Australia Discovery
From $2499 (was $2749)
Per person, double occupancy, excludes roundtrip airfare
12 Days
View Dates and PricesThis program is currently sold out but new dates are coming soon! Call 877-332-6185 for more details.
Introduction
You’ll appreciate the scope of Australia on this expansive tour of one of the most world’s most unique countries. This rugged land is full of wonders, and its unusual creatures, striking landscape, and fascinating cultural guarantee that every morning you wake up Down Under will be a very g’day.
Trip Includes
1 Country- Australia
- Melbourne
- Cairns
- Daintree Rainforest
- Great Barrier Reef
- Sydney
- Blue Mountains
- 10 Nights
- Moderate hotels based on twin/double occupancy
- 9 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches, and 1 Dinner
- A professionally trained English-speaking local tour director who is knowledgeable of the area and will provide you with a wealth of information. Their friendly service will make your trip a memorable experience.
- To and from your hotel room throughout your tour for one piece of Checked Baggage per person.
Activity Level
Click here for full details.
Passports and Visas:
Australia
You must have a valid U.S. passport and a visa to enter Australia. Most U.S. passport holders traveling to Australia for tourism or business purposes for less than 90 days can obtain an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA). The ETA is an electronic label-free visa and can be obtained at the ETA website for a small service fee. Please visit www.eta.immi.gov.au to obtain this visa and for further information on Australia’s entry requirements. The current cost of the ETA is $20 AUD, however this is determined by the Australian government and is subject to change.
Trip Highlights
- Explore Melbourne on a city tour, including the Victorian-style Fitzroy Gardens
- Explore the city of Sydney on a guided tour
- Encounter native animals in the wild at the Daintree Rainforest
- Learn about aboriginal culture—and sit down for a traditional lunch—at the Mossman Gorge Centre
- Spend a day discovering the Great Barrier Reef at Marine World
- Marvel at the spectacular Blue Mountains—not to mention countless native animals—on a trip to Featherdale Wildlife Park
*Web prices reflect Instant Rebate pricing. Offers valid for new bookings only and subject to availability. Offer may be cancelled at any time.
Please follow the steps below to price your vacation with YMT Vacations. When you complete all the steps, click “Reserve” next to the date on which you would like to travel.
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| Depart | Base Price | Taxes & Fees | Single Supplement | Triple Reduction | Quad Reduction | Flight Cost | Total Price per person | ||||||
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(Click the map to enlarge)
Australia Discovery
Australia Discovery
Tours Starts: Melbourne, Australia
Tours Ends: Sydney, Australia
Days 1 & 2
Depart for Melbourne, Australia
Overnight in flight
Day 3
Arrive in Melbourne, Australia
Arrival in Melbourne. Guests who booked air with YMT will be met by a representative at the airport and transferred to the hotel. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy at your leisure.
Travelodge Melbourne Southbank or similar
Day 4
Melbourne City Tour
Good morning, or should we say g’day! Your first on-tour activity promises to be a special one, as you take a sightseeing tour of the highlights of Melbourne’s dynamic past and optimistic present. See the eclectic architecture of the central business district, the Victorian Arts Centre, and the Royal Botanic Gardens, whose imposing pyramid-style Shrine of Remembrance dominates St. Kilda Road. Continue on to Toorak Village to the beautiful Fitzroy Gardens, an impeccably landscaped Victorian-style garden. (B)
Travelodge Melbourne Southbank or similar
Day 5
Melbourne Leisure Day
Melbourne is often called Australia’s most European city, which you’re sure to enjoy wandering through on your own. Spend the day at your leisure, or sign up for one of our incredible optional day trips outside of the city to Australia's scenic seaside.(B)
Travelodge Melbourne Southbank or similar
Day 6
Melbourne to Cairns
Fly from Melbourne to Cairns, then spend the afternoon and evening at leisure. Cairns is the gateway to some of Australia’s greatest natural attractions, in addition to many excellent shopping and dining opportunities.(B)
Pacific Hotel or similar
Day 7
Daintree Rainforest
Strap on your Akubra hat to channel your inner Crocodile Dundee—because today promises to be a wild one! Travel north to the Daintree Rainforest for a day of sightseeing in the UNESCO-listed tropical rainforest.
First, enjoy a wildlife river cruise on the Daintree River. The area is one of the most densely populated mangrove estuaries in the world, so keep your eyes peeled for birds, frogs, snakes, butterflies, lizards, goannas, insects and possibly even crocodiles—some of which can grow to up to 18 feet in length! Next, experience the award-winning Dreamtime Gorge Walk at Mossman Gorge Centre. Learn about Aboriginal culture and practices, and sit down for a traditional bush tea and damper—or lunch—before returning to Cairns. (B, L)
Pacific Hotel or similar
Day 8
Great Barrier Reef
Spend the day viewing the world's largest coral reef system, the UNESCO-recognized Great Barrier Reef. Board a catamaran for an easy ride to Marine World, an all-weather platform situated above one of the reef’s most active sections. Marine World was created to be enjoyed by guests of all levels, and you’re free to participate in a variety of activities—wet or dry, it’s your choice! Snorkel in the sheltered coral lagoon, go scuba diving with Marine World’s Marine Biologist, or take a ride in the semi-submersible reef viewer, just to name a few. (B, L)
Pacific Hotel or similar
Day 9
Cairns to Sydney
Your morning starts with a flight from Cairns to Sydney, where you will take a sightseeing tour of the business district and Sydney’s famous beaches. Start at The Rocks—Sydney's birthplace is still home to fascinating relics and buildings from the city's turbulent past.
Pass the picturesque Botanical Gardens, the Conservatorium of Music, and Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair, stopping for spectacular views of the Sydney Opera House. Visit Darling Harbour, and Chinatown before travelling through Kings Cross and the exclusive suburbs of Double Bay, Rose Bay and finally Watson’s Bay, where you will be rewarded with a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean from The Gap.
Arrive at famous Bondi Beach for a brief stop before returning to the city via Paddington to view its restored 19th Century Colonial Terraces. Enjoy the evening at your leisure, or sign up for an optional activity. (B)
Travelodge Wynyard or similar
Day 10
Blue Mountains Excursion
Spend the day out of the city in the gorgeous Blue Mountains. Your first stop is in Featherdale Wildlife Park, where you will see native animals such as kangaroos, koalas, possums (many people consider Australian possums much cuter than the local opossums in North America), emus and native birds. Featherdale provides a safe home to over 250 different native species, and serves as Australia’s largest native collection.
Continue to the Blue Mountains, named for the striking blue haze caused by light rays striking atmospheric dust particles and small droplets of moisture and eucalyptus oil. The Blue Mountains are part of the Great Dividing Range that runs parallel to the east coast of Australia for thousands of miles. See the world-famous “Three Sisters” rock formation, and enjoy distant views of Jamieson Valley and Mount Solitary. Lunch is included at a local restaurant. Pass Homebush Bay, the site of the Sydney 2000 Olympics, on the way back into the city. (B, L)
Travelodge Wynyard or similar
Day 11
Sydney Leisure Day
Spend the day at leisure. Sydney is a great place to go shopping, visit museums, or catch some sun at the beach. Your tour ends tonight with a bang on an included Sydney Harbour Dinner cruise where you will enjoy spectacular views of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge.(B, D)
Travelodge Wynyard or similar
Day 12
Depart for Home (B)
Say goodbye to your new mates before boarding your flight to return to the US.
Please note that this is a proposed itinerary; the actual itinerary may vary due to season, special events, or weather. Because our tour arrangements are often made a year or more in advance, YMT Vacations reserves the right to alter the itinerary. Itinerary changes are made to improve your vacation experience, as well as respond to any unforeseen circumstances that mandate alterations. By their nature, all tours vacations involve a certain level of physical activity. While YMT tours have been designed with our guests in mind and are not physically demanding, this tour does include walking and periods of standing during the sightseeing visits. You will also encounter steps and some uneven ground along the way, particularly at older, historical sights.
YMT Vacations itineraries may contain suggestions for activities for your leisure time; these suggestions do not constitute a recommendation nor an endorsement of any specific service provider and the decision to participate in any such activities should be made independently.
