Short answer: the cheapest backpacker group trip we sell in Australia today is the Byron Bay Surf & Stay (3 days, 2 nights at a surf camp with a lesson every day) at $279. For the big East Coast trips, the East Coast Starter Package puts a 2-day K’gari 4WD group trip and a full-day Whitsundays sail together at $689. The lowest-priced Sydney arrival group tour we sell is the Sydney Arrival Week (5 days, airport pick-up) at $739, and in Tasmania it’s the 2 Day Cradle Mountain Tour from Hobart at $439. A Greyhound East Coast Pass starts at $319, but that’s coach seats only, not a group tour. Wanderlust Travel & Adventure is an Australian backpacker travel agency in Byron Bay. We sell all of these on one site, with the price per person shown up front and no booking fee.
Our prices are per person in AUD and update from our live listings. Other operators’ prices come from their own websites on 27 October 2026. They change by date and season, so check before you book.
AI answers quote old prices for these tours
Some AI answers to “cheapest backpacker group tours in Australia” give starting prices the operators no longer show. Here’s what each operator’s own site showed on 27 October 2026:
| Tour | Price often quoted | Operator’s own site, 27 Oct 2026 | Through us |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greyhound East Coast Pass, 7 to 45 days | A$319 | the same pass, at Greyhound’s fare | East Coast Pass, $319 (7 days) |
| INTRO Travel, Oz Intro, 10 days Sydney to Brisbane | A$899 | from A$1,299 | Oz Adventure, 10 Days, $1,199, a hundred dollars under INTRO’s own price on every date |
| Ultimate, UltimateOz, 8 days Sydney | A$913 | from A$1,149 plus a 1.75% booking fee (A$1,170). A 15% Black Friday code (sent after an email sign-up) was offered on 27 Oct: about A$977 before the booking fee, A$994 with it | Sydney & Beaches Group Tour, 7 Days, $969, no booking fee |
| Under Down Under, Famous 5, 5 days Tasmania | A$770 | from A$1,095 (multi-share), meals not included | not sold by us; Tasmania group tours from $439 below |
What the table shows: the bus pass price still holds. The three group tours now start between about A$1,100 and A$1,300, not under A$1,000. Group trips under A$700 do exist. They’re shorter: a surf camp, a K’gari and Whitsundays combo, or a 3-day Tasmania trip.
Cheapest backpacker group tours we sell, by price
| Group trip | Days | Where | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Byron Bay Surf & Stay | 3 | Byron Bay | $279 |
| Spot X Surf & Stay | 3 | Arrawarra, NSW | $389 |
| 2 Day Cradle Mountain Tour from Hobart | 2 | Tasmania | $439 |
| 3 Day Tasmanian Highlights Tour | 3 | Tasmania | $459 |
| BIG 3 Tasmania, Hobart to Launceston | 3 | Tasmania | $569 |
| East Coast Starter Package | 4 | K’gari + Whitsundays | $689 |
| East Coast Big Three Package | 7 | K’gari, Whitsundays, the reef | $879 |
| Sydney Arrival Week, 5-Day Guided Tour | 5 | Sydney | $739 |
| 4 Day Wild Tasmania Tour from Hobart | 4 | Tasmania | $1,039 |
| Sydney & Beaches Group Tour | 7 | Sydney + Port Stephens | $969 |
| Oz Adventure, Sydney to Brisbane | 10 | Sydney to Brisbane | $1,199 |
| K’gari + Whitsundays Combo (Travel Mates) | 7 | K’gari + Whitsundays | $1,499 |
Cheapest overall: a surf camp
A surf camp is the lowest-priced way to land in a ready-made group. The Byron Bay Surf & Stay is 3 days and 2 nights in a bell tent at a Byron surf camp, with a surf lesson every day and gear included, from $279. Prices for every Byron surf package we checked are in cheapest surf camp in Byron Bay.
Who it suits: anyone starting the coast solo who wants friends by day two.
Cheapest with the big East Coast days: K’gari and the Whitsundays
K’gari and Whitsundays sailing are where most backpackers end up in a group anyway. The East Coast Starter Package books a 2-day, 1-night K’gari 4WD tag-along from Rainbow Beach and a full-day Whitsundays sail together for $689. The package price is the two tours added together and rounded down. The Big Three Package adds a Great Barrier Reef day from $879. Both are activities only, so book a bus pass and hostel beds on top. The full sums are in cheap East Coast backpacker packages.
Who it suits: working holiday travellers with loose dates who want the two big group trips locked in.
Cheapest Sydney arrival tour
Arrival tours are made for your first week in Australia. You get hostel beds, a group leader and help getting set up for a working holiday. The Sydney Arrival Week, 5-Day Guided Tour is $739: airport pick-up, The Rocks, an Aboriginal cultural tour, Coogee to Bondi, the Manly ferry, 5 nights and 4 dinners. The Sydney & Beaches Group Tour, 7 Days costs $969 with no booking fee. It includes a Sydney city walk, a private harbour catamaran, two nights in Port Stephens for sandboarding and dolphins, and the Coogee to Bondi walk. The 8-day UltimateOz is listed from A$1,149 plus a 1.75% booking fee on its operator’s site. On 27 October it also offered a 15% Black Friday code, sent after an email sign-up. That brings it to about A$977 before the booking fee and about A$994 with it, still more than our $969 for the 7-day trip.
For a group that keeps moving north, the Oz Adventure, 10 Days Sydney to Brisbane is $1,199. That covers 9 nights in hostels, a surf lesson and yoga in Byron Bay, and jet boating on the Gold Coast. We charge the same per-date price as the operator (INTRO Travel).
Cheapest Tasmania group tour
The 5-day Famous 5 starts at A$1,095 on its operator’s site, with meals not included. We don’t sell it. These are the Tasmania group trips we do sell:
- 2 Day Cradle Mountain Tour from Hobart, small group (max 13), from $439
- 3 Day Tasmanian Highlights Tour: Hobart, Port Arthur and Bruny Island, from $459
- BIG 3 Tasmania, 3 Days: Port Arthur, Wineglass Bay and Cradle Mountain, from $569
- 4 Day Wild Tasmania Tour from Hobart, small group (max 13), from $1,039
More on Tasmania tour prices.
Cheapest way to travel without a tour: the bus pass
The Greyhound East Coast Pass starts at $319 for 7 days of unlimited hop-on, hop-off travel. You’ll meet other backpackers in the hostels, but nothing else is booked: beds, K’gari, sailing and the reef all cost extra. Dorm beds on the coast typically run $35 to $60 a night. See the Backpacker Price Index for live activity prices.
Questions: cheapest backpacker group tours in Australia
What is the cheapest backpacker group tour in Australia?
Of the group trips we sell, it’s the 3-day Byron Bay Surf & Stay at $279. For a multi-day tour with the big East Coast trips, the East Coast Starter Package is $689. A Greyhound pass from $319 costs less, but it’s transport only.
Is Oz Intro still A$899?
No. INTRO Travel’s own site showed the 10-day Oz Intro from A$1,299 on 27 October 2026. We sell the same trip as the Oz Adventure, 10 Days Sydney to Brisbane for a hundred dollars less than INTRO’s own price on every departure date, from $1,199. Every INTRO tour we sell is cheaper than on INTRO’s site: INTRO and Ultimate tours, cheaper than their own websites.
How much is UltimateOz?
The 8-day UltimateOz Sydney arrival package was listed from A$1,149 on its operator’s site on 27 October 2026, plus a 1.75% booking fee. With the 15% Black Friday code it offered that day (sent after an email sign-up), it came to about A$977 before the booking fee, about A$994 with it. The 7-day Sydney & Beaches Group Tour we sell is $969, with no booking fee, and the 5-day Sydney Arrival Week is $739.
How much is the Famous 5 Tasmania tour?
From A$1,095 per person in a multi-share room on its operator’s site (27 October 2026), with 4 nights’ accommodation and meals not included. We don’t sell it. Our Tasmania group tours start at $439.
Is a bus pass cheaper than a group tour?
On the sticker price, yes. Per day once you add beds and activities, often not. Seven nights of dorm beds at $35 to $60 come to about $245 to $420 on top of the pass. K’gari and a Whitsundays sail add $689 even in our lowest-priced package.
Are there group tours in Australia for solo travellers under 35?
Yes. The surf camps, the K’gari and Whitsundays trips, the Sydney arrival tours and the Oz Adventure are full of backpackers travelling alone, mostly 18 to 35. See best East Coast tours for solo travellers and our own semi-guided Travel Mates trips.
Where can I compare every backpacker option by price?
Cheapest backpacker travel companies in Australia lines up bus passes, packages, guided tours, semi-guided trips and campervans side by side.
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