Eleven days covering every east-coast classic — reef cruise, Opera House, Blue Mountains and the Twelve Apostles.
The trip in a nutshell
A tightly-run eleven days that manages to include essentially every headline attraction on the Australian east coast, with a private vehicle and driver throughout and both internal flights in the price.
You start in Sydney with a city tour on arrival and a full day in the Blue Mountains, take a free day, then fly to Cairns for the Great Barrier Reef and the Skyrail–Kuranda rainforest day. Melbourne closes it out with an arts-and-laneways city tour, the Great Ocean Road cliff drive and the Dandenongs steam train paired with the Phillip Island penguins.
Land only: this price does not include international flights. You book your own flights to Sydney and home again — which many people prefer, especially with airline points or a preferred carrier. Everything inside Australia, including the internal flights listed, is covered. You also choose your own hotels on this tour — see our guide to budget-friendly Australian hotels.
Live availability on Trip.com's site · land-only package, so no UK flight protection applies
Our signature calculation
The brochure tells you what this trip costs to book. This is what it costs to take — the price plus every meal the package doesn't cover, plus the flights it leaves out, per person.
This package leaves more out than most — the headline price is a long way from what you'll spend.
Meals priced at mid-range Australian rates: breakfast £14, lunch £20, dinner £38. How we calculate it · See every trip ranked
vs £278/day on the brochure · +64%
The moments you'll remember
A full private day in the World Heritage area on day two, while you're still fresh.
Sunlover Reef Cruises to the outer reef, with vessel upgrades available.
With a complimentary photo, BBQ lunch, Aboriginal dance and the Army Duck rainforest tour.
No wasted first day — the tour starts as soon as you're picked up.
The full coastal highway run from Melbourne.
Paired with the Dandenong Ranges jungle steam train.
With the option to add a car if you'd rather range further.
Sydney → Cairns and Cairns → Melbourne, with same-day private transfers.
Your group only — no coach, no fixed departure times.
Where you'll go
Every stop below is included, with a private vehicle and driver on touring days and the internal flights booked for you.
3 centres, linked by the internal flights listed — with a private vehicle and driver on touring days.
SydneyCairnsMelbourne
Day by day
Tap any stage to open it. Meals included at each stage are marked in green.
Airport pick-up and a city tour on the way in.
A full day in the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains National Park.
Yours to spend as you like; a day's car hire can be added.
Same-day point-to-point transfer and flight, then free time.
The outer reef cruise with snorkelling.
Cableway, rainforest, koala park with photo, BBQ lunch, Aboriginal dance and the Scenic Railway.
LunchInternal flight and free time on arrival.
A private sightseeing tour through the city's arts quarter and laneways.
The cliff coast highway tour.
The jungle steam train, then the little penguins at Phillip Island.
Private transfer to Melbourne Airport.
Itinerary summarised from the operator's published programme and correct at the time of writing. Order of stages can vary by departure date — confirm the exact schedule for your date on the operator's site.
Photo tour
Photography from Wikimedia Commons contributors under Creative Commons licences — full credits here.
The detail
Before you fly
On a 11-day trip, parking is a serious line item — and a policy that caps single trips at 31 days would leave you uninsured for none of this one.
Not sure this is the one?
Here's how this compares with the other private tours we rate. See all 20 holidays →
| Tour | Days | Australia | New Zealand | Cook Islands | From (pp) | True Cost / day | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private 12-day three-city tour | 12 | ✓ | — | — | £2,688 | £394 | View |
| Private 11-day Sydney & Melbourne tour | 11 | ✓ | — | — | £2,722 | £429 | View |
| Private 11-day customisable tour | 11 | ✓ | — | — | £2,870 | £440 | View |
| Private 11-day tour (Cairns start) You're viewing this | 11 | ✓ | — | — | £3,059 | £457 | View |
| Private 14-day East Coast tour | 14 | ✓ | — | — | £3,081 | £376 | View |
| Private 14-day tour with Hamilton Island | 14 | ✓ | — | — | £3,753 | £426 | View |
| Private 16-day Australia & NZ tour | 16 | ✓ | ✓ | — | £5,815 | £509 | View |
Before you book
No. The itineraries state plainly that the driver does not enter attractions with you. This is private transport with admission tickets included, not a private guided tour. For Australia that is usually fine — everything is in English and well signposted.
Yes, within reason, and that is the main appeal. A travel planner works with you before departure to adjust days, swap attractions or change the pace. Changes once you are travelling are harder.
Because it is a land-only package with no UK flights, it falls outside the ATOL scheme. Book your flights separately and protect them separately — check that your travel insurance covers supplier failure.
Departures run from October 2026 through to September 2028. Long-haul escorted tours of this length sell out early — the best-value departure dates and preferred room types typically go 9–12 months ahead, so it pays to secure your place sooner rather than later.
Return flights are included from your chosen UK airport. Regional departures are available on most dates, sometimes for a small supplement — you'll see the options for your date when you check availability.
Yes — this is a fully escorted small-group tour with a Travelsphere Holiday Director travelling with you throughout. They handle the logistics, the check-ins and the local know-how, so your job is simply to enjoy it. Groups are typically modest in size and overwhelmingly British.
British passport holders need an Australian ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) and an NZeTA for New Zealand where applicable — both are straightforward online applications. Your passport should have at least six months' validity remaining. Always check the latest FCDO and official government guidance before you travel.
Live availability, departure dates from your local airport and current offers are on the operator's booking page. Deposits are low, the balance isn't due until much later, and every booking is ABTA and ATOL protected.
Check dates & prices for Private Tour: Cairns, Melbourne & Sydney — 11 Days →Keep looking
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Sydney, Cairns and Melbourne in eleven days — and a planner who will rearrange any of it before you go.