Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Australia - Darwin - Kakadu - Katherine - Port Douglas - Cairns - Kings Canyon - Uluru - Sydney
100% customisable for you
Your epic Australian adventure kicks off today, so pack your suitcases into the car and head to the airport for your flight. There are a few different routings available to take you to Darwin, with the shortest options usually connecting in Singapore. Whatever your preferences, we can help choose the option that makes the roughly 20-hour journey as painless as possible.
When you arrive, whizz through security and pick up your hire car, ready to head to your hotel for the night: a contemporary spot overlooking the sea, in the heart of the action. After your long journey, you might want to simply chill by the pool for the rest of the day, but if you fancy heading out and exploring, there’s plenty on your doorstep.
Visit Crocosaurus Cove, a park and museum entirely dedicated to the crocodile, the area's star attraction; spend time at MAGNT, a museum housing the finest collection of Aboriginal art in all of Australia; or shop at Mindil Beach Market, a vast market on the sand and the perfect sunset-watching spot.
Up and at ‘em this morning, you’re heading to Kakadu National Park (about a two-and-a-half hour drive away). Your base for the next two nights is a camp nestled in the park, where you can feel at one with the wilderness yet keep the trappings of civilisation.
A UNESCO World Heritage site co-managed by the Aboriginal community, Kakadu is home to the most important collections of prehistoric rock art in the country, including Ubirr and Nourlangie Rock. . An adventurer’s playground, you’ll explore lush wetlands, marshes and thundering waterfalls alongside rugged escarpments and far-reaching floodplains.
All aboard, today you’re off on a cruise of Yellow Water River, where you’ll have the chance to see birds, birds and more birds (nearly a third of Australia’s species are found in Kakadu National Park). As you glide through vast wetlands and marshes, keep your camera at the ready to spot the beady yellow eyes of crocodiles peeking out above the surface, too.
Leave Kakadu this morning and drive south towards Katherine, a journey of around three hours through remote Top End landscapes. A gold-mining town in the 19th century, Katherine is a beguiling mix of tropical jungle and stark outback, famous for its hot springs and Aboriginal culture.
After you’ve settled into your accommodation for the night – a comfortable bungalow near the Katherine River Gorge – you might simply fancy a dip in the pool. If you feel like exploring, however, Nitmiluk National Park is just a stone’s throw away. Set out on foot to Edith Falls, where you can swim in the natural pools or stretch your legs further on one of the numerous walking trails.
If you’re in the mood for culture, Katherine Museum is also well worth a visit, delving into the area’s fascinating history, with proceeds supporting children’s education in the outback.
We recommend getting up bright and early today. You’re hopping back in the car and driving back to Darwin (for about four-and-a-half hours), and there’s lots to see along the way.
Litchfield National Park is at the top of our list. Shaped by water, it’s home to breathtaking waterfalls that cascade into crystal-clear pools (ideal for a mid-drive refresh). Wallabies and wallaroos love it just as much as we do – you’re likely to see them snoozing in the sun or snacking on leaves as you explore. Don't forget to admire the site's star attraction: the termite mounds. These record-breaking mounds reach over six feet in height, while others are 100 years old.
Back in the city, check into an airport hotel to maximise sleep before your flight to Port Douglas tomorrow morning. There’s no need to venture out again today; the food at the on-site restaurant is terrific.
Bye Top End, hello Queensland (aka the Sunshine State). After a quick two-and-a-half-hour flight, touch down in Cairns, where there’ll be a rental car waiting with your name on it.
While you can whizz along the coast to Port Douglas in about an hour, it's hard to resist a break on one of the fine sandy beaches on the way... Upon arrival, you'll discover a small seaside town full of bohemian charm. Your bolt hole for the next three nights is a nature-forward apartment, full of greenery and natural wood furnishings.
Depending on your energy levels, you can flop down by one of two palm-shaded pools at the property, or head down to Four Mile Beach, just a short walk away. As for dinner, make the most of the barbecue at your accommodation, or head out to Macrossan Street to find some of the best restaurants in Port Douglas.
Port Douglas is the ideal base for exploring two UNESCO World Heritage wonders: the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest. Over the next two days, you’ll get to know the flora and fauna in both.
A highlight while staying here is a catamaran day cruise on the Great Barrier Reef – the only living organism visible from space. With 2,500 reefs comprising 400 species of multicoloured coral, 1,500 fish and 4,000 distinct molluscs, to say that there’s a lot to see would be an understatement. The reef is a diver’s dream, and you’ll have a marine biologist on hand to guide you every step of the way, Snorkellers, don’t worry, you can still see abundant coral, turtles and manta rays from the water’s surface. There’s plenty of time for soaking up the sun too, on the sandy shores of Coral Cays, a small islet in the middle of the ocean.
The next day is yours to explore Daintree Rainforest, where the brave-hearted can go crocodile spotting and jungle ziplining, and the others can walk the forest canopies or boardwalks above the mangroves. The tropical fruit ice cream made on site is not to be missed either.
After a few days immersed in nature, it’s time to head back to the big city. You’ll drive for around an hour back to Cairns today, with cameras at the ready as you take the Captain Cook Highway: a beautiful road that winds serenely along the coast.
On arrival, check into your hotel for the night: a boutique property just a short walk from Trinity Bay. We recommend a cocktail or two at the hotel bar this evening (the mixologist is top notch).
This morning, board a three-hour flight to Uluru, deep in the Red Centre. Upon arrival, collect your hire car and drive three hours north-west to Kings Canyon – or Watarrka National Park, as it’s known to the Luritja people – stopping when you need to stretch your legs to take in the stretches of desert and savannah.
Kings Canyon tends to be overshadowed by its more famous neighbour, Uluru, but it’s much quieter and just as remarkable. The canyon itself is immense: a vast open trench of crimson sandstone carved by water over millions of years, and now home to a desert ecosystem. Around 600 species of plants and animals call it home, including cycads, rock wallabies and rare bat-eared foxes.
Your base for the next two nights sits in the scrub nearby: a peaceful lodge where you can spot millions of stars and feel like the only people for miles.
Up for a hike this morning? We recommend spending today getting acquainted with Kings Canyon on foot. There are numerous walking trails in the national park, but the Rim Walk is our favourite: an almost four mile route taking between three-to-four hours (depending on your pace and the number of photo stops), that goes up to the top of the canyon and around its edge.
Look out for thorny devil lizards on the path, and on the canyon floor far below, the surprising green of the Garden of Eden – a permanent waterhole sheltered by swaying palm trees.
This morning, you’re back on the road and driving for three hours to Uluru. On arrival, you’ll have some time to settle into your new pad, which is exactly what might come to mind when you think of an Outback hotel – welcoming and unpretentious. Here, get a taste of true Australian hospitality and share your day's adventures with guests around the campfire, sipping a good beer or enjoying some braised meat.
This evening, you’re in for a treat with tickets to the Field of Light art installation. This visually stunning light installation has been a huge hit with visitors from across the globe, seeing the park lit up in ethereal colours by 50,000 spindles of light. Explore the various sections of the installation and take in the beauty both at ground level and up in the starry sky.
It’s finally time to see the world-famous Uluru today (don’t worry, it certainly lives up to the hype). Towering over 1,140ft high, the sheer scale of this huge monolith – with a circumference of nearly six miles – becomes increasingly apparent the closer you get to it. Take in the mind-bogglingly beautiful views as you travel towards the base and then walk around the area.
Rise and shine, it’s time to drive to the airport for a three-hour flight to Sydney. As with so much of Australian travel, a short journey can feel like you’re landing in a whole new world: wave goodbye to the burnt reds and oranges of the Red Centre and say hello to the bright blues and greens of Sydney.
On touchdown, you’ll be privately transferred to your final hotel of your trip. Just outside the CBD, it’s in the ideal location to explore the buzzy areas of Surry Hills, Chinatown and Darlinghurst. The rest of the day is yours to do as you please. If you fancy chilling at the hotel, you can still soak up the city’s atmosphere from the rooftop pool, which boasts epic views over Sydney.
You only have two full days to explore this iconic city, so we’re sure it’s an early start this morning. Today is yours to wander as you please. You’re staying close to Circular Quay, so the Opera House is a great place to start, with world-famous architecture that’s even more extraordinary up close.
Green-fingered travellers will love the Royal Botanic Garden, which runs along the harbour foreshore and offers stunning views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Alternatively, the Art Gallery of New South Wales has a huge collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art in the country, adding context to the experiences from your trip.
If you fancy a slice of beach life, ferries from Circular Quay can whisk you to the suburbs of Manly or Watsons Bay for a long lunch by the water, or Bondi Beach is a 20-minute bus ride from the city centre. The Bondi to Coogee coastal walk is also a stunning trail, hugging the clifftops above a sequence of small beaches, with the perfect spot for a drink at the end.
For dinner, Surry Hills and Newtown are where Sydney's best independent restaurants have congregated. Our Concierge will be happy to recommend some spots that suit your cravings today.
Now you’ve had a taster of what Sydney has to offer, today, you’ll be homing in on The Rocks, the old sandstone quarter where the first European settlers landed in 1788. A private guide will take you through narrow lanes, showing you convict-built warehouses and tiny pubs that jostle together with galleries and weekend markets. The perfect way to get under the skin of the city.
Feel the sun on your face one last time before meeting your driver and heading to Sydney airport, where you can begin the journey back to the UK. After around 23 hours of travelling (including a stopover), you’ll land back home the next day.
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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Our team of destination experts will get to know you and your unique requirements for your holiday
We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from fast-tracking you through airport check-in and security to our network of local Concierges
