We get asked all the time for an Australian Birthday Trip that gives you the best taste of this fabulous country. This Australian Birthday Trip: A Once-In-A-Lifetime Trip is the perfect bucket list vacation to Australia. We planned this trip for some mates in Chicago who wanted to see the Great Barrier Reef, the Outback, Sydney, and wildlife.
They started their Australian Birthday Trip in the Daintree Rainforest, the world’s oldest living rainforest, at Silky Oaks Lodge. There, they stayed in a luxurious treehouse on the river, toured the ancient rainforest with local guides, and enjoyed the fabulous spa. Then they moved onto Port Douglas, where they spent a day snorkeling in the one and only Great Barrier Reef and had a day at leisure to explore the city’s fashionable shops and restaurants.
Continuing their Australian Birthday Trip, they traveled to the Outback and the sacred lands of the Anangu people. Uluru, or Ayers Rock, is a massive natural formation in Australia’s Red Centre sacred to the native population. They stayed in a luxury property with a pool, explored Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park with the help of expert guides, had a fabulous dinner under the stars, and rode a camel at sunrise to see the magnificent changing colors of Uluru.
Of course, they ended their Australian Birthday Trip in spectacular Sydney. They stayed in the 5-star Shangri-La Sydney with breathtaking views of Sydney Harbour. They had plenty of free time to explore Sydney, but we also arranged some unique excursions for them. They took a full-day tour of Sydney’s surrounds to meet iconic Australian wildlife in its natural habitat, did the Bridge Climb, and took a cruise on Sydney Harbour.
After seeing all the highlights of Australia, it was time for their Australian Birthday Trip to end. They were transferred to the airport to begin the journey home.
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Day 1
Welcome to Australia! Arrive at the Cairns airport and board your transfer to the Daintree Rainforest while enjoying the views and spectacular coastal scenery on the Captain Cook Highway. You will arrive at your home for the next two nights at Silky Oaks Lodge. Spend the night in your personal luxury treehouse.
Silky Oaks Lodge
Day 2
Today, enjoy a full day out with your highly knowledgeable guide to travel into the heart of the Daintree Rainforest, one of the oldest rainforests in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Seek out wildlife and birdlife unique to the region, and cruise along the Daintree River before seeking out the deepest part of the rainforest. You’ll also visit the place where the “rainforest meets the sea,” feeling like Robinson Crusoe as you step onto the lonely sand with rainforest canopy overhead.
Silky Oaks Lodge
Day 3
Leave your home in the rainforest and head south to the charming seaside town of Port Douglas. The relaxed village displays a vibrant atmosphere and serves as a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. Soak up the sunshine on Four Mile Beach and stroll Macrossan Street, enjoying the village shops, galleries, historic buildings, and the seaside Port Douglas Sunday market. Enjoy dinner at one of the many outdoor cafes.
Shantara Resort Port Douglas
Day 4
Today is a magical experience as you explore one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Barrier Reef. Your full-day diving or snorkeling trip (lunch included) will take you to several locations on the reef, where you will have plenty of opportunities to swim among the colorful sea life and magnificent coral, making this one of the top diving destinations in the world.
Shantara Resort Port Douglas
Day 5
Enjoy a day of leisure in Port Douglas. Relax on the beach, shop the boutiques of Macrossan Street, visit the Wildlife Habitat to get up close and personal with a koala, or get active with a white water rafting or kayaking trip.
Shantara Resort Port Douglas
Day 6
Transfer back to the Cairns Airport, where you will catch your flight to Ayers Rock/Uluru. This monolith in the desert is sacred to the Aboriginal population. Over the next two days, you’ll have the chance to discover the strong sense of spirituality and culture here. You have the afternoon and evening to relax at the fabulous Sails in the Desert Hotel. Perhaps take a dip in the pool or browse the Mulgara Gallery onsite to see indigenous art.
Sails in the Desert Hotel
Day 7
This morning, enjoy a guided trek around the base of Uluru, where you’ll embrace the culture, geology, and environment that make up the essence of this amazing natural attraction. Find yourself in awe as you watch Uluru change colors in the sunrise, visit waterholes, view ancient rock art sites, and learn the legends of the native Anangu people. In the evening, enjoy a camel ride through the rich red sand dunes to watch Uluru and Kata-Tjuta change color once again as the sun sets.
Sails in the Desert Hotel
Day 8
Rise early again today to view Ayers Rock. Enjoy this memorable experience as you bid farewell to Australia’s Red Center. Shuttle back to the airport, where you will catch a flight to Sydney! Cosmopolitan and aesthetically appealing, Sydney is a feast for the eyes with plenty to offer any type of traveler. Sydney is iconic in every way: the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, the zoos and lively neighborhoods, Darling Harbour—all of it is delightful and worth thorough exploration. Your 5-star hotel awaits with a view of the famous Sydney Opera House right outside the window.
QT Sydney
Day 9
Enjoy a day at leisure to explore the highlights of Sydney, including the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Darling Harbour, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney Tower, Queen Victoria Building, Museum of Contemporary Art, and many more. This evening, discover a spectacular 360 view of Sydney as you climb to the top of the Harbour Bridge.
QT Sydney
Day 10
With an abundance of bushland surrounding Sydney, you don’t have to go far to experience Australia’s native bush and unique wildlife—but you do have to know where to look. Today, with the help of a knowledgeable and passionate naturalist guide from Boutique Tours Australia, you’ll embark on a wildlife tour searching for Australia’s charismatic creatures, including kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, wombats, emus, possums, gliders, and platypus.
QT Sydney
Day 11
Today you will cruise on sparkling Sydney Harbour. Enjoy the company of a small group aboard your 52-foot motor yacht as your personal captain and host share the harbor’s rich history. Cruise along the foreshore for wonderful views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House, and beautiful bays and coves lined with luxury homes.
QT Sydney
Day 12
Head to the airport today to catch your flight back home. Leave with memories to last a lifetime, knowing that you have experienced the highlights of the land Down Under!
