How many days do you need in Sydney & Melbourne?
- Most travelers spend 7-9 days in Sydney and Melbourne combined
- Visiting Sydney and Melbourne in 6 days is possible, but it will feel rushed
- With 10 or more days, most travelers choose to add more stops to their trip
- The most common extensions are Cairns, Port Douglas, and Palm Cove
How Many Days to Spend in Sydney
Recommended Itineraries for Sydney & Melbourne
Recommended Itinerary for 1 Week
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Sydney, Sydney Harbour Dinner Cruise | Sydney |
| Day 2 | Morning Guided City Tour, Afternoon Sydney Opera House Tour | Sydney |
| Day 3 | Day Trip to the Blue Mountains | Sydney |
| Day 4 | Fly to Melbourne, Evening Dinner, Tales & Cocktails Tour | Melbourne |
| Day 5 | Full-Day Phillip Island Tour & Penguin Plus | Melbourne |
| Day 6 | Full-Day Great Ocean Road Excursion | Melbourne |
| Day 7 | Depart Melbourne |
Australia's two greatest cities—Sydney and Melbourne—are like competitive siblings. Both are charming, vibrant, and interesting places to live and explore, and each has an entirely different personality to discover. With this seven-day itinerary, you'll spend a week experiencing the two with a series of immersive cultural and culinary experiences. Beyond the city limits, this itinerary includes special day trips to the Blue Mountains, Phillip Island, and the Great Ocean Road. Read more
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Extended Itineraries
1-Week Itinerary Including Cairns
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrival in Melbourne 7 November 2021 | Melbourne |
| Day 2 | Travel Great Ocean Road | Melbourne |
| Day 3 | Travel to Sydney and Afternoon Pub Tour | Sydney |
| Day 4 | Blue Mountains Hiking Day Trip | Sydney |
| Day 5 | Travel to Cairns | Cairns |
| Day 6 | Cairns - Great Barrier Reef Day Trip 29 December 2021 | Cairns |
| Day 7 | Departure From Melbourne |
On this weeklong trip to Australia, experience three different cities and several landmarks along the way. Begin in Melbourne, where you can enjoy local sightseeing, then travel the Great Ocean Road, which hosts scenic lookouts like The Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard. The next stop is Sydney, which includes a pub crawl and a day trip to the stunning Blue Mountains. The final leg takes you to Cairns, where the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park awaits, as well as a memorable finale at the world-famous Great Barrier Reef. Read more
10-Day Itinerary Including Cairns & Uluru
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Melbourne - Arrival | Melbourne |
| Day 2 | Phillip Island Penguin Parade | Melbourne |
| Day 3 | Melbourne - Great Ocean Road | Melbourne |
| Day 4 | Melbourne - Uluru (Ayers Rock) | Uluru |
| Day 5 | Uluru to Cairns | Cairns |
| Day 6 | Cairns - Great Barrier Reef | Cairns |
| Day 7 | Cairns - Kuranda Scenic Railway Skyrail and Wildlife Experience | Cairns |
| Day 8 | Sydney City Sights | Sydney |
| Day 9 | Sydney - Blue Mountains | Sydney |
| Day 10 | Departure from Sydney |
Cover the highlights on this 10-day tour that perfectly combines urban exploration with outdoor excursions starting in the cultural capital of Melbourne—a great jumping-off point to explore nearby Phillip Island and the Great Ocean Road. Venture into the "Red Center" to visit the iconic Ayers Rock before flying out to tropical Cairns to cuddle with a koala and snorkel the Great Barrier Reef. End your stay with a Sydney city tour and a day trip to Blue Mountains National Park. Read more
13-Day Itinerary Including Cairns & Gold Coast
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrival in Melbourne 7 November 2021 | Melbourne |
| Day 2 | Melbourne - City Tour | Melbourne |
| Day 3 | Melbourne - Free Day and Early Evening Tour. | Melbourne |
| Day 4 | Melbourne - Great Ocean Road Day Tour | Sydney |
| Day 5 | Sydney - Sydney Harbour Bridgeclimb 17 November 2021 | Sydney |
| Day 6 | Sydney - Free Day | Sydney |
| Day 7 | Travel to Gold Coast | Gold Coast |
| Day 8 | Gold Coast - Day Trip to Mount Tambourine National Park | Gold Coast |
| Day 9 | Free Day on the Gold Coast 19 December 2021 | Gold Coast |
| Day 10 | Cairns - Sydney 16 November 2021 | Sydney |
| Day 11 | Cairns - Daintree Rainforest Day Trip | Cairns |
| Day 12 | Cairns - Great Barrier Reef Day Trip 29 December 2021 | Cairns |
| Day 13 | Cairns - Free Day 30 December 2021 | Cairns |
| Day 14 | Departure From Melbourne |
Begin your journey in artsy Melbourne, exploring the hidden alleyways, vintage shopping, and quirky coffee shops. Spend a few days in bustling Sydney, then make your way up north to the Gold Coast, one of Australia's iconic surfing destinations. Your trip ends in Cairns with a visit to the famous Great Barrier Reef. Read more
How to travel between Sydney & Melbourne
Australia's two biggest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, look quite close together on the map, both being in the southeast of the huge country. But there are still 545 miles (877 km) between them. Here's how to get from Sydney to Melbourne. Read more
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