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14 days

Darwin, Sydney and Cairns

Travel to Australia in your summer holiday. The climate in the northern part of the country is perfect, with warm days, cool nights and low humidity. In Sydney, you may be lucky enough to see some whales!

Darwin, Sydney and Cairns
Darwin, Sydney and Cairns
14 days
HomeOceaniaAustraliaDarwin, Sydney and Cairns

Darwin, Sydney and Cairns

Travel to Australia in your summer holiday. The climate in the northern part of the country is perfect, with warm days, cool nights and low humidity. In Sydney, you may be lucky enough to see some whales!

HomeOceaniaAustraliaDarwin, Sydney and Cairns
What is included in the price?
This package includes the following
  • Flights from the UK to Darwin and return from Cairns with connecting flights on the way
  • Domestic flight from Darwin to Sydney + Sydney to Cairns
  • Transfers to and from the airports in Australia
  • 4 nights in Darwin
  • Guided full-day excursion to Kakadu National Park, including boat trip at Yellow Waters, national park fee and lunch
  • Guided full-day excursion to Litchfield National Park
  • 4 nights in Sydney
  • Half-day guided tour in Sydney
  • 3 nights in Cairns
  • Option to purchase various excursions
  • Option of extending the tour to include a beach holiday.
  • Individual tour, where all excursions take place in international groups with local, English-speaking guides
  • ATOL certificate
  • 24-hour manned emergency hotline throughout the tour
  • Departure guarantee – the tour goes ahead regardless of the number of participants

*It is possible to add extra nights in the various cities you visit, if, for example, you’d like to have more days on your own. Please contact our travel consultant to discuss your specific wishes for the tour.

THE TOUR IN SHORT

This tour to Australia is perfect during our summer months. It is also perfect for those travelling with children. Many of the days are your own, so the family can plan its own itinerary.

When it’s summer here in the UK, it’s winter in Australia, and in northern Australia that means it’s the dry season with pleasant temperatures and low humidity. Go exploring in Darwin and get right up close to nature and culture in the beautiful national parks, Kakadu and Litchfield. Enjoy the sunset from Mindil Beach while eating delicious street food on the beach.

The tour continues to Sydney, where you can expect temperatures of anything between 15 and 25 degrees in June and July. On the other hand, during this period you may be lucky enough to see whales from the coast making their way from Antarctica to warmer waters.

You end up in Cairns in tropical North Queensland. As in Darwin, the months from May-October are synonymous with the dry season, so the temperature is also pleasant here, with low humidity. Discover the world’s largest coral reef, the Great Barrier Reef, or go on a search for the world’s third largest bird in the rainforest north of Cairns.

You can choose to extend the tour to include a stay in Port Douglas, a cosy holiday resort north of Cairns.

Why choose this tour

  • If you’re looking to travel in the months from May-September, the climate in northern Australia is perfect!
  • Discover the unique national parks in the Northern Territory, Kakadu and Litchfield
  • In Sydney, you may be lucky enough to see some whales
  • Option of extending the tour to include a beach holiday

Our prices always include

  • All international and domestic flights
  • All destination transfers
  • All specified excursions and activities
  • All accommodations
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Departure from the UK

Today is the day you set off from your chosen airport. You’re bound for Australia with connecting flights on the way.

Day 2: Arrival in Australia

You land in Australia and are driven to your hotel.

Darwin is the capital of and largest city in the Northern Territory. A big city it isn’t, with just over 150,000 inhabitants, but what the city lacks in size, it makes up for in diversity, experiences, history and culture.

The rest of the day is yours to settle into Australia. If your room isn’t ready for you on your arrival, you can have your luggage stored while you explore the city.

Day 3: Day at leisure in Darwin

The city is named after Charles Darwin himself – and so the history scene is set.

The city is, in a way, both old and new. On Christmas Eve 1974, the city was hit by Cyclone Tracy, which pretty much destroyed all the buildings in the city. Strong local forces set about rebuilding the city from scratch, resulting in the modern – and cyclone-proof – city that it is today! Incidentally, it wasn’t the first time that Darwin was destroyed. During World War II, the city – the only one in Australia – was bombed by the Japanese, which became the direct reason for Australia entering the war on the side of the Allies. You might have seen the film “Australia”, which portrays the attack?

Many people consider Darwin to be the most multicultural city on the entire continent. In the winter months (May–October), there is a market on Mindil Beach, and the many food stalls are clear evidence of the fact that you’re closer to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea here than you are to Sydney!

The rest of the day is yours to settle into Australia. If your room isn’t ready for you on your arrival, you can have your luggage stored while you explore the city.

Accommodation:
Day 4: Full-day excursion to Kakadu National Park

Today, you’re heading to Kakadu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Australia’s largest national park, it is considered by many to be the most scenic national park in the country. The nature is beautiful and unique with a mix of mangroves, waterfalls, cliffs, open landscapes, rivers, waterholes and giant termite mounds.

Not only is the national park a gift box of unique natural experiences, but culture is also at the fore here. At Nourlangie Rock, for example, you can see cave paintings which are more than 35,000 years old!

A boat trip is an absolute must. Just don’t stick your hands in the water because there are some mighty big crocodiles here! Enjoy the rich bird life and keep an eye out for large lizards.

The day is spent in the national park, where the guide tells you good, funny and meaningful stories!

Accommodation:
Day 5: Full-day excursion to Litchfield National Park

An exciting, full-day excursion awaits you again today. This time you’ll be heading south of Darwin to Litchfield National Park.

The park is quite a bit smaller than Kakadu, making it significantly more doable. The nature is reminiscent of Kakadu, but on a smaller scale, the main difference being that you can swim in waterfalls and rocky lakes here, as the large saltwater crocodiles can’t make their way that far inland.

The day is spent exploring the many waterfalls and waterholes. Don’t forget to bring your swimwear so you can cool off if needed!

Accommodation:
Day 6: Flight from Darwin to Sydney

You are transported from the hotel to the airport where you catch a flight to Sydney. You are transported from here to your hotel, where you’ll be staying for four nights. If your room isn’t ready for you on your arrival, you can have your luggage stored while you explore beautiful Sydney.

Sydney is often said to be one of the world’s most scenically situated cities, and we couldn’t agree more! Built up around the world’s largest natural harbour, with pockets of national parks right nearby, the city has everything you could wish for. History, culture, good food, beautiful architecture, exciting sights, beaches, walks – and the list goes on. You’ve got it all in Sydney!

Most people head to Bennelong Point and the Opera House on their first day in Sydney. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, alongside the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal, Utzon’s beautiful building is possibly one of the most famous landmarks in the world. With Sydney Harbour Bridge framing the building so beautifully, most people are in absolute awe when they come face to face with the unique construction.

If you walk out to the west, you come to Sydney’s historic quarter, The Rocks. This is where the first Europeans settled when they arrived in 1788. If you continue around the harbour, you’ll come to Barangaroo Reserve, where the landscape has been recreated to look as it did before the Europeans came.

East of the Opera House is Sydney’s Botanic Garden. Enjoy the beautiful flowers and views of the bridge and opera house from Mrs Macquarie’s Chair. You might also like to walk to Potts Point and enjoy lunch at one of the local cafés. Round off the day at King Street Wharf, where you’ll find some of the city’s best restaurants.

Day 7: Guided tour of Sydney

Today, it’s time to really get to know Sydney. Early in the morning, it’s time for a half-day guided tour of one of the world’s most scenically situated cities. There are many highlights, and the tour will also give you a good overview of the city, making it easier to plan what you want to return to and explore further. The Opera House, the Botanic Garden, the old quarter, The Rocks, Darling Harbour, Hyde Park, Chinatown, etc. are all on the list today. Along the way, the guide will tell you all about the history and culture of the city.

The afternoon is yours to do as you please. You can choose to purchase a bridge walk on Sydney Harbour Bridge, if you’re brave enough to get a bird’s eye view of Sydney. On a clear day, you can glimpse the Blue Mountains from the top!

We also recommend a guided tour of the Opera House.

Please note that you have to make your way to the starting point of the guided tour on your own. The address is written on your voucher.

Days 8-9: Sydney on your own

The next two days in Sydney are yours to do as you please. You might like to visit one of Sydney’s many beaches. You probably know Bondi from the TV, but the cosy suburb Manly with its two beaches is also worth a visit. You might also like to walk all the way to North Head and enjoy the approach to Sydney Harbour. In June-August, you may be lucky enough to spot whales from North Head. They swim past Sydney on their way north to warmer waters.

Perhaps you’d like to explore the surrounding area a little? We warmly recommend a trip to the Blue Mountains, some 100 km west of Sydney. If you’re interested in wine, a trip to the Hunter Valley wine region is recommended.\

There are so many options, and it’s entirely up to you how you spend your days!  We recommend that you buy them when you book the tour, as some of them sell out quickly.

Day 10: Flight from Sydney to Cairns

You’re transported from the hotel to the airport, from which you will fly to North Queensland. On your arrival in Cairns, you’ll be driven to your hotel and have the rest of the day to relax and enjoy the tropical temperatures.

Days 11-12: Cairns on your own

The days are yours to explore tropical North Queensland. Below you can see our selection of excursions. We recommend that you book the excursions you want to go on when you book the tour to avoid any disappointment if they’re sold out when you get to Cairns.

A boat trip to the Great Barrier Reef is pretty much a must when you’re in Cairns. The world’s largest coral reef is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the experience of snorkelling among turtles and brightly coloured fish and seeing the beautiful corals is in a class of its own.

North of the city is the Daintree Rainforest, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The rainforest is believed to be more than 135 million years old. To put that in perspective, the Amazon is estimated to be around 10 million years old… Here in the rainforest, you may be lucky enough to see the world’s third largest bird, the cassowary, which is also considered to be the world’s most dangerous bird, so remember to do as the guide says if you are lucky enough to see it!

It may also be that you’re in need of a good adrenaline kick with a rafting trip – or perhaps you’d rather visit the scenic countryside west of Cairns, which offers both waterfalls and coffee plantations. The possibilities are endless!

Day 13: Departure from Cairns

Your tour to the Highlights of Australia is nearing an end. It’s time to buy those last souvenirs before heading for the airport, from which you will fly home to the UK with connecting flight(s) on the way.

Day 14: Arrival in the UK

You land in the UK after a lovely, adventure-packed tour.

Combine with
Choose from the options below
Relaxation in tropical North Queensland
3 nights

Extend your tour to include a couple of relaxing days in the cosy town of Port Douglas, north of Cairns, where you’ll find good restaurants, lots of shops and a chilled atmosphere.

City break in Singapore
3 nights

Extend your tour to include an exciting city break to Singapore and be blown away by the state-of-the-art metropolis of the East.

Covering an area of just 721.5 km2, the island state is South-east Asia’s smallest country, and what the small, well-developed country lacks in size, it more than makes up for in experiences.

Look forward to experiencing the architectural Marina Bay Sands, stroll around the green oasis Gardens by the Bay, shop to your heart’s content on Orchard Road, drink Singapore Slings at Raffles Hotel and ride in the 165-metre-high ferris wheel, the Singapore Flyer, which offers a phenomenal view of all the futuristic skyscrapers and the harbour.

What also makes Singapore so cool is that it is a melting pot of cultures, and people live with respect for and an understanding of one another, with Buddhist temples, mosques, churches and Hindu temples side by side. Singapore’s diversity can be experienced in the charming districts of Little India, China Town and the Arabic and Malay quarter, Kampong Glam. Soak in the atmosphere while being seduced by the wonderful, colourful buildings and the aroma of spices and jasmine.

The multicultural community is also reflected in the many culinary delights on offer around the city. If you’re into authentic street food, you can visit one of the famous hawker centres, or, if upscale Michelin restaurants are more your thing, make your way to the special food street, Keong Saik Road, and discover some of Singapore’s best restaurants.

Other popular and hip neighbourhoods are the colourful Haji Lane in Kampong Glam and the Art Deco area, Tiong Bahru. Both neighbourhoods are known for their cosy cafés, exciting restaurants and shops as well as wonderful street art.

In stark contrast to the vibrant city life is Sentosa Island, a small island which offers lovely sandy beaches and countless sights and activities for the whole family such as Universal Studios and various adventure parks.

Does Singapore sound tempting?

The extension includes a 3-night hotel stay with breakfast, flight to Singapore and transfers.

When would you like to travel?
Departure dates
All prices shown are per person
Special offers for groups of 6 or more. Request a quote today for more info.
REVIEWS
Travellers' tales
BEFORE YOU TRAVEL
Good to know
Oceania
Pernille Grøngaard Brammer

Pernille is our specialist in Oceania and has over 26 years of experience in travelling throughout the region.

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Monday-Thursday 9-15
Friday 9-13
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