Original
Explorer
Sydney to Cairns Adventure
14 days • 4.8
5
Excellent
circle22 reviews
location_on 14 days
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Start
Sydney, Australia
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Finish
Cairns, Australia
tour
Trip Code
PZSPC
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Min Age
15
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Trip Size
1 - 16
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Physical Rating
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Meals
3 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 1 dinner
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Transport
Private vehicle, Ferry, Overnight train, Boat, 4WD
bed
Accommodation
Hotel (5 nights), Cabins (5 nights), Overnight train (1 night), Holiday Apartments (2 nights)
From £3,249(14 days)
Trip Informations
Why you’ll love this trip
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Take a guided walkabout tour around Sydney Harbour with a local Aboriginal guide who will teach you about local First Nations history, Dreaming and the spiritual connection to Country, while you soak in gorgeous iconic views.
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Get in touch with Australia’s wilderness and wildlife. Meet cute and cuddly koalas at an animal hospital, look out for whales if the seaosn is right and explore the rainforest and waterfalls in Dorrigo National Park.
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Plenty of beachtime awaits with stays in Hervey Bay, Byron Bay, Airlie Beach, Mission Beach and a full-day tour of the Whitsundays, including Whitehaven Beach, where you will go snorkelling among giant tropical fish and corals and then relax on the 7 km stretch of beach as the sun descends.
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Take an incredible 4WD adventure through the breathtaking landscape of K'gari (formerly Fraser Island). Ride across sand dunes and vast golden beaches in search of the iconic outback creature, the dingo.
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Explore Mungalla Wetlands with a First Nations guide as you search for aquatic birdlife and learn about the history and culture of the Nywaigi people.
Is this trip right for you?
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This trip covers around 2500 km (1550 miles) over fourteen days. There are some long travelling days but it’s all part of the adventure and a great way to get to know your fellow travellers.
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This trip includes an overnight train, which is super comfortable and features RailBeds, charging stations and USB ports. The overnight train is in RailBed class and is not accompanied by a tour leader. Should the train not operate due to track works or other factors outside of our control, it will be replaced with alternative transportation and an additional night stay in a destination enroute.
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Multiple activities on this trip are subject to weather and water conditions and on occasion, may be cancelled for safety or operational reasons. In the case of cancellation, we will endeavour to find a suitable replacement activity.
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This trip forms part of a longer combination tour. If you would like to continue exploring the east coast with us, consider booking our 'East Coast Encompassed' trip (trip code PZSVC). See our website for details.
Itinerary
Big cities, serene sights, unique wildlife and superb coastline
Weave your way from Sydney to Cairns along Australia’s breathtaking east coast on this 14-day adventure. Start by sampling some of Australia’s best wines in the Hunter Valley, get up close and cuddly with koalas in Dorrigo National Park and soak up the vibes of Byron Bay. The good times keep rolling over state lines, as Queensland offers the beautiful Whitsundays, the wilderness of the Atherton Tablelands and the sublime scenery and vast golden beaches of K’gari (formerly Fraser Island). By the time you wrap up in Cairns, you’ll have had a truly all-Australian experience.
- DAY 1Day 1 • Sydney / Hunter Valley / Cessnock
- DAY 2Day 2 • Crowdy Bay National Park / Port Macquarie
- DAY 3Day 3 • Port Macquarie / Dorrigo National Park / Coffs Harbour
- DAY 4Day 4 • Coffs Harbour / Byron Bay
- DAY 5Day 5 • Byron Bay
- DAY 6Day 6 • Springbrook National Park / Gold Coast / Brisbane
- DAY 7Day 7 • Brisbane / Noosa / Hervey Bay
- DAY 8Day 8 • K'gari (Fraser Island) / Hervey Bay
- DAY 9Day 9 • Hervey Bay / Overnight Train
- DAY 10Day 10 • Airlie Beach
- DAY 11Day 11 • Whitsunday Islands / Whitehaven Beach / Airlie Beach
- DAY 12Day 12 • Townsville / Paluma Range National Park / Lucinda
- DAY 13Day 13 • Mungalla Station / Mission Beach
- DAY 14Day 14 • Atherton Tablelands / Cairns
Inclusions
restaurant_menu Meals
3 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 1 dinner
airport_shuttle Transport
Private vehicle, Ferry, Overnight train, Boat, 4WD
bed Accommodation
Hotel (5 nights), Cabins (5 nights), Overnight train (1 night), Holiday Apartments (2 nights)
festival Included activities
circleHunter Valley - Winery Visit & Wine Tasting
circleSydney - The Rocks Dreaming Walking Tour with Aboriginal Guide
circleCrowdy Bay National Park - Diamond Head Hike
circlePort Macquarie - Koala Hospital guided tour
circleDorrigo National Park - Short Hike
circleDorrigo National Park - Rainforest Centre & Skywalk
circleCoffs Harbour - Red Rock Gumbaynggirr First Nations experience
circleByron Bay - Lighthouse Walk
circleSpringbrook National Park - Natural Bridge
circleByron Bay - The Farm visit
circleK'gari - Full day tour
circleAirlie Beach - Full day Whitsunday Islands & Whitehaven Beach Tour with Snorkelling
circlePaluma Range National Park - Crystal Creek
circleTownsville - Castle Hill Lookout
circleMungalla Station - Nywaigi First Nations Guided Tour
circleAtherton Tablelands - Curtain Tree boardwalk
circleAtherton Tablelands - Lake Eacham walk
circleAtherton Tablelands - Millaa Millaa Falls
museum Optional activities
circleHervey Bay - Whale Watching (Jul-Oct) - AUD122
circleAirlie Beach - Coral Beach walk - Free
Dates and availability
Starting
Ending
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Prices From
Sunday Jun 08, 2025
Saturday Jun 21, 2025
Trip size max: 16 - 1 space left
£3,823£3,631
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Sunday Jun 22, 2025
Saturday Jul 05, 2025
Trip size max: 16 - 11 spaces left
£3,823£3,631
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Sunday Jul 06, 2025
Saturday Jul 19, 2025
Trip size max: 16 - 9 spaces left
£3,823£3,440
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Sunday Jul 20, 2025
Saturday Aug 02, 2025
Trip size max: 16 - 1 space left
£3,823£3,440
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Sunday Aug 03, 2025
Saturday Aug 16, 2025
Trip size max: 16 - 5 spaces left
£3,823£3,249
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Sunday Aug 17, 2025
Saturday Aug 30, 2025
Trip size max: 16 - 9 spaces left
£3,823£3,249
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Sunday Aug 31, 2025
Saturday Sep 13, 2025
Trip size max: 16 - 5 spaces left
£3,823£3,249
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Sunday Sep 14, 2025
Saturday Sep 27, 2025
Trip size max: 16 - 1 space left
£3,823£3,440
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Sunday Sep 28, 2025
Saturday Oct 11, 2025
Trip size max: 16 - Sold Out
Sunday Oct 05, 2025
Saturday Oct 18, 2025
Trip size max: 16 - 15 spaces left
£4,587£4,128
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Sunday Oct 12, 2025
Saturday Oct 25, 2025
Trip size max: 16 - 1 space left
£4,021£3,618
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Sunday Oct 26, 2025
Saturday Nov 08, 2025
Trip size max: 16 - 7 spaces left
£4,021£3,618
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Sunday Nov 09, 2025
Saturday Nov 22, 2025
Trip size max: 16 - 1 space left
£4,021£3,819
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Sunday Nov 23, 2025
Saturday Dec 06, 2025
Trip size max: 16 - 6 spaces left
£4,021£3,819
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Sunday Nov 30, 2025
Saturday Dec 13, 2025
Trip size max: 16 - 11 spaces left
£4,208£3,997
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Important notes
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START & END POINT TIME & LOCATION
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The trip starts in Sydney with a Welcome Meeting at 9am on Day 1 at our joining point hotel. The trip finishes on arrival in Cairns on Day 14 at our finish point hotel around 5pm. Accommodation is not included on this day but can be booked on request subject to availability.
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SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
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A Single Supplement can be booked if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip, subject to availability.
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OVERNIGHT TRAIN
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The overnight train is in RailBed class and is not accompanied by a tour leader. Luggage weight (max 20kg for main luggage, 7kg for hand luggage) and size (23cm x 34cm x 48cm) limits apply for our overnight train journey. Please note that throughout the year scheduled railway track works may take place on the route from Hervey Bay to Airlie Beach, sometimes at short notice. Should the train not operate due to track works or other factors outside of our control, you will be driving with your leader instead, with an overnight in Tannum Sands, taking approximately 15 hours split across two days. Currently we are aware of Queensland Rail having track works tentatively scheduled for the following departure dates, likely affecting your departure as described above:
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• Sydney to Cairns Adventure, departing Sydney on 14th March 2025 (trip code PZSPC250314)
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• Sydney to Cairns Adventure, departing Sydney on 21st March 2025 (trip code PZSPC250321)
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• Sydney to Cairns Adventure, departing Sydney on 3rd August 2025 (trip code PZSPC250803)
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COMBINATION TRIP
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This is a combination trip made up of two shorter trips. This means the composition of your group may change in Brisbane as some group members leave and new ones join you. It’s also part of a longer itinerary.
Reviews (22)
5 stars
18
4 stars
4
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Joel
Apr 27, 2025
An unforgettable trip! We explored breathtaking nature, discovered so much, and always had something exciting to see. Our group was fantastic, and our guides—Rachel, Brandon, and Darren—went above and beyond to make sure we had the best time ever!
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Rosemary
Apr 27, 2025
Take from above if you wish
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Edith
Apr 04, 2025
Intrepid give us the best service and make our life memorable
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Neil
Mar 28, 2025
The trips to Australia 🇦🇺 was amazing 🤩 and I love return to Australia in the near future
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Julie
Mar 17, 2025
AMAZING TRIP - beautiful locations, lots of activities and great tour guides
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Brooke
Feb 18, 2025
This is an absolute MUST trip! We had a mix of solo travellers and couples and it was great having the diversity. This is a full comprehensive trip, covering the best of the East Coast with every day planned to perfection. I’ve had the best time as a solo traveller and feel beyond lucky to have had Rachel leading the way. Now’s the time for you to experience, go book!!
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Jean
Feb 18, 2025
What a phenomenal trip from Sydney to Cairns! Our guide, Rachel, went out of her way to accommodate the unique interests and needs of all her guests. Activities were well organized and could accommodate different levels of involvement! Would love to do Australia again with Intrepid!
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Giulia
Jan 16, 2025
This was my first trip with Intrepid, and I highly recommend it. The Sydney to Cairns tour perfectly met my expectations. Our team leaders (Rachel and Brendan) were amazing, and my travel group was fantastic. I will definitely book another trip with Intrepid to explore a different destination.
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Serena
Nov 25, 2024
Awesome trip, would have loved to stayed a bit longer at some locations than some short day trips. Especially a day in Cairns. The guides were very knowledgeable and kind and had great recommendations for meals. We visited absolutely beautiful locations and made some life long friends on the trip!
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Diana
Nov 11, 2024
This trip was a great introduction to Australia. It covered a lot of ground and there were several long days on the bus but it was all well worth it. Excellent choice for someone who enjoys road trips, great company and lots of adventure. Highly recommended!