Australia: Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane
10 days through Australia
Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane
Australia’s Three Cities
Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are the three largest cities in Australia, and each has a different character. Sydney is built around its harbor, the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, with ocean beaches minutes from the center. Melbourne is known for its galleries, coffee and laneways, and for sporting events such as the Australian Open and the Formula 1 Grand Prix. Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, has a warm climate, an outdoor way of life and flights to the Gold Coast and the Great Barrier Reef.
When
March to May, and September to November
Duration
10 days
Price
From $8,000 per person, not including international flights.
Itinerary Outline
Days 1 to 4 | Sydney | Spicers Potts Point | 3 nights
Days 4 to 7 | Melbourne | The Lyall | 3 nights
Days 7 to 10 | Brisbane | The Calile Hotel | 3 nights
Day 10 | Departure
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![Sydney Opera House with cloudy sky and reflection in water.]()
Sydney Opera House
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![Sydney Harbour Bridge at night with city lights and vehicle light trails.]()
Sydney by night
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![Cityscape of Melbourne, Australia with the Yarra River in the foreground, Princes Bridge, and a skyline featuring St Paul's Cathedral and modern skyscrapers on a sunny day.]()
Melbourne
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![Interior of a grand library with a high glass ceiling, balconies lined with books, and arranged study areas.]()
Melbourne State Library
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![Brisbane city skyline with skyscrapers along the Brisbane River, framed by trees and flowers in the foreground.]()
Brisbane
Day 1 | Sydney
Private Transfer
After customs and baggage claim, your driver meets you in the arrivals hall at Sydney Airport with a sign and takes you to Spicers Potts Point.
Sydney
Sydney is the largest city in Australia and the capital of New South Wales. It is built around Port Jackson, one of the largest natural harbors in the world. The Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge face each other across Circular Quay, at the edge of the city center. Bondi and the eastern beaches are about 20 minutes from the center by car.
Spicers Potts Point
Spicers Potts Point is a boutique hotel in a row of heritage terrace houses in Potts Point, a leafy neighborhood a short walk from the city center and the harbor. It joins three 19th century terraces on Victoria Street and has 16 rooms and 4 suites. Some of the suites have private balconies over the street.
Introductory Walk
Your Local Eyes Australia guide meets you at Spicers Potts Point for a private introductory walk through Hyde Park, past St Mary’s Cathedral and into the Royal Botanic Garden.
Private Access: Sydney Opera House
Go behind the scenes at the Sydney Opera House, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the best known buildings of the 20th century. Your guide takes you into areas closed to the public and tells the story of its Danish architect, Jørn Utzon. Touch the shell tiles, sit in the white birch chairs made for the halls, and stand under the vaulted ceilings of one of the largest column free rooms in the world. The visit includes about 300 stairs.
Dinner
Dinner reservations are made for you, at one of the restaurants below or wherever you prefer.
STAY: Spicers Potts Point | Breakfast
Where to Eat in Sydney
Busshari, Macleay Street, Potts Point. A Japanese restaurant known for simple, fresh sashimi and sushi, with a good list of wine and sake.
Chester White Cured Diner, Potts Point. A small Italian restaurant with handmade pasta, its own charcuterie and Australian and European wines.
The Apollo, Potts Point. A Greek restaurant with a Chef’s Hat, serving dishes from across the Mediterranean.
Day 2 | Sydney
Wildlife Park and the Blue Mountains
Meet your guide in the lobby for a day of wildlife and walks in the Blue Mountains, about two hours west of Sydney.
Koala Experience
Enjoy a koala experience, hand feed some kangaroos and get an introduction to the wobbly wombat. You’ll then meet up with our Indigenous guide who will provide you with a private firsthand overview of some of the cultural aspects of Indigenous Australia. Learn about the language, the hundreds of diverse Nations, customs, hunting, tools, symbols, dreamtime and playing the Didgeridoo. Continue your exploration of the zoo to meet the more elusive marsupials and reptiles that Australia is known for.
Tea and a Walk in the Blue Mountains
The Blue Mountains are a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Great Dividing Range, with deep valleys, rainforest and sandstone cliffs. The blue haze over the valleys comes from oil released by the eucalyptus trees. The region is popular for hiking and rock climbing, and has many Aboriginal sites connected to its traditional owners. Start with tea at the Conservation Hut, then walk for an hour to an hour and a half to Wentworth Falls.
After lunch at a local restaurant, have a drink and explore the town of Katoomba. Then visit the Three Sisters, a sandstone rock formation above the Jamison Valley, before the drive back to Sydney.
STAY: Spicers Potts Point | Breakfast, Lunch
Day 3 | Sydney
The Rocks with a Private Guide
Your Local Eyes Australia guide meets you at Spicers Potts Point for a private walk through The Rocks, where European settlement in Australia began in 1788. The route winds through the old streets, under the Harbour Bridge and on to Walsh Bay, with the story of how Australia was settled and how the first settlers lived.
Private Sunset Cruise
Board Iluka, a 48 foot cruiser, at a city wharf near the hotel for a two hour private cruise around the harbor at sunset. The route passes the Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, the new financial district at Barangaroo, Darling Harbour and the waterfront homes of Woolloomooloo, Rose Bay and Vaucluse. It also passes Taronga Zoo, Admiralty House and Kirribilli House, the Prime Minister’s Sydney residence. You are brought back to the hotel afterwards.
STAY: Spicers Potts Point | Breakfast
Day 4 | Melbourne
Private Transfer & Fly to Melbourne
Private transfer from the hotel to the Sydney airport for your flight to Melbourne. Arrive in Melbourne and private transfer to the hotel. The Chauffeur Meeting Point is located on the ground level next to the cafe and luggage claim area.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital of Victoria, on the Yarra River at the top of Port Phillip Bay. It was founded in 1835 and grew rich in the gold rush of the 1850s, which paid for much of its Victorian architecture. The city center is a grid of streets and laneways with cafés, bars and street art, and its tram network is the largest in the world. South Yarra is south of the river, about 10 minutes from the center by car or tram.
The Lyall
The Lyall is a boutique hotel of suites in South Yarra, a few minutes from the shops of Chapel Street and Toorak Road, with a spa in the hotel. It has 40 suites, from one bedroom suites to two bedroom Platinum Suites of 140 square meters. Bistro Lyall is the hotel restaurant, and the Champagne Bar serves champagne, cocktails and small plates.
Private Art Visit at the National Gallery of Victoria
Spend an hour at the Ian Potter Centre, the National Gallery of Victoria’s home for Australian art, with a private educator or curator. The visit is shaped around your interests and includes the conservation rooms, which most of the gallery’s own staff never see, where works from Rembrandt to Picasso are restored. Afterwards, have lunch at one of Melbourne’s well known restaurants, then walk the laneways for cafés and street art.
STAY: The Lyall | Breakfast
Where to Eat in Melbourne
Yūgen Dining, 505 Chapel Street, South Yarra. Modern Japanese food in an underground dining room, with a six seat omakase bar. It is close to the hotel.
Society, 80 Collins Street. A grand dining room in the city center serving Australian produce, such as smoked wagyu striploin.
Poodle Bar & Bistro, 81 to 83 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy. A modern European bistro known for its prawn scotch egg and steak grilled over charcoal.
Day 5 | Melbourne
Mornington Peninsula Day Trip
Your guide meets you at The Lyall for a day on the Mornington Peninsula, about an hour southeast of Melbourne along Port Phillip Bay. Tell your guide what interests you on the way, and the day is shaped around it. Stop at a wildlife park to see kangaroos, koalas and other native animals up close.
The peninsula’s ocean beaches, wineries and local produce rival the Yarra Valley, and it is known for its sparkling wine. Tastings are at local cellar doors, some with time behind the scenes with the winemaker. In the afternoon, walk on one of the secluded beaches of Victoria’s wild coast or drive up to Arthur’s Seat for views over the bay. A private visit to an Indigenous art gallery, or a tasting of local cheese and pastries, can also be arranged.
Note: Comfortable walking shoes, a hat, sunglasses and swimwear are useful for the day.
STAY: The Lyall | Breakfast, Lunch
Day 6 | Melbourne
At Leisure
Visit the Melbourne Museum and the Royal Exhibition Building. Wander through the laneways and discover street art and hidden cafes. Attend a performance at the Melbourne Recital Centre (we can help book your tickets).
State Library Victoria
We recommend visiting the State Library of Victoria, located in the heart of Melbourne. It is one of Australia's oldest and most significant libraries. Founded in 1854, it houses over 2 million books, historical documents, maps, and artworks. The library is well known for its grand architecture, particularly the La Trobe Reading Room, which features a majestic domed ceiling.
STAY: The Lyall | Breakfast
Days 7 to 10 | Brisbane
Private Transfer and Flight to Brisbane
Your driver takes you from The Lyall to Melbourne Airport for the flight to Brisbane.
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital of Queensland, built along the bends of the Brisbane River. It is warm all year, and much of life happens outdoors, along the river and in its parks. It was founded in 1825 as a penal settlement and will host the 2032 Olympic Games.
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary & Brisbane River Cruise
Take a scenic river cruise from the city to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, the world's oldest and largest koala sanctuary. Get up close with koalas, kangaroos, and native wildlife while learning about conservation efforts.
Cultural Precinct and South Bank
With an expert guide, visit the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art, known together as QAGOMA, and the Queensland Museum, with their collections of Indigenous and contemporary art and history. Then walk through the South Bank Parklands, with gardens, a man made beach by the river and views of the city skyline.
Mount Coot-tha and the Botanic Gardens
Walk or drive up Mount Coot-tha, the highest point in Brisbane, for views over the city to the bay. Below it, the Brisbane Botanic Gardens have native plants, a tropical dome and a Japanese garden.
The Calile Hotel
The Calile Hotel is on James Street in Fortitude Valley, a neighborhood of shops and restaurants close to the city center. Its 25 meter outdoor pool is lined with palm trees, pastel umbrellas and cabanas. The hotel opened in 2018 and has 175 rooms and suites, each with a balcony.
At Leisure at the Hotel
Spend time at the pool, with cocktails and light Mediterranean dishes from Hellenika, the hotel’s poolside restaurant. Kailo Medispa offers facials, massages and wellness treatments with premium skincare brands, followed by time in the sauna.
Hellenika also serves modern Greek dinners with fresh seafood, mezze and a long wine list, and the Lobby Bar serves coffee and pastries in the morning. In the evening, the pool area turns into a bar for a Negroni, sometimes with live music.
STAY: The Calile Hotel | 3 nights | Breakfast
Pricing & Inclusions
Starting at $8,000 per person
Based on two people in double occupancy and subject to increase depending on itinerary specifics and dates.
Accommodation
3 nights at Spicers Potts Point
3 nights at The Lyall
3 nights at The Calile Hotel
Transport: All private transfers listed in the itinerary, with a driver who speaks English.
Experiences: All activities and excursions listed in the itinerary with an expert guide who speaks English, along with their entrance fees.
Domestic Flights: All domestic flights between the three cities, in economy class.
Meals: All breakfasts as listed in the itinerary.
Other: City taxes associated with your accommodations. Restaurant reservations and coordination.
Exclusions
International flights
Travel insurance
Meals not listed in the itinerary
Tips & gratuities
TRAVEL Reminders
Entry Requirements for Australia
A valid passport and a visa are required to enter Australia. Passport holders from some countries can apply online for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA), which is valid for 12 months once approved. Apply as early as possible, especially for travel in peak or holiday seasons. The full information and the application are here.
Note: Otherworldly Travel LLC is not liable for any loss or expense if travelers do not meet this requirement.
Travel Insurance
We highly recommend you purchase appropriate travel insurance for the duration of your trip to include but not limited to medical, cancellation, luggage and unexpected delays. Please provide us with a copy of your travel insurance policy or policy number.
International Flights
International flights are not included in this itinerary, and we can help book them.
Weather and Seasons
Australia’s seasons are opposite to those in the northern hemisphere, with summer from December to February and winter from June to August. The climate varies significantly by region, so check the local weather for your destination.
Tipping
Tipping is not expected in restaurants and cafés, but rounding up or leaving 10% is common. Tipping in bars and pubs is rare. In taxis, people usually round up, and hotel porters are usually given a few dollars. For guides, $20 to $40 a day is a good guide.