Australia's Food, Wine & Wildlife: Sydney, Adelaide & Cairns - 11 Days

Highlights

• Eat and explore your way through Sydney and Adelaide
• Go wine tasting in the Hunter Valley and McLaren Vale
• Spend a day snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef
• Connect with Aboriginal culture and catch a fish

Brief Itinerary

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Sydney, Explore

Welcome to Australia! A driver will meet you on arrival at Sydney airport to transfer you to your hotel. This metropolis feels like the heart of Australia thanks to its iconic sights, historic neighborhoods, world-class culinary scene, prime waterfront location, and pristine beaches. The afternoon is yours to explore as you wish. Start with a visit to Sydney's iconic harbor and soak up the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge over a drink at a waterfront bar, like the Opera Bar, to get your bearings.

Take a walk along the harborfront, then lose yourself in the cobblestone laneways of The Rocks, or browse the markets, boutiques, cafés, and pubs of upscale Paddington, whose unique terrace houses date to the Victorian era. If you're feeling adventurous, join a surf lesson at the famous Bondi Beach. Then when the sun goes down, book a table at one of Sydney's five-star restaurants before taking on the city's best bars.

Day 2: Aboriginal Bush Tucker Tour, The Rocks Walking Tour & A Taste of Chinatown

Kick off your day by getting to know the traditional owners of this land. On an Aboriginal bush tucker (food) tour, you'll join a First Nations guide on an hourlong tour through the Royal Botanic Gardens. Learn more about local bush foods and how these foods were used traditionally and adapted to the modern plate and palate, all while tasting some for yourself! Then, join a guided tour of The Rocks, one of the most unique neighborhoods in Sydney. Hear about its rich and dark history, and explore plenty of 19th-century pubs once frequented by cutthroats, street gangs, and prostitutes. 

This evening, explore Australia's more recent migrant history with a tasting tour of Chinatown. Over three hours, visit hidden landmarks and hear little-known stories from the history of Chinese Australians. Enjoy some of the best Asian Australian cuisines, with roots in Chinese, Korean, and Malaysian food. Taste modern fusion and Sydney Chinatown classics, from handmade dumplings and noodles to the best KFC (Korean Fried Chicken). You'll also experience a Chinese tea ceremony, an ancient, serene tradition. 

Day 3: Full-day Hunter Valley Wine Tasting

Day 4: Fly to Adelaide, Evening Wine, Dine & Discover by Foot

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Today you'll catch a flight to Adelaide, the capital of South Australia! This former British colonial hub was named after 19th-century Queen Adelaide. A small, progressive city, Adelaide is only one square mile yet boasts many distinctive attractions and is renowned for its many festivals, fine food, and wine.

Get a taste of the latter this evening on a culinary walking tour. Start at one of the city's lesser-known local wine bars for an introduction to the region's best wines over snacks. Wander Adelaide's back streets, admiring the architecture, street art, and atmosphere on the way to the next location: a hidden bar to discover local spirits and creative cocktails. Hear about local laws and legends, the saints, sinners, innovators, and creators who have shaped this unique Australian city. Finish with a local digestive and delicious fresh cheese or sweet treats at a local institution.

Day 5: Full-Day Kangaroo Island Sip & See Tour

Board a ferry to Kangaroo Island for a big gourmet day out. Start with the "Free Flight" Birds of Prey Presentation at the Raptor Domain. Next, travel to Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery for a tasty two-course lunch, then hear about the history of the oil distillery and take a guided tour. Continue to Clifford's Honey Farm for an informative guided tour to understand the extraction process and taste a honey soft drink and honey wheat ale. 

Carry on to Pennington Bay, a beach on Kangaroo Island's southern coast, for a beautiful photo opportunity. This full-day tour ends with a premium wine tasting at False Cape Wines Cellar Door on the Dudley Peninsula. Soak up the views while enjoying a structured tasting. Your host will leave you at the Penneshaw Hotel with plenty of time for dinner before your return ferry to the mainland.

Day 6: Adelaide Central Market Breakfast Tour, City Highlights Tour

This morning, venture to the Adelaide Central Market for breakfast. Fuel your morning with the best market espresso, brewed tea, or hot chocolate, and watch the daily market come alive over a hot, healthy breakfast. Over a few hours, you'll taste a selection of foods from South Australian artisan food producers and meet the suppliers and stallholders whose families have traded at the market for generations.

Day 7: Full-Day Fleurieu Food, Wine & Wildlife in McLaren Vale

Explore the stunning McLaren Vale with this full-day tour that takes you from the city to this coastal wine region. Here more than 50 vineyards produce top-quality wines by the sea. Today you'll visit renowned wineries such as Wirra Wirra, d'Arenberg, Coriole, and the historic Hardy's, as well as attractions such as the Olive Grove and cheese and wine trails. 

McLaren Vale offers some of the most beautiful scenery in South Australia. You'll journey to the coastal town of Goolwa, where you can spot southern right whales during migration season. Continue to the local brew houses near the sea and the picturesque Victor Harbor, where you can ride on Australia's only horse-drawn tram over a causeway to Granite Island and see blue penguins at the interpretive center.

Day 8: Fly to Cairns, Cairns ZOOM & Wildlife Dome Experience

Today you'll board a flight for Cairns, a tropical paradise and the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef and ancient Daintree Rainforest. Over the next few days, you'll experience some of Australia's most remarkable natural wonders and attractions.

Start your adventure in Far North Queensland at Cairns ZOOM and Wildlife Dome, an enclosed wildlife exhibit and adventure park. Here you can meet more than 70 species of Australian animals, including koalas, crocodiles, snakes, and birds. There's also a challenging high ropes course with more than 65 different elements like rope bridges, swings, and zip lines. But, perhaps best of all, you can get up close with a koala here. Feel their fluffy fur, and admire their big ears and cute noses as you hold this native Australian animal for a memorable photo opportunity.

Day 9: Full-Day Great Barrier Reef Experience

Today you'll dive into one of the world's great natural wonders. The Great Barrier Reef is the world's most extensive coral reef system and is home to an incredible diversity of marine life, including over 1,500 species of fish, 30 species of whales and dolphins, and six species of sea turtles. Made up of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands, the Great Barrier Reef spans over 1,430 miles (2,300 km). Today you'll board a boat destined for the outer reef. Here the all-weather Marine World platform awaits—your base to explore the reef.

Dive off the platform and snorkel among colorful fish, sea turtles, and sharks. Join a semi-submersible reef viewer or glass bottom boat tour. Take a helicopter ride over the reef to soak up the grand scale from the sky. Or stay dry and view the reef from the platform's underwater observatory. 

Day 10: Aboriginal Fishing & Daintree Rainforest Tour

Pack a day bag for a big final day in Australia. This full-day tour will take you north of Cairns to Cooya Beach (Kuyu Kuyu), a traditional fishing ground of the Kuku Yalanji people. Here, you'll Join one of the Kubirri Warra brothers on their beach for a walk among the mudflats and mangroves. Following this is an introduction to traditional Aboriginal fishing techniques. Afterward, you'll get to try it and catch your own tucker.

Later, travel inland to nearby Mossman Gorge, the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Daintree National Park. You'll be welcomed here with a traditional smoking ceremony designed to protect you while visiting Kuku Yalanji country. Then, you'll enter the Daintree rainforests, estimated to be more than 135 million years old. Enjoy a leisurely hike across boardwalks, tracks, and bridges that offer spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and waterfalls. As you go, your guide will highlight the various flora and fauna you pass throughout the hike.

Day 11: Depart Cairns

Your grand holiday in Australia comes to an end today. When the time is right, a driver will collect you from your hotel and transfer you to Cairns Airport for your flight home. Safe travels!

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