Australia's 2012 Melbourne Cup

Day 1
Welcome to Melbourne, Australia’s “second city,” and the hub of chic style and delicious food, and the center of Australian sporting.
4-star hotel in downtown Melbourne

Day 2
The highlight of your time will be to attend a race at the Melbourne Cup and to witness the premier event in Australian thoroughbread racing. Join in the party with the locals and experience an iconic Australian sporting event.
4-star hotel in downtown Melbourne

Day 3 (L)
Today your guide will pick you up from your hotel for a shared tour of Yarra Wine Valley. Just 45 minutes away, the Yarra Valley has 40 cellar doors including larger, well-known wineries and local favorite boutique vineyards. You will stop at several different wineries and have the opportunity to taste many of the varietals the Yarra is famous for. Meet the people behind the scenes without competing with the crowds. Enjoy your day out with a group of like-minded wine lovers!
4-star hotel in downtown Melbourne

Day 4
Today is yours at leisure to see the best of what interests you in Melbourne. Additional touring suggestions: walking or biking tours of city highlights (the Victorian-style laneways and shopping arcades), a scenic drive along Australia's Great Ocean Road, delighting in the sight of Little Blue Penguins in their natural habitat, a visit to Healesville Sanctuary to pet a koala and feed a kangaroo, hiking in Australian National Parks, or helicopter flights over the Twelve Apostles.
4-star hotel in downtown Melbourne

Day 5
Hop a flight to Sydney. Sydney is iconic in every way -- the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, the zoos and lively neighborhoods, Darling Harbour and its array of quirky dining establishments -- all of it is delightful and worth thorough exploration.
4-star hotel in downtown Sydney

Day 6
This is your day at total leisure to enjoy the parts of Sydney that interest you most. Perhaps you’d like us to add a harbour luncheon cruise, or maybe you’d like to dive with sharks at Manly Oceanworld. A trip to the Aquarium, Wildlife World, or Taronga Zoo is also a must-do. The Blue Mountains, 2 hours outside Sydney, are great for wildlife lovers. Some love a surf lesson at famous Bondi Beach, well-known place to see and be seen. Others love the more relaxing beaches that surround Sydney, and romantics love a scenic seaplane flight to a gourmet lunch on the northern bays. Tonight, we have arranged and exclusive behind the scenes tour of the Sydney Opera House.
4-star hotel in downtown Sydney

Day 7 (L)
Today you will have the opportunity for a true local’s experience, yachting on Sydney Harbour. Our mate, Shawn, welcomes you and your friends aboard his private yacht where you will take advantage of all the harbour has to offer. Get great views of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House as you pass close enough to touch them. Enjoy an authentic Australian BBQ for lunch, complete with local beers and wines.
4-star hotel in downtown Sydney

Day 8
Its time to head back to the airport for your flight home. Having seen the best of what urban Australia has to offer, your next trip will have to incorporate the Outback and the Great Barrier Reef so that you can check off all of Australia’s icons!