Twelve days, three cities, private driver throughout — Opera House, Blue Mountains, Great Barrier Reef and the Great Ocean Road.
The trip in a nutshell
The same private-vehicle formula as the fourteen-day version, tightened up by two days and nearly £400 cheaper. Everything essential survives the edit: the Opera House interior tour, Taronga Zoo, the Blue Mountains cableway, the Great Barrier Reef cruise, Skyrail and Kuranda with the koala photo and BBQ lunch, the Dandenong Ranges steam train, Phillip Island's penguins and a full day on the Great Ocean Road.
Both internal flights are included. You choose your own hotels from the operator's list at the time of booking, which means you control the standard — and the price moves accordingly.
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
The moments you'll remember
Inside the building, not just the forecourt.
A full private day in the World Heritage-listed national park.
Sunlover's outer reef cruise, with upgrades available.
Cableway up, scenic railway down, BBQ lunch and an Aboriginal dance performance in between.
Plus the Dandenong Ranges steam train earlier the same day.
Lorne, Apollo Bay, the Twelve Apostles.
A full Sydney attractions day with the driver handling all the moving about.
Sydney → Cairns and Cairns → Melbourne with taxes and private transfers.
The lowest-priced private tour we list.
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.
Private airport pick-up and transfer to your chosen hotel.
City tour including the guided Opera House interior tour.
Taronga Zoo, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and the Australian Museum by private vehicle.
Day tour of the Blue Mountains including the cableway.
Point-to-point private transfers and the internal flight; the rest of the day is free.
The outer reef cruise from Cairns.
Rainforest cableway, Kuranda, koala park with photo, BBQ lunch, Aboriginal dance, Army Duck tour and the Scenic Railway.
LunchInternal flight and an afternoon city tour on arrival.
The jungle steam train through the Dandenong Ranges, then the penguin parade at dusk.
Great Ocean Road walk, Lorne Beach, Apollo Bay and the Twelve Apostles.
No driver — explore at your own pace.
Private transfer to the 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
Airport parking, a night at the terminal, lounge access and travel insurance are all cheaper booked early — and on a 12-day trip, the parking alone is a serious line item.
On a four-week trip, airport parking is one of the biggest add-on costs of the whole holiday — and one of the few that gets cheaper the earlier you book.
Long-haul to Australia usually means an early or awkward departure. A night at the terminal beforehand turns a 3am start into a lie-in.
Before a 20-hour flight, three hours of quiet, free food and a proper seat is worth considerably more than it costs.
Non-negotiable on a trip this long and this far away. Check the medical cover limits and that your full trip length and any activities are included.
Skip the roaming charges. An Airalo eSIM gives you data the moment you land, and our referral link takes £2.50 off your first one.
Parking, hotels, lounges and insurance are booked through Holiday Extras; eSIMs through Airalo, using our referral link (you get £2.50 off, we get credit too). Both are commercial links — see our disclosure.
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) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private 11-day Sydney & Melbourne tour | 11 | ✓ | — | — | £2,671 | View |
| Private 12-day three-city tour You're viewing this | 12 | ✓ | — | — | £2,678 | View |
| Private 11-day customisable tour | 11 | ✓ | — | — | £2,855 | View |
| Private 11-day tour (Cairns start) | 11 | ✓ | — | — | £3,034 | View |
| Private 14-day East Coast tour | 14 | ✓ | — | — | £3,079 | View |
| Private 14-day tour with Hamilton Island | 14 | ✓ | — | — | £3,396 | View |
| Private 16-day Australia & NZ tour | 16 | ✓ | ✓ | — | On request | View |
Before you book
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.
A moderate amount. You should be comfortable on your feet for sightseeing, uneven ground at Uluru and Kakadu, and getting on and off coaches and boats. There is plenty of free time built in to rest, and most active elements are optional.
Very. Escorted touring is one of the friendliest ways to travel solo, and single rooms are available on request — check current availability and any supplement when you view the departure dates.
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: Australia Three-City Classic — 12 Days →Keep looking
Fourteen days with a private vehicle and driver — Blue Mountains, the Great Barrier Reef, Phillip Island penguins and the Great Ocean Road.
Eleven days covering every east-coast classic — reef cruise, Opera House, Blue Mountains and the Twelve Apostles.
Sydney, Cairns and Melbourne in eleven days — and a planner who will rearrange any of it before you go.