Queensland
Queensland Islands & Reef Luxury Escape
Seven nights at a 5-star Hamilton Island resort, sailing to Whitehaven Beach and a helicopter flight over Heart Reef.
New South Wales & Queensland
The Ultimate East Coast Explorer
From the sails of the Sydney Opera House to the coral of the Great Barrier Reef and the ancient Daintree – Australia’s classic journey in two weeks.
- 14 Days / 13 Nights
- From $4,800 USD
- Domestic flight included
Full plan & description
City, reef and rainforest in one trip
Embark on a classic 14-day journey along Australia's famed East Coast. Start in cosmopolitan Sydney, exploring the iconic Opera House, Harbour Bridge, and Bondi Beach. Fly to the heart of the tropics, Cairns, for an unforgettable day snorkeling or diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Continue to the lush Daintree Rainforest, the oldest rainforest in the world, where you'll stay in an eco-lodge and explore the jungle canopy. This tour is a perfect blend of city excitement, underwater wonders, and ancient wilderness.
The pace is deliberately balanced: five nights in Sydney, four in Cairns, three in a Daintree eco-lodge and a final night in Port Douglas. Guided highlights are pre-booked, while free days leave room for the Blue Mountains, Kuranda or simply a long lunch by the water. Two UNESCO World Heritage sites – the reef and the Wet Tropics – sit just a short drive apart at the northern end of the route.
- 14 days spanning almost 2,000 km of coastline
- Suitable for non-swimmers – reef viewing options for everyone
- Departs year-round, any day you choose
Route map
Follow the route north
Select a stop to see what happens there.
Stop 1 · Sydney · Days 1–5
Australia’s largest city, built around one of the world’s great natural harbours. Expect the Opera House, a harbour cruise with lunch, the Bondi to Coogee clifftop walk and the ferry to Manly.
Day by day
Day-by-day itinerary
All 14 days, with travel times, meals and where you sleep each night.
Land at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport and transfer to your 4-star hotel near Circular Quay (around 30 minutes by taxi or train). After check-in, stretch your legs on the harbour foreshore: the walk from the Opera House forecourt to the Royal Botanic Garden takes 20 minutes and delivers the classic view of the Harbour Bridge at dusk.
- Meals: None (arrival day)
- Overnight: Sydney, 4-star hotel
- Travel: Airport to city ~13 km
A local guide leads a 2-hour walk through The Rocks, Sydney’s oldest quarter, before a behind-the-scenes look at the Sydney Opera House. At midday you board the Sydney Harbour cruise with lunch on deck, gliding past Fort Denison, Kirribilli and Watsons Bay. The afternoon is free for the Museum of Contemporary Art or a climb up the bridge’s Pylon Lookout.
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch
- Overnight: Sydney, 4-star hotel
- Travel: Walking + 2.5-hour cruise
Catch the bus to Bondi Beach (about 30 minutes) for an early swim between the flags, then follow the 6 km Bondi to Coogee clifftop walk past Tamarama, Bronte and Clovelly. Allow 2–3 hours including photo stops and a flat white at Bronte. Return to the city by bus in the afternoon.
- Meals: Breakfast
- Overnight: Sydney, 4-star hotel
- Travel: 6 km walk, easy–moderate
Use the day as you like. Our most popular add-on is a guided Blue Mountains day trip (about 2 hours each way) to see the Three Sisters at Echo Point and ride the Scenic World railway. Prefer to stay in town? Explore the Art Gallery of New South Wales or the boutiques of Paddington.
- Meals: Breakfast
- Overnight: Sydney, 4-star hotel
- Travel: Optional: ~110 km each way
Take the public ferry from Circular Quay to Manly – 30 minutes of the finest harbour scenery for the price of a bus fare. Walk the shaded Manly to Shelly Beach path (1 km) to snorkel among blue gropers in the aquatic reserve, then enjoy fish and chips on the Corso before your last evening in Sydney.
- Meals: Breakfast
- Overnight: Sydney, 4-star hotel
- Travel: Ferry 30 min each way
Your included domestic flight from Sydney to Cairns takes about 3 hours. Swap jackets for sandals and check in to your hotel on the Esplanade. As the sun drops, swim in the free Cairns Esplanade Lagoon and watch flying foxes stream out over the mudflats.
- Meals: Breakfast
- Overnight: Cairns, 4-star Esplanade hotel
- Travel: Flight ~1,950 km, 3 hours
A relaxed day to adjust to the tropical heat. Many guests ride the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway up through Barron Gorge and return on the Skyrail cableway above the canopy – we can book both. Alternatively, spend the afternoon at the Cairns Botanic Gardens and the night markets.
- Meals: Breakfast
- Overnight: Cairns, 4-star Esplanade hotel
- Travel: Optional: 34 km rail + 7.5 km Skyrail
The highlight of the trip. A high-speed catamaran takes about 90 minutes to reach the outer reef, where you have up to 5 hours to snorkel or dive among coral gardens, giant clams and green turtles. Masks, fins, wetsuits and flotation aids are included, marine biologists give a reef talk, and a buffet lunch is served on board. Introductory and certified dives are available at extra cost.
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch
- Overnight: Cairns, 4-star Esplanade hotel
- Travel: Boat ~60 km each way
Rest after yesterday’s salt and sun, or head inland to the cooler Atherton Tablelands for waterfalls, crater lakes and the 500-year-old Curtain Fig Tree. Ask us about a small-group waterfall tour with a swim at Millaa Millaa Falls.
- Meals: Breakfast
- Overnight: Cairns, 4-star Esplanade hotel
- Travel: Optional: ~250 km loop
Travel north along the Captain Cook Highway, one of Queensland’s great coastal drives, cross the Daintree River by cable ferry and continue into the forest to your eco-lodge. The journey of roughly 140 km takes 2.5–3 hours with lookout stops. In the evening you sit down to a welcome dinner surrounded by the sounds of the rainforest.
- Meals: Breakfast, dinner
- Overnight: Daintree eco-lodge
- Travel: ~140 km, 2.5–3 hours
A naturalist guide takes you on a 3-hour guided rainforest walk, explaining ancient fern lineages, strangler figs and the plants that sustained the Eastern Kuku Yalanji people. Keep your eyes open for the southern cassowary. Lunch is served at the lodge; spend the afternoon on the empty sand of Cape Tribulation, where the rainforest meets the reef.
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch
- Overnight: Daintree eco-lodge
- Travel: Walk ~4 km, easy
Join an early Daintree River cruise (optional, 1 hour) to spot estuarine crocodiles, kingfishers and tree snakes. Later, climb the canopy tower at the Daintree Discovery Centre or swim in a freshwater creek the lodge staff recommend as safe. Please never swim in rivers or estuaries here: crocodiles live in these waters.
- Meals: Breakfast
- Overnight: Daintree eco-lodge
- Travel: Local, under 30 km
Head south to Mossman Gorge, where an optional Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk is led by Kuku Yalanji guides. Continue to Port Douglas (about 80 km in total) for an afternoon on Four Mile Beach and a farewell dinner in town.
- Meals: Breakfast, dinner
- Overnight: Port Douglas, 4-star resort
- Travel: ~80 km, 1.5 hours
After a final breakfast, transfer to Cairns Airport (about 65 km, 1 hour 10 minutes) for your onward flight. Allow at least 2 hours before an international departure.
- Meals: Breakfast
- Overnight: —
- Travel: ~65 km, 70 minutes
The fine print
Inclusions & exclusions
What’s included
- 13 nights in 4-star hotels and eco-lodges
- Daily breakfast, 3 lunches and 2 dinners
- Domestic flights (Sydney to Cairns)
- Sydney Harbour cruise
- Full-day Great Barrier Reef tour with equipment
- Guided Daintree Rainforest walk
- All national park entry fees
Not included
- International flights to Sydney and from Cairns
- Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
- Airport transfers and road transfers in Tropical North Queensland
- Meals not listed in the itinerary and drinks
- Optional tours: Blue Mountains, Kuranda, scuba diving, river cruise
- Tips and personal expenses
From
$4,800
USD per person
Based on two adults sharing a standard room in the green season.
Request a quotePrices by season
| Travel period | Twin share | Single supplement |
|---|---|---|
| Green season (Feb–Mar) | $4,800 | $1,350 |
| Shoulder (Apr–May, Oct–Nov) | $5,150 | $1,420 |
| Peak (Jun–Sep, Dec–Jan) | $5,490 | $1,560 |
| Harbour-view room upgrade in Sydney | +$420 | +$420 |
Prices in USD per person. Dates around Christmas and school holidays sell out early.
Photo gallery
Moments from the tropics
The colours of Tropical North Queensland – tap a photo to enlarge it.
Where you stay
Accommodation details
Every property is hand-picked for location first: you can walk to the harbour in Sydney, to the reef boats in Cairns and into the forest from your lodge.
Sydney · 5 nights
A 4-star hotel in The Rocks or Circular Quay, within ten minutes’ walk of the Opera House and the ferry wharves.
Cairns · 4 nights
A 4-star hotel on the Esplanade with a pool, a short stroll from the Reef Fleet Terminal where your reef boat departs.
Daintree · 3 nights
An eco-lodge with rainforest bungalows, solar-assisted power and a restaurant serving regional produce. Mobile coverage is patchy north of the ferry – part of the charm.
Port Douglas · 1 night
A 4-star resort a few minutes from Four Mile Beach and Macrossan Street’s restaurants.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
June to October brings dry, sunny weather in Tropical North Queensland and mild days in Sydney, so it is the most popular window. November to May is the wet season up north: warmer, greener and quieter, with afternoon storms and a higher chance of weather affecting reef trips.
No. You can snorkel with a flotation vest or noodle, view the coral from a glass-bottom boat or semi-submersible, and crew watch the water at all times. Diving is optional and costs extra.
Box jellyfish and Irukandji are most common from roughly November to May. Lycra stinger suits are provided on the reef trip and we recommend wearing one all year. On mainland beaches swim only inside stinger nets and between the flags.
Road transfers in Tropical North Queensland are not part of the base price. We can add a scheduled shuttle or a hire car at a quoted price when you book.
Yes. Solo travellers pay the single supplement shown in the price table, or you can ask us about room-share options.
Ready for the East Coast?
Tell us your dates and we will hold the reef trip and eco-lodge while you decide. From $4,800 USD per person.
Book now
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