Australia & New Zealand Adventure

Your fascinating “Down Under” adventure begins today as you board your flight on the award-winning Qantas Airways. Airfare from the U.S. is included.

Cross the International Dateline and “lose” one day along the way. Don’t worry—you’ll “regain” it when you fly from Australia back to the U.S. at the end of your journey!

Touch down in the lively harbor city of Auckland on New Zealand’s North Island. You’ll be greeted at the airport and escorted to your upscale city-center hotel where you’ll join your tour director for a welcome drink and a brief orientation walk.

Discover this coastal gem’s maritime heritage and indigenous people. Join your guide for a drive via Parnell Village to Mission Bay, a seaside suburb boasting a picturesque waterfront. Then journey to Bastion Point for spectacular views of the harbor—one of two that helped earn Auckland its “City of Sails” moniker. You’ll also visit the Auckland Museum, where you can learn about the native culture of the Maori—Eastern Polynesians that arrived in New Zealand over 1,000 years ago and still account for 14% of the population. One of the day’s highlights? You get to take in a traditional Maori performance. Then spend the afternoon at leisure, pursuing your interests. When evening falls, we invite you to join your fellow travelers for a welcome dinner.

Time to go island-hopping—flying to South Island’s Queenstown, New Zealand’s lakeside resort destination surrounded by the Southern Alps. In the afternoon, you’ll accompany your tour director on a stroll through this charming town from your postcard-worthy hotel nestled near the shore of picturesque Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand’s third-largest lake.

Today’s outing takes you to one of the most scenic spots in the world. First, you’ll take a drive along Lake Wakatipu to witness more of its dramatic lightning bolt shape. Then you’ll voyage through dense forests and past shimmering Lake Te Anau—New Zealand’s largest southern glacial lake. Watch out your window for Fiordland National Park and the Homer Tunnel—a 1.2 km passageway through solid rock that was built over 19 years. When you arrive at Milford Sound, it’s all aboard for an unforgettable cruise through towering fjords and alongside majestic waterfalls. After filling your camera’s memory card, you’ll return to Queenstown in the early evening.

Experience a day on the town your own way—and at your own pace. Looking for something to do that’s a little farther afield? You could always visit the famous Walter Peak Sheep Station located on the opposite bank of Lake Wakatipu. Here, you can join a farmyard tour, catch a sheep shearing demo, help feed the farm’s wooly residents and watch professional sheep dogs hard at work.

After breakfast, you’ll say goodbye to Queenstown to travel to nearby Arrowtown. This former gold rush village blends history and nature in perfect harmony. Take time to admire the well-preserved buildings and walk through the leafy streets while you learn about Arrowtown’s rich past. As you proceed on your journey, countryside vistas unfold on your way to Kawarau Gorge (hint: watch for bungee jumpers). Then you’ll arrive at the top of the Otago Peninsula at Dunedin, a vibrant town with an impressive architectural heritage and wealth of diverse attractions, where you’ll check-in to your hotel room.

This morning, you’ll set out on an orientation tour of the city. In its center, Dunedin is truly a city of Spires with towers, gables and turrets plus solid, gracious stone buildings, all earning Dunedin the title of the most Victorian City of New Zealand. You’ll also enjoy a guided visit to Olveston House, a 35-room mansion built between 1904 and 1906 for David Theomin as an “English country house in the city.” In 1966, the last surviving member of the Theomin family gifted the home to the city so visitors could explore this life-sized time capsule, still filled with art, antiques and furniture from around the world. The balance of the day is at leisure to experience at your own pace or join an optional tour.

After breakfast, depart Dunedin and drive to the spectacular Mount Cook region, known as the gateway to the imposing Southern Alps. From there, we’ll proceed to Fairlie, a thriving farming region in the heart of the sheep grazing pastures of the Canterbury Plains—where more than 80% of New Zealand’s grains and crops are grown. Here you’ll enjoy the ultimate local experience, spending the evening on a working farm where your hosts invite you for a delicious home-cooked dinner and conversation. This is certain to be one of the highlights of your trip!

Following a hearty breakfast with your host family on the farm, you’ll proceed to the airport and board a flight across the Tasman Sea to Melbourne, Australia. As Victoria’s stately capital, Melbourne is renowned for its vibrant culture, spacious parks and beautiful gardens. Relax on the airport transfer to your hotel, ideally located in the heart of this capital city.

On an included morning tour, you’ll visit the 150-year-old Fitzroy Gardens that showcase a fine collection of fountains, statues and memorials—as well as Captain Cook’s circa-1755 family home. You’ll also see the City Square, the Victorian Art Center and the old Parliament House. The balance of the day is dedicated to independent exploration. We recommend the optional excursion to Phillip Island to watch the fairy penguin parade.

Today, you’ll board a northbound flight to tropical Cairns, the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef—one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Here you’ll check into your hotel, where we encourage you to relax and enjoy the swimming pool—you’re in paradise after all!

Your journey begins the moment you board a high-speed catamaran for Green Island, an unspoiled 6,000-year-old coral cay located in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. With its unique reef and rainforest environment, this 37-acre island provides a superior tropical experience. In fact, Green Island is the only coral cay on the Great Barrier Reef with a rainforest growing on it! This is home to 126 native plant species, colorful bird life and over 1,500 different species of tropical fish. Enjoy a self-guided Eco Island walk, take a ride in a glass-bottom boat to view the magnificent coral of the inner reef, or relax on the white coral sand beaches. There are many other optional activities offered on the island to enjoy as well. After your Great Barrier Reef adventure, you’ll return to Cairns in the afternoon.

Spend the day at your leisure right here in tropical Cairns. Or you may choose to take an optional tour aboard a scenic skyrail to the aboriginal village of Kuranda, where you can immerse yourself in the culture or get up close with the local wildlife.

Today, you’ll depart tropical Cairns for Australia’s oldest and most iconic city. Settle into your elegant hotel, ideally located in the city center near the scenic Sydney Harbour, the renowned Opera House that attracts over 8.2 million visitors annually and the enchanting Botanical Gardens. Later, join your tour director for an orientation walk to put your finger on the beating pulse of the city.

See the many sides of Sydney on a guided tour that hits the architectural highlights, including the Harbour Bridge and celebrated Opera House, as well as the city’s natural treasures, such as the Botanical Gardens, historic Rocks area and Bondi Beach—one of the world’s most popular shorelines and a haven for surfers. After the tour, you’re on your own to see your favorite sights in greater depth or set your own course.

Because there’s just so much to see and do in Sydney, we’re giving you the full day to explore on your own. One suggestion is an optional tour to the Australian Wildlife Park, where you can hand-feed a kangaroo and cuddle a friendly koala! Music and architectural lovers may want to consider an optional behind-the-scenes tour of the Sydney Opera House. Or you can simply stroll along the waterfront towards the Rocks area to get in touch with nature. This evening, enjoy a festive farewell dinner in the heart of Sydney with your group.

Today, bid farewell to “Down Under” and board your return flight. Cross the International Dateline and regain the day “lost” in the beginning of the trip. Your magical Australia tour packages end as you arrive Los Angeles the same day.