Day 1: Overnight Flight

Cross the International Dateline as you begin a comprehensive adventure through Australia and New Zealand. You’ll earn your world traveller reputation with each spectacular place you reach. Be prepared for some extensive travel days between the destinations on your tour.

Day 2: Melbourne, Australia

Dinner Sheraton Melbourne

Arrive in Melbourne. Set upon the shores of Port Phillip Bay and the Yarra River, the city exudes a lively and cosmopolitan atmosphere. As travelers' arrival times will vary, we have no group activities planned during the day. Late this afternoon, we meet for a briefing about the journey ahead; tonight, we gather for a welcome dinner.

Day 3: Melbourne

Breakfast Sheraton Melbourne

Set out on a panoramic city tour, including a guided walk of the famed Royal Botanic Gardens. Then, it’s your choice! Enjoy panoramic views from above at Melbourne Skydeck, the Southern Hemisphere’s highest public vantage point -OR- unwind on a scenic cruise along the Yarra River, taking in Melbourne’s sights from the water. Afterward, the rest of the day is yours to explore Melbourne as you please. Soak in the atmosphere of this exciting city among the bustling laneways, at one of its many shopping boutiques, or along the waterfront.

Day 4: Melbourne - Hobart

Breakfast & Dinner Hadley's Orient Hotel

A flight to Hobart, Tasmania brings you to Australia's second oldest city. An island state of Australia, Tasmania is surrounded by more than 300 scattered isles. Its rugged and pristine beauty provides the backdrop for your three-night stay. Enjoy a guided walk to get to know Hobart before dinner this evening.

Day 5: Hobart

Breakfast Hadley's Orient Hotel

Today, visit the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Centre and learn about this unique marsupial, its fight for survival, and the plan to save it from extinction. Tour the Port Arthur Historic Site, the best-preserved example of Australia’s original penal colonies. En route, witness the coastal rock formations of Tasman Arch, Devil’s Kitchen, and the Blow Hole.

Day 6: Hobart

Breakfast Hadley's Orient Hotel

Enjoy a free day to explore Tasmania’s capital city on your own. Perhaps you’ll indulge in the city’s up-and-coming café culture, meander along the lively harbour, or just take some time to relax.

Day 7: Hobart - Adelaide

Breakfast & Dinner Pullman Adelaide

Fly to Adelaide, South Australia’s bustling cosmopolitan capital known for food and wine. Settle into your home for the next 2 nights.

Day 8: Adelaide - Barossa Valley - Adelaide

Breakfast & Lunch Pullman Adelaide

Treat your taste buds to a full-day exploration of the Barossa Valley’s fine food and wine. Starting at Seppeltsfield winery where a wine educator will take you on a behind-the-scenes look through the estate’s treasure trove of historical buildings and spectacular surroundings. Learn of the Seppelt family history and their profound influence on the Australian wine industry. Following the tour enjoy a delicious Barossa-style lunch. Afterwards your vintner voyage continues at Chateau Tanunda for a private tour and tasting of their world-class wines.

Day 9: Adelaide - Uluru (Ayers Rock)

Breakfast Desert Gardens

This morning, make your way to Uluru (the Aboriginal name for Ayers Rock) in the heart of the Australian Outback. Tour the beautiful area surrounding the base of “The Rock” and learn about its significance to the indigenous population. As the day draws to a close, sip a glass of champagne as Uluru’s hues change dramatically with the setting sun.

Day 10: Uluru - Cairns

Breakfast Flynn Crystalbrook Collection Hotel

Fly to Cairns, the tropical gateway to one of the world’s most spectacular natural attractions – the Great Barrier Reef (UNESCO).

Day 11: Cairns

Breakfast & Lunch & Dinner Flynn Crystalbrook Collection Hotel

Rise high on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway for an unforgettable ride over the rainforest canopy. Embrace the opportunity to explore the forest floor up close with access to specially designed boardwalks. Afterward, visit Rainforestation Nature Park for lunch and unique encounters with Australian wildlife and indigenous culture. Experience a performance of indigenous dancing, and join a guided walk to explore Aboriginal traditions, seeing how spears were used for hunting and trying your hand at throwing a boomerang. In the Koala and Wildlife Park, wander the boardwalks seeing kangaroos, wallabies, reptiles, and cassowaries. This evening, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant featuring native ingredients.

Day 12: Cairns

Breakfast & Lunch Flynn Crystalbrook Collection Hotel

Board a high-speed catamaran for an exciting excursion to the Great Barrier Reef. Explore the reef from your base on Green Island. Enjoy a glass-bottom boat ride, stroll the island’s walking trails, relax on the beach, snorkel or just watch the fish and sea turtles swim past from the pier. For a more adventurous encounter with the reef, an optional outer reef tour is also available.

Day 13: Cairns - Sydney

Breakfast & Dinner Sofitel Sydney Wentworth

Fly to the dynamic city of Sydney. This evening, personalize your culinary experience with Diner’s Choice – choosing from a variety of local restaurants for an included dinner along bustling Darling Harbour.

Day 14: Sydney

Breakfast Sofitel Sydney Wentworth

See where English colonists first settled during a city tour of Sydney, featuring the Harbour Bridge, the Rocks, Circular Quay, and the Royal Botanic Gardens. Take an expert-led tour of the Sydney Opera House, poised majestically on Sydney Harbour. You’ll have the chance to join a special presentation at the National Opal Collection. The evening is yours to enjoy the ‘harbor city.’

Day 15: Sydney

Breakfast Sofitel Sydney Wentworth

Enjoy a day at leisure. Marvel at the scenic vistas of the harbour showcasing Sydney’s magnificent skyline, the iconic Sydney Opera House, and the Harbour Bridge. As the most populous city in Australia, Sydney is full of endless ways to spend your day.

Day 16: Sydney - Auckland, New Zealand

Breakfast & Dinner Hotel Indigo Auckland

Fly to New Zealand and arrive in Auckland, the “City of Sails.” A city tour features the America’s Cup Village, the War Memorial, vibrant Queen Street, the Auckland Harbour Bridge, and spectacular views from the harborside.

Day 17: Auckland - Rotorua

Breakfast Sudima Lake Rotorua Hotel

Head to Rotorua’s dramatic geothermal landscape. Find culture behind every corner – over one-third of Rotorua’s population boasts Maori roots, making it known as the Maori capital of New Zealand.

Day 18: Rotorua

Breakfast & Dinner Sudima Lake Rotorua Hotel

Discover Whakarewarewa – a Maori cultural and geothermal experience. Explore an authentic Maori village where people live using natural geothermal resources to cook, bathe, and heat their homes as they have done for centuries. At the Agrodome, see a sheep-shearing demonstration and learn about the importance of agriculture to the nation. Afterward, enjoy free time to explore more of Rotorua independently.

Day 19: Rotorua - Wellington

Breakfast & Dinner Hotel Grand Chancellor Wellington James Cook

Make your way to Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city and the world’s southernmost capital city. Built on the foreshore of a harbour and ringed by mountains, this gives the city the nickname “Windy Wellington.”

Day 20: Wellington

Breakfast Hotel Grand Chancellor Wellington James Cook

Come to know Wellington on a tour including the Beehive, New Zealand’s Parliament, Lampton Quay, and the Old Government Building – the largest wooden building in the Southern Hemisphere. Explore the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongawera, a fascinating centre dedicated to art, history and the Maori culture. Afterward, enjoy the afternoon and evening to explore Wellington on your own.

Day 21: Wellington - Picton - Christchurch

Breakfast & Dinner Distinction Christchurch Hotel

Today, experience what has been called “the most beautiful ferry ride in the world” as you sail across the Cook Strait on your way to the historic city of Christchurch, the “Garden City.” Dinner tonight will be at the hotel.

Day 22: Christchurch

Breakfast Distinction Christchurch Hotel

This morning, enjoy a tour at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve. A leader in the conservation of New Zealand species, Willowbank offers the chance to view New Zealand’s “Big 5” up close and personal. Learn about the local indigenous culture of the Maori, with a paddle on the Avon River in a traditional canoe or ‘waka.’ Spend the afternoon exploring the city independently and see how far it's come since the earthquakes of 2011.

Day 23: Christchurch - Queenstown

Breakfast & Dinner Rendezvous Heritage Queenstown

Make your way to Queenstown, nicknamed the “Adventure Capital of the World.” Nestled on Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown is surrounded by stunning natural beauty.

Day 24: Queenstown

Breakfast & Lunch Rendezvous Heritage Queenstown

Enjoy the rugged grandeur of the Hollyford Valley as you travel through a beech forest via the Homer Tunnel. Cruise the breathtaking Milford Sound* and see why this fjord is one of the most visited sights on the South Island. Following your cruise, consider returning to Queenstown via a short optional flight (weather permitting) for spectacular views of New Zealand’s Southern Alps.

Day 25: Queenstown

Breakfast & Dinner Rendezvous Heritage Queenstown

A free day in Queenstown offers limitless activities set amidst breathtaking Alpine scenery. Today, you have the opportunity to partake in an off-road tour through the rugged Queenstown countryside, showcasing the filming locations of many blockbuster movies and learning about the region's gold rush. Tonight, gather with your fellow travellers for a farewell dinner and toast to a fabulous trip.

Day 26: Queenstown - Tour Ends

Your tour comes to a close in Queenstown after breakfast.

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