Victoria
The Great Ocean Road & Grampians Self-Drive
Drive one of the world's most scenic roads to the Twelve Apostles, spot wild koalas and hike the peaks of the Grampians – at your own pace.
City Break · New South Wales & Victoria
Sydney & Melbourne: A Tale of Two Cities
Harbour icons by day, laneway espresso by night – seven days in Australia's two great rival cities.
- 7 Days / 6 Nights
- From $3,400 USD
- Sydney–Melbourne flight included
Welcome to the City
Two cities, one beautifully paced week
Immerse yourself in the culture, food, and style of Australia's two largest cities on this 7-day urban escape. In Sydney, climb the Harbour Bridge, relax on Bondi Beach, and enjoy a ferry ride to Manly. In Melbourne, get lost in the famous laneways filled with street art and hidden cafes, catch a game of "footy" (AFL), and take a day trip to see the adorable penguin parade on Phillip Island. This tour is perfect for first-time visitors who love the city buzz.
Sydney and Melbourne have argued about which is Australia's best city since the 1850s – so fiercely that Canberra was built between them as a compromise capital. This trip lets you settle the debate yourself. Sydney is sun, salt water and showpiece architecture; Melbourne is coffee culture, galleries, sport and a grid of hidden lanes. You spend three nights in each, linked by a short included domestic flight, with every headline experience pre-booked and enough free time to follow your own curiosity.
7Days
134Metres up the Bridge
6Nights, 4.5-star
1Penguin parade
City by city
Sydney Highlights & Melbourne Highlights
Switch between the tabs to compare what each city does best.
Sydney: the harbour city
Few cities are shaped so completely by their water. Sydney's harbour has more than 240 km of shoreline, and almost everything you will do here touches it.
- BridgeClimb to the summit of the "Coathanger", opened in 1932
- The Sydney Opera House, UNESCO World Heritage-listed since 2007
- Bondi Beach and the clifftop walk to Coogee
- The Manly ferry, a 30-minute cruise for the price of a bus fare
- Convict-era lanes and pubs in The Rocks
Melbourne: the city of laneways
Melbourne rewards those who look down alleys. Its Victorian-era grid hides cafes, rooftop bars and some of the most celebrated street art in the southern hemisphere.
- A guided laneway walking tour – Hosier Lane, Degraves Street, the Block Arcade
- AFL football at the MCG, a stadium for 100,000 fans
- Queen Victoria Market, trading since 1878
- The Phillip Island penguin parade at sunset
- Free trams across the CBD and world-class galleries on St Kilda Road
Itinerary
Your 7-day plan, day by day
Pre-booked highlights with free time built in. Exact times are confirmed in your travel documents.
Make your own way from Sydney Airport to your 4.5-star hotel in the city centre – about 20–30 minutes by taxi or 13 minutes on the Airport Link train to Central or Wynyard. Once you have checked in, take a gentle first walk down to Circular Quay, where the Opera House sails and the Harbour Bridge frame the water. Wander the sandstone lanes of The Rocks, Sydney's oldest neighbourhood, and choose one of the waterfront bars for a sundowner.
Meals: Meals at leisure · Overnight: Sydney (night 1 of 3)
The headline act of the week: the Sydney BridgeClimb. Climbs last around 3–3.5 hours and take you up the outer arch to the summit, 134 metres above the harbour. You are harnessed to a static line the whole way and briefed by your climb leader; loose items, including phones and cameras, stay in a locker, and the climb team takes group photos for you. We book a morning slot when the light over the harbour is clearest.
In the afternoon, stroll through the Royal Botanic Garden to Mrs Macquarie's Chair for the classic view of bridge and Opera House together, then join a guided tour inside the Opera House if you would like to see behind the famous shells (bookable locally).
Meals: Breakfast · Overnight: Sydney (night 2 of 3)
Start early at Bondi Beach and follow the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk – roughly 6 km and 2–3 hours of clifftop paths, ocean pools and beach cafes via Tamarama, Bronte and Clovelly. Hop on a bus back towards the city, then board the Manly ferry from Circular Quay. The 30-minute crossing slides past the Opera House and out towards the Heads – it is one of the best-value harbour cruises anywhere. In Manly, walk the Corso to the surf beach, or follow the path to sheltered Shelly Beach for a late-afternoon swim before sailing back at dusk.
Meals: Breakfast · Overnight: Sydney (night 3 of 3)
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the included flight to Melbourne (flying time about 1 hour 25 minutes). From Tullamarine, the SkyBus reaches Southern Cross Station in roughly 30 minutes. Drop your bags at your 4.5-star hotel in the CBD and meet your local guide for the Melbourne laneway walking tour: Hosier Lane and AC/DC Lane for street art, Degraves Street and Centre Place for espresso, and the mosaic floors of the 19th-century Block Arcade. Trams inside the CBD's Free Tram Zone make getting around effortless.
Meals: Breakfast · Overnight: Melbourne (night 1 of 3)
Spend the morning at the Queen Victoria Market (closed Mondays and Wednesdays) or in the free permanent collection of the NGV International on St Kilda Road. In the evening, join 50,000-plus fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to watch an AFL "footy" match – the season runs from late March to September. Outside the footy season we suggest summer cricket at the MCG or a show in the theatre district instead. Tickets are not included, but we are happy to arrange them.
Meals: Breakfast · Overnight: Melbourne (night 2 of 3)
Your Phillip Island penguin tour leaves Melbourne in the early afternoon for the roughly 2-hour drive (about 140 km) south-east. Stops typically include the boardwalks of the Koala Conservation Reserve and the wind-swept lookouts at The Nobbies. The highlight comes at sunset, when hundreds of little penguins – the world's smallest species, standing around 33 cm tall – waddle ashore at Summerland Beach after a day fishing at sea. Photography is not permitted during the parade, so simply sit back and enjoy it. Expect to be back at your hotel between about 10 pm and 11 pm, depending on the season.
Meals: Breakfast · Overnight: Melbourne (night 3 of 3)
Enjoy a final flat white and, if your flight allows, a ride on the free City Circle tram or a walk along Southbank. Check out by mid-morning (luggage storage is available at the hotel) and make your way to Melbourne Airport for your onward or international flight.
Meals: Breakfast · Overnight: End of tour
Make it yours
Upgrade Options
Optional extras, priced per person in USD. Tick the ones you like to see your total instantly.
| Upgrade | What you get | Price pp |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney Harbour helicopter flight | 20-minute scenic flight over the harbour, Bondi and the Heads | $320 |
| Seaplane lunch on the northern beaches | Seaplane from Rose Bay to a waterfront lunch, with return flight | $720 |
| Harbourside fine-dining degustation | Tasting menu with matched wines at an Opera House-view restaurant | $290 |
| Harbour-view room in Sydney | Upgrade for all 3 Sydney nights (per person, twin share) | $410 |
| Sunrise hot-air balloon over Melbourne | Dawn flight over the city skyline with champagne breakfast | $460 |
| Penguins Plus viewing upgrade | Closer, elevated viewing platform at the penguin parade | $60 |
| Yarra Valley wine day | Small-group day with four cellar doors and lunch (replaces Day 5 plans) | $280 |
Upgrade prices are indicative for 2027 and confirmed at the time of booking. Scenic flights and balloon flights are weather-dependent; if one is cancelled by the operator you receive a full refund for that item.
Build your upgrades
- Upgrades per person
- $0
- Upgrades for your group
- $0
- Estimated trip total (from $3,400 pp + upgrades)
- $6,800
Gallery
Moments from the trip
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Price, inclusions and how to book
| Season | Twin / double share | Single traveller |
|---|---|---|
| Low (May–August) | $3,400 | $4,650 |
| Shoulder (March–April, September–October) | $3,650 | $4,950 |
| Peak (November–February) | $3,950 | $5,350 |
Prices in USD per person. The single price includes the single supplement for six nights in a room of your own. Christmas, New Year's Eve in Sydney and AFL Grand Final week attract surcharges.
What's included
- 6 nights in centrally located 4.5-star hotels (3 in Sydney, 3 in Melbourne)
- Daily breakfast
- Sydney BridgeClimb experience
- Phillip Island penguin tour
- Melbourne laneway walking tour
- Flight from Sydney to Melbourne
Not included
- International flights to Sydney and from Melbourne
- Airport transfers (easy public transport instructions provided)
- Lunches, dinners and drinks
- AFL or cricket match tickets (bookable on request)
- Optional upgrades and travel insurance
FAQ
Questions about this tour
No special fitness is needed, but you should be comfortable climbing stairs and ladders for around three hours. Climbers must be at least 10 years old, and everyone takes a short breathalyser test before setting off. Let us know about any medical conditions when you book.
The AFL season runs from late March to the Grand Final in late September. If you travel between October and March we swap the footy for summer cricket at the MCG, the Australian Open in January, or a theatre show – just tell us what you enjoy.
Not as standard. Sydney and Melbourne are both easy to reach by train, SkyBus or taxi, and we send clear instructions. Private chauffeured transfers can be added on request.
No. Photography and filming are prohibited at the Phillip Island penguin parade to protect the birds' eyes and reduce disturbance. You are welcome to take photos at the other stops of the day.
Absolutely. Extra hotel nights can be added at either end, and the tour links neatly with our Great Ocean Road self-drive from Melbourne.
Ready to pick a favourite city?
Tell us your dates and we will confirm hotels, BridgeClimb times and footy fixtures within one working day.
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