East Coast Tour

2026 Sample Itinerary (subject to change):

Day 1: Welcome to the Gold Coast, Australia

The Gold Coast boasts 300 days of sunshine a year, which you can bask in when you touch down in the Queensland. Join a guide to head 77 stories up into the air in the iconic Q1 building, where the city unfolds before you from the SkyPoint Observation Deck. Meals included: Dinner

Day 2: Gold Coast

The Gold Coast may have a laid-back vibe, but this is Australia’s sixth-largest city. Today is at your leisure to explore as you please. . You could begin the day on the legendary beaches such as Surfers Paradise or further afield in hamlets of the south or along calm estuaries. Hop between cafes, restaurants, bars and vibrant markets. Discover the city’s cultural vibe browsing museums and galleries. Or feel the cool of the Gondwana rainforest in the hinterland, where walking tracks lead to distilleries and wineries between time-forgot villages (own expense). Meals included: Breakfast

Day 3: Gold Coast – Airlie Beach

Farewell the Gold Coast and fly north to Airlie Beach, gateway to the dazzling 74 tropical islands of the Whitsundays. Life moves at a slow pace in Airlie, in keeping with the balmy climes. Follow the lead of locals and soak it all in while getting a taste for the produce of the region at any number of alfresco restaurants and bars. Or splash about in Airlie’s enormous man-made lagoon, particularly pretty at sunset. Meals included: Breakfast

Day 4: Airlie Beach

The Whitsundays is home to 74 islands such as Hayman, Hamilton and Daydream. Today is at your leisure. Perhaps rise early for a scenic helicopter ride over Heart Reef. Or catch a catamaran to Whitehaven Beach, with sand so high in silica it squeaks underfoot. You can also opt to go chasing waterfalls in the lush hinterland, where hiking trails weave through the emerald canopy and lead to gem-like waterholes (additional expense). Whichever way you go, be sure to pack your swimsuit. Meals included: Breakfast

Day 5: Airlie Beach – Townsville – Magnetic Island

Travel to Townsville by coach and take a ferry to Magnetic Island, a very special pocket of national parkland. More than two thirds of the land is protected and woven with 25km of hiking trails. See palm-fringed beaches backdropped by enormous granite boulders, hidden waterfalls and forests of lush hoop pines and eucalypts where koalas like to hang out. Fun fact: the island is home to the largest population of koalas in northern Australia. It’s all enveloped by opaline lagoons that glimmer in Queensland’s tropical sun. Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 6: Magnetic Island

Those gleaming coral reefs you glimpsed yesterday? Today get a close-up look on a cruise around bays and endless beaches. Jump aboard your floating chariot to glide across the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, learning about what’s being done to protect this fragile ecosystem. Cool off with a dip or snorkel before heading back to land. Tonight, discover the island’s restaurants and bars at your own pace. Meals included: Breakfast

Day 7: Magnetic Island – Townsville – Cairns

From the reef to the rainforest – today head even deeper into Tropical North Queensland. Return by ferry to the mainland and travel by coach from Townsville to Cairns, a place where two World Heritage Sites converge: the Great Barrier Reef meets the Wet Tropics of Queensland. Touch down and take your time soaking up the tropical surrounds of this city, whether you’re wandering along the Esplanade, enjoying seafood by the marina or checking out one of the hip bars and lounges that now call Cairns home. Meals included: Breakfast

Day 8: Cairns & Kuranda

Things cool down when you journey to Kuranda, set high on the eastern edge of the Atherton Tablelands. This village in the rainforest comes with personality to spare. It’s also an important floral and faunal corridor, as you’ll discover when you arrive and explore at your leisure. You’ll take in the natural drama from your ride on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, offering you a bird’s-eye view over strangler figs, orchids and palms, not to mention gushing waterfalls. Keep watch for the elusive cassowary, which calls this part of the world home. The rest of the day and evening is at your leisure. Meals included: Breakfast

Day 9: The Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest of its kind in the world. Take a high-speed catamaran cruise over the Coral Sea, pull on your mask and snorkel to swim with turtles, moray eels, giant clams and a menagerie of tropical fish. If you prefer to keep your hair dry, the marine wonderland can also be glimpsed from an underwater observatory and glass-bottom boat. A tropical buffet lunch will be served before you return to Cairns. Endless sunshine, countless beaches, memories of coral reefs and tropical fish, rainforests and waterfalls… you’ll be glowing when it’s time to say goodbye to your fellow travellers after your Farewell Dinner. Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 10: Depart Cairns, Australia

Say farewell to your fellow travellers when your tour comes to an end this morning after breakfast.

Important flight booking information for your tour:

Note: Flights are not included in the tour price.

Ask your Downunder Travel Destination Specialist to assist with adding flights to your tour (additional cost).