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Solo-ish Australia

12 days, Melbourne to Cairns

Map of the route for Solo-ish Australia
Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Itinerary

Day 1Melbourne: Welcome to Australia

Welcome to Australia and to Melbourne! Arrive at anytime and meet your new Solo-ish travel mates and CEO for a welcome meeting in the evening. After some long travel around the world, get some rest tonight before the adventures begin tomorrow!

Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group

Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards

Accommodation

Below is an example of the hotel we may use in this city. For the actual hotel your specific departure will be using, please check your voucher.

Causeway 353 Hotel (or similar)
Hotel

Day 2G Day & Cooking Class: Melbourne

Today, get to know your fellow Solo-ish travellers, CEO and the city of Melbourne with a full day immersion into this vibrant city. Start at the Queen Victoria Markets. Continue your day with a cooking class in the heart of Melbourne CBD's Little Italy. Dive head first into Australian-Italian cuisine and cook up some pizzas alongside your new travel mates. After the delicious feast, join your CEO for a tour of Melbourne's laneway street art.

Dinner Party: Melbourne Cooking Class

Food is a universal language, and there's no better way to get to know a new friend, or a new community, than by breaking bread together and digging in to a delicious meal. Melbourne’s vibrant food scene reflects its rich multicultural heritage, blending flavors from around the world. From Italian pasta in Carlton to Vietnamese pho in Richmond, the city offers an array of global cuisines, making it a culinary haven that celebrates diversity. Join your Solo-ish travel mates for a pizza making class in the heart of Melbourne's Little Italy as you get to know your travel mates. Then sit down together and enjoy your lunchtime-Dinner Party.

G Day: Queen Victoria Market & Melbourne Street Tour

With your Solo-ish travel mates and CEO, explore some of the worlds coolest activities alongside new friends. It's not just an epic day of fun, its chock full of incredible experiences to take your day to 11. Visit the largest market in the state of Victoria. With hundreds of vendors, from food, to handicrafts and thrifted treasures, its easy to spend hours here. Then admire Melbourne CBD through its unique Street Art. Wander through alleyways on a tour to discover some of the most interesting outdoor galleries.

Accommodation

Causeway 353 Hotel (or similar)
Hotel

Meals included:

Lunch | Dinner

Day 3We Day: French Island

When we say one epic day- we do mean one.epic.day. On a full day trip to French Island, join your CEO on an off roading tour through the national park. French Island National park is home to Victoria's healthiest and most abundant wild koala population. With beautiful beaches, rocky coastline, and protected mangroves as the backdrop, join your local guides for an incredible adventure trying to spot koalas, long-nosed potaroos and potentially the incredibly rare bandicoots. End the day with an incredible G Adventures-style surprise.

We Day: French Island Day Trip

With your incredible CEO at the helm, get to know the local community and your Solo-ish travel mates on a day packed full of interesting and engaging adventures.. Take the ferry to the beautiful French Island National Park, an island just south of Melbourne. Enjoy a 4WD adventure through this remote island to spot koalas and check out incredible views.

Accommodation

Causeway 353 Hotel (or similar)
Hotel

Meals included:

Lunch

Day 4Melbourne to Uluru and Kata Tjuta

Board a flight bound for Yulara, the gateway to Uluru and the Red Centre. Together with your Solo-ish mates and CEO, spend your day exploring the Australian outback, starting first with Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park and the Walpa Gorge walk. Watch the sunset around Uluru before making your way back to your permanent tented camp. Enjoy an outdoor meal and some bonding time under the stars with your fellow Solo-ish friends.

Uluru and Kata Tjuta
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

Explore Walpa Gorge where the sheer faces of the dome extend hundreds of meters above you. The gorge itself is a natural creek that carves its way between the two tallest domes of Kata Tjuta. Come together as the sun sets at Uluru, marvel at the changing colours over the desert and keep reminding yourself that yes, you really are there.

Plane
Melbourne – Yulara3h

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Accommodation

Uluru Camp (or similar)
Campground

Meals included:

Dinner

Day 5Uluru to Kings Canyon: Explore Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

Rise early this morning and catch the breathtaking sunrise over Uluru, Australia's most iconic Indigenous landmark. This morning, explore Uluru on foot on a guided walk through some of the most culturally significant areas of the site. These sacred spaces are some of the oldest on the planet, and understanding the interpretation behind them makes them even more impactful. In the afternoon, drive to Kings Canyon overland, to your next permanent tented camp in the bush.

Uluru Mala Walk
Uluru1h-1h30m 2km

Take a guided walk along the northwest side of Uluru to learn about the history of the area, hear the stories of the Anangu people and gaze upon these awe-inspiring uplifted sandstone rock formations.

Private Vehicle
Yulara – Kings Canyon3h30m300km

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Uluru at Sunrise
Uluru45m

Get up early, grab a coffee and watch the reddish hues of massive Uluru come to life as the sun rises.

Accommodation

Kings Canyon Camp (or similar)
Campground

Meals included:

Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

Day 6Kings Canyon to Alice Springs

In the desert morning, head out for an early hike throughout Kings Canyon. Choose between the harder 3 hour Rim hike and a more approachable 1 hour option. The Rim walk is a 6km walk along the upper rim of Kings Canyon. The most difficult part of the hike is the very beginning with a 500 step ascent, but the landscapes and views you are rewarded with are more than worth the effort. You won't even remember the effort it took to get up there. (Sort of!) If you prefer to take it easy, enjoy a 2km hike through canyon valley. In the afternoon, rest your legs on the drive to Alice Springs.

Private Vehicle
Kings Canyon – Alice Springs4h300km

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Kings Canyon Hike
Kings Canyon3h-4h 5-6km

HIke through beautiful Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park on this walk that visits the natural amphitheatre, the North and South walls, and the Garden of Eden.

Accommodation

Desert Palms Alice Springs Hotel (or similar)
Hotel

Meals included:

Breakfast | Lunch

Day 7Alice Springs to Sydney

Enjoy a morning tour of Alice Spring learning about Telegraph Station, Anzac Hill and more. Then fly from Alice Springs to Sydney. Arrive to the city in the afternoon and enjoy free time to settle in or explore. Opt to visit Spice Alley with your CEO and other hungry solo-ish mates for an Asian inspired dinner in this cool and unique spot.

Alice Springs Town Tour
Alice Springs

Enjoy a guided tour of Alice Springs to explore the town. You'll drive to the top of Anzac Hill, learn about the significance of Telegraph Station, and see the ephemeral Todd River — which may or may not exist!

Plane
Alice Springs – Sydney2h45m-3h

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Accommodation

Rydges Sydney Central (or similar)
Hotel

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 8Sydney: Manly Beach

Join your CEO as you climb aboard the local ferry and travel from Sydney to Manly Beach. Manly is one of Australia's most famous beaches, which is quite the praise for a giant island nation. With world class surfing, beautiful water and lined with pine trees, you'll quickly learn why its so popular amongst locals and travelers alike. Relax on the beach, grab some fish n chips and ice cream or take the easy coastal walk to Shelly Beach. Return to Sydney CBD this evening for a dinner together out on the town.

Ferry to Manly Beach
Sydney – Manly Beach1h15m

Board the ferry and travel from Sydney to the famed Manly beach, just a little over an hour north of the city.

Free Time
Manly Beach

Spend the afternoon enjoying Manly Beach however you'd like.

Accommodation

Rydges Sydney Central (or similar)
Hotel

Meals included:

Dinner

Day 9Me Day: Sydney

Spend today in Sydney however you'd like. It is your Me Day after all! Opt to join your CEO and other fellow Solo-ish travellers for a guided tour of the Sydney Opera House or choose to enjoy some solo time. Opt to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge, or whip through the bay on a Jet Boat ride.

Me Day: Sydney Me Day

Traveling solo alongside your new Solo-ish travel mates means there's always something fun to do and new friends to explore with. But the joy of travel can also be about taking time to yourself to recharge, refresh and reflect on the journey. Today, choose to join your CEO for an incredible activity, or take the time to yourself to enjoy your own company in one of the most incredible places on our planet.

Accommodation

Rydges Sydney Central (or similar)
Hotel

Day 10Sydney to Cairns

Leave the city behind and fly north to Cairns, the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. This afternoon, have a chance to explore Kuranda Village tucked away in Kuranda National Park. Do some shopping in the local market and visit the beautiful gardens. Then ride the Skyrail down towards Cairns. Pass over the top of the tropical rainforest, admire the incredible view and makes stops at a waterfall and other incredible lookout points.

Plane
Sydney – Cairns3h

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Kuranda Skyrail
Kuranda

Visit Kuranda town and take some time to explore the markets and gardens. Then, settle into a comfortable 6 seat gondola for a ride with a spectacular view. The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway passes over a canopy of one of Australia's tropical rainforests, so close to the tree tops it's as if you could reach out and touch the leaves. Stop and get off at Barron Falls and Red Peaks to admire the forrest, falls and the greenery of Kuranda National Park.

Accommodation

Rydges Esplanade Resort Cairns (or similar)
Resort

Day 11Cairns: Free Day

A free day in Cairns means one thing for most people, an adventure to the Great Barrier Reef! Book a tour out to sea to snorkel or scuba dive through the biggest coral reef system in the entire world. In the evening, opt to join your fellow Solo-ish travellers for one last hoorah together.

Depending on availability of dive instructors, an upgrade to scuba diving from snorkelling may be possible but is by no means guaranteed. Please speak to your CEO to see if this is available.

Free Time
Cairns

Spend the full day free in Cairns and at the Great Barrier Reef.

1

Optional Activities - Day 11 HideShow

Great Barrier Reef Snorkelling
Cairns

You haven't truly visited Australia until you've experienced the Great Barrier Reef. Climb aboard a 25m (82 ft) catamaran and take the journey out to the largest coral reef system in the world, spending time snorkelling in search of colourful fish, majestic coral, and Nemo (of course).

Accommodation

Rydges Esplanade Resort Cairns (or similar)
Resort

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 12Cairns

You arrived a solo traveller and are leaving with many new friends. Say goodbye to your fellow Solo-ish friends and depart at any time.

Departure Day

Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.

Meals included:

Breakfast

Solo-ish Australia

| 12 days - Melbourne to Cairns - from $3994 USD