Australia offers endless adventure, but planning a trip across such a vast country can be daunting. Guided Australia tours make it easy, bundling highlights like the Outback, winery visits, Great Barrier Reef dives, and even koala encounters into one seamless experience. With options ranging from big-group coach tours to luxury private trips, and expert guides handling the details, these are my picks for the best Australia tours for a range of travel styles and budgets.
1. Aboriginal Culture and Australian Highlights Tour
Trafalgar
If you want to come away from your Australia vacation with a deeper sense of what the country’s Aboriginal culture is like, consider the Australian Highlights tour from Trafalgar. The 13-day Australia tour takes you from Melbourne to Cairns. Starting in Melbourne, the experience kicks off with a walking tour of the city with your travel director. The tour continues with a few days in Uluru, where you’ll see ancient rock art, learn about dot art, have the option to take a scenic helicopter flight, and sip local wine as the sun sets.
Day seven is a full day in Sydney, where you can explore the Opera House and enjoy a cruise through the harbor. The adventure ends with a day at the Great Barrier Reef and a day in Cairns where you can either hop on the scenic railway or take time to explore the city. On some days, there are different options to choose from. For instance, on the third day, choose between a coastal drive or seeing tiny penguins on Phillip Island.
- Length: 13 days
- Starting price: $7,097
- Average group size: 40 people
- More tours: This year’s best Trafalgar tours
2. Brisbane to Cairns Experience: Sand Dunes and the Whitsundays Tour
G Adventures
Younger travelers who are looking for a fun way to visit Australia without breaking the bank may enjoy the Brisbane to Cairns Experience: Sand Dunes and the Whitsundays tour from G Adventures. The 10-day tour is specifically designed for 18- to 39-year-olds. The itinerary starts in Brisbane, where you’ll kick off your Australia tour with a day exploring on your own before meeting the group leaders and fellow travelers.
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The tour continues to Noosa, known for its beaches; and Fraser Island, where you’ll explore the only rainforest in the world that grows in sand. In Airlie Beach and Whitsunday Islands, the group will enjoy a day on a yacht and sailing along the edge of the Great Barrier Reef. The itinerary ends in Cairns for adventure sports like skydiving or white water rafting before a night out on the town.
- Length: 10 days
- Starting price: $1,991
- Average group size: 20 people
- More tours: This year’s best G Adventures tours
3. Highlights of Australia: The Great Barrier Reef to Sydney Tour
EF Go Ahead Tours
If you’re looking for a tour of Australia that hits both big cities and the beach towns, the Great Barrier Reef to Sydney tour from EF Go Ahead Tours hits all the highlights of Australia. The trip starts in Sydney, where you’ll take a guided tour of the Sydney Opera House, visit Bondi Beach, and have a free day in the city. Later in the trip you’ll fly to Cairns, which is the launch point to get to the Great Barrier Reef.
En route to the ocean, you’ll stop at Mossman Gorge to see the overlooks and learn about life from an indigenous guide. While at the Great Barrier Reef, you can pick to see the reef from a glass-bottom boat or don a snorkel and see the colors underneath the water. The itinerary ends in Melbourne, where you’ll get a walking tour of the city and then have a day of free time before leaving Australia.
- Length: 12 days
- Starting price: $3,859
- Average group size: 15 to 35 people
4. Wings Over Australia Tour
Abercrombie & Kent
If the budget is no consideration, go big with Abercrombie & Kent‘s 13-day Australia by Private Jet luxury tour. The deluxe itinerary, which features private charter flights between all of the major destinations, starts with two days in Melbourne, where you’ll explore the city and visit a few nearby wineries for tastings.
Days three and four are spent in Uluru, where you’ll dine among the dunes and see cave paintings. Then the group moves to Hayman Island to learn first-hand about the Great Barrier Reef before ending in Sydney, where everyone will enjoy a harbor cruise and a behind-the-scenes visit to the Sydney Opera House.
- Length: 11 days
- Starting price: $46,495
- Average group size: 11 people
5. Australia Family: Koalas, Reef, and Rainforest Tour
Kensington Tours
Families looking to take younger kids to Australia will want to dive into the Australia for Families Beach and Wildlife private family tour from Kensington Tours. The 12-day itinerary starts in Sydney, where you can enjoy free time on your own to see everything from the harbor and Opera House to animals at the Wild Life Sydney Zoo.
Day four is when your family will pack up and move to Hamilton Island to explore on your own or take advantage of the hotel’s complimentary water sports just off the edge of the Great Barrier Reef. The trip ends in Brisbane where you will get an exclusive tour at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital.
- Length: 12 days
- Starting price: $6,965
- Group size: Just your family (private tour)
