We'll experience an Aboriginal Sunset Cruise, admiring the breathtaking sunset while discovering the rich culture, stories, and traditions of Australia’s indigenous people.
Click on the image to enlarge the map
WHAT MAKES THIS TOUR SPECIAL
Carefully designed itinerary, including signature Australian experiences
Knowledgeable private guides and award winning tours
Accommodation in upscale, perfectly located hotels
Dining at upscale restaurants, including drinks
Exclusive experiences, not available to larger groups
