DAY 1, Sunday - Depart for Australia
Depart for Australia

DAY 2, Monday - En Route
Cross the International date line en route to Australia and skip a day ahead

DAY 3, Tuesday - Arrive in Cairns
Arrive in Cairns, the tourist capital of tropical North Queensland and gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. Meet your representative and transfer to the hotel. Your tour will begin with an orientation meeting with your Tour Manager at approximately 5:30 PM, followed by a light dinner
Overnight: Cairns
Meals: Dinner

DAY 4, Wednesday - Green Island & Great Barrier Reef
Travel by high-speed catamaran to beautiful Green Island, a 6000-year-old coral cay located in the Great Barrier Reef. The island, a Marine National Park, with its unique reef and rainforest, is home to 126 native plant species, colorful birds and magnificent coral gardens (rising water temperature and cyclones have resulted in bleaching of the coral reefs. Viewing has been significantly affected due to the slow recovery rates of the coral and the ecosystem). Choose to snorkel, view the coral gardens and marine life on a glass bottom boat, or simply relax on the white sandy beach admiring the view. Enjoy lunch featuring local produce and stunning ocean views. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Return to Cairns in the afternoon and spend free time before dinner tonight
Overnight: Cairns
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 5, Thursday - Full Day in Cairns
Enjoy all of the delights of this resort city on your day at leisure or, join the optional Hartley's Wildlife Tour with lunch. Depart Cairns and head north to an eco-park and working crocodile farm. Explore the park's five different ecological zones where you encounter kangaroos, koalas and other unique Australian wildlife. After lunch, return to Cairns. In the afternoon, participate in the optional Skyrail Experience with dinner. Ride the Kuranda Skyrail for great views of the rainforest canopy. Along the way, stop for a ranger-guided boardwalk tour and visit the Rainforest Interpretation Centre, lookouts and historical displays. Conclude your tour with an authentic Australian dinner
Optional: Hartley's Wildlife Tour with lunch
Optional: Skyrail Experience with dinner
Overnight: Cairns
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 6, Friday - Flight to Ayers Rock
Depart Cairns by flight to Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, in the southern part of the Northern Territory in central Australia. This iconic monolith and the sandstone domes known as Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) were created over some 600 million years. Uluru is a sacred place and has a great spiritual meaning for the Aborigines of the area, known as the Anangu. Each cave and fissure of the monolith has a meaning in Dreamtime (creation of the world). After checking in to your hotel, partake in a walk near Uluru. Return to the hotel and spend the remainder of the day at leisure. Tonight, attend the optional Sounds of Silence Dinner. As the sun sets over Uluru, enjoy sparkling wine and canapes while listening to the sound of a didgeridoo. Afterward, an unforgettable dining experience awaits you, as you sample local bush foods, accompanied by assorted cultural entertainment. End the evening with stargazing. Listen to the resident star talker decode the constellations of the southern night sky. Or the optional Uluru Sunset with BBQ dinner. Travel to the stunning Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Your driver guide will provide expert commentary while you admire the captivating surroundings and incredible sight of Uluru in the distance. Relax and get comfortable in the sunset viewing area. Sip a glass of sparkling wine while witnessing the mesmerizing transformation of Uluru under the setting sun. After a barbecue dinner, there will be time for stargazing before heading back
Optional: Sounds of Silence Dinner (until Oct)
Optional: Uluru Sunset with BBQ dinner (from Nov)
Overnight: Ayers Rock
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 7, Saturday - Flight to Sydney
Depart Ayers Rock on a flight to Sydney, Australia's cosmopolitan premier city. Arrive and check into your hotel with free time to discover the delights of Sydney on your own before dinner tonight
Overnight: Sydney
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 8, Sunday - Explore Sydney
This morning's panoramic tour of Sydney starts at world famous Bondi Beach and historic and fashionable Paddington with its unique terrace houses. Continuing to Mrs. Macquarie's Chair and the Royal Botanic Gardens which offer extraordinary views of celebrated Sydney Harbour, the Harbour Bridge and the striking Sydney Opera House poised majestically on the water's edge, named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Pass historic buildings including the Parliament House, St. Mary's Cathedral and the Queen Victoria Building. Then, head to The Rocks, a historic area where the city was founded by Captain Arthur Phillip and his working party of convicts. Shop for opals at a local shop, the best in the world. Spend the balance of the day at leisure. Tonight, join the optional Sydney Harbour Dinner Cruise. Sail by iconic landmarks, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House, while watching the vivid colors of sunset wash over the skyline. Then, sit down for a delectable dinner of international dishes
Optional: Sydney Harbour Dinner Cruise
Overnight: Sydney
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 9, Monday - Flight to Auckland
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Auckland, often called the "City of Sails." Upon arrival, check into the hotel. Balance of the day is at leisure. Tonight, savor your first dinner in New Zealand
Overnight: Auckland
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 10, Tuesday - Auckland
Today, explore the delightful Waiheke Island with its vineyards, olive groves and pristine beaches. Board a ferry and take in the beautiful scenery. On arrival, begin the tour of the island with your guide, admire the stunning views of Hauraki Gulf and Coromandel Peninsula. During the tour, visit some of the island's world-renowned vineyards and learn about wine production, followed by tastings of a wide range of wines. Later, take the ferry back to Auckland and return to your hotel
Overnight: Auckland
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 11, Wednesday - Travel to Rotorua
Depart Auckland and travel south through the fertile Waikato Plains to Rotorua, famous for its geothermal activity. Arrive and check into your hotel with free time. Tonight, participate in the optional home hosted dinner with a local family and experience a unique opportunity to learn about their values and traditions
Optional: Home Hosted Dinner in Rotorua
Overnight: Rotorua
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 12, Thursday - Te Puia Thermal Reserve
Morning is at leisure for independent explorations of Rotorua, or join the optional Hobbiton tour. Travel through the spectacular North Island scenery to Matamata, home to the Hobbiton movie set, made famous in the Lord of Rings movie trilogy. Take a guided tour around the set and view Hobbit holes, the Party Tree, the Mill, and the Green Dragon Inn before returning to your hotel. In the afternoon, journey to Te Puia in Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley, set amidst a landscape of erupting geothermal activity and thermal springs. Discover the unique lifestyle and traditions of the Maori and learn how they live in harmony with this unique environment. Tonight, dinner is included along with a Redwoods Treewalk experience
Optional: Hobbiton Movie Set Tour (AM)
Overnight: Rotorua
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 13, Friday - Flight to Queenstown
Transfer to the airport this morning, for your flight to Queenstown, named for Queen Victoria, in the South Island. The city is surrounded by majestic mountains and nestled on the shores of crystal clear Lake Wakatipu. Queenstown is acclaimed by international travelers and "kiwis" alike as New Zealand's adventure capital. Check into your hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure
Overnight: Queenstown
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 14, Saturday - Discover Milford Sound
Today, take a full day tour to Milford Sound! Travel to World Heritage Fiordland National Park, rich with dense rainforest, lakes and waterfalls cascading from rugged mountain peaks. Stop at Te Anau and the glacier hewn Eglinton Valley before embarking on the cruise out into the fjord with scenic views of temperate rainforest, stunning Mitre Peak and Bowen Falls. Possible wildlife viewings include seals, birds and occasionally even dolphins or penguins as you marvel at the sights around you. Late afternoon, return to Queenstown
Overnight: Queenstown
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 15, Sunday - Full Day in Queenstown
Spend time on your own discovering picturesque Queenstown. Walk along the streets of the sophisticated downtown area, with its trendy shops and restaurants or, be adventurous and ascend on the Skyline Gondola to Bob's Peak, high above the city for magnificent views of Queenstown, The Remarkables, Coronet Peak, and Lake Wakatipu. Alternatively, participate in the optional Skippers Canyon adventure that follows this rugged road into the sheer cliffsides of the Shotover River Valley. During the tour, visit many historic sites and stop at Deep Creek to try your hand at gold panning at one of the richest gold bearing rivers in the world. Return to Queenstown along Skippers Road. Tonight, share wonderful memories together on your last night in New Zealand. Bid farewell to your Tour Manager and newfound friends at a Farewell Dinner
Optional: Skippers Canyon 4WD Adventure (AM)
Overnight: Queenstown
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 16, Monday - Depart New Zealand
Travel to the airport for your departure flight
Meals: Breakfast

Please Note: Land Price does not include airfare, departure or arrival transfers, airline taxes and fuel surcharges.