Sydney to Uluru: 10-Day Luxury Small-Group Tour with Sounds of Silence Dinner, Blue Mountains & Great Barrier Reef Cruise
Celebrate Australia’s unparalleled natural beauty, dramatic deserts and ancient cultures during this 10-day luxury small-group tour (max. 12 travellers). Experience a side of Australia few have discovered and pursue your own idea of luxury as you immerse yourself in the world’s oldest living culture, unearth underwater kaleidoscopic wonders and stroll through the 180 million-year-old Daintree Rainforest.
Travelling in a private vehicle, accompanied by an expert local driver-guide, you’ll discover the best of Australia’s vibrant coloured landscapes and ancient heritage. Seek out the sunshine in Sydney and hear stories of its convict past. Marvel at impressive rock formations in the Blue Mountains, then wind through picturesque rainforest, gorges and waterfalls on the Kuranda Scenic Railway. Take to the crystal-clear waters of the Great Barrier Reef, surrender to the soothing sounds of the Daintree Rainforest and learn what laidback really means at Cape Tribulation Beach. Admire tales of the Dreaming etched in rock at Uluru, see the sunrise over Uluru-Kata Tjuta and savour the stars at an unforgettable Sounds of Silence dinner. With luxury stays in Sydney, Cairns and Uluru (including the iconic Sails in the Desert) this is the ultimate way to feel a spiritual connection to Australia.
Your journey takes you to: Sydney — Blue Mountains — Cairns — Great Barrier Reef — Daintree Rainforest — Cairns — Uluru — Sydney.
Covid-19 health and safety practices: Our expert Tours team is working hard to ensure the highest health standards at every point of your journey. Find out more.
Your tour includes:
- Nine nights of luxury accommodation
- Included flights between Sydney, Cairns and Uluru
- Daily breakfast and additional dining experiences
- Guided city tour of Sydney
- Blue Mountains tour
- Kuranda Scenic Railway
- Great Barrier Reef cruise
- Tour of the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation
Your tour begins and ends in Sydney (SYD). Your package includes flights between Sydney, Cairns and Uluru, and back to Sydney.
Flights to and from Sydney at the beginning/end of your tour are not included in your package and must be purchased separately. If your chosen tour departure date is guaranteed at the time of booking, you may be able to purchase flights immediately. If your tour departure date is not yet guaranteed (still pending minimum numbers), flights should not be booked until you receive an update on the status of your tour.
Please book your flights to arrive at Sydney Airport (SYD) by 5pm on Day 1 and depart Sydney Airport any time after 6pm on Day 10.
You MUST complete your booking form within 7 days of booking. Following its completion, our Tours Concierge will be in touch to assist with any additional arrangements – including flights.
When travelling within Australia, please check current state/territory border entry requirements to ensure you’re eligible to travel and have completed any required permits or passes.
Need flights? Australian customers can now purchase flights with or without accommodation packages. We are working hard to launch this functionality in other markets. For now, our dedicated flights concierge can assist with all your flight requirements. Contact sales@luxuryescapes.com.
Important Destination Information:
New South Wales
Time zone: UTC +10
Telephone: +61
Climate: Mild climate with hot summers from December to February and cold winters from June to August.
Queensland
Climate: Moderate to warm with an average temperature of 29 degrees.
Tropical North Queensland
Climate: Warm with low rainfall during winter (June to August) and high rainfall with balmy temperatures during summer (December to February).
Red Centre (Northern Territory)
Time zone: AEST GMT +9:30
Climate: The dry season (May-October) is when most tourists visit. The days are typically sunny and evenings cool.
Day 1: Sydney
Welcome to Sydney, home to world-famous landmarks, hatted restaurants, bustling bars and outstanding cultural institutions.
Arrive at Sydney Airport (SYD), where you will be met by a local representative and transferred to your hotel. The day is spent at your leisure, so you may arrive any time before 5pm. Tonight, a welcome dinner is enjoyed at 6HEAD 1788 steak restaurant, situated at Campbells Cove.
Want to know more about Sydney? Our insider travel guide includes handpicked places to eat and drink, the best activities in the area, and special experiences to make your trip memorable.
Accommodation: Four Seasons Hotel Sydney
Meals: Welcome Dinner
Day 2: Sydney
Today, familiarise yourself with this beautiful city on a guided tour. Take a walk around the harbour foreshore, admire the dramatic Sydney Opera House up close, relish a photo-op at Observatory Hill and Mrs Macquarie’s Chair — offering panoramic vistas of the harbour — stroll through the serene Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and hear tales of the rich and famous in the ritzy Eastern Suburbs. Lunch is enjoyed at Bondi Beach before time at leisure (best enjoyed on the Bondi to Bronte headland walk).
Accommodation: Four Seasons Hotel Sydney
Meals: Breakfast
Day 3: Sydney – Blue Mountains – Sydney
Rise early for your day trip to the Blue Mountains. Stopping at the wildlife park, you’re given the opportunity to see Australian wildlife up close and personal, including kangaroos, koalas, wallabies and wombats.
After morning tea in a secluded area, continue to the iconic Three Sisters rock formation for complete immersion into nature. Lunch is enjoyed in Katoomba before returning to Sydney.
Accommodation: Four Seasons Hotel Sydney
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Day 4: Sydney – Cairns
After a morning at leisure, board your included flight to Cairns.
From here, take a journey on the Kuranda Scenic Railway, winding through jaw-dropping rainforest, gorges and waterfalls. Rising 328 metres above sea level, this epic train ride meanders through picturesque scenery, past cascading waterfalls and through hand-hewn tunnels. Take a seat in one of the beautifully restored carriages and spot over 1,200 species of flowering plants, as well as rainforest trees, strangler figs and exotic palms.
Upon arrival in Kuranda, enjoy a close encounter with a koala before your included lunch. A charming arts and crafts hub tucked away in the cool of the mountains, Kuranda is the place to pick up locally made clothing and jewellery, wood carvings and Indigenous artworks, while enjoying the talented buskers performing on street corners.
Depart Kuranda and check into your hotel, the five-star Crystalbrook Riley in the heart of Cairns, before dinner at Ochre Restaurant on the Cairns waterfront.
Want to know more about Cairns? Our insider travel guide includes handpicked places to eat and drink, the best activities in the area and special experiences to make your trip memorable.
Accommodation: Crystalbrook Riley
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: Cairns – Great Barrier Reef – Cairns
After breakfast, set sail on the waters of the Coral Sea to explore the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef. Spend the day in the crystal-clear waters, surrounded by colourful marine life and spectacular coral formations waiting to be explored.
Choose to snorkel, dive or stay dry and discover this stunning underwater landscape. This unforgettable experience includes a tropical lunch, all snorkelling equipment, commentary and much more.
Accommodation: Crystalbrook Riley
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Day 6: Cairns – Daintree Rainforest – Cairns
Today, embark on a tour exploring the world’s oldest tropical rainforest, dating back 180 million years. After breakfast, a cruise along the Daintree River offers an opportunity to spot some of the resident crocodiles, birds and other wildlife in the water and dense foliage onshore.
After an included morning tea in a magnificent private setting, prepare to pass pretty coves, mesmerising sea views and charming swathes of sand as you explore Cape Tribulation Beach. Be sure to leave room for dessert, as after lunch, we stop at the Daintree Ice Cream Company.
Accommodation: Crystalbrook Riley
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Day 7: Cairns – Uluru
After an early breakfast, you’re transferred to the airport for your included flight to Ayers Rock Airport. On arrival, you will be transferred to your indulgent hotel – Sails in the Desert. Enjoy time at leisure in this luxurious desert oasis before lunch.
Later, immerse yourself in ancient Indigenous culture on a guided walk around the base of Uluru. Learn of the incredible significance of this monolith to the local people and hear about the beliefs and traditions of this region. Afterwards, sit back and relax as you travel into the amazing Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park to watch the setting sun. With a glass of sparkling wine or cold beer in hand, you’ll be overwhelmed by its incredible size, presence and inherent spirituality as Uluru’s colours change in the light.
Tonight, dinner is enjoyed at the in-house restaurant, Ilkari.
Accommodation: Sails in the Desert
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Day 8: Uluru – Kata Tjuta – Uluru
Rise early for an incredible Sunrise in the Outback experience. Drive to the perfect vantage point just in time to witness the first parts of daylight pierce the black sky, as the sun rises over the ancient rock formation Kata Tjuta. Afterwards, enjoy a picnic breakfast amongst the desert landscape before time to relax and a hike through the well-known Valley of the Winds – stopping along the way at many vantage points to admire the sweeping views and remarkable wildlife.
Return to your hotel mid-morning for the rest of the day at leisure.
Tonight, bask in the spellbinding landscape with an unforgettable evening of dining under the sparkling outback sky. The Sounds of Silence gourmet experience is made not just by the food, but the transformational effect of the unforgettable location and the fact it takes place as the sun sets and darkness falls. Delight in canapés and chilled sparkling wine before being welcome to an interactive chef’s station serving freshly prepared, bush tucker-inspired cuisine, incorporating native bush ingredients.
Settle back and listen to a resident star talker decode the southern night sky, as you try to locate the Southern Cross, signs of the zodiac, Milky Way and other planets and galaxies visible due to the clarity of the atmosphere
Accommodation: Sails in the Desert
Meals: Breakfast and Sounds of Silence Dinner
Day 9: Uluru – Sydney
Enjoy a leisurely start to your last day. Early risers may choose to witness another magical sunrise or one final hike, before being transferred to the airport for your flight to Sydney.
On arrival, be met by an awaiting driver and transferred to your hotel.
In the evening, come together for a final dinner at The Gantry Restaurant.
Accommodation: Four Seasons Hotel Sydney
Meals: Breakfast and Farewell Dinner
Day 10: Sydney
Wave goodbye to Sydney this morning as your 10-day luxury tour comes to an end with a transfer to Sydney Airport (SYD).
Meals: Breakfast