Trip Builder
East Coast
Build Your Own East Coast Adventure
Build Your Own East Coast trips puts you in charge of your adventure. Plan the perfect trip for your time scale, travel-style and budget. All with our expert advice and insider tips.
Download Our Free East Coast Guidebook
The East Coast is the most popular travel route in Australia, and with good reason. It’s perfect for road trippers, adrenaline lovers, waterfall chasers and wildlife admirers. It’s full of adventures waiting for you. So, we’ll share with you our favorite places to go and things to do so you can start that dream trip you’ve been thinking about. We’re Australia Travel Specialists who have truly fallen for the magic of the East Coast, and we’re here to show you why it’s absolutely incredible!
Choose Your Trip Option
Option 1
Choose from our example itineraries
Not sure where you want to visit on the East Coast? That’s where our example itineraries come in! We have done all the hard work for you based off helping thousands of travellers. Get some inspo 👀
Option 2
Build your dream trip from scratch
Know what you want to do and just need our team to piece it together? Or you want one of expert team members to inspire you? We can help build full trips or help with one off experiences. Whatever you need we’re a few clicks away. 🙌
Option 1
Choose From Our Example Itineraries
35 Days
The Epic
25 Days
The Mighty
16 Days
The Highlights
Short on time? Our half East Coast itinerary ensures you tick off the big bucket items of K’Gari, The Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef. Plus a few of our favourite beaches.
Option 2
Build Your Trip from Scratch
How It Works:
Ready to plan your trip?
Fill in our form below and you’ll be matched with a travel expert. Together you’ll create your dream East Coast itinerary.
Get excited to travel with our destination inspo
Australia is a big country, and that’s putting it mildly! It’s packed with beautiful beaches, buzzing cities and an abundance of wildlife.
We know it can be overwhelming deciding where to start or where to visit. But that’s why we’re the experts, we’re backpackers who have travelled to every corner of this incredible country. We’ve put together destination inspo for every Australian state with the must-see spots and backpacker tips.
Transport
How you travel the East Coast is totally up to you. Something good for you to know is whichever way you choose, we can help with the process AND save you money too. The 2 most popular options are by hop-on hop-off bus (HOHO) or by campervan.
The HOHO bus is a really cost-effective way to get all the way up/down the coast with the option to stop off at all the big cities and small towns along the way. Most people then stay in hostels along the way, a great option if you’re travelling solo. We have been able to organise every bus and hostel for you, all you have to do is turn up, how easy is that?!
Travelling by campervan gives you the road trip experience and more freedom to drive to places not on the bus route. Most people stay in the van (at campsites) 90% of the time, booking the occasional hostel to break things up and meet people along the way. Vans are priced per vehicle, not per person, so these are mainly booked by couples/groups. Don’t worry if you don’t know how you want to travel yet, we can help with that when you get in touch.
Surfing
A sport, a passion, a way to relax or a way of life, surfing means something different to everyone but something that can be agreed on, is that it’s part of Australian culture. As a traveller, you must always sample the local culture.
The great thing about getting involved in this specific part of the country’s culture, is you find a new skill and passion that stays with you for life. We can help you take those first steps by booking you your first lesson, a surf camp (the best way to learn quickly!) or if you already know you’ll love it, a mix of both all the way up the coast.
Some of our favourite stories of organising travellers’ adventures come from those people that we sent surfing for the first time to hear they then moved to a town specifically for the surf, took that hobby home or became a surf instructor. That might not be you but we encourage everyone to give it a go at least once.
Byron Bay, Noosa & more
At Welcome to Travel, we are all about experiences. We want to help you see what Australia has to offer and that means taking in the hot spots, they’re popular for a reason right?!
Byron Bay has a special place in many people’s hearts. It’s famous for its laid back but colourful lifestyle, epitomised by it’s love for surfing. If you don’t surf when you arrive, you will by the time you leave, if you leave… It’s got some epic local walks, lively food and drink scene and some very friendly dolphins. It’s also a great place to spot whales June to October!
As for Noosa – Noosa has an issue… It is too desirable a place to visit and live. The hub of the Sunshine Coast has a national park within walking distance of an eclectic town centre, while also being home to world class beaches. It’s also on the doorstep of 1 of the 2 Everglades National Parks in the world. To top it off, it also has possibly the best climate in the world. For every hot spot town, there’s a hidden gem. When it comes to dream trips, we have 30+ years experience and sharing the lesser known places with you is why we do it.
K'Gari
When you travel, you can experience so many different things at so many spectacular places, however it’s hard to find something that is truly unique, and that’s why K’Gari is one of our favourite places in the world.
K’Gari, meaning paradise, is the biggest sand island on the planet, and the only one to have rainforest appearing straight from the sand. With freshwater lakes, a lazy river and stunning headland, this place is something else.
As if that’s not enough to confirm this place as truly unique, let us tell you about getting around the island. There are no roads, meaning 4WD access only. Our preferred is 4WD troupe vehicles as part of a Tag-Along tour, usually for 3 days. Your group could be up to 40 people, spread across 7 vehicles, with 1 guide, who leads the convoy around the island, meaning you may even get to drive! This tour is the definition of a group travel experience, and you will never forget it.
The Whitsunday Islands
Whether it’s with friends, your partner or you’re travelling solo, you will definitely one day argue about what’s better, Fraser Island or the Whitsunday Islands? While very different, they’re often the main highlights of someone’s East Coast Adventure.
The Whitsunday Islands National Park is made up of 74 islands off the coast of Airlie Beach, and part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The area is known for snorkelling and it’s jewel in the crown, Whitehaven Beach. With its exquisite white sand, this jaw droppings world heritage listed site has been named the best beach in the world multiple times.
We find the best way for our travellers to get the true Whitsundays experience is by going on one of our recommended boat trips over 2 days and 2 nights. This means you get to snorkel (several times), visit Whitehaven Beach and sleep on a boat, as well as get that incredible feeling of experiencing something special with others.
North Queensland
We’re making our way right up the coast now, well into the Tropics. This is the part of Australia that is so intriguing and inspiring. The landscape, the weather and the wildlife is often so different from anything people have experienced before.
Magnetic Island is just 40 minutes (by ferry) off the coast of Townsville, ‘Maggy’ is a WTT favourite. Despite its small size, it really caters for everyone. You can spend 2-3 days chilling at the beach taking in some of the best sunsets in the country, you can kick on and keep the party going or you can have an active few days kayaking, hiking and snorkelling, it’s up to you, this is your trip remember!
And, to put it simply, Cairns is a haven for young travellers, a real backpackers paradise. It’s the adrenaline capital of the country, the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and also to the rainforest too! Whether it’s for a few days or just a day trip, the Daintree Rainforest, Cape Tribulation and the lesser known Atherton Tablelands are all accessible from Cairns. These places are magical and visiting them is a perfect way to immerse yourself in what tropical Australia is all about. Don’t worry, we know the best way to experience each of them.
Adrenaline activities
Heights, flights, jumps and bumps, if you’re looking for something to get the adrenaline pumping then Australia’s the place for you. You can get the ultimate highs from up high, by jumping out of a plane, taking an air balloon ride or bungy jumping in the middle of the rainforest in Cairns.
More of a get wet than get high person? That works! You can get your thrills on the water with white water rafting, jet skiing, tubing or even canyoning! If you want to stay on land but still go hard there’s options for you too with mountain biking, abseiling and caving. The thrills are there, you just need to seek them and if you really want, you can do them all.
Scuba diving
You’re probably noticing that Australia’s a big place, a beautiful place, a place where you experience a lot of things, and Scuba Diving is another one of those. If you’ve scuba dived before and it’s a passion of yours, the East Coast is a playground for you. Not only do you have the opportunity to experience the Great Barrier Reef, on any divers’ bucket list, you also have options such as the SS Yongala shipwreck and the slightly chillier Julien Rocks, both of which are awe-inspiring for different reasons.
If you’ve never scuba dived before, don’t worry, you still can and you have options. You can try it without doing a course and without it costing you a lot of money. You’re able to try this by adding on an introductory dive on a snorkelling trip. This means you’ll get to learn basic skills before diving for 20-30 minutes with an instructor. If you don’t like it, no worries, you gave it a try and you can still snorkel. You love it? Might have to book yourself a PADI course! This is something else we’re experts in and we’d love to create your ideal dive itinerary.
And a whole load more...
Had a must do recommendation from a friend or seen an unmissable spot on Instagram? Australia is a big place with A LOT to do, so there is a chance that we’ve missed somewhere you know you want to go. Don’t worry though, we’ll still be able to help you. Mention it when you get in touch with us and we’ll make sure you live out every travel goal.
