Australian Animals and Adventure

This itinerary is the starting point for your tour, but it’s not set in stone. If there are days you would like to change, or specific places you’d like to go, we can work with you to create a personalized program that fits the needs of you and your students.

Day 1: Overnight Flight

Depart from the USA.

Day 2: Overnight Flight

You'll cross the International Dateline en route. But don't worry—the day that escapes you now is recovered on your return!

Day 3: Sydney

Welcome to Australia! Arrive in Sydney, one of the country's most beguiling cities, and meet your Australian Tour Manager. On the way to your hotel, enjoy an orientation sightseeing tour that includes Bondi Beach. You may opt to stretch your legs on the Bondi to Bronte Coastal Walk, a spectacular clifftop trail with amazing views of the ocean and beaches. Dine together on an included welcome lunch, then continue to Watsons Bay where you will take in amazing views of Sydney Harbour from the lookout. Then check-in at your hotel and have the rest of the day to begin exploring Sydney at your own pace.

Day 4: Sydney

Begin today with a ferry ride from the Darling Harbour neighborhood to Circular Quay, showing you Sydney Harbour's vibrant boat activity and notable landmarks. You'll get a good view of the magnificent Sydney Harbour Bridge from the water as you travel beneath it. Later enjoy an afternoon tour of Australia's most famous building and architectural wonder, the iconic Sydney Opera House. There will be time to explore and shop in The Rocks, a historic district at the base of the bridge that is the original settlement in Australia on Sydney Harbour. Then enjoy the views from Sydney Harbour Bridge itself, as you walk along it from South to North before catching a ferry from Milsons Point back to Darling Harbour.

Day 5: Sydney

This morning board the fast ferry at Circular Quay for a trip to Manly, one of Sydney's popular beachside suburbs. Get ready to get wet: You'll swim with native marine life during a guided snorkeling tour of Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve off Shelly Beach. Later, you'll learn even more about native wildlife and the local environment during a nature walk. Lunch in Manly is included today instead of dinner. If you're not totally knackered, the rest of the afternoon is yours to continue exploring Manly at your own pace before boarding the ferry back to Sydney.

Day 6: Sydney

Visit SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium this morning, a captivating underwater world located in Darling Harbour. It features themed zones, like a Great Barrier Reef exhibit, and showcases over 13,000 marine creatures from more than 700 species, making it one of the largest collections of Australian aquatic life. In the afternoon you will have the opportunity to shop for souvenirs and experience Paddy’s Markets—the spot where locals and visitors alike can find anything and everything! Later on you'll enjoy dinner in the sky at SkyFeast at Sydney Tower, a famous revolving restaurant located almost 1,000 feet up and offering breathtaking views of the harbor.

Day 7: Port Stephens

The world's oldest living culture comes to life this morning during a Barangaroo Aboriginal Cultural Tour, led by an Aboriginal guide. You'll learn about the fascinating history of Australia's First People as well as how these resourceful natives lived off the land and in harmony with the land, using plants and animals for food, tools and weapons. Then depart for Port Stephens, famous for its scenic bays, whale- and dolphin-watching opportunities and more than two dozen beaches.

Day 8: Port Stephens

This morning board a boat for your dolphin-watching tour, where you'll marvel at these wonderful and much-loved local animals in their native habitat and enjoy picturesque views of the harbour, including the awe-inspiring Tomaree and Yacaaba headlands. This afternoon, you'll head ashore for Stockton Beach, home to the largest sand dunes in Australia. An action-filled Sandboarding Safari will take you across the magnificent sand dunes in custom 4WD vehicles to a sandboarding area, right in the heart of the dunes.Here, professional instructors will teach you the safe method of sandboarding.

Day 9: Port Stephens

During today's guided tour of Tilligerry Habitat Reserve, you'll get a close-up look at the diverse plants and animals that thrive in this shoreline area along Tanilba Bay. It features a variety of natural environments, including scenic forests, wetlands, and coastal scrub, and opportunities to see koalas, echidnas, and bandicoots in their natural surroundings. Birdwatchers will also enjoy the chance to see over 100 native bird species. The rest of the afternoon is yours to relax on the beach or explore Port Stephens.

Day 10: Sydney

On the way back to Sydney this morning, more scenic beauty beckons as you visit Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, noted for its diverse coastline, rain forest and bushland ecosystems. During a bush walk, you'll search for native Australian flora and fauna, including a local wallaby population. Then it's time for a kayak safari. You'll follow an eco-guide, who'll point out everything from sea eagles and stingrays to wallabies and kookaburras as you glide through a wind-protected estuary. Later, you'll arrive back in Sydney and gather for a final farewell dinner.

Day 11: Departure

Depart for the USA.