A Family Discovery of Australia

Duration 11 days
Price guide
From
  PP
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Explore eastern Australia with your family on this luxury ten-night trip. Begin with a relaxing three nights in cool and cosmopolitan Melbourne, visiting Phillip Island to spot native wildlife, before heading onwards to sunny Sydney. Here you'll cruise the harbour and take surf lessons on Bondi Beach. Finally, fly north to Cairns to soak up Port Douglas, enjoying a private cruise around the Low Isles and exploring the incredible Daintree Rainforest.

Trip highlights

  • Discover museums, galleries and beaches in Melbourne
  • Explore Phillip Island with its famous little penguins
  • Board a private cruiser for a tour of Sydney Harbour
  • Enjoy a magical train ride through Queensland's Wet Tropics

Bespoke trips with Jacada

We design one-of-a-kind journeys incorporating luxury in all its forms. Our bespoke trips include:

  • Luxury accommodation throughout
  • Privately guided tours
  • Private transfers
  • Meticulously selected experiences
  • Expertise and support from your Jacada Concierge
Black and white illustration of two guides pointing to a building in the distance
  • Days 1–4 Melbourne
  • Days 4–7 Sydney
  • Days 7–11 Port Douglas
A Family Discovery of Australia
Price guide
  PP
  • Days 1–4 Melbourne
  • Days 4–7 Sydney
  • Days 7–11 Port Douglas

Itinerary in detail

Every Jacada trip is tailored to your personal preferences and interests. Below you’ll find a sample itinerary to inspire your own custom-designed journey.

Days 1–4

Three nights in Melbourne

Melbourne sits at the end of Port Phillip Bay, split by the winding Yarra River, with its suburbs reaching out around the shoreline. With handsome Victorian-era architecture, museums, galleries, theatres, green parks, and an innovative art and nightlife scene, this is undoubtedly Australia’s cultural heart.

It’s also a city known for a collective obsession with coffee, with hip cafes and delis at every turn, and love of sport, especially Australian rules football, cricket, horse racing and motorsport.

 

Melbourne city skyline, with a large green park in the foreground and skyscrapers in the background

Family adventures in Melbourne

Wildlife

City explorations

Phillip Island Penguin Parade

A trip to Phillip Island is a must for nature lovers and those seeking a unique Australian experience. The island is home to a collection of Australian native wildlife including the famous little penguins, fur seals and koalas. The little penguins – the smallest species of penguin – come out of the surf and return to Summerland Beach at sunset. They waddle up to their burrows, just as their ancestors have done for thousands of generations, meandering straight past eager visitors who wait in anticipation for the night’s performance.

A bike ride through Melbourne

Start your day with a fun, relaxing bike ride in the great outdoors. Experience real Melbourne hospitality on this leisurely ride with a local guide. It’s the perfect way to start any Melbourne visit.

To round out the day, your guide will take you on a private driving tour where you will learn more about this sophisticated yet approachable city.

Days 4–7

Three nights in Sydney

The city of Sydney on the east coast of Australia is as idyllic as it appears from its instantly recognizable cityscape. It boasts a rich and intriguing history, famous beaches and iconic landmarks, with a diverse and friendly population, all spread around an elaborate shoreline of Port Jackson’s yacht-filled inlets, bays and rivers.

 

Make it mine

A luxury cruise

Whale-watching adventures

sydney-harbour-skyline-view

Sydney Harbour cruise and Bondi Beach

Board your private cruiser for a two-hour trip around the Harbour. Enjoy lunch on board as you cruise past the houses of the rich and famous or stop for a dip in a quiet bay. Hop off your boat and head to Bondi for a surfing lesson at Australia’s most famous beach. If surfing isn’t mom and dad’s thing, you can leave the kids to ride the waves with an instructor while you go behind the scenes at Australia’s oldest Surf Lifesaving Club or embark on the famous Cliff Walk.

A humpback whale breaches off the coast of Australia.

Fun for all the family

Marvel at these incredible creatures frolicking and swimming in the tranquil waters of the Pacific Ocean. Whale watching off Sydney Heads is an exhilarating adventure, an awe-inspiring treat that you will remember forever. The southern hemisphere humpback migration typically increases by 11% a year – quite amazing considering these magnificent creatures were nearly hunted to the point of extinction 40 years ago.

Days 7–11

Four nights in Port Douglas

Enjoy your remaining days on this trip in the seaside town of Port Douglas. Known for its beach resorts, it is perfectly located to explore the Great Barrier Reef and Northern Queensland , including the rainforests of Daintree National Park. The town itself has many boutique shops and restaurants and the popular Four Mile Beach curves south around the bay.

Highlights of Port Douglas

On the water

Rainforest adventure

On the rails

Low Isles catamaran cruise

Transfer to Marina Mirage Port Douglas and board your sailing catamaran vessel ready for a full-day cruise to the Low Isles. Relax on the white sandy beaches, snorkel over the coral gardens, enjoy a guided snorkelling tour or perhaps even swim with turtles in their natural habitat.

A journey through the Daintree Rainforest

Travel into the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation, one of the most diverse and ecologically unique areas on the planet. Take a walk along Cape Tribulation Beach or on one of the scenic boardwalks and learn about the diversity of the rainforest, before lunch and a wildlife-spotting cruise on the Daintree River – keep an eye out for the elusive saltwater crocodile, snakes, rainforest frogs , eagles, birdlife and flying fruit bats. Finally, it’s on to Cooya Beach where you’ll meet your Kuku Yalanji Cultural Habitat guide.

Kuranda Scenic Railway, Cairns

Kuranda Scenic Railway

The Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Site is among the oldest on earth. Here, thousands of species of plants and hundreds of remarkable creatures inhabit this verdant world. Step aboard the renowned Kuranda Scenic Railway train as it winds its way through Gimuy (Cairns​​) via Bub​undji (Freshwater), to Ngunbay (Kuranda), the village in the rainforest. On this incredible journey to Kuranda, you’ll spot spectacular waterfalls as the train glides through the stunning Din Din (Barron Gorge).

Why book with Jacada

History icon

Personalised design

We’ll plan your trip around your personal interests, tastes and preferences, providing honest advice based on first-hand knowledge.

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Authentic experiences

Our expert guides and brilliant Concierges are hand-picked for their ability to bring your destination to life with care and passion.

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Positive Impact

We seek out unforgettable experiences that benefit both local communities and the environment.