Australia for Solo Travelers: Melbourne, Queensland Coast & Sydney

Cross the International Date Line in flight and “lose” a day.

Your flight continues to Melbourne.

Welcome to Australia! Settle into your hotel. Then, gather with your Tour Director and fellow group members at a mixer before enjoying a welcome dinner served with beer or wine.

Set off on a guided tour of Melbourne, known for its coffee culture, restaurant scene, and artistic flare, to admire the city’s Victorian 19th-century architecture, historic landmarks, and sprawling parks.

• Explore Carlton Gardens, home of the Royal Exhibition Building and the Melbourne Museum.
• Visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral, known for being the largest church edifice in the country, and the Shrine of Remembrance—a national landmark honoring the service of Australians in both wartime and peace.
• Pass the Yarra River and the Sports and Arts Precinct, site of the Australian Open tennis tournament.
• Stroll through Queen Victoria Market where you’ll indulge in a tasting of a local favorite hand-picked by your Tour Director.

Enjoy a free afternoon in Melbourne or add an excursion.

Board a flight to the city of Townsville in Queensland, known for its picturesque beaches and access to the Great Barrier Reef.

After transferring to your hotel in the Townsville region, enjoy an included dinner with beer or wine with your group.

Enjoy a full free day in the Townsville region or add an excursion.

Continue through the Queensland province to the paradisiacal Whitsunday Coast, where you’ll find gardens of coral, turquoise waters, secluded beaches, and lush, tropical surroundings.

Upon arrival to the Airlie Beach area, you’ll meet with a local Giya or Ngaro Indigenous guide who will treat you to a traditional Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony. The ritual is an ancient Aboriginal custom meant to cleanse and ward off any bad spirits before entering the lands of the traditional custodians.

Please note: On some departures the Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony may take place in Townsville.

Take to the water today as you set out to explore the beautiful Whitsunday Islands, an archipelago made up of 74 islands surrounded by stunningly aquamarine waters that meet swirling white sands of beaches like the famous Whitehaven Beach.

• Enjoy time to swim in the warm waters or relax on the snow-white silica sands of Whitsunday beaches.
• Keep an eye out for the impressive marine life like manta rays (if you’re lucky, you’ll see one leap into the air!), turtles, and humpback whales while you feast on an included buffet lunch.

Please note: We recommend bringing a bathing suit, towel, comfortable walking shoes, reef-safe sunscreen, and a reusable water bottle.

Fly to Brisbane this morning, then transfer to your hotel in the Sunshine Coast region, an area known for pristine waterways and UNESCO-listed national parks.

After settling into your hotel, gather together for an included dinner with beer or wine this evening.

You’ve probably heard of the Everglades within the United States, but did you know that Australia is home to the world’s only other Everglades system? Spend the day exploring the Noosa Everglades, so serene that it is also known as the River of Mirrors, which has remained unchanged for thousands of years.

• Travel to the town of Noosa and enjoy free time to explore the coastal gem that is as full of charm as it is lush landscapes.
• Hop aboard a boat this afternoon and meander along the pristine waterways as you admire the surrounding scenery.
• Watch for pelicans, cormorants, the rare jabiru bird, and glossy black cockatoo as you cruise through the expansive, verdant area that more than 44 percent of Australia’s bird species call home.

With its name translating to “paradise” in Badjala, the language of the Butchulla people, K’Gari is a UNESCO-listed island made entirely of sand—but don’t let that make you think you won’t find rainforests or freshwater dune lakes here. Spend a full day exploring the island, formerly Fraser Island, alongside a local guide, and you’ll understand why the Butchulla people named it “paradise.”

• Travel from the Sunshine Coast to Inskip and take a ferry to the island, where you will meet up with your local guide.
• Drive via a 4x4 to the shipwreck of SS Maheno, a Japanese ocean liner that was beached during a cyclone in 1935.
• Sit down for an included lunch at a local resort.
• Visit the Central Station Camping Area where you’ll learn about the island’s timber industry and rare tree species.
• Go for a swim in Lake McKenzie, a unique lake that’s infused with natural tea tree oils that can reduce inflammation, soothe dry, itchy skin, and even act as a natural bug repellent.
• Explore the rainforest as you make your way back to the island resort where you’ll enjoy afternoon tea.

Return by ferry to the Sunshine Coast and head to a local restaurant for tonight’s included dinner, served with beer or wine.

Packing tip: We recommend bringing a change of clothes, bathing suit, and towel.

Fly to Sydney this morning. Then, enjoy free time to explore the city known for its scenic beaches like Manly Beach, notable architecture (hello, Sydney Opera House!), and vibrant green spaces like Hyde Park, or add an excursion.

Join your Tour Director for a guided tour of Sydney and get a feel for the city’s rich history, culture, and beloved landmarks.

• Pass the buzzing waterside district of Darling Harbour and the lush Royal Botanic Gardens in the city center.
• See the Rocks, Sydney’s oldest colonial neighborhood, and stop at Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair—a bench carved into sandstone in the early 1800s—to admire the view of Sydney Harbour Bridge.
• Soak in the sunny sights of world-famous Bondi Beach and its iconic Bondi Icebergs Club—with swimming pools perched on the ocean so that the crashing waves (weather depending) splash up into the pool—and the Gap, a dramatic dip in the cliffs of Watsons Bay.
• Enter the National Opal Collection and peruse the extensive assortment of the national gemstone of Australia, including its mass of otherworldly opalised fossils.
• Step inside the UNESCO-listed Sydney Opera House with a local guide.
• Walk to the neighboring park to view the Bara, a sculpture which celebrates the aboriginal First Peoples of Sydney

Spend one last free day exploring Sydney at your leisure or add an excursion.

This evening, join your group for a celebratory farewell dinner, served with beer or wine.

Transfer to the airport for your flight home or continue on to explore Tasmania.