Holidays in Australia
Epic landscapes, wildlife and beaches
Australia, or the Land Down Under as it’s commonly known, is a giant of a country. Sandwiched between the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean, it’s the world’s biggest island, stretching almost 4,000 kilometres from its east to its west coast. Holidays to Australia promise experiences almost as big as the country itself, whether that’s snorkelling over the Great Barrier Reef on an independent tour, driving the Great Ocean Road on a self-drive road trip, watching the sun rise or set over Uluru on an escorted tour, or taking in the iconic view across Sydney Harbour on a city break, flanked by the Opera House and Harbour Bridge on either side.
Australia and beaches go hand in hand, with Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach vying for ‘most famous’ with titans like Byron Bay on the Gold Coast and Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays. Between these (and hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles apart), Australia’s coast is studded with cool, free-spirited cities like Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth, whose culture, mood and architecture are as progressive as they come.
Head inland though, and you soon find yourself in a whole different world. A whopping 70% of Australia is Outback - wide red desert interspersed with bush and scrub that has hardly changed in millennia. This otherworldly landscape offers up sights such as Kakadu National Park, Uluru and Kata Tjuta, where you can experience the rugged pioneering spirit and spiritual stories that have shaped our view of Australia for hundreds of years.
Whether you explore Australia on one of our independent or escorted tours, choose one of our handpicked hotels or take the ultimate road trip on a self-drive holiday, you’re guaranteed a trip to remember.
Grand Tour of Australia
Soak up the sunshine in Australia's greatest cities, sample shiraz in its finest wine regions and meet diverse wildlife with 21 excursions and visits to the Outback, rainforest and parkland on this unforgettable 30-day tour.
Highlights of holidays to Australia
There's so much to see on holidays in Australia, you'll need to allow plenty of time to explore. It’s a vast country, with different climates and time zones, so it’s a good idea to think about what sights, cities and experiences are on your ‘must do’ list. Our range of holidays includes escorted and independent tours and self-drive itineraries, as well as carefully selected hotels in some of Australia’s key cities and locations.
Taking up nearly a third of the continent, Western Australia's vast interior is a land of dusty outback tracks, while around the edge white sandy beaches are lapped by the Indian Ocean. It’s capital city, Perth, is one of the most isolated in the world, and sits in the greener climes of the Southwest. This is where you'll find the Margaret River wine region and several top surfing beaches.
Key Australia travel information
Australia’s seasons are opposite to ours, with summer falling between December and February. As the only country that is also a continent, the temperature varies from one place to another - so expect variety during your Australia holiday if you’re travelling coast to coast. The southerly coastal cities are cooler and less humid than the north but still boast temperatures of around 30°C on average in the summer, while in winter the thermometer rarely dips below 10°C.
Sydney and Melbourne are 10 hours ahead of GMT, Alice Springs is 9½ hours ahead and Perth is eight hours ahead of the UK.
There’s no getting away from it, Australia is a long way away. From London to Perth it takes from 18 hours 50 minutes and if you’re heading to Melbourne via Singapore or Dubai it typically takes around 23 hours 35 minutes.
Australian visas are issued as an ‘electronic travel authority’ so no visible visa is applied to your passport. They are currently valid for a stay of up to three months but requirements can change so please check before you travel by visiting CIBT visas or GOV UK.
A holiday to Australia varies in terms of price. After flights, which can cost up to £1000 per passenger, average daily living costs are between $100 to $200 Australian Dollars. This includes food, accommodation and local transport.
Visit Western Australia
Wildlife, wineries, and wonderful beaches – this region of Australia has so much to offer. Fly direct to Perth with our trusted partner, Qantas Airways.
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