Family Australia

Arrive in cosmopolitan Sydney, where you are met and transferred to your hotel in the city’s historic Rocks area. Later, enjoy a welcome dinner.

Today, privately explore the magnificent Sydney Opera House, led by an expert guide. Learn fun secrets and little-known facts about its history, and take part in interactive games and all-ages activities, including the opportunity to dress up in costume and pose with props in this world-famous venue. Later, enjoy time at leisure.

Head out for a day of surf, sand and sun at Bondi Beach, home of the famous Bondi Beach Lifesavers. Aussie surfers carve up sandbar breaks in the distance, while your family hits the waves for a private group surf lesson. After a beach-side lunch, transfer to Circular Quay’s Eastern Pontoon for a thrilling jet-boat tour. Cruise Sydney Harbour, experiencing fun fishtails and spins while taking in sights that include the Sydney Harbour Bridge, one of the tallest steel arch bridges in the world. Return to your hotel for an afternoon at leisure. Tonight, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant with the new friends you’ve made.

Fly to central Australia’s vast Outback and transfer to your accommodations near Uluru (Ayers Rock), a 600-million-year-old sandstone monolith held sacred by Australia’s Aboriginal people. After some time at leisure at your hotel, and perhaps a swim at the pool, set out for a tour of Uluru with your Resident Tour Director, who shares stories of the monolith’s legendary powers. Stop to enjoy tasty canapés, soft drinks and sparkling wine from a prime location, where you watch the sun set on the mystical monolith, its distinct red coloration aglow in the low light of day. Return to your hotel for dinner.

Rise early for an adventure through the desert landscape of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, where you see its gorgeous stone domes known as Kata Tjuta, which means “many heads” in the local language, and also called the Olgas. After lunch at leisure, join indigenous artists to learn about the symbols and stories of their traditional dot painting, and then use what you have learned to make a painting of your own story to take home with you. Tonight, climb aboard a camel for a ride through Kata Tjuta’s beautiful red sand dunes at sunset, with inspiring Uluru in the distance. Later, enjoy a tasting of Outback foods, such as freshly baked damper (bread).

This morning, a local guide teaches you to play the didgeridoo, a wind instrument known for its haunting sounds, and first played by Australia’s indigenous peoples 40,000 years ago. Partake in an A&K Family Foodie Experience with a chef-led tasting of locally grown, indigenous ingredients, like those used in the special lunch that follows. Later, fly to Cairns. A drive along the beautiful South Pacific coast takes you to Port Douglas, where you check in to your beachfront hotel.

Embark on a full-day exploration of the Great Barrier Reef aboard an intimate and comfortable vessel, gliding among coral gardens and sheltered lagoons. Explore the marvelous aquatic wonders of the reef on a guided snorkeling tour, viewing teeming undersea life up close in its native habitat, before an exhilarating cruise back to port.

Travel overland to Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas, which you explore privately with a park ranger, visiting the wallabies and enjoying exclusive access to the koala enclosure, with the opportunity to hold a koala in your arms. Next, visit the Wildlife Care Center for rescued wild and injured animals. After lunch, continue to the brilliantly green Daintree Rainforest, where a member of the Kuku Yalanji people invites your family on an Aboriginal walkabout. Tour the tribe’s ancestral country around Daintree; walk through rainforest and coastal habitats, learn about ancient traditions and medicines derived from nature, and practice spear throwing. Tonight, celebrate your epic adventure through Australia with a special farewell dinner.

This morning, transfer to the Cairns airport and depart.