Let’s be frank, we’d need a heck of a lot of time to be able to see everything Australia has to offer, and sometimes we’re just not afforded that luxury. Fret not, fellow adventurers, because this 12-day tour will take you on a pretty thorough jaunt from Melbourne to the Red Centre, with a mix of must-see highlights and unique experiences along the way. Sample local wines, check out Victoria’s beaches, travel along the Great Ocean Road, take a guided night walk, sleep underground like the locals in Coober Pedy, and explore the Outback. (And more. Seriously.)
Travel Best Bets Package Includes
- Round trip airfare to Melbourne and return from Alice Springs
- 11 night guided adventure tour
- 11 nights hotel shared accommodation
- 14 meals: 9 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 3 dinners
- Transportation between destinations and to/from included activities. Transferred by Private vehicle, ferry, walking.
- Airport pick up and transfer to hotel
- Local guides throughout
- Small group experience; Max 16, avg 12.
- Highlights: Experience Melbourne’s colourful laneways, Travel along the Great Ocean Road and look out for the 12 Apostles, Sample Australia’s finest during a wine tasting, See the sunset on Uluru
Exclusive: Book by January 30!
| May 3, 2019 |
Based on Single Share |
| Vancouver | $4699 + $225 tax |
| Victoria, Kelowna | $4999 + $225 tax |
| Calgary, Edmonton | $5099 + $225 tax |
| Toronto | $5149 + $697 tax |
| My own Room | add $2499 |
Note: Accommodation below is an example of the hotel we may use in this city. For the actual hotel your specific departure will be using, please check your voucher or the G Adventures App
Day 1 Melbourne
Arrive in Melbourne and transfer to your hotel. Normal hotel check-in times apply at our start hotels, but you can usually store your luggage for the day if you arrive early. There are no planned activities during the day, so check into the hotel and explore the city. If you arrive early enough, head into the city to take in the ‘cultural capital of Australia’. Get lost in the city’s famous laneways, go on the hunt for the perfect flat white (hint: Melbourne loves its coffee shops), catch the tram to St. Kilda, or wander around the über-cool Fitzroy neighbourhood. Arrival meeting at 6pm.
Accommodation: Causeway 353 Hotel (or similar)
Day 2 Melbourne/Mornington Peninsula (B)
Tour Melbourne’s iconic laneways and learn more about coffee culture before travelling to the Mornington Peninsula. Stop to see Brighton’s brightly coloured bathing boxes, miniature beachfront cabins that are unique to the beaches in Port Phillip Bay.
Hotel: Bay Motel Safety Beach (or similar)
Day 3 Mornington Peninsula
Enjoy a free day in the Mornington Peninsula. Opt to visit a winery or hit one of the many incredible beaches in the area.
Hotel: Bay Motel Safety Beach (or similar)
Day 4 Mornington Peninsula/Port Campbell (B)
Hop on a ferry to Queenscliff before spending the day travelling along the Great Ocean Road. Pass world-famous surf beaches, enjoy views of the 12 Apostles, and walk through the rainforest in Great Otway National Park.
Hotel: Loch Ard Motel (or similar)
Day 5 Port Campbell/Little Desert National Park (B/D)
Travel into the Aussie bush, stopping at Grampians National Park en route. Visit MacKenzie Falls. Take a guided night walk to look for nocturnal critters in Little Desert National Park.
Hotel: Comfort Inn Country Plaza Halls Gap (or similar)
Day 6 Little Desert National Park/Adelaide (B)
Travel to Adelaide. See the main highlights of the city to get your bearings, before free time to explore more.
Hotel: Adelaide Paringa Hotel (or similar)
Day 7 Adelaide/Flinders Ranges (L/D)
Stop in the Clare Valley for a wine tasting and light gourmet lunch featuring regional produce. Try some Riesling, the local favourite (considered the best in Australia, if not the world), along with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. Afterwards, drive through the Flinders Ranges.
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Hotel: Rawnsley Park Station (or similar)
Day 8 Flinders Ranges (B/D)
Visit Wilpena Pound, a 800-million-year old natural amphitheatre, before enjoying free time for optional activities in the Flinders Ranges like hiking or a 4WD tour of the rugged area.
Hotel: Rawnsley Park Station (or similar)
Day 9 Flinders Ranges/Coober Pedy (B/L)
Travel to Coober Pedy, the world’s opal mining capital. After a guided tour of a mine, escape the heat like the locals by spending the night underground.
Hotel: Comfort Inn Coober Pedy Experience Motel (or similar)
Day 10 Coober Pedy/Uluru (B)
Travel further into the Outback and experience a colourful sunset at Uluru with a glass of bubbly in hand. Cross the border into the Northern Territory, where Australia’s most iconic view awaits.
Hotel: Outback Pioneer Hotel & Lodge (or similar)
Day 11 Uluru (B)
Enjoy the Mala Walk at Uluru to learn the importance of the rock to the Aborigines. Get a better perspective of the history, beliefs and present-day life of the Anangu people. Discover the wild world of bush tucker (indigenous food), find out which plants are used in bush medicine, and hear creation stories.
Hotel: Outback Pioneer Hotel & Lodge (or similar)
Day 12 Uluru
Make your way to the airport for your flight home
