10 Days / 9 Nights. From ₹1,65,000 per person (twin sharing), plus 5% GST and 2% TCS.
A 10-day first trip to Australia covering its three best-known experiences. You spend three nights each in Sydney, Cairns and Melbourne: Sydney for the Opera House, the harbour and a day in the Blue Mountains; Cairns for a full-day cruise to the outer Great Barrier Reef; and Melbourne for its city sights and the Great Ocean Road. VK Tours can also lodge your Australian visitor visa for you.
Highlights
Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge views and The Rocks
Bondi Beach and Mrs Macquarie's Chair lookout
Blue Mountains day trip with the Three Sisters at Echo Point and Featherdale Wildlife Park
Full-day outer Great Barrier Reef cruise from Cairns with snorkelling
Melbourne city tour: Federation Square, the laneways and the Royal Botanic Gardens
Great Ocean Road day trip to the Twelve Apostles
Day-by-day itinerary
Arrive Sydney · Evening at Circular Quay — Our representative meets you at Sydney Airport after immigration, customs and the biosecurity check, and drives you to your hotel, about 30 minutes. Standard check-in is from 2:00–3:00 pm; early check-in depends on availability. After resting, walk around Circular Quay for your first look at the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, which are lit up in the evening. Dinner is included.
Sydney city tour · Opera House · Bondi Beach — After breakfast, a guided half-day city tour of about 4 hours: the Opera House forecourt, The Rocks, Mrs Macquarie's Chair for the classic view of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, Kings Cross and the drive out to Bondi Beach. Lunch is on your own. The afternoon is free. Optional at extra cost: a 1-hour guided tour inside the Opera House, or a public ferry from Circular Quay to Manly…
Blue Mountains day trip · Three Sisters · Featherdale Wildlife Park — After breakfast, drive west to Featherdale Wildlife Park, about 45 minutes, to see kangaroos, wallabies, koalas and wombats up close. Continue about 1.5 hours to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage area. At Echo Point you see the Three Sisters rock formation and the forested Jamison Valley, with time for a short walk. Lunch is on your own. Optional at extra cost: the Scenic…
Fly Sydney to Cairns · Evening on the Esplanade — Breakfast and check-out, then transfer to Sydney's domestic terminal for the flight to Cairns, about 3 hours. Our representative meets you in Cairns for the 15-minute drive to your hotel. In the evening, walk along the Cairns Esplanade, with its free public swimming lagoon, boardwalk and night market. Cairns is warm all year, so change into light cotton clothing.
Great Barrier Reef full-day cruise — An early breakfast, then a transfer to the Reef Fleet Terminal for check-in around 7:30–8:00 am. The cruise to the outer reef takes about 1.5–2 hours each way, and you get about 4–5 hours at the reef. Snorkelling equipment is provided, and non-swimmers can use life jackets and flotation noodles, or see the coral and fish from a glass-bottom boat or semi-submarine. Cruise operators usually serve…
Free day in Cairns · Optional Kuranda trip — A free day after breakfast to rest after the reef. Optional at extra cost: a day trip to the rainforest village of Kuranda, going up on the Kuranda Scenic Railway past waterfalls and gorges and coming down over the rainforest canopy on the Skyrail cableway, about 7–8 hours in all; or a Daintree Rainforest and Mossman Gorge day tour.
Fly Cairns to Melbourne · Evening at Southbank — Breakfast and check-out, then transfer to Cairns Airport for the flight to Melbourne, about 3.5 hours. Our representative meets you for the transfer to your hotel, about 30–40 minutes. Melbourne is much cooler than Cairns and the weather changes quickly, so keep a jacket handy. In the evening, walk along the Yarra River at Southbank.
Melbourne city tour · Laneways · Botanic Gardens — After breakfast, a guided half-day city tour of about 4 hours: Federation Square, Flinders Street Station, the street-art laneways such as Hosier Lane, St Patrick's Cathedral, Fitzroy Gardens, the Shrine of Remembrance and the Royal Botanic Gardens. Lunch is on your own; Queen Victoria Market is good for food and souvenirs (closed Mondays and Wednesdays). The free City Circle tram is handy in…
Great Ocean Road day trip · Twelve Apostles — A full day of about 11–12 hours. After an early breakfast, drive south-west to the coast at Torquay and follow the Great Ocean Road past surf beaches and the seaside towns of Lorne and Apollo Bay, with a stop in the eucalyptus forest where wild koalas are often seen. Lunch is on your own. In the afternoon, reach the Twelve Apostles, the limestone stacks standing in the sea, and nearby Loch Ard…
Departure from Melbourne — Breakfast and check-out, usually by 10:00–11:00 am. Transfer to Melbourne Airport, about 30–40 minutes, reaching about 3 hours before your international flight. If your flight is in the evening, the hotel can usually hold your luggage while you visit Queen Victoria Market or the shops on Bourke Street.
Inclusions
9 nights' accommodation: 3 nights each in Sydney, Cairns and Melbourne
Breakfast and dinner daily (Indian or vegetarian dinners on request)
All airport and hotel transfers, including transfers for the two domestic flights
Sydney half-day city tour and Blue Mountains day trip with Featherdale Wildlife Park
Full-day outer Great Barrier Reef cruise from Cairns with snorkelling equipment
Melbourne half-day city tour and Great Ocean Road day trip
English-speaking guide or driver-guide on the tours
Complimentary travel insurance
Exclusions
GST at 5% on the total package price (government tax, added to the quote)
TCS at 2% on the total amount for overseas tour packages (government tax collected at booking; PAN required; can be claimed against your income tax)
International and domestic airfare (Sydney–Cairns and Cairns–Melbourne flights are quoted separately)
Australian visitor visa fee and VK Tours visa service charge
Lunches, and meals not mentioned in inclusions
Optional tours: Opera House interior tour, Scenic World rides, Kuranda, Daintree, Phillip Island Penguin Parade
Scuba diving, helicopter flights and other extras on the reef cruise
Personal expenses such as tips, laundry, phone calls and shopping
Visa & entry
Indian passport holders need an Australian Visitor visa (subclass 600, Tourist stream) before travel. VK Tours lodges Australian visitor visas for clients through our own ImmiAccount as your registered agent: we prepare the application, check your documents and track it until a decision. You will usually need a passport valid for the whole trip (we recommend 6 months), 6 months of bank statements, income tax returns, a leave letter from your employer or proof of your business, and the trip itinerary. Processing often takes 3–6 weeks for a complete application but can be longer, so apply at least 8–10 weeks before travel and do not buy non-refundable flights until the visa is granted. You may be asked to give biometrics (photo and fingerprints) at a VFS Global centre. The visa fee is set by the Australian government and usually changes each July; we confirm it when you apply.
Good to know
Australia has strict biosecurity rules. Declare all food on your arrival card, including pickles, spices, sweets, ghee and snacks. Undeclared items can lead to heavy fines; declared items are usually just checked.
Seasons are the reverse of India's. Melbourne and Sydney can be cold (5–15°C) from June to August, while Cairns stays warm all year. Melbourne's weather can change several times in one day.
From about November to May, cruise operators in Cairns provide full-body lycra suits as protection from jellyfish. December to April is also the wet season in Cairns.
Vegetarian food is easy to find. Sydney's Harris Park and many parts of Melbourne have South Indian restaurants, and the Sri Venkateswara Temple at Helensburgh is about 1 hour south of Sydney.
The currency is the Australian dollar (AUD). Cards and tap-to-pay work almost everywhere; tipping is not expected.
The sun is strong even on cool days. Carry sunscreen, a cap and sunglasses, especially on the reef.
Questions travellers ask
Can VK Tours apply for our Australian visa?
Yes. We lodge Australian visitor visas (subclass 600) for our clients through our own ImmiAccount. Send us your passport and documents, and we will prepare and file the application and keep you updated.
Are the flights included?
No. International flights and the two domestic flights (Sydney–Cairns and Cairns–Melbourne) are quoted separately. We can send you a combined quote with flights from Hyderabad, Bengaluru or Chennai.
Can non-swimmers enjoy the Great Barrier Reef?
Yes. You can snorkel with a life jacket and flotation noodle close to the reef platform, or see the coral and fish from a glass-bottom boat or semi-submarine without getting wet.
Will we get Indian vegetarian food?
Yes. Dinners are included every night and we arrange Indian or vegetarian meals. Sydney and Melbourne have many South Indian restaurants, and the reef cruise lunch includes vegetarian dishes.
Is this trip suitable for senior citizens?
Yes, at a steady pace. Most sightseeing is by vehicle with short walks. The Great Ocean Road day is long (11–12 hours), and the reef boat ride can be rough on windy days, so carry seasickness tablets.
ఆస్ట్రేలియా ఎక్స్ప్లోరర్
ఆస్ట్రేలియాలో అత్యంత ప్రసిద్ధమైన మూడు అనుభవాలను కలిపిన 10 రోజుల మొదటి ట్రిప్. సిడ్నీ, కెయిర్న్స్, మెల్బోర్న్లో మూడేసి రాత్రులు బస: సిడ్నీలో ఒపెరా హౌస్, హార్బర్, బ్లూ మౌంటెన్స్ డే ట్రిప్; కెయిర్న్స్ నుంచి బయటి గ్రేట్ బారియర్ రీఫ్కు రోజంతా క్రూయిజ్; మెల్బోర్న్లో సిటీ టూర్, గ్రేట్ ఓషన్ రోడ్. మీ ఆస్ట్రేలియా విజిటర్ వీసాను కూడా VK టూర్స్ దాఖలు చేస్తుంది.
To book or customise this trip, call / WhatsApp +91 97162 22279.