Australia is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world. It’s known as a major backpacking, camping, road trip, and diving destination, but no matter your travel style, there is something to draw you here. The country is filled with incredible natural beauty from Uluru to the Outback, rainforests to pristine white sand beaches, and of course, the Great Barrier Reef. Sydney’s Harbor Bridge and Opera House are iconic man-made wonders, and Melbourne’s café culture will make you feel like you are in Europe. Coupled with world-class surfing, and it is no wonder people never leave. I’ve been over five times and have criss crossed it three time but, every trip, I find something new about this country to love. Use my extensive travel guide to help plan your next trip. I know you will love the country as much as I do!
Top Things to See and Do in Australia
Uluru (Ayer’s Rock) is one of the best attractions in the country. Make sure you are there for both sunset and sunrise because both are equally as spectacular. It’s a pretty breathtaking sight considering it’s just a big rock! Also, make sure to visit the Aboriginal center nearby where you can learn about the local population. I hated waking up early to see the sunrise but I loved watching the red hues change as the sun rose in the sky (see the photo above!).
Dive the Great Barrier Reef — Find your very own Nemo in the Great Barrier Reef. There’s a ton of marine life and beautiful coral here to explore—this is a must-do activity. Trips start around 180 AUD for the day. Even if you don’t dive, you can still take a boat out to the reef and go snorkeling. Try to get on a boat that has a permit to go to dive sites a couple of hours from the shore so you can avoid the onslaught of other tourist boats and divers that inundate the shallower dive sites closer to shore. Here is a video of my trip to the reef (minus the fish pooping in front of my face):
Explore Fraser Island
— The world’s largest sand island is a popular place to do some camping, swim, hike, and avoid dingoes. It’s also extremely popular with the locals because of its rustic beauty is easily accessible from the mainland. They camp a lot on the island. You can hire your own 4WD car or take an overnight tour through the island that’s famous for its fresh water lake (and dingoes). Sadly, you can’t go in the water nearby as it’s rough and full of sharks!
Go to Cairns
— Cairns is Australia’s gateway to northern Queensland. From here you can visit the Great Barrier Reef, the Daintree rainforest, the Atherton tablelands, Cape Tribulation, and much more. Cairns is a pretty typical tropical city, and life here focuses on taking the time to smell the roses. With so much to see, the city deserves a very long stay. Plan to visit for a week which will give you enough time to explore the area, plus spend some time lounging by the pool. This town may be small, but it will leave you wanting more.
Hang out in Brisbane on the South Bank
Brisbane is a “business city”, so unlike Sydney or Melbourne, there isn’t a lot of “culture” here. South Bank has some nice restaurants, and there are some decent pubs, but overall, the city isn’t one of the most exciting places to visit in Australia. However, it’s worth a stop to hang out on South Bank (which I loved) and meet travelers heading north.
Sail the Whitsundays
A three-day, two-night sailing trip starting around 540 AUD is a popular way to see some of the most beautiful sand islands in the world. Whitehaven beach on a clear day is mesmerizing—I even ran into a couple of turtles and dolphins while in the are! A few of the islands have resorts if you want to go on your own and stay longer in paradise but I prefer taking a boat around the islands. It remains one of my favorite activities in the country.
Enjoy Sydney
Australia’s largest city has a range of activities to keep you busy. Climb the Sydney Harbor bridge, surf in Bondi Beach, party in King’s Cross, sail across the harbor, visit the Opera House, and take in world-class innovation in Darling Harbor. Sydney is a bustling big city that still has a laid back, beach vibe to it. It’s amazing (though very expensive). Be sure to head up to the laid-back suburb of Manly and get out of the Bondi beach tourist scene!
Chill out in Melbourne
Melbourne is much more relaxed than Sydney (and, personally, I like it a lot more). There are more cafes and restaurants with fewer clubs, crowds, and better music. This is the place to relax by the river, walk through the gigantic city gardens (all day and every day), eat amazing food (Melbourne is the food capital of Australia), jam out at amazing rock concerts, and party in St. Kilda—my favorite nightlife spot. Melbourne has a well-deserved reputation as the country’s hip city.
Have a Sunday Session in Perth
Perth is Australia’s west coast capital and is often overlooked by most travelers. It’s expensive to get out there from the east coast so most travelers avoid it, but I love it! In fact, it’s probably my favorite city in all of Australia. Perth feels more like a large town than a city and is the best place to have a “Sunday Session” (an Aussie tradition of drinking on Sunday afternoons). From the beaches, food, and beer (be sure to take a day trip to Freemantle), Perth is just awesome.
Surf on the Gold Coast
Australia is famous for its surfing, and one of the best places to learn is on the Gold Coast right outside of Brisbane. You’ll find world-class waves, a wide beach, and lots of available lessons. If you don’t like the Gold Coast, there is always Noosa, Byron Bay, Bondi Beach, Perth, and—well, you get the idea. There’s a lot of surfing in Australia!
Take a wine tour — Whether you go down to Margret River, Hunter Valley, or the Barossa Valley, you will have many chances to taste Aussie wine right from the source. Visiting the wine country should be on your list of things to do. If you rent a car, you can stay longer or you can do guided tours from major cities. I think it’s best to base yourself in the area and spend about 3-5 days in each area tasting as much wine as possible!
The Ningaloo Reef — The Great Barrier Reef gets all the hype, but the Ningaloo Reef on the west coast is a far better reef system. Because it’s less developed and attracts fewer tourists, there are actually more fish and wildlife—you can even swim with whale sharks! Plus, at some points, the reef comes so close to the shore that you can swim right up to it on your own. More fish + less crowds = a better time.
Visit Western Australia — The most overlooked area in the country is the west coast where the country really shines. Here you can escape the crowds of the east coast, explore the outback, the Ningaloo Reef, Coral Bay (one of my favorite spots in the world), Broome, Perth, and the Margaret River. It’s much less developed than the east coast, more distance between each place, and not as much of a tourist infrastructure to get you around (the bus is also a nightmare) but if you take one piece of advice away from this guide, it should be to visit this part of Australia. It’s the version of the country you picture in your head!
See Tasmania — This is a very “off the beaten track” destination. Despite everyone knowing its name, hardly anyone ever makes it down here. Tasmania has amazing hikes, beautiful bays (Wineglass Bay being the most famous), small towns, and excellent people, just a ferry away from Melbourne. If you have the time, go down under.
The Blue Mountains – Right outside of Sydney, the Blue Mountains are an awesome place to explore —particularly in 4WD vehicle. As you adventure into the rainforest of the outback, you will see kangaroos, parrots, kookaburras, and more.
See the Karri Trees in Southwestern Australia – One of the most under visited sights in Australia are the Karri forests in Southwestern Australia. These dense woods and tower trees are a beautiful testament to the diverse nature of the country. They are only a few hours south of Perth.
Visit Kimberley – This area is known for its wilderness, so if you love the outdoors and don’t mind things getting rugged, add this to your itinerary. The mostly-unpaved Gibb River Road runs 660km through the region’s heart, which has towering limestone cliffs, gorges, a desert landscape, and freshwater pools.
Visit Kakadu – The enormous Kakadu National Park is a biodiverse nature reserve in Australia’s Northern Territory. It encompasses wetlands and rivers. It’s home to saltwater crocodiles and flatback turtles, as well as many different bird species. Aboriginal rock paintings (dating back to prehistory) can be viewed at Nourlangie, Nanguluwur and Ubirr. You can find a lot of tours from Darwin. Be sure to spend at least a night in the park.
Typical Costs
Accommodation – Hostels start at 20 AUD per night for a dorm room, though they get as high as 40 in the big coastal cities. Private rooms with a double bed and a shared bathroom in hostels range between 80-100 AUD per night. For budget hotels, you are looking to spend at least around 75-95 AUD for a double room, private bathroom, TV, and breakfast. Larger, chain hotels cost closer to 200 AUD. Camping costs between 15-30 AUD per night (cheaper if you bring your own tent, more expensive if you’re parking an RV
Food – Food isn’t cheap in Australia! Most decent restaurant entrees cost at least 20 AUD . Originally, I thought I was doing something wrong spending so much, but as many of my Aussie friends told me, “we just get screwed here.” If you cook your meals, expect to pay 100 AUD per week for groceries that will include pasta, vegetables, chicken, and other basic foodstuffs. Grab and go places cost around 8-10 AUD for sandwiches. Fast food is around 15 AUD for a meal (burger, fries, soda). The best value food are the Asian and Indian restaurants where you can get a really filling meal for under $10 AUD!
Transportation – Local city trains and buses cost 3-4 AUD. The easiest way to get around the country is via Greyhound. Passes begin at 145 AUD and go all the way to 3,000 AUD. There are also backpacker buses like the Oz Experience that have multi-city passes starting at 535 AUD (though I don’t like the Oz Experience and wouldn’t recommend it). The most popular and cheapest way to travel is to drive yourself. Campervan rentals start at 60 AUD per day and can also double as places to sleep. Flying can be very expensive due to limited competition, especially when going from coast to coast. I generally avoid flying in Australia unless I am pressed for time or there is a sale.
Activities — Multi-day activities and tours are expensive, generally costing 400-540 AUD. Day trips will cost about 135-230 AUD. For example, a one-day trip to the Great Barrier Reef can cost 230 AUD while a two-night sailing trip around the Whitsunday Islands can cost upwards of 540 AUD. A three-day trip to Uluru from Alice Springs is around 480 AUD. Walking tours are around 50 AUD and day trips to wine regions are between 150-200 AUD.
Suggested daily budget — $60-80 AUD / 43-57 USD (Note: This is a suggested budget assuming you’re staying in a hostel, eating out a little, cooking most of your meals, and using local transportation. This also depends greatly on the number of tours you do! Using the budget tips below, you can always lower this number. However, if you stay in fancier accommodation or eat out more often, expect this to be higher!)
