How to organise your Australia itinerary without losing your mind: day-by-day plans for 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks and 1 month, themed routes (East Coast, West Coast, Tasmania, tropics), the most iconic road trips, budget and best time to go for each route, and all the logistics (car vs. campervan, domestic flights, apps). And first things first: which visa you need.
The question we get asked most isn't "what should I see in Australia?", but "how do I fit it all in?". And that's understandable: Australia is a country-continent as big as the whole of Europe, with the Sydney Opera House more than three hours' flight from the red desert and almost five from Perth. A good itinerary changes everything: you travel more calmly, spend less and come home feeling you enjoyed it rather than raced through it. In this guide, updated for 2026, you'll find ready-to-copy day-by-day routes based on how many days you have, themed routes, the must-do road trips and all the logistics. Let's start with the thing that prevents last-minute headaches: the visa.
Yes. Nobody enters Australia without a travel authorisation arranged before flying, not even for a layover. Which one you need depends on your passport. Check it here and sort it out in good time, before you lock in flights and route:
Travelling on a US passport (or from Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia…)? You need the ETA (subclass 601). Our course shows you how to get it right the first time, in minutes. Approval is always up to the Australian Government; we are not the government.
🎓 Get the ETA 601 course (PDF + slides) →What is the ETA 601? Full guide → · British passport? You need the free eVisitor 651 →
Before you decide on a single day, take these five ideas on board. They save time, money and frustration:
If you're still unsure what's worth it in each area, lean on the destinations pillar: 👉 What to see in Australia: the must-sees explained in depth →
Four plans based on how many days you have, with a day-by-day table. They're designed so you only need to adjust dates and book. All of them prioritise enjoying over rushing.
Little time but plenty of enthusiasm. With one week the smart move is to not fly around the country and make the most of Sydney and its surroundings, or do a minimal East Coast.
| Day | Plan |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Sydney. Settle in, stroll around Circular Quay, the Opera House and the Botanic Gardens. |
| Day 2 | Sydney: Harbour Bridge, The Rocks and a ferry to Manly at sunset. |
| Day 3 | Beaches: the Bondi–Coogee coastal walk and an afternoon in the neighbourhoods (Surry Hills, Newtown). |
| Day 4 | Day trip to the Blue Mountains (the Three Sisters, Scenic World). |
| Day 5 | Coastal getaway: Byron Bay (short flight) or a day in the Royal National Park and the southern beaches. |
| Day 6 | Free day: market, kayaking in the bay or a trip to Hunter Valley (wine). |
| Day 7 | Last morning in Sydney and flight home. |
The best route for a first time. It brings together city, culture, red desert and the Great Barrier Reef with short domestic flights. Fly into Sydney and out of Cairns (open-jaw).
| Day | Plan |
|---|---|
| Days 1–4 | Sydney: Opera House and Harbour Bridge, Bondi–Coogee, a ferry to Manly and a day in the Blue Mountains. |
| Day 5 | Flight to Melbourne. An afternoon of laneways (Hosier Lane), Queen Victoria Market and specialty coffee. |
| Days 6–7 | Great Ocean Road by car (2 days): Twelve Apostles, koalas at Kennett River, Loch Ard Gorge. |
| Days 8–9 | Flight to Uluru (Ayers Rock). Base Walk, sunrise/sunset and Field of Light; Kata Tjuta. |
| Days 10–13 | Flight to Cairns: 2 days on the Great Barrier Reef (snorkel/dive), Kuranda and the Daintree rainforest. |
| Day 14 | Morning at the Cairns Lagoon and flight home from Cairns. |
The same pillars as the 2-week route, but without the rush and adding the Whitsundays, Byron Bay and more reef days. The version almost everyone wishes they'd done.
| Day | Plan |
|---|---|
| Days 1–4 | Sydney and the Blue Mountains, with an extra day for beaches and neighbourhoods. |
| Days 5–6 | Byron Bay (short flight to Ballina): lighthouse, surf and a laid-back vibe. |
| Days 7–9 | Flight to Melbourne + the Great Ocean Road (2 days with a night in Apollo Bay or Port Campbell). |
| Days 10–11 | Flight to Uluru: red desert, Kata Tjuta and a starry sky. |
| Days 12–15 | Flight to Airlie Beach (Whitsundays): 2 days of sailing, Whitehaven Beach and the Hill Inlet lookout. |
| Days 16–20 | Flight to Cairns: several days on the Great Barrier Reef (outer reef + islands), Daintree and Cape Tribulation. |
| Day 21 | Rest in Cairns and flight home. |
With a month you can do the full East Coast and add a very different second region: Tasmania (nature and great food) or the West Coast (Perth and Ningaloo). Choose one of the two final branches.
| Day | Plan |
|---|---|
| Days 1–5 | Sydney, the Blue Mountains and a getaway to Byron Bay. |
| Days 6–9 | Melbourne + the Great Ocean Road at a relaxed pace. |
| Days 10–11 | Uluru and Kata Tjuta. |
| Days 12–16 | Whitsundays (Airlie Beach) + days of beaches and islands. |
| Days 17–21 | Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef in depth + Daintree. |
| Days 22–30 · Branch A | Tasmania: Hobart and MONA, Wineglass Bay (Freycinet), Cradle Mountain and Bruny Island. |
| Days 22–30 · Branch B | West Coast: Perth and Rottnest (quokkas), Margaret River (wine) and Ningaloo/Exmouth (whale shark). |
If you're clear on what kind of trip you want, start here. Four themed routes, each with its own character.
For travellers drawn to landscapes and wildlife in the wild. It combines the country's wildest island (Tasmania: Cradle Mountain, Wineglass Bay), the animal sanctuary of Kangaroo Island (kangaroos, koalas and sea lions in the wild, near Adelaide) and the Great Ocean Road with its cliffs and koalas. Pristine air and very few crowds.
The brightest, least crowded face of Australia. Perth as a sunny base, the quokkas of Rottnest Island, the wines and forests of Margaret River to the south and, to the north, the Ningaloo reef (Exmouth), where you swim with whale sharks from March to July. A road trip of endless coast.
Reef, rainforest and tropical outback. Cairns for the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree rainforest, the Whitsundays for the silica beaches and islands, and a hop to Darwin for Kakadu National Park (ancient rock art, waterfalls and crocodiles). Heat, turquoise water and plenty of nature.
If driving is your thing, Australia has legendary routes: the Great Ocean Road (Victoria), the Pacific Coast from Sydney to Brisbane (beaches, Byron Bay, Gold Coast) and the Perth → Exmouth route along the West Coast (Pinnacles, Shark Bay, Ningaloo). We break them down in the next section.
Around 240 km from Torquay to Allansford, the country's most famous coastal road. You drive it from Melbourne and it deserves 2 days (not one): surf beaches (Bells Beach), wild koalas at Kennett River, the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge at sunset. Sleep in Apollo Bay or Port Campbell.
Around 900 km of East Coast along the Legendary Pacific Coast: endless beaches, Port Stephens and its dunes, Coffs Harbour, the hippie-chic vibe of Byron Bay (the easternmost point of the continent) and a finish in Brisbane or the Gold Coast. Ideal in 7–10 days stopping often.
More than 1,200 km of wild West Coast: the Pinnacles of the Nambung desert, Kalbarri, the bay of Shark Bay (Monkey Mia and its dolphins) and, as the finishing touch, the Ningaloo reef at Exmouth. A long, remote and spectacular road trip; allow 8–12 days and plan for fuel and water.
👉 Every stop explained in depth in the destinations guide: What to see in Australia →
Figures per person from Europe, including the international flight, domestic flights, accommodation, food and some excursions. Rough 2026 figures; they vary with the season, how far ahead you book and your style.
| Route | Budget style | Mid-range style |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (Sydney + getaways) | ≈ US$1,700–2,400 | ≈ US$2,700–3,800 |
| 2 weeks (classic East Coast) | ≈ US$2,700–3,500 | ≈ US$4,100–5,200 |
| 3 weeks (extended East Coast) | ≈ US$3,800–4,900 | ≈ US$5,400–7,000 |
| 1 month (+ Tasmania or West Coast) | ≈ US$4,900–6,300 | ≈ US$7,000–9,200 |
The long-haul flight and the domestic flights are the biggest expense of any route. To break it down line by line (flights, accommodation, food, excursions with real prices and a 2-week example calculated item by item):
👉 Full guide: how much it costs to travel to Australia (real budget with prices and examples) →
Rough 2026 figures. The visa fee is paid separately (the eVisitor 651 is free; the ETA 601 has a small charge; the 600 has a Government fee).
In Australia the seasons are reversed (summer from Dec to Feb, winter from Jun to Aug) and the country spans from the tropics to a cold climate, so the best time depends on the route:
👉 Full guide: when to travel to Australia, month by month and by region →
Confirm which one applies to you (ETA 601, eVisitor 651 or Visa 600) and get it right the first time. We explain it step by step.
🎓 Get the ETA 601 courseThe decision on any visa rests solely with the Department of Home Affairs.
For the classic East Coast (Sydney, Melbourne, Uluru by plane and Cairns or the Whitsundays), 2 weeks is ideal without rushing; with 10 days you trim it and with 3 weeks you enjoy it at a relaxed pace. The full East Coast from Sydney to Cairns easily fills 3–4 weeks.
No. Australia is as big as Europe: in 2 weeks it's best to pick one region (usually the East Coast) and do it well. Cramming in Sydney, Uluru, Cairns, Perth and Tasmania in 14 days means spending your trip in airports.
Combine both: flights for the big distances between regions and a car or campervan for coastal stretches like the Great Ocean Road or the Pacific Coast. It's the fastest and most comfortable option.
The classic East Coast in 2–3 weeks: Sydney and the Blue Mountains, Melbourne with the Great Ocean Road, Uluru by plane and Cairns or the Whitsundays. It brings together city, desert and reef with short flights.
Reduce distances and travel time: Sydney (beaches and zoo), the Gold Coast (theme parks) and Cairns (Great Barrier Reef and rainforest). Prioritise wildlife and beaches, and leave rest days between moves.
Per person from Europe: 2 weeks ~US$2,700–4,900, 3 weeks ~US$3,800–7,000 and a month from ~US$4,900–9,200 depending on style. The international and domestic flights are the biggest expense. See the breakdown →
