Sydney to Cairns
East Coast Semi-Guided: 21 Days, Sydney to Cairns
- Byron Bay
- K'gari
- Whitsundays
- Magnetic Island
- + 2 more
Some meals included
$3099 AUD
≈ $148/day
Australia
You behind the wheel on K'gari, Whitehaven underfoot, the outer reef below. Twenty days, one crew.
Drive your own 4WD across K'gari, sail the Whitsundays, spot wild koalas on Magnetic Island and snorkel two outer Great Barrier Reef sites, the upper East Coast start to finish.
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$4,189 AUD
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4.9 from 575 Trustpilot reviews
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Drive a 4x4 across K'gari + camp under the stars
Sail 74 tropical islands in the Whitsundays
Whitehaven Beach
Wild koalas & wallabies, Magnetic Island
Full-day snorkel at 2 outer reef sites
Atherton Tablelands waterfalls
Real moments from the trip, tap any clip to play with sound.
Meet your group and your tour leader on arrival, settle in before your first night out together as the adventure begins.
Discover the coastal town of Rainbow Beach. You'll kick back beach-side before heading to one of the absolute highlights on the East Coast of Australia - K'gari! You'll travel in 4x4's around the biggest sand island in the world. The beach and sand dunes are your highway for the next 3 days. Swim in the turquoise waters of Lake McKenzie, float down the lazy river of Eli Creek, chill in the bubbles of the Champagne Pools, learn about the Aboriginal history on the island, spot dingoes in the wild, and then sleep beneath the stars in a purpose built campsite with your group. Arriving back in Rainbow Beach, you'll explore the colourful sand dunes before catching the overnight bus to the Whitsundays. 🌱 Small Change: Explore K'gari with an Eco Certified operator that works closely with Butchulla representatives to follow cultural protocols.
The next few days are for exploring the Whitsundays. Made up of 74 tropical islands, you'll board the boat for the next 2 nights. Relax and sunbathe on the deck as you sail around the islands. Snorkel with an abundance of marine life on the fringing reefs and later explore the swirls of fine white sand on the world-famous Whitehaven Beach. You'll then head to Airlie Beach where you will have free time to explore and try out some great optional activities. 🌱 Small Change: Sail the Whitsundays with an Eco Certified operator, where sustainability meets adventure.
Today you'll jump on the ferry to a slice of the tropics, Magnetic Island. Over the next 2 days you'll explore the best of this island. Chill out by the ocean, and hike up the historic Forts Walk. If you're lucky you'll even spot wild koalas and rock wallabies.
Time to relax in the chilled out beachfront town of Mission Beach, with your choice of any adrenaline pumping experience this tiny town is known for. If you've ever thought of skydiving this is the place! As an optional add-on, you'll be able to jump at 15,000ft and soak up views of both the Great Barrier Reef and rainforests before landing on the beach, or white water raft the Tully River rapids through a gorge surrounded by World Heritage Rainforest. You'll meet up later for dinner together!
Cairns is a backpacker adventure hub. Here you'll experience a full day on the Great Barrier Reef. You'll get to snorkel and sail the Great Barrier Reef and visit 2 unique outer reef locations. 🌱 Small Change: The Atherton Tablelands day runs with an Eco Certified operator working to protect the ancient Daintree Rainforest through sustainable tourism. While in Cairns you'll also explore the real Aussie oasis of the Atherton Tablelands. You'll swim under waterfalls, slide down natural rock slides and swim in dormant volcano craters all while your experienced guide teaches you about this extraordinary place. Tonight you wrap things up with a farewell dinner and drinks to toast the adventures you've had together.
Your Aussie trip ends this morning. If you need help with onward travel in Oz, your tour leader is there to help for the rest of your time in Australia.
Curated stays along the route, a mix of characterful hotels, traditional lodgings and social hostels, all with the essentials sorted.
2 nights in a funky hostel with tropical vibes. Multi-share rooms with shared bathrooms, Wi-Fi, laundry, air con, bar & jacuzzi.
2 nights set amongst a tropical rainforest. Multi-share rooms with ensuite, Wi-Fi, air con, laundry, BBQ area, gym & swimming pools.
2 nights sleeping onboard a premium boat. Multi-share cabin with shared bathrooms.
4 nights in the most popular hostel in Cairns! Multi-share rooms with ensuite, Wi-Fi, air con, laundry & swimming pool.
Rooming is typically same-gender multi-share unless a private/twin upgrade is noted, ask us if you'd like a private room.
Got a question that's not here? Ask us or hit the chat, instant AI reply with a follow-up from the Wanderlust crew.
Public reviews of the operator who runs this tour on the ground.
The operator's track record
"I completed the Oz 28 day East Coast tour and had the best time. Highly recommend!"
Christi Morrison
Google review · 2 weeks ago
"Just finished the Oz East Coast 21 day trip and it was the best 3 weeks! Every part of the trip was exciting with so much to do. Highlights definitely G’Kari and Whitsundays. Great group of people and friends for life. Jess was the BEST group tour leader and made sure we all had an amazing time. …"
Daniella MacDonald
Google review · 2 weeks ago
"Just finished the Oz [tour name] Australia tour and had an unreal time. All the activities were incredibly fun and well organised by our group leader Amber-Rose, who had such a great personality and really made the whole group gel from day one. …"
Kevan Meow
Google review · 5 days ago
Traveller reviews, source shown on each · shown as excerpts.
Sydney to Cairns
Some meals included
$3099 AUD
≈ $148/day
East Coast Australia
21 days · your own van + 5 big adventures
$2499 AUD
≈ $119/day
Sydney to Cairns
Some meals included
$4909 AUD
≈ $149/day
From
$4189
Save $310