We are excited to be traveling to Australia and New Zealand during their springtime! With the exception of the unique outback desert, we will enjoy the beautiful lushness and blossoms of spring throughout our tour!
Days 1 & 2 – Depart from Home (Overnight Flight)
Today board your overnight flight to the land down under! Sit back and relax, you are embarking on a trip of a lifetime! We’ll give up a calendar day as we cross the International Date Line during our flight. Your R&J Tour Director is there to assist you throughout your flight.
Day 3 – Sydney
This morning, we arrive in Sydney where we will be welcomed by that great Australian hospitality! Soak up Sydney’s gorgeous harbor and great natural beauty. Sydney is the first stop on many Australian itineraries, and for good reason. It’s an inviting blend of exhilarating and easygoing. You can find excitement in the city, but drive just a few kilometers and you’ll hit the golden sand of famous beaches like Bondi and Manly. Plus, with endless nature at its doorstep, Sydney is the starting point for day trips serving up the fresh air, unique flavors, and locals who know a thing or two about living life to the fullest. We will be given a short orientation tour of the city before we proceed to a local restaurant for lunch. Then we will get settled into our hotel for the next three nights which is perfectly situated overlooking the gorgeous Sydney Harbour and Sydney Opera House! Tonight, we dine together for a fabulous welcome dinner with a chance to finally get introduced to our fellow travelers.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Hotel: Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel at Circular Quay (3 Nights)
Day 4 – Sydney Sightseeing & Opera House
Today we’ll receive a thorough introduction to Sydney and its neighbors as we tour downtown Sydney with our local guide. This tour takes us through the historic Rocks area and offers views of Hyde Park, St Mary’s Cathedral, Parliament House, and the Art Gallery. Then we are treated to a guided tour of the famous Opera House to see inside the world’s most recognizable sails! We will run our hands over the world-famous shell tiles, take a seat in the elegant custom-made white birch timber chairs, and marvel at the vaulted ceilings of one of the largest pillar-free chambers in the world. Once we’ve visited areas off-limits to the general public and captured photographs from rare vantage points inside this majestic Opera House, we’ll realize that from the outside one is only getting half the story! We’ll learn what inspired Danish architect Jorn Utzon to base his revolutionary design on ships’ sails. How did he solve an engineering challenge considered one of the most difficult attempted anywhere in the world? Enjoy every aspect of the building’s 14-year creation and 58-year history. Afterwards, we’ll stop at Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair, a sandstone rock cut into the shape of a bench in 1810, for magnificent views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. We’ll also visit The Gap and enjoy stunning views before we proceed to the world-famous Bondi Beach and enjoy the spectacular scenery. Enjoy lunch on your own at one of the many restaurants that dot this famous beach. Dinner and the evening are free to explore on your own.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 5 – Syndey & Featherdale Wildlife Park
The morning will be a trip to Featherdale Wildlife Park, which has evolved from a poultry farm into one of the best privately owned wildlife parks in Australia. We’ll enjoy learning about the animals and getting to know the inhabitants of the park, which include birds, mammals, reptiles and marsupials. We are also invited to enjoy a one-on-one personal experience with some of the animals. The afternoon is open to rest or explore on your own because we’ll want to be well rested for our all-inclusive Journey Beyond Dinner Cruise. We will be cruising around the beautiful Sydney Harbour on the exclusive 78ft luxury cruiser, Spirit of Migloo. This vessel is spacious and stunningly beautiful and will give us amazing and uninterrupted 360-degree views of one of the world’s most famous harbors! We’ll experience the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, and Luna Park as well as picturesque sunsets and the breathtaking spectacle of Sydney’s iconic attractions lit up at night. The chefs have created a menu highlighting the multicultural influences that make Sydney cuisine unique.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6 – Yulara
Today we fly to Ayers Rock where we will be staying at the luxurious Voyages Sails in the Desert Hotel, located in the heart of Australia’s Red Centre. This area beautifully contrasts Uluru’s raw natural beauty with a decidedly premium outback experience. This destination is where one of the world’s oldest cultures still thrives. There will be time on your own to explore this area, perhaps you’ll wish to enjoy our hotel’s expansive gumtree-lined, heated swimming pool. Find a local restaurant for lunch or head to one of the hotel’s three restaurants. This evening, we set out for an unforgettable experience, the Uluru Sunset Viewing Platform. This is the place to take the quintessential Uluru photo. As the sun sinks behind us, the rock transforms from pinkish hues to a fluorescent orange and deep shades of red! The sky also displays a varied palette of colors, with the rock surrounded by delicate baby blues and bright pinks.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Voyages Sails in the Desert Hotel (2 Nights)
Day 7 – Yulara
Awake early this morning and travel the short distance to the Uluru sunrise viewing platform. You have not experienced a sunrise like this before! As the slow rising sun marks the day, a stunning piece of artwork, created by three local Anangu women, comes to life through laser projection, music, and the natural environment of the desert floor. The iconic Ulura is our backdrop. Sunrise Journey is an intimate and sensory travel experience designed to last well beyond your stay. While being amazed by the incredible sights and sounds, we will enjoy the nourishing breakfast with native-inspired flavors and Australian chai-tea. Back to our hotel to freshen up before we continue touring with a base tour at Uluru, aka Ayers Rock. We’ll take in views at the Mutitjulu Waterhole and learn about the ancient indigenous culture of the area. We’ll engage in an artistic Dot Painting Workshop. We will have the opportunity to learn this ancient Anangu traditional art under the direction of a native Anangu artist. You’ll have some free time in the area later this afternoon as well as dinner on your own. This evening, we set out for another unforgettable experience. As darkness falls and Uluru is thrown into a silhouette, the Field of Lights illuminates. As far as the eye can see gentle rhythms of color light up the desert with 50,000 spindles of light, the stems breathing and swaying through a sympathetic desert spectrum of ochre, deep violet, blue and a gentle white.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8 – Yulara to Cairns
Today we will fly to Cairns. We will briefly visit St. Monica’s Cathedral, with its beautiful Peace Windows, which celebrate fifty years of peace in the Pacific region since the end of WWII. The Cathedral was built as a war memorial commemorating the decisive Battle of the Coral Sea, fought east of Cairns between May 4th and 8th, 1942. Then we’ll settle into the beautiful Shangri-La The Marina Hotel, which overlooks Marlin Marina. Dinner is served at a local restaurant tonight.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Hotel: Shangri-La The Marina Hotel (3 Nights)
Day 9 – Cairns area
Enjoy breakfast at our hotel before we walk to the marina Reef Terminal for a spectacular full day with Great Barrier Reef Cruise on the Ocean Spirit. This is a day you will never forget! Set sail upon a 32-meter catamaran to experience Michaelmas Cay’s unique reef environment – pristine sand surrounded by fringing reef and a protected sanctuary for migratory seabirds. You can be as active as you care to be today. Snorkel in the cay’s protected shallow waters, cruise in the semi-sub for a diver’s view of the reef, watch a fish feeding presentation and observe the island birdlife. If you prefer a more leisurely day, the ‘beach buggy shuttle’ provides transportation to and from the beach. While a wonderful buffet lunch is provided today, you’ll be on your own for dinner and the evening once we return to our hotel so you can enjoy Cairns and the Night Market in the area.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 10 – Cairns area
Another exciting day awaits us today! We’ll explore the rainforest via Skyrail, an amphibious WWII Army duck boat, and a scenic train. We’ll be mesmerized by a Pamagirri Aboriginal Experience. What a fantastic way to see and learn about all that makes the rainforest the special attraction it is! As our day winds down, we’ll take one last look at the rainforest we’ve enjoyed before heading back to our hotel for some free time to explore the area and enjoy some dinner.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 11 – Cairns to Melbourne
Following our last breakfast in Cairns, we’ll fly to Melbourne to continue our tour.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Sofitel Melbourne on Collins (3 Nights)
Day 12 – Melbourne
This morning after a good night’s rest and breakfast, we’ll experience an interesting Aboriginal talk. With one of our experienced Koorie guides, we will learn how the land on which Melbourne is located has changed over time and about the significance of the Birrarung Wilam to the local Kulin people. We will gain a deeper and meaningful understanding of this incredible location, an important gathering place for the Kulin Nation, and one of Melbourne’s most popular meeting hubs. After some free time to explore and lunch on your own, we’ll depart Melbourne for the rest of the day to Phillip Island. Phillip Island Nature Park is a natural home for koalas, seals, shearwaters and the Little Penquins. We’ll visit the Koala Conservatory which offers fantastic koala viewing in their natural habitat. Two elevated boardwalks bring us closer to the koalas as they go about their daily business of sleeping, eating, and sleeping some more. We’ll visit the Nobbies, (an important site for Australia’s largest colony of fur seals.) The Nobbies Centre sits atop a cliff on the very Western tip of Phillip Island overlooking the wild waters of the Bass Strait. The state-of-art centre boasts the latest technology in eco-tourism and wildlife displays. A further highlight of a visit to the Nobbies Centre is the boardwalk that winds its way around the cliff face, giving us spectacular views of the rugged coastline and the famous Blowhole. We’ll enjoy a wonderful dinner together and then the grand entrance at Summerland Beach at dusk for the Penguin Parade. Take a waddle on the wild side and see the world-famous parade. What a way to end our day! Then back to our hotel for a much-earned rest.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 13 – Melbourne Area
Today our guide takes us through the Yarra Valley, the lush region surrounding Victoria, Australia. Outside of Melbourne, the Yarra Valley represented a very significant segment in both the history and economic development of the State of Victoria. The Yarra Valley’s mix of fine food, excellent wines, and pristine nature is intoxicating. The region is considered one of Australia’s premium wine-producing areas, and arguably its top-rated visitor activity. Fruit orchards grow in abundance here. We’ll have an opportunity to visit both a fruit orchard and a vineyard today before dining together for a farewell to Australia dinner.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 14 – Christchurch, NZ
Today is a travel day as we fly from Australia to New Zealand.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Distinction Christchurch Hotel
Day 15 – Christchurch to Mount Cook Village
After breakfast at the hotel this morning, we’ll take a morning tour of Christchurch, the Garden City. Our tour includes a short walk to Cracroft Reserve located on Cracroft Hill, it provides a great view of the city below, plus the Southern Alps and sparkling Pacific Ocean. We’ll continue to the lovely Botanical Gardens for a pleasant stroll and a punt ride. As we sit back into the velvet cushions of our boat, the Edwardian punter propels us past the trailing willows and leafy banks of the prettiest stretch of the Avon River. After lunch on our own, we depart the city and head south to Mt Cook Village. We’ll have a scenic stop by Lake Tekapo to see the Church of the Good Shephard, and for a stroll around the Lake Tekapo lakeside village. Then on to Mt Cook, the tallest mountain in New Zealand, where Sir Edmund Hillary developed his climbing skills in preparation for conquering Everest!
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Hotel: The Hermitage Hotel Mt Cook (2 Nights)
Day 16 – Aoraki Mount Cook Village
After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll board a Zodiac boat with a glacier explorer guide. We’ll explore and learn about the ever-changing glacial landscape and listen to the vast ice face melting in this peaceful glacial lake. We’ll then get lunch on our own and head over to the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre to discover the history of this iconic region – a tribute to Sir Edmund Hillary, humanitarian, ambassador, and one of the world’s greatest explorers.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 17 – Queenstown
After departing mid-morning from Mt Cook Village, we’ll stop at Cromwell, in their Historic Precinct, to learn local history and for lunch on our own. Mid-afternoon we’ll continue our beautiful drive, traveling through the Kawarau Gorge and down the Gibbstown Valley to Queenstown, located on the shores of South Island’s Lake Wakatipu. After checking into our hotel, we’ll have dinner and have a leisure evening on our own.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Novotel Queenstown Lakeside (3 Nights)
Day 18 – Queenstown
This morning, we travel to Milford Sound, New Zealand’s most well-known tourist destination. It is not really a sound at all, but a fjord as it was created by a succession of glaciers which carved through the rocks. We’ll take in scenic stops enroute at Eglington Valley, Mirror Lakes, Home Tunnel, and the Chasm. This afternoon we take a Milford Sound cruise surrounded by stunning sheer cliffs, the inky blackness of the water, and frosty alpine peaks looming over it all, including the much-photographed and iconic Mitre Peak that rises more than a kilometer straight out of the sea. Waterfalls cascade into the fjord and luxuriant rainforest clings to the sheer rock faces in the exceptional place. We’ve even scheduled a 30-minute scenic flight from Milford Sound to Queenstown if the weather cooperates! The beauty of the afternoon will long be remembered after we return to Queenstown tonight. What a fantastic day to remember!
Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 19 – Queenstown
This morning, we will experience the canyons and see their beauty and power through the world’s most exciting jet boat ride. A unique combination of beauty and power, it’s an experience like no other, blending pristine natural landscape with wall-to-wall canyon action from start to finish! Then we’ll step back into time to a slower pace as we cruise on Lake Wakatipu aboard the TSS Earnslaw Steamship, where we can relive the elegance of turn-of-the-century travel. Watch the stokers fuel the fireboxes, feel the heat from the boilers, and hear the steam engines working as “the Lady of the Lake” takes us across beautiful lake Wakatipu. Later this afternoon, we take in spectacular views and stunning scenery as we ride the Skyline Gondola on the tallest cable car lift in the Southern Hemisphere. Our destination is Bob’s Peak and dinner about Queenstown and lake Wakatipu at the Stratosfare Restaurant. Best views in the area!
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 20 – Queenstown to Franz Josef
After breakfast, we say farewell to Queenstown, bound for Franz Josef Glacier Village. We will travel back via Cromwell and make a stop at Mrs. Jones Fruit Shop, with the opportunity to purchase some local fresh fruit or maybe one of their fresh fruit ice creams. We’ll enjoy a short stop at Lake Wanaka before we continue through the Haast Pass to Haast Village for lunch on our own. From here, we continue onto the Glacier Region. At Fox Glacier, we will stop at the road’s end and walk up the river to get closer views of one of the glaciers. Then on to our hotel for the night.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Hotel: Te Waonui Forest Retreat
Day 21 – Franz Josef to Christchurch
This morning, you may opt (at your own cost) to take a helicopter flight to land on the glacier. Then leaving Franz Josef, we’ll make a lunch stop at Hokitika, which is famous for its Hokitika sign on the beach. On to Greymouth, where we get on the Tranz Alpine Train, one of the world’s great train journeys! The Tranz Alpine crosses the West Coast to the East Coast of the South Island, traveling through the rainforest, then into Arthur’s Pass National Park before emerging onto the vast Canterbury Plains!
Included Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Distinction Christchurch Hotel
Day 22 – Christchurch to Rotorua
This morning we’ll board a flight from Christchurch to Rotorua, on the North Island of New Zealand. Once we arrive, we’ll enjoy a short city tour with our driver/guide. We’ll see conservation in action at one of the largest and most successful kiwi hatcheries in the world! An educational, thought-provoking, and truly unique experience. Then on to the Agrodome Farm Show, where we’ll hear amazing facts and have a few laughs as we’re introduced to the 19 sheep breeds. Then, we’ll witness a live sheep shearing demonstration and a fun sheep auction, with bidding from the floor and audience participation. But their animal stars are not just sheep. Their remarkable farm dogs will amaze you as they demonstrate their ability to respond to commands and keep those sheep (and ducks!) in line! If a hands-on experience is what you want, jump up on stage for the opportunity to feed the baby lambs or even hand-milk a cow! After getting to our hotel, feel free to explore the lake front and relax.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Pullman Rotorua (2 Nights)
Day 23 – Rotorua
First, we explore the Waitomo Glowworm Caves, as we take a boat ride through the glowworm grotto. Marvel at the thousands of magical glowworms and become a part of over 130 years of cultural and natural history. The upper level is dry and decorated with stunning, delicate cave formations, and the lower level consists of stream passages, glowworms and the Cathedral, the tallest chamber in the cave. Many guides are direct descendants of the Maori chief who initially explored the cave, bringing the cave to life through storytelling and explaining the world-famous cave’s history. Then we explore the Te Puia Thermal Reserve for a guided tour at the Whakarewarewa Park. We journey back to a time of proud warriors and ancient traditions with the Tamaki Maori Village Evening Experience. Set in the 200-year-old ancient Tawa Forest, we are invited to participate in and learn the poi, the haka, and enjoy displays of art. What the village delivers is more than just a performance, but a riveting spirited way of life.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 24 – Rotorua to Auckland
This morning following another wonderful breakfast, we check out of our hotel and head towards Auckland, with several stops along the way. Our first stop will be the enchanting village of Hobbiton Movie Set. We’ll enjoy a guided walking tour of this wonderful set featured in the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit trilogies. Fall in love with the Alexander family sheep farm, just as acclaimed director Sir Pete Jackson did, as we journey through the unequivocal beauty of the land, with the mighty Kaimai Ranges towering in the distance. Our guide will then escort us around the set, showing the intricate detailing, pointing out the most famous locations and explaining how the movie magic was made. After lunch, we discover a hidden gem right at the heart of the Waikato, the Hamilton Gardens. Each turn in the gardens reveals a new world, filled with intricate details and hidden surprises. Afterwards, we continue our journey to Auckland. Once we arrive in Auckland and check into our final hotel of our tour, we’ll gather for our farewell dinner in the iconic sky tower, far above the Auckland skyline. This provides us with wonderful views, fantastic food, and a chance to reminisce about our once in a lifetime tour of Australia and New Zealand!
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Hotel: SkyCity Hotel Auckland
Day 25 – Auckland to home
Today we board our flight back to the United States. What a remarkable Australia & New Zealand journey we have shared!
Included Meals: Breakfast
Deposit Due
Passport Needed
Tour Pace
Price Includes
Roundtrip airfare from MSP including all taxes & surcharges and all internal flights, driver/step-on guide tips, 38 Meals, all activities as stated in brochure, Expert Local Guides, Hotels, Fully escorted by R&J from MSP, GRATUITIES to Local Guides Included.
**PLEASE CALL FOR PRICING AVAILABLE AFTER JANUARY 20, 2026! 1-800-758-6877**
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- 38773AM00: Aoraki / Mount Cook (3754m) and Lake Pukaki in winter. Mt La Perouse (3078m) left, Tasman Valley and Burnett Mountains Range right. Panorama with late autumn colours, Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, MacKenzie District, New Zealand. Photocredit to be given as Rob Suisted / www.naturespic.co.nz.
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- SYDNEY CITY harbour bridge
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- Balgownie Estate
10/30/2026 11/23/2026
Tour Map
Tour Highlights
AUSTRALIA:
* 3 Nights in Sidney, including a Guided Tour of the Sydney Opera House and a wonderful Dinner Cruise against the Spectacular Backdrop of Sydney’s Skyline by Night
* 2 Nights in Yulara at The Desert Hotel in the Heart of Australia’s Red Centre. Uluru Sunset Viewing Platform and Sunrise Journeys. Field of Lights Dinner and Walkatjara Dot Painting Workshop
* 3 Nights in Cairns, the Famous “Village in the Rainforest,” including a Full Day Cruise through the Great Barrier Reef
* Kuranda Scenic Railway into Rainforestation with a Pamagirri Aboriginal Experience as well as an Army Duck Boat Rainforest Tour
* 3 Nights in Melbourne, seeing Penguin Parade at Phillip Island National Park and the Koala Conservation Center, the Nobbies and Yarra Valley
NEW ZEALAND:
* Punting on the Avon River in Christchurch
* Mount Cook National Park including Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre
* 3 Nights in Queenstown, including Milford Sound Nature Cruise with a Scenic Flight back to Queenstown, Cruise aboard the TSS Earnslaw Steamship, and the Skyline Gondola
* Visit the Franz Josef Glacier Region
* Ride the Tranz Alpine Express Train, the Southern Hemisphere’s most Scenic Railway Journey
* Kiwi Hatchery Tour
* Agrodome Farm Show
* Waitomo Glowworm Caves Tour
* Hobbiton Movie Set
