We arrive in Sydney this morning and transfer to our hotel, where the day is at leisure. Tonight, we meet our fellow travelers and Odysseys Tour Director at a briefing followed by a welcome dinner at our hotel.

We begin our Australia adventure in earnest today, starting with a morning city tour featuring The Rocks historic neighborhood, Darling Harbour, Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair, and Rose and Watson’s bays. Late morning, we enjoy a comprehensive tour of one of the planet’s most recognizable buildings: the Sydney Opera House, with its 14 iconic shells standing at the edge of Sydney Harbour. Then we enjoy an afternoon cruise around the harbor, offering a waterborne perspective on this sophisticated city, with lunch served on board.

This morning we visit Featherdale Wildlife Park, where wombats, dingoes, and koalas reside. Then the scenery takes center stage as we head to the Blue Mountains. We begin at Echo Point, which offers an incredible lookout across the Jamison Valley, followed by the aptly named Scenic World, a collection of spectacular natural vistas and forest boardwalks connected by cable cars, skyrails, and a train between the valley floor and the mountains above. Late afternoon we return to Sydney and enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.

Today is at leisure, offering a full day to explore this city bursting with travel riches. The options are endless, with ample food and drink choices, museums, shops, beaches, and green spaces to explore. For an incredible aerial perspective on Sydney, guests may wish to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge and view the Opera House and its environs from on high.

We fly today to Australia’s Outback, reaching our hotel in time for lunch on our own. Then we depart for Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, site of the Kata Tjuta rocks (the Olgas), the dramatic domed rock formations venerated by Aboriginal peoples. This evening, we watch the sun set over the massive sandstone monolith of Uluru, then dine under the stars at Field of Light, where some 12 acres of desert are gently illuminated by color-changing, solar-powered lights.

Early risers have the option to watch the sun rise over Uluru this morning. Then we coach as a group to Uluru itself, where we learn local legends as we follow the walking trails around the base of the monolith. Our final stop here is the Uluru Cultural Centre, before returning to our hotel for an afternoon at leisure.

It’s a travel day as we depart Uluru for tropical Cairns, gateway to Australia’s Far North. We dine together at our hotel.

This morning we board a boat for a day-long excursion to the Great Barrier Reef, at 1,400 miles long the world’s largest living organism and richest marine resource. We pull up at Michaelmas Cay, where we can swim, snorkel, or view the reef from a semi-submersible vessel.

Our day begins with a coastal adventure, as we follow an Aboriginal guide across the marshes and mudflats of Cooya Beach, learning about the local tribes who call these fascinating ecosystems home. Then we head to tranquil Mossman Gorge, where the green Mossman River winds through lush jungle, and where we enjoy lunch and a nature walk amid the beautiful surroundings. Mid-afternoon we return to our hotel, where the remainder of the day is at leisure.

Mid-morning we fly to Adelaide, capital of South Australia and boasting a pleasing mix of colonial British architecture and contemporary culture. Upon arrival, we take a panoramic city tour, stopping to visit the lovely Adelaide Botanic Garden, as well as the South Australian Museum, where we view one of the largest collections of Aboriginal artifacts in the world. We dine tonight at our hotel.

A day of art and local culture is in store as we head to The Cedars in the Adelaide Hills, the quaint property where Hans Heysen lived and worked for most of his storied career. Heysen is one of the greatest Australian landscape painters of the 20^th century, and we see the artist’s studios and admire his light-infused works, as well as those of his artist daughter Nora, during our touring. Then it’s off to the McLaren Vale, one of the wine capitals of the world, for lunch and a tasting at a family-run winery. Before returning to our hotel, we stop to take the sea air in coastal Glenelg.

We depart Adelaide today for Tasmania, the island off Australia’s southeastern coast famed for its pristine wilderness, world-class cuisine, and legendary “devil.” After arriving at our hotel mid-afternoon, we follow our tour director on a brief walking tour along the Hobart harbor front, where we begin to learn about this city’s rich maritime history. We dine together tonight.

With a morning at leisure, guests may wish to visit MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art, the largest privately owned museum in the Southern Hemisphere. This afternoon, we ascend Kunanyi (Mt. Wellington), the 4,000-foot peak offering breathtaking 360-degree views of downtown Hobart, the Derwent River, and Tasmania’s rugged landscape.

We come face to face with the Tasmanian devil this morning during a visit to an “unzoo” – an innovative wildlife sanctuary where visitors observe animals in their natural habitat. Then we explore historic Port Arthur, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site highlighting Australia’s former penal colonies. After lunch at a local restaurant, we enjoy an afternoon harbor cruise.

We depart today for beloved Melbourne, Australia’s cultural capital. Upon arrival, we enjoy a panoramic city tour, including a visit to sweeping Fitzroy Gardens and its iconic Cooks’ Cottage, the former home of the parents of Captain James Cook. Originally built in North Yorkshire, England, the cottage was deconstructed brick by brick, shipped to Melbourne, and reassembled by an Australian philanthropist in the 1930s.

After a morning at leisure, we head south to Philip Island to see the nightly penguin parade. As the sun sets, we witness one of nature’s most adorable spectacles: a veritable armada of little blue penguins returning from a day of fishing and waddling home to their burrows.

Our final full day in Australia begins with a walking tour through the alleys and lanes of Melbourne center. We learn about this sector’s history and architecture, and encounter the small shops and cafes, as we explore this delightful pedestrian city. After our walk, we are at leisure for lunch and further solo exploration. This evening, we celebrate our adventure with a farewell dinner.

We transfer to the airport today for our return flights to the U.S.