Australia travel guide: when to go, where to go and how to plan it together

November 8, 2026 · 9 min read

Australia is a continent, and the first lesson of any trip is that distances are very large. Sydney to Perth is more than 3,000 kilometres in a straight line, and a day's drive can pass through nothing but red dust and road trains. The reward is variety: surf beaches and harbour cities, tropical reef and rainforest, red desert, wine valleys, wild coast and the strange wildlife that goes with all of it.

Most visitors do well by choosing two or three regions and flying between them, not trying to see everything. This guide covers when to go, where to go, a fourteen-day route and what changes when you are planning it with friends.

Capital: Canberra
Currency: Australian dollar (A$)
Languages: English
Plugs: Type I, 230 V
Driving: On the left
Time zone: Three main zones, UTC+8 (Perth), UTC+9:30 (Adelaide, Darwin) and UTC+10 (Sydney, Brisbane); daylight saving from October to April in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and the ACT only
Best time to go: September to November and March to May
Daily budget: About US$140–260 a person a day, mid-range, 2026

When to go

Seasons are the reverse of the northern hemisphere: summer is December to February. Australia is also so big that the best time depends on where you are going.

Spring (September to November) is a great all-round time. The south warms up, wildflowers bloom in Western Australia, whales pass the east coast on their way south, and the tropical north is hot but still dry before the wet season. Crowds are lower than in summer.

Summer (December to February) is the time for the southern beaches and cities, with long days and the busiest holiday season of the year. Schools are on holiday and prices are high, especially around Christmas and January. It is also very hot inland and in the centre, where Uluru can be too hot to walk in the middle of the day. In the tropical north, summer is the wet season, with humidity, monsoon rain and a risk of cyclones from about November to April. Box jellyfish, known as stingers, make swimming in the sea unsafe in much of the tropical north in these months; swim only in marked, netted areas. Bushfire seasons can affect parts of the south and east too, so check conditions on official sites if you travel in summer.

Autumn (March to May) is mild and settled in most of the south, and the north is drying out. It suits Melbourne, Sydney and the wine regions, with fewer visitors.

Winter (June to August) is the best time for the centre, with clear, warm days and cold nights around Uluru, and for the tropical north, which is dry and comfortable. It is cold and wet in Tasmania and Melbourne, and the Alps are the season for skiing. It is also whale-watching season on the east coast.

Easter, Christmas and January are the busiest periods for domestic travel. Book flights and accommodation well ahead. Public holidays such as Australia Day on 26 January and Anzac Day on 25 April bring long weekends.

Where to go

Sydney

A harbour city with the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and a ring of beaches. Take a ferry across the harbour, walk the coastal path from Bondi to Coogee, and climb or walk the bridge. Day trips to the Blue Mountains are easy by train. Three or four days.

Melbourne

Australia's coffee, arts and sports city, with laneways of street art, cafés and bars, and trams across the centre. It is the starting point for the Great Ocean Road, one of the world's great coastal drives, past the Twelve Apostles rock stacks. Three days in the city, and two on the road.

The Great Barrier Reef and Cairns

The world's biggest coral reef system runs for more than 2,000 kilometres off Queensland. Cairns and Port Douglas are the main bases for snorkelling and diving trips, and the Daintree rainforest meets the sea a little north. Stay at least three days, and check the stinger season before you plan swimming.

Uluru and the Red Centre

The great red monolith, Uluru, and the domes of Kata Tjuta rise out of the desert in a national park owned and managed by its Aboriginal traditional owners. Walk the base at sunrise, learn about Anangu culture, and see the stars. Kings Canyon is several hours away by road. Three days, flying into Uluru's own airport or Alice Springs.

Tasmania

An island state of wild coast, mountains and good food. Hobart has an excellent museum and waterfront market; further out are the beaches of the Freycinet Peninsula and the walks in Cradle Mountain. Four to five days.

Perth and the south-west

Perth has beaches and a river, and is the most isolated big city in the world. Rottnest Island offers cycling and the friendly quokkas, and the Margaret River region has wine, forest and surf beaches. Four days.

The Top End

Darwin is the gateway to Kakadu National Park, a wetland of rock art, wildlife and waterfalls. The dry season, roughly May to October, is the time to go, as the wet season floods roads and closes sites.

Adelaide and the Barossa

A calm, walkable city near the Barossa and McLaren Vale wine regions, and the starting point for Kangaroo Island, where you can see sea lions, koalas and kangaroos in the wild. Three days.

A 14-day itinerary

Days 1–4: Sydney. Arrive and take it slowly. Spend a day on the harbour and Bondi, one in the Blue Mountains and a day on the city's neighbourhoods.

Days 5–8: Cairns and the Reef. Fly from Sydney, about 3 hours. Take a reef trip and spend a day in the Daintree, with a night or two in Port Douglas.

Days 9–11: Uluru. Fly from Cairns, usually via Sydney or another hub, so allow most of a day. See the sunrise at Uluru, walk around the base and watch the stars.

Days 12–14: Melbourne. Fly from Uluru, with a connection if there is no direct flight. Walk the laneways, ride a tram and, if you can, add a night on the Great Ocean Road. Fly home from Melbourne.

With more time, add Tasmania or a drive along the Great Ocean Road. For a shorter trip, choose Sydney and the Reef, or Melbourne and Tasmania.

Getting around

Flights are the way to cover the distances. Several airlines, full-service and low-cost, link the big cities, and flights between them take one to four hours; Perth is the longest at about five hours from Sydney. Book early for school holidays, and check baggage rules, as the cheapest fares are strict.

Trains link the main cities in a few places, such as Sydney to Melbourne, but they are slow compared with flights. Great rail journeys, like the Ghan from Adelaide to Darwin, are trips in themselves, not transport.

Driving is how most people explore the coast and countryside. Traffic keeps to the left, and speed limits are strictly enforced. Distances between towns can be hundreds of kilometres, with no fuel or phone signal in between, so fill up when you can and carry water. Do not drive at dusk or dawn in the countryside, when kangaroos are active. Read our guides to renting a car abroad and planning a road trip, and see planning a campervan trip if you want a van.

In cities, trains, trams, buses and ferries use rechargeable transit cards or contactless payments, and ride-hailing apps are widely used.

Money and costs

Cards are accepted almost everywhere, including contactless for small purchases, and you rarely need cash. ATMs are common in towns, but remote areas have few.

Tipping is not expected, as wages are higher than in many countries. Rounding up or leaving a small tip for exceptional service is fine, but never required.

Australia is one of the more costly places to travel. Accommodation, restaurant meals, flights and tours add up, particularly in tourist areas and during school holidays. Supermarket food, public transport and free beaches and parks are the way to keep costs down, along with self-catering apartments.

Rough daily costs a person, in 2026:

Budget: about US$80–130, with hostels, self-catered meals and public transport.
Mid-range: about US$140–260, with hotels or apartments, restaurant meals and a few tours.
Comfortable: US$350 and up, with good hotels, a rental car and guided trips.

Planning Australia as a group

Australia suits groups who like the outdoors, and a rented car, van or house makes it affordable. Decide a few things early.

Fewer places, more time. A group of six that tries Sydney, the Reef, Uluru and Perth in two weeks spends a lot of it in airports. Pick two or three regions.

Vehicles. A campervan or a seven-seat car gives freedom, but a larger group needs two vehicles. Agree who drives, as every driver needs a licence that is valid for Australia and rental rules differ.

Stays. Beach houses, holiday parks with cabins and apartments sleep four to eight at a lower cost per person than hotel rooms. Book summer stays many months ahead.

Tours. Reef trips, Uluru tours and wine days are priced per person, and group bookings can be easier to arrange in advance. Book a seat for the whole group on the same boat or tour.

Costs. The van, the fuel, the reef trip and the dinners get paid by one person each. Log them as they happen, in Australian dollars, so the trip ends with a few simple payments.

Before you go

Entry rules: check the official government site of Australia and your own government's travel advice before you book. Requirements depend on your passport, and some travellers need to apply before they fly.
Travel insurance that covers medical costs, which can be high for visitors, and cancellations.
Connectivity: an eSIM or a local SIM works in cities and towns. Coverage is patchy in the outback and on remote roads, so download maps before you set off. See eSIMs and staying connected.
A plug adapter for Type I at 230 V. It has two flat angled pins, and many adapters from other regions do not fit.
Health: no special vaccines are usually needed; ask a travel clinic. The sun is strong, so use sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses every day.
Customs: Australia has strict biosecurity rules, and you must declare food, plant material and outdoor gear, including used boots and tents. Swim between the flags on patrolled beaches, as rip currents are common. Respect Aboriginal sites and ask before photographing people.

What to pack

Pack for sun first: a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, high-factor sunscreen and a rash vest or long-sleeved swim top for the reef. Light, loose clothes cover most of the year, with a fleece and a rain jacket for evenings, the south and winter.

Bring walking shoes with grip, a reusable water bottle, insect repellent and a small first-aid kit. For Tasmania and the Alps, pack warm layers even in summer. A day pack is useful for tours and walks.