East Coast Beaches and Reef

12 days
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4.7/5 Excellent
100+ reviews  
98%
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USTOA

Cancellation Policy
Small Group Tour
On this East Coast Australia tour, prepare yourself for record-breaking attractions: The Great Barrier Reef (the largest of its kind), the Wet Tropics of Queensland (some of the oldest rainforest on the planet), and K’gari (Fraser Island), the largest sand island in the world. All rightly have World Heritage status, and are on your itinerary. Along with glori...
26%
$6,939
From$5,140
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Overview

Trip type
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Moderate
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

What's this trip about?

    On this East Coast Australia tour, prepare yourself for record-breaking attractions: The Great Barrier Reef (the largest of its kind), the Wet Tropics of Queensland (some of the oldest rainforest on the planet), and K’gari (Fraser Island), the largest sand island in the world. All rightly have World Heritage status, and are on your itinerary. Along with glorious swathes of sand stretching from Cairns to Sydney.

Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeGroup - max of 40 people
Age range6 years and up
Flights and transportN/A
Start CityCairns
End CitySydney

Travel Themes

  • 50 plus
  • Cultural

Destinations

Activities

  • Culture

Max Group Size

  • Max Group Size: 40

Trip includes

    • • Specialist team of two highly experienced Travel Director and Driver • 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites – K’gari (Fraser Island), Great Barrier Reef & Wet Tropics of Queensland (Barron Gorge National Park, Skyrail) • Comfortable accommodation with easy access to city centres • Cape Byron Lighthouse Permit & Crater Lake National Park entrance fees (Millaa Millaa Falls)

Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1: Welcome to Cairns

Cairns is not only the gateway to Tropical North Queensland, but also the Great Barrier Reef, that enormous swathe of World Heritage-listed coral that hugs the Queensland coast. Take today easy, because the next few are going to be jam-packed with adventures. Join your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Welcome Dinner.

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cairns

Day 2: Great Barrier Reef

Hold onto your hat as you zip over the Great Barrier Reef aboard a high speed catamaran. Pause to snorkel over immense fans of coral, a verdant habitat for six of the world’s sea turtles as well as so many fish you won’t know where to look. If you prefer to keep your ...

Day 3: Cairns

From the reef to the rainforest... Enjoy some perspective of the Wet Tropics on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, lifting you above the canopy of the Barron Gorge National Park to Kuranda. The Atherton Tablelands awaits, this high tropical plateau a tangle of dense for...

Day 4: Cairns - Airlie Beach

Some days, the journey matters just as much as the destination. Sit back and enjoy the scenery as you travel south through sugar cane fields and rolling green paddocks, all framed by the ocean and rainforest-clad mountains. Stretch your legs en route to Airlie Beach and soak up this steamy part of the state.

Mantra Club Croc

Day 5: Whitsunday Islands Free Time

Powdery beaches and rainforest unite in the Whitsundays, 74 tropical drops of land all ringed by the Coral Sea. There are endless ways to explore this part of the Great Barrier Reef – today, we’re letting you choose. Perhaps rise early for an optional helicopter ride ...

Day 6: Airlie Beach - Rockhampton

Life is sweet in Sarina, Australia’s sugar capital, where your guided tour takes you behind the scenes of processing and distilling sugar cane at the Sarina Sugar Shed. And yes, you get to sample the wares. You’ll be bouncing off your seat all the way to Rockhampton, ...

Day 7: Rockhampton - K'gari (Fraser Island)

More beef awaits after you cross the Tropic of Capricorn, GPS set for Langmorn Station, where the Creed family will welcome you with afternoon tea and a tour of the immense (and historic) cattle property – the original family homestead was built in 1873. The Creeds lo...

Day 8: K'gari (Fraser Island)

The island also has a really long sand highway. Jump in a 4WD and zip along 75 Mile Beach, all the way up the east coast to the Pinnacles Coloured Sands, calm Eli Creek and the Maheno shipwreck, which offers quite the photo op. Just when you thought the island couldn’...

Day 9: K'gari (Fraser Island) - Gold Coast

Back on the mainland, follow the waves of Hervey Bay south to the Gold Coast, where you can be surfing one minute and surrounded by rainforest the next. This afternoon, fall into beat with locals and explore the city’s booming food and wine scene. We have a few restaurant favourites…

Novotel Surfers Paradise

Day 10: Gold Coast Free Time

The hardest thing you have to do today is decide which direction to set your compass. Perhaps stay close to your Surfers Paradise base and explore long stretches of sand and achingly cool cafés. The city also breaks records for its extensive network of canals, which y...

Day 11: Gold Coast - Coffs Harbour

Australia’s most easterly point is the stuff that postcards were made for, as you’ll discover when you reach the Cape Byron Lighthouse, standing proud over the Pacific Ocean. Dolphins are a common sight year round, and they’re joined by whales during migration. Keep y...

Day 12: Coffs Harbour - Farewell from Sydney

Your final stretch of East Coast Australia takes you to the ‘Harbour City’, one of the prettiest of its kind anywhere in the world, in our humble opinion. If you’re not quite ready to say goodbye to life on the road, chat to your Travel Director about extending your trip to take in Sydney’s legendary sights.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $5,140
Price per day$428
Last Updated: 8/3/2024
Departure Date
Finish Date
Double Room (Shared)
Single Room
Availability
17 Jan 2025
28 Jan 2025
$5,575
$7,430
14 Feb 2025
25 Feb 2025
$5,575
$7,430
14 Mar 2025
25 Mar 2025
$5,575
$7,430
05 Sep 2025
16 Sep 2025
$5,685
$7,575
14 Nov 2025
25 Nov 2025
$5,685
$7,575
13 Feb 2026
24 Feb 2026
$5,845
$7,790
13 Mar 2026
24 Mar 2026
$5,845
$7,790

Check current availability, prices, specials & more.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

AAT Kings Reviews & Ratings

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Maureen Furnell

Dec 2024

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Southern Spectacular

Our tour included airport pickup and drop off. This really impressed us as it still applied even though we flew in a day early. Our experiences were varied and fanta...

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Maureen Furnell

Dec 2024

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They were all highlights, would travel again with AATKings

Kirsty was amazing. Very knowledgeable, willing to listen and certain...

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Pia Berg

Dec 2024

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Båttur, ostprovning, regnskogar, Cradle Mountain med vandring

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Tour Operator

AAT Kings

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A century ago, the Australian outback was but a twinkle in most travelers’ eyes. But thanks to visionaries like the Pyke family and Bill King, the way we explore the Land Down Under was about to change in unimaginable ways. Over the coming decades, maps were unfolded, desert cruisers and coaches were customized, and guides were trained. From humble beginnings, the company now known as AAT Kings was going places few had gone before, pioneering new paths across Australia and New Zealand and taking intrepid travelers on a wild and wonderful ride. We’ve come a long way and clocked a few kilometers in the process. But some things will never change. Like our spirit for adventure. Our oh-so-knowledgeable Travel Directors. The local characters we meet (and will never forget) along the way. The epic, goosebump-inducing stories we’re told by First Nations guides. The life-changing experiences on offer – the kind that only 100 years of exploring affords. We’ve never been more passionate about our next discovery. Join us and fall in love with Australia and New Zealand all over again. #aatkings


Why we love this operator
AAT Kings is renowned for its quality service, knowledgeable guides, and extensive network of destinations.
What they’re known for
AAT Kings is known for being one of Australia and New Zealand's leading tour operators, specializing in guided tours.

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Logistics

Accommodation

  • DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cairns
  • Mantra Club Croc
  • Quality Hotel Regent, Rockhampton
  • Kingfisher Bay Resort
  • Novotel Surfers Paradise
  • BreakFree Aanuka Beach Resort
Cancellation policy

Cancellation by the Traveller
Travel arrangements for any member of the party may be cancelled at any time by written notice by the person who made the booking.

If notice of cancellation is received by the Provider before final payment is due (see The Table), the deposit will be retained. If cancellation is made after final payment is due cancellation fees will apply (see The Table). These cancellation fees represent the costs incurred less any expected recoveries. Please also refer to Air cancellation Section where applicable.Notice of cancellation must be made in writing directly to the Provider or through your Travel Agent. Please also refer to the Provider's Gold Seal Additional Protection.

If a person in a party cancels and there is a room change caused by this cancellation (such as a twin share to Single, or Triple to twin share), charges for the new room type will be the responsibility of the remaining party. The charges detailed in the Summary Terms table (which includes GST), representing costs incurred by the Provider in cancelling your travel arrangements, will apply when notice of cancellation for your trip is given after the booking is confirmed. Please also refer to the Provider's Gold Seal Additional Protection.

If a guest fails to join the trip on the day of departure, cancellation fees will be 100% (unless the guest notifies us of the delay and joins the trip later at their own expense).

Cancellation fees as per The Table apply to additional accommodation and/or chargeable transfers prior to and after the trip, itinerary extensions or cruise reserved through the Provider.

Cancellation fees and charges will include any amounts that we have paid or have contractually committed to pay to third parties to deliver your travel arrangements which we cannot reasonably recover (for example payments made or due to airlines and hotels). Any payments we have made to third parties will only be refunded to you once we have deducted the above cancellation fees and charges and once we have actually recovered the amounts from the third parties.

All cancellation fees as per The Table are additional to any cancellation fees or other charges that may be levied by your Travel Agent.

Gold Seal Protection premiums are non-refundable.

If the reason for your cancellation is covered under your insurance, you may be able to reclaim these charges from your insurer. You are responsible for making the claim to your insurer. We will provide you with documentation to support your claim.

Cancellation by the Provider
The Provider reserves the right, to modify or cancel any trip, accommodation, in-destination activity or arrangement, definite or not, at any time.

Cancellation due to Failure to Pay

If full payment is not received by the due date (see The Table), The Provider has the right to cancel your reservation and no refund will be made. The Provider will not be responsible for lost reservations.

Cancellation due to Force Majeure Events

If The Provider cancels a trip as a result of a Force Majeure Event, a future travel credit (FTC) to the value of funds paid to date, less any unrecoverable third-party costs incurred, will be provided. All FTCs will be valid for 24 months from date of issue.

Where a trip is terminated mid-trip due to a Force Majeure event, if we provide you with any alternative services or assistance (such as hotels or travel) then you agree to pay for these costs.

Cancellation due to Events other than Force Majeure Events

If the cancellation by the Provider is not as a result of a Force Majeure Event, the Provider will provide an alternative comparable trip (if available). If an alternative is not available, then a refund will be made. The Provider is not liable for any cancellation or change cost or penalties incurred on other travel arrangements, including air travel, that may be affected thereby.

The Provider is not responsible for other travel arrangements that you or your party have made outside the Provider and which are affected by our cancellations.

For more additional details, see the booking conditions of TruTravels at the following web address: https://www.aatkings.com/about-us/booking-conditions-published-5-august-2024/

Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Age Requirements
6 years and up
Additional Information
Trip ID
aatkin-QCSF25

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