37 Days / 36 Nights - Semi-Guided
Welcome to Australia: East Coast | 37 Days
37 Days. Sydney to Cairns. The whole adventure. Start with a week in Sydney and discover one of the world’s most iconic cities then head north to complete an unforgettable 30 days on the East Coast. Drive 4×4’s on K’Gari, take a scenic flight over Heart Reef, cruise the Whitsundays and snorkel the Great Barrier Reef. Best hostels, a tight-knit group and support all the way to Cairns. This is the best way to see Australia.
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37 Days / 36 Nights
Tour Length
📍
Sydney → Cairns
Start & End
🗺️
Semi-Guided
Travel Style
👥
24 - 30 People
Group Size
💬
Start - End
Support
🍕
Dietary Needs
Included
How it works
The best of Sydney and the East Coast.
We’ve taken our 5-day Welcome to Sydney tour and our 30-day East Coast tour and built them into one continuous adventure. One booking, Sydney to Cairns – with two nights FREE accommodation included between tours.
- Welcome to Sydney 5 days discovering one of the world's greatest cities
- Two days in Sydney to explore on your own terms
- Welcome to Australia: East Coast 30 days from Sydney to Cairns
Where You'll Stay
Best hostel policy. Epic locations. Unforgettable memories.
We believe where you stay can make or break your trip – so we’ve set the bar high. Our best hostel policy means we only stay in places we’d stay in ourselves. Comfortable, social and safe – the perfect base to relax, connect and make memories that last.
Only the best hostels
Hand-picked for location, comfort and good vibes. Our best-hostel policy means you’ll only stay in places we’d call home.
Unique camping stays
Spend 2 unforgettable nights camping out on K’gari – tents, sleeping bags and marshmallows all provided.
Travel while you sleep
2 nights by overnight bus will ensure you wake up close to the next adventure. Comfortable, safe and hassle-free.
Your travel family
You’ll stay in 6-8 bed dorm rooms with your new friends on tour. We don’t leave anyone behind, so you’ll always be sharing with the group.
Bucket List Inclusions
Sydney deserves more than a stopover
Spend the first seven days in one of the world’s greatest cities before the next adventure begins. Rooftop drinks above the skyline, the Bondi coastal walk, a ferry across the harbour and more. This is Sydney the way it should be experienced.
Top Experiences
Welcome to Sydney
Discover one of the world’s most iconic cities. Everything in the Welcome to Sydney itinerary is included in this package.
Iconic Beaches
Tick off iconic Bondi Beach, then walk the coastal path to Coogee Beach to see the beaches only the locals know about.
K’gari (Fraser Island)
K’gari is the largest sand island in the world! And you’ll be driving on the beaches, swimming in the lakes and relaxing in the lazy rivers.
Explore the Whitsundays
Start the day in the sky, with a scenic flight over the iconic Heart Reef. Then sail out to Whitehaven Beach and the Whitsundays Islands.
Dive in the Great Barrier Reef
Snorkel the world’s largest living structure. Swim with colourful coral, friendly fish and a turtle if you’re lucky.
Surf Town Living
Beach days, coastal walks and a river kayak. Your guided time in Byron shows off the best of surf town living.
Aboriginal History
Learn about the world’s oldest continuous civilisation with a guided walking tour through Burleigh Head.
Noosa RoundAboat
The most unique way to see Noosa, a round boat for good times on the river. Bring snacks and the vibes will bring themselves.
River of Mirrors
Start your day spotting kangaroos jumping across the water – magic. Then canoe along the mirrored Everglades spying wildlife.
Magical Magnetic Island
Spot koalas, feed wallabies and hit up the best beaches on Magnetic Island. This is the relaxing island-getaway of your dreams.
Welcome to Sydney
Discover one of the world’s most iconic cities. Everything in the Welcome to Sydney itinerary is included in this package.
Iconic Beaches
Tick off iconic Bondi Beach, then walk the coastal path to Coogee Beach to see the beaches only the locals know about.
Surf Town Living
Beach days, coastal walks and a river kayak. Your guided time in Byron shows off the best of surf town living.
River of Mirrors
Start your day spotting kangaroos jumping across the water – magic. Then canoe along the mirrored Everglades spying wildlife.
K’gari (Fraser Island)
K’gari is the largest sand island in the world! And you’ll be driving on the beaches, swimming in the lakes and relaxing in the lazy rivers.
Explore the Whitsundays
Start the day in the sky, with a scenic flight over the iconic Heart Reef. Then sail out to Whitehaven Beach and the Whitsundays Islands.
Magical Magnetic Island
Spot koalas, feed wallabies and hit up the best beaches on Magnetic Island. This is the relaxing island-getaway of your dreams.
Dive in the Great Barrier Reef
Snorkel the world’s largest living structure. Swim with colourful coral, friendly fish and a turtle if you’re lucky.
Make It Yours
Personalise Your Dream Australia Tour
Choose from up to 20 optional add-ons to build your dream trip – pick what excites you, skip what doesn’t.
Your 37 Day Itinerary
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Welcome to Sydney!
Welcome to Sydney! Tonight we’re getting straight into it. Meet your guide and your new travel family over a welcome dinner at one of Sydney’s best spots, then head up for rooftop drinks above the city skyline. This is how your Australian adventure begins.
Landing a few days before? No worries! Your airport pickup is included and can be arranged for any time on any day before the tour.
Need extra nights accommodation? You can book these at checkout.
Discover the Harbour City
Today we show you why Sydney is unlike anywhere else on earth. Your guided morning takes you through The Rocks – 200 years of history on cobblestone streets – past the Opera House and Harbour Bridge as the city reveals itself around you.
The afternoon will be spent learning about the world’s oldest continuous civilisation, with an Aboriginal Cultural Tour and by evening, you’ll be tucked into Spice Alley, Sydney’s best kept laneway dining secret.
Your Day, Your Way
Today is your opportunity to get out of the city and tick off an iconic slice of Australia right on Sydney’s doorstep. You and your group can add on a guided day trip to the Blue Mountains – towering cliffs, ancient rainforest and the iconic Three Sisters, just 90 minutes from the city and one of the most breathtaking landscapes in the country. Add it on at checkout when booking this tour.
Not doing the Blue Mountains? Sydney is still yours to explore. Your guide will set you up with a list of recommendations for places outside your itinerary to discover on your own terms, with or without your group.
And if you’re on a Working Holiday Visa, everything you need is in your FREE optional Welcome Pack.
If you want to go deeper on anything, a 1-on-1 with a member of our team is available whenever suits you – today, tomorrow or any time during your stay in Sydney.
Coogee to Bondi & Dudley Page
One of the world’s great coastal walks – six beaches, clifftop views and the Pacific stretching out as far as you can see. We start at Coogee and walk the iconic trail all the way to Bondi, finishing the day at Dudley Page Reserve to soak up the ocean views before heading to dinner. Honestly one of those days where you’ll stop mid-walk and just laugh at how good life is right now.
A trip to Bondi wouldn’t be complete without a stopover at Yo-Chi! Yes this is the best invention Australia has ever created. Yes we will be indulging till our hearts content. Who knew frozen yoghurt could steal our hearts like this!?
Ferry to Manly
We’re saving one of the best experiences for today. The ferry ride to Manly is one of those Sydney experiences that stops you in your tracks – the Opera House gliding past, the Harbour Bridge overhead, the city skyline stretching out behind you as the open water opens up ahead. Thirty minutes that feel like the best postcard you’ve ever been inside.
Once we arrive into Manly, our first stop HAS to be ButterBoy for what might be the best cookie you’ve ever had – trust us on this one. Then Manly is yours to explore. Walk the Manly Wormhole, discover the hidden gem that is Shelly Beach, pick up something you didn’t know you needed in Ghanda and finish the day with your toes in the sand.
Sydney Exploring
Two extra days in Sydney, no agenda. Head back to your favourite spot from earlier in the trip, explore a neighbourhood you haven’t seen yet, or just slow down and soak it all in at the beach. Some of the best travel moments happen when nobody’s planned them for you.
Your East Coast Adventure Starts
Today marks the start of your East Coast adventure!
We’ll start with an overview session, running through everything for the next 30 days so you know exactly what’s ahead. We’ll go over your itinerary for the East Coast, answering anything and everything so that you feel as relaxed and excited as possible.
After that we’ll head for a cool secret inclusion followed by a welcome dinner, our first meal together as an East Coast travel fam! That evening you will be getting the overnight bus to our next stop, beautiful Byron Bay.
River Kayak & Rooftop Nights
With its beautiful beaches, epic surf, great food and good vibes, every traveller has Byron Bay on their bucket list. Get grounded with a tour of ‘the Bay’ with your tour guide before having a group meal to celebrate your first night in town.
The next morning we’re straight out on a stunning river kayak tour – there’s really nothing like taking to the water and this is the first of many water-based activities on your tour. In the afternoon, we’ll head up to the iconic Byron Bay Lighthouse for one of the best views on the East Coast, taking in the most easterly point of mainland Australia.
Whilst in Byron Bay we’ll be staying at the incredible Surf House, which is 100m from the beach AND has a rooftop bar.
With your days in Byron taken care of, you can sit back and enjoy the ride. Between activities you’ll get pockets of downtime to catch a wave, soak up the sun on the beach or just take in the laid-back Byron lifestyle, and your guide will be on hand throughout to run you through everything coming up on the rest of your trip and answer any questions you have.
The final evening in Byron Bay will be a team night out, what a great first few days!
Burleigh Heads Walk
From Byron Bay, you’ll be heading up the Coast as a group without your tour guide, but worry not, we’ll have covered everything you need to know before you get on the bus, you’ll also have our Travel App to follow your itinerary and we’re contactable when you need us too. Just because your Welcome to Travel Guide is waving goodbye doesn’t mean the end of your guided experiences. Instead we pass over to the local experts up the Coast, the first in Surfers.
You’ll be taken on a guided walk around Burleigh Heads coastline with an Aboriginal guide who will be telling you all about the rich history of the land and their people… which is mind blowing.
Spend the rest of your time in Surfers Paradise chilling on the beach, exploring the town or even hitting one of the theme parks or water parks. Then spend your evening enjoying the famous night-life.
Charge Up or Chase Adventure
Brisbane, the capital of Queensland is a cool metropolitan city, with so many beautiful national parks surrounding it. It’s at this time where people either need to charge up their social batteries or go on an adventure. That’s the best part about it being semi-guided, you can choose depending on how you feel.
Moreton Island is one of our most popular add-ons where you can be sandboarding down sand dunes, kayaking around shipwrecks and snorkelling with the local marine life. Then spend the day at Australia Zoo. Get up close with kangaroos and maybe even Robert Irwin?
Back in the city, make sure to head to Southbank, there’s a free lagoon (swimming pool) by the river’s edge. For getting around the city, the ferry system is the way to go and offers the best views.
Fairy Pools & National Park
Noosa is a popular holiday destination for travellers, but also Aussies. To be honest, Noosa is as perfect as life gets.
Like Byron Bay, it has beaches to die for and a great food scene, but it also has a National Park that’s just 500m from town. This is where you’ll find the famous Fairy Pools. You saw them on insta, and now it’s your turn to swim in them.
We have the best advice on how to explore the National Park and the rest of Noosa, as well as where the best sunset spots are all in our handy app.
We’re committed to our best hostels policy and here we’ll stay in Bounce, our most-requested hostel and for good reason, you could easily spend all day not leaving the hostel grounds.
Lakeside Cabins & River of Mirrors
After Noosa, we’ve organised for you to stay right within the Everglades National Park itself at Kangarooms. Here you’ll be staying together in cabins / safari tents that are surrounded by kangaroos every evening.
You can grab a kayak or paddleboard and hit the lake or chill out on land with a beer at the onsite brewery. On your second day you’ll be exploring further into the Everglades, firstly on a boat cruise, and then secondly by canoe. Both are on the spectacular River of Mirrors. Don’t worry, it’s a short distance to canoe and they supply everything you need!
4x4 Island Living & Freshwater Lakes
K’gari (meaning paradise) is the traditional name for a place you may know as Fraser Island.
This is the world’s largest sand island and you’ll experience island-living over the next three days. You’ll be exploring the island by 4×4, stopping off to swim in freshwater lakes, drift down lazy rivers, spot shipwrecks and so much more.
This is the laid-back island-living of your dreams. They’ll be sand between your toes, you’ll forget what time it is and will feel totally switched off from the world. This is why you came to Australia.
You will also get the chance to drive!* And there’s no cooler feeling than driving down the beach in a car filled with your friends.
Before and after your time on K’gari, you’ll stay at Rainbow Beach, a short ferry ride away from the island. You’ll spend three days on the island, camping for two nights with everything provided for you.
*Must be 21+ and hold a valid drivers license.
Heart Reef Flight & Whitehaven Beach
We want you to experience the best things on the East Coast, and the Whitsundays is one of them. What’s better than experiencing the Whitsundays once? Experiencing it twice!
Based in Airlie Beach – the gateway to the Whitsundays and a buzzing hub in its own right – you’ll have time to explore the town’s laneway bars, lagoon and waterfront restaurants in between adventures.
We’re obviously going to ensure you see the Whitsundays by boat, on a fantastic day trip that includes snorkelling pristine waters and visiting Whitehaven Beach.
Before that though, we’re going to take you on a truly once in a lifetime experience, a 60 minute, scenic flight over Heart Reef. Yes, that’s included!
Forts Walk, Koalas & Barbie Cars
You may not have heard of Magnetic Island but it is a true Welcome to Travel favourite. Get ready for beautiful beaches, a chilled-back lifestyle and heaps of wildlife. After so many activities this is a great place to relax and recharge before your final stop, Cairns.
‘Maggie’ is also home to so many wild koalas and wallabies that if you haven’t spotted any in the wild yet, you will do here. While on Magnetic Island you’ll be able to do the famous Forts Walk, hire snorkels or wait for it… Barbie Cars. All of which we’ll be able to help you with.
Great Barrier Reef & Farewell Feast
And just like that, you’ve travelled nearly 3000km and you are now a true travel family.
To celebrate this, you’re going to spend an incredible day out on the Great Barrier Reef, where you’ll snorkel with Nemo. If you want, you’ll also get the opportunity to scuba dive too! Following that, you’ll clink your glasses and say cheers to the best month of your lives at your final farewell meal.
With so many things to do, Cairns is THE place for backpackers. From white water rafting, to rainforest trips, bungy jumps, skydives and more we have heaps of add-on activities to tempt you with either on tour or after.
Today is the official end of the tour and you’ll be able to leave at any point during this day for onward travel, but if you can hang around an extra few days we’d highly recommend it!
Keep the Adventure Going
Cairns is packed with incredible activities and we wish we could fit them all in but we simply couldn’t. So if you have the time we highly recommend staying around Cairns for another few days to tick off a few more must-see spots. This includes crocodile-spotting in the world’s oldest rainforest, snorkelling from Fitzroy Island or even getting your diving qualification on the Great Barrier Reef.
If you’re keen to travel more of Australia, we’re here to help you plan every adventure, or if you simply need a few hostel nights to plan your next move that’s what we’re here for too. Simply get in touch at any point during or after your trip for ongoing support for your time in Australia.
Heading home? We hope you’ve had the best experience in Australia! You’ll head home with memories to last a lifetime, new friendships that span the globe and a good tan too.
Tour Inclusions
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- Relax with our day one group Meet and Greet Session
- Get to know each other at our Welcome Meal
- Walking tours of Sydney including our favourite hidden gems and best photo spots
- Aboriginal Cultural Tour of Sydney
- Beach time at the world-famous Bondi Beach
- Frozen yogurt at Bondi's cult-favourite Yo-Chi
- Guided coastal walk taking in 6 beaches
- Beach time at Sydney's laid-back Manly Beach
- Cookies at Sydney's must-try ButterBoy
- Secret fun pre-departure Sydney activity
- Guided walks around Byron Bay
- Afternoon river kayaking in Byron Bay
- Beach time and lighthouse walk in Byron Bay
- Team night out on final evening in Byron Bay
- Discover the rich Aboriginal history and culture of the Gold Coast with a guided walking tour of Burleigh Headland
- Hit the beach and the bars in Surfers Paradise
- Get to know Queensland’s capital city, Brisbane
- Visit beautiful Noosa National Park, home of the Fairy Pools
- Afternoon boat trip on Noosa River with Roundaboat (BYO snacks and drinks)
- Noosa Cruise (boat trip) and canoe on the River of Mirrors in the Everglades National Parks
- Bring in sunset at beautiful Carlo Sandblow at Rainbow Beach
- Dive 4x4 on K’gari (Fraser Island)
- Swim in freshwater lakes, lazy rivers and more on K’gari
- See the best stars of your life around the campfire
- Take a scenic flight (this is included!) over the Whitsundays and Heart Reef
- Experience a boat trip to the world famous Whitehaven Beach
- Snorkel the pristine waters around the Whitsundays
- Spot koalas, feed wallabies and swim in crystal clear beaches on Magnetic Island
- Visit the Great Barrier Reef trip. Snorkelling is included, scuba diving is possible to add on
- 30 Nights dorm accommodation in Australia’s best hostels
- 2 Nights in an incredible lakeside Wildlife Retreat, Kangarooms
- 2 Nights camping on K'gari (Fraser Island) with all camping gear included
- 2 Overnight buses so you wake up in your next destination
- Stay and travel as one group, start to finish
- Extra nights available for before and after the tour
- Bus: Airport pick up
- Ferry: Ferry to Manly
- Bus: modern, air conditioned coach travel up the coast (WiFi/USB)
- Ferry: your transport to Magnetic Island
- 4WD Jeep/Troupes on K'gari (Fraser Island)
- Fast Boat: your trip to the Whitsundays
- Plane: flight over the Whitsundays
- 2 Breakfasts
- 5 Lunches
- 10 Dinners
- 1 Butterboy
- 1 Yo-Chi
- Food and drink discounts and specials for every destination
Dietary Requirements
- Suitable for vegetarians & vegans
- Gluten free options available
- Connect with your group on WhatsApp & Trip Loop, before, throughout and after the tour
- Lifetime membership with Welcome to Travel
- Access to free regular Welcome to Travel events
- Discounted rates for Melbourne and Sydney events (parties, bar crawls)
- Private lifetime member Facebook group access
- FREE Working Holiday Starter Pack
- Customised travel planning and ongoing help after your tour
- National travel specials and discounts
- 1-on-1 Travel & Employment meeting (optional)
- Exclusive access to our Resources Website and Job Board
- Mail holding in the Welcome to Travel office
- Ongoing travel help after your tour
- Weekly jobs email
Arriving on a Working Holiday? Too Easy.
Come for the experience. Leave sorted for the adventure
This tour is built around experiencing Australia. But if you’re on a Working Holiday Visa, we haven’t forgotten you. Everything you need to hit the ground running in Australia is available in a digital Welcome Pack – completely free and totally on your terms.
Just add it as an optional extra at checkout!
SIM Card
Travel Advice
Tax File Number
Bank Account
Employment Session
Job Board Access
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Final price is based on today’s exchange rates. Tour charges are in AUD.
For tours starting in the first week of January 2027, a maximum of 2 pre-tour nights are available to book online.
If you’d like to request additional pre-tour nights, please contact our Reservations Team at [email protected].
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What Happens After You Book Your Tour?
Make Memories Fund
A portion of every booking goes towards good.
Every booking includes a donation to the Make Memories Fund split across four causes: land, ocean, First Nations culture and social impact. On tour we also educate on how to respect the country, showcase First Nations culture and highlight the issues that matter.
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