Itinerary

Day 1 Sydney

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.28 million. It is the state capital of New South Wales, and the site of the first British colony in Australia, established in 1788 at Sydney Cove by Arthur Phillip, leader of the First Fleet from Britain. Located on Australia's south-east coast, the city is built around Port Jackson, which includes Sydney Harbour, leading to the city's nickname, "the Harbour City". It is noted for the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, and its beaches. The metropolitan area is surrounded by national parks, and contains many bays, rivers and inlets.

Includes airport transfer to city/hotel with private vehicle, professional driver and local representative.

Upon check in at your hotel you will be provided with your welcome package. In the package you will receive a welcome letter, detailed itinerary, vouchers for each service, supplier contact list as well as various brochures of the destinations you will be visiting.

InterContinental Sydney (5*)is a true expression in luxury. Positioned on the edge of the world’s most stunning harbour, InterContinental Sydney is just a short stroll away from the famous Opera House, Royal Botanic Gardens, the ferries from Circular Quay and exclusive shops. Built around the restored Treasury Building of 1851, the hotel’s 509 contemporary designed guest rooms each with a picture frame view, include a collection of 28 suites that have been home to the world leaders and celebrities from across the globe for more than two decades. Beyond your room, discover the outstanding facilities and services of the hotel that include 24 hour Concierge, gymnasium and indoor heated swimming pool on the 31st floor with sensational harbour views.

Overnight at Intercontinental (5*).

Day 2 Sydney

See inside the world’s most recognizable sails on The Essential Tour at the Sydney Opera House. Experience this miracle of architecture and engineering. A work of art that came into existence against impossible odds – to become one of the busiest performing arts centres in the world. Working with a new enriching, interactive audio-visual component where images are projected onto the fabric of the building – the guides will take you on an emotional journey, engrossing you in a story to rival any opera plot with its dramatic twists and turns. You’ll visit one of the major venues – where we live performance every day. Some 1,500 performances, in every genre you can imagine, are staged each year to audiences of around 1.5 million. You will be inspired!

BridgeClimb is a 3½ hour adventure and an experience that will never be forgotten on one of the world's most modern wonders … The Sydney Harbour Bridge. Come and feel the thrill of making your way over 1,500 metres of steel as you venture across catwalks, ladders and arches. The BridgeClimb experience begins with a comprehensive briefing and safety demonstration to prepare you for the Climb of Your Life! The exhilaration and personal satisfaction achieved by reaching the top of the Bridge is rewarded by the breathtaking view that lies before you as you scale up the Sydney Harbour Bridge. There is no adventure like it in the world ...no view like it ...no feeling like it! Those that have climbed at night describe the Climb as a totally different kind of experience - something like a 'magical adventure as you hike up towards the heavens'. The night has a really intimate feel. You're enclosed in a blanket of darkness with just the bridge lights illuminating the structure in huge shadows. Once you get to the top it's amazing, you can see the lights across the Sydney metropolitan area. You're right up there!

Overnight at Intercontinental (5*).


Day 3 Blue Mountains

Discover a tempting combination of breathtaking nature, romantic accommodation, fine restaurants and indulgent shopping within two hours of Sydney, in the Blue Mountains World Heritage Listed National Park. Breathe the fresh mountain air and relax, as you marvel at a majestic landscape of waterfalls and awe-inspiring sandstone escarpments. Indulge at restaurants renowned for their creative use of fresh, local produce. Unwind with a rejuvenating day spa treatment.

Transfer from Sydney to the Blue Mountains by helicopter.

The Heritage Homestead was built in 1832 and has been restored with great attention to detail so it appears today as it did when Charles Darwin first visited the Wolgan Valley in 1836. The Homesteads fully restored kitchen garden provides the resort with organic produce and sets the scene for authentic Australian barbecues with stargazing and story telling. Truly a unique experience not to be missed.

Recently opened Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa (5*) is a luxury conservation-based resort located in Australia's Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage area. Modelled on acclaimed Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa in Dubai, the resort is set within its own private conservation and wildlife reserve where guests can enjoy absolute luxury, tranquility and connection with nature. Nestled between two National Parks and spread out at the foot of towering sandstone cliffs, the homestead-style resort occupies just two percent of the total land area of 4,000 acres. Up to 90 guests are catered for in 40 free-standing suites each with private swimming pool, and a main homestead with luxury facilities and stand-alone timeless spa. Guests are able to appreciate the very special natural, cultural and scenic values of the Wolgan Valley through a diverse range of nature based activities.

Overnight at Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa (5*).

Day 4 Blue Mountains

Explore the fascinating nocturnal world of the Australian Bush using spotlights to see rare possums, wombats, wallaroos and other night animals.

Overnight at Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa (5*).

Day 5 Ayers Rock

Uluru, also referred to as Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory, central Australia. It lies 335 km (208 mi) south west of the nearest large town, Alice Springs; 450 km (280 mi) by road. Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) and Uluru are the two major features of the Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park. Uluru is sacred to the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara, the Aboriginal people of the area. It has many springs, waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings. Uluru is listed as a World Heritage Site.

Today you will take a private transfer from Wolgan Valley Resort to Sydney via Bells Line Road.

 

Direct flight from Sydney to Ayers Rock.

Longitude 131 will arrange transportation to escort you between the airport and property.

After arriving at Longitude 131° and settling in, meet in the Dune House for a 3pm departure to the Cultural Centre where you will learn the cultural and spiritual meanings of Uluru & Kata Tjuta. Afterwards you will travel to Uluru, where we will take a short walk into Kantju Gorge. On arrival at the gorge we will serve refreshments 'inside' Uluru and watch the sunset. You will return to Longitude 131° at approximately 7.15pm.

On your return, relax in the Dune House over pre-dinner drinks and canapés before enjoying a gourmet dinner with your fellow travellers or for a special occasion a private dinner by the pool or on the Dune Top.

Luxurious, eco-sensitive and romantic, Longitude 131° (5*) offers immersion in the wilderness of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. This award-winning luxury wilderness camp in Australia's Red Centre has achieved new heights in ecotourism the world over. Longitude 131° is a deluxe camping experience like no other and set atop an isolated sand dune close to the border of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. In the crisp, white linen of a king-sized bed guest find the serene, silent sleep of the desert. Guests awake to their own private view of the amazing sun rising over Uluru (Ayers Rock).

Overnight at Longitude 131° (5*) .

Day 6 Ayers Rock

Depart Longitude 131° at 6am bound for Kata Tjuta. Upon arrival you will begin your journey with a guided tour of Walpa Gorge, where the natural history of Kata Tjuta is explained in great detail, learning how eons of weathering and continental upheaval have created what is seen today. You will return to Longitude 131° at approximately 10am.

Spend your afternoon at leisure or take the opportunity to enjoy any of our optional tours, such as a camel ride, Harley ride or helicopter tour over Uluru and Kata Tjuta.

Enjoy sunset drinks and canapés on the Dune Top from 6pm. You will then be transferred to our outdoor dining venue, where you'll have an unforgettable dining experience under the stars. Return to the Dune House for complimentary after dinner drinks.

Overnight at Longitude 131° (5*) .

Day 7 Cairns

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 sq mi). The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland in northeast Australia. This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. The Great Barrier Reef supports a wide diversity of life, and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981.

Depart the Dune House at 6am for Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park to view the sun rising over Uluru. You'll then continue to the Mutitjulu Waterhole to view cave paintings and hear of the Kuniya/Liru Tjukurpa story. You will return to the Dune House at 9.15am for a well-earned continental buffet and a la carte cooked breakfast.

Longitude 131 will arrange transportation to escort you between the airport and property.

Take your flight from Ayers Rock to Cairns today. The flight duration is approximately 2.5 hrs.

Transfer between Cairns airport and your city hotel with private vehicle and driver.

The Shangri-La Hotel, The Marina, Cairns, one of the most distinguished hotels in Cairns, sets the standard for contemporary luxury and service in one of Australia’s most beautiful seaside destinations.Cairns' premier hotel, Shangri-La Hotel, The Marina, Cairns, provides a haven of unsurpassed luxury in a tropical city setting. The hotel is magnificently positioned within the cosmopolitan Pier complex, overlooking the Marlin Marina and the Coral Sea.

Shangri-La's special blend of service and attention to detail, combined with the ultra-chic guestrooms, make for memorable stays, and guests aspiring to return. It is a fresh modern hotel with appealing decor, offering all the creature comforts that well travelled guests anticipate. The spectacular waterfront location is renowned as Cairns’ premier dining precinct, hosting some of Cairns’ most acclaimed restaurants and bars.

Overnight at Shangri La Hotel, The Marina..

Day 8 Hamilton Island

Hamilton Island is the second largest inhabited island of the Whitsunday Islands. Unlike most islands off the east coast of Australia, Hamilton Island is used almost exclusively for tourism. Visitors can catch glimpses of migrating whales as they make their way through the warm waters of the Whitsundays around July-September each year. Hamilton Island Airport is the only airport in the Whitsunday Islands that is big enough to cater for larger commercial aircraft. Hamilton Island is also catered for by several ferry services, which can only carry passengers.

Transfer between Cairns airport and your city hotel with private vehicle and driver.

Take your flight from Cairns to Queensland Islands (Hamilton Apt) today. The flight duration is approximately 1 and a half hour.

Make the most of holidaying in a car-free zone and hire a Hamilton Island golf buggy, one of the island’s icons. Easy to drive, two- and four-seater Hamilton Island golf buggies have a canopy to shade you from the sun, headlights for night driving, and drink-holders for your refreshments.

Full drivers licence is essential to hire a buggy.

The Qualia Great Barrier Reef (5*) is a unique Australian expression of world-class luxury, situated on the secluded northern-most tip of Hamilton Island. This resort immerses you in a relaxed atmosphere, offering personalised and intuitive service. qualia is a truly special place where everything has been meticulously considered to relax the mind yet completely spoil the senses. Facilities at the resort are absolute world-class, from the infinity pools and state-of-the-art fitness center, to the award-winning restaurants, that serve the best of contemporary Australian cuisine in relaxed and informal atmosphere, overlooking the Coral Sea.

Overnight at Qualia Great Barrier Reef (5*).

Day 9 Hamilton Island

Take a 60 minute scenic flight over the Whitsunday Islands, Whitehaven Beach, the Great Barrier Reef and Heart Reef before making a water landing to spend one and a half hours on the famous Whitehaven Beach. Snorkelling equipment, chilled champagne and tropical fresh fruit platters are complimentary to enjoy whilst relaxing in the sun or under the shade of your beach parasol.

Overnight at Qualia Great Barrier Reef (5*).

Day 10 Hamilton Island

Enjoy a full buffet breakfast with Australia's most loved animal- The Koala. Not only will you dine meters away from these cuddly animals you can speak to trainers, and have some great photo opportunities while taking in the breathtaking and spectacular views of the Whistsundays.

Fantasea Reefworld is situated at Hardy Reef, approximately 40 nautical miles from the mainland and is the largest floating pontoon facility in Australia, with two pontoons measuring a total length of 86 metres. Travel to Reefworld on a high speed, air conditioned catamaran, fitted out for day cruise operations and a smooth, comfortable passage. Hardy Reef is a healthy platform reef which allows for sheltered and protected snorkelling and swimming conditions year round. Inside Hardy Reef on a channel referred to as "the river", Reefworld is the best way to see everything the Great Barrier Reef has to offer. The location and strategic positioning of Reefworld at Hardy Reef means that you will spend less time on the vessel and more time exploring the Great Barrier Reef!

Overnight at Qualia Great Barrier Reef (5*).

Day 11 Cairns

Jetstar flight from Hamilton Island to Brisbane direct.

 

Kensington Tours donates a portion of proceeds to our charitable initiative www.kensingtoncares.com which supports education-based initiatives in disadvantaged communities.

Depart from Cairns international airport - end of itinerary.

Overnight at Depart.

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