Four cities and four nights in the Whitsundays — Heart Reef, Whitehaven Beach and the Great Ocean Road.
The trip in a nutshell
Marketed for honeymoons and romantic getaways, and the shape of it makes sense: a run of cities to get the sightseeing done, then four nights on Hamilton Island in the middle of the Whitsundays doing nothing more strenuous than deciding which beach.
Along the way: Melbourne's museums and galleries, the Gold Coast with Surfers Paradise and the SkyPoint observation deck, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and Byron Bay, then Sydney for the Opera House, Bondi, Watsons Bay and the Hornby Lighthouse, and a Blue Mountains day with three cableway rides. Hardy Reef and Heart Reef are on the doorstep from Hamilton Island, and the trip finishes back in Melbourne with the Great Ocean Road and Phillip Island.
Land only: this price does not include international flights. You book your own flights to Melbourne 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 £268/day on the brochure · +59%
The moments you'll remember
The Whitsundays base of choice — Whitehaven Beach, Hardy Reef and Heart Reef all within reach.
The two most photographed things in Queensland, arranged locally from the island.
Opera House, Circular Quay, the Fish Market, Watsons Bay, Hornby Lighthouse, Bondi and Tamarama.
Skyway, Railway and Cableway, plus time in Leura.
Koalas and lorikeets, then Australia's most easterly point.
Surfers Paradise from the observation deck 230 metres up.
The Twelve Apostles and the penguin parade to round it off.
The Dandenongs steam train on the penguin day.
Except on Hamilton Island, where the island runs its own transport.
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.
5 centres, linked by the internal flights listed — with a private vehicle and driver on touring days.
MelbourneGold CoastByron BaySydneyHamilton Island
Day by day
Tap any stage to open it. Meals included at each stage are marked in green.
Private pick-up and a city tour: the Melbourne Museum, Carlton Gardens, the State Library and the National Gallery of Victoria.
North to Queensland — Paradise Country, Surfers Paradise and the SkyPoint observation deck.
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, then down the coast to Byron Bay.
The Australian Museum, St Mary's Cathedral, the Art Gallery, the Royal Botanic Garden and the Opera House.
The Fish Market, Circular Quay, Watsons Bay, the Hornby Lighthouse, Bondi and Tamarama.
The national park with three cableway rides and time in Leura.
Fly to Hamilton Island, where the hotel handles airport pick-up. Four nights in the Whitsundays with optional coastal day trips, Whitehaven Beach and Heart Reef flights arranged locally.
Flight south with a one-way transfer from Melbourne Airport.
The lighthouse, the Great Ocean Road signpost, the gorges and the Twelve Apostles.
The steam railway through the Dandenongs and the penguin parade at dusk.
Private transfer to Melbourne Airport for the flight home.
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 14-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) | 11 | ✓ | — | — | £3,059 | £457 | View |
| Private 14-day East Coast tour | 14 | ✓ | — | — | £3,081 | £376 | View |
| Private 14-day tour with Hamilton Island You're viewing this | 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.
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