Top 5 Destinations You Should Visit in Australia
Are you searching for places to visit in Australia? Let’s face it – Australia is as vast as it is beautiful, and it can be difficult to create an itinerary that lets you experience the best of this continent in one go. This is precisely why we’ve carefully cherry-picked a list of locations you shouldn’t miss when visiting Australia for the first time.
Let us show you around Australia as we would travel ourselves: From experiencing the urban hubbub of Melbourne to the culture and art of Sydney and from taking in the breathtaking beauty of the Great Barrier Reef to the beachside life of the Gold Coast.
According to our experts, these are the top 5 tourist attractions in Australia:
- Melbourne
- Sydney
- The Great Barrier Reef
- Uluru
- Gold Coast
Top 5 Tourist Attractions in Australia
Australia’s vastness makes it challenging for exploration – even a lifetime isn’t enough. But here we are with a pick of 5 destinations that let you experience the best of Australia in a mere 11 days! Read on to know why we have selected these tourist places in Australia as the best.
1. Melbourne
Ideal duration: 2 Days
Many view Melbourne as a “hipster” place, what with the popularity of Fitzroy and the trendy eateries it houses. While it’s an unquestionably Melbourne vibe, this future-first city also resides alongside the tranquil, ambling Yarra River with skyscrapers reaching for the gods above.
A mishmash of greens, waterbodies, concrete and glass, art, culture and coffee (loads of coffee), Melbourne is unmissable.
Why Melbourne, Though?
You could say Melbourne is shy; all its gems need a little treasure-hunting before they can be bared for enjoyment. This dynamic city houses the unique laneways (over 230) that put on display the world’s most iconic and arguably unique graffiti art. Tucked away into quaint corners of these laneways are European-inspired cafes and shopfronts just waiting to be discovered by the curious ped-traveller.
Melbourne is also cosmopolitan and chic, maintaining its glitzy exterior with clear urbanism and modernist styles. This city is undoubtedly our first pick for the mixed-bag yet distinct experiences it offers for first-time travellers here.
Melbourne Experiences
We recommend beginning your Melbourne saga by visiting Hosier Lane to browse the collection of popular street art. While you’re at it, you can take your pick of the cafes and shopfronts to explore and dine at.
We also highly recommend a drive along the Great Ocean Road that flanks the southeastern Australian coast in a 240 km stretch of beauty. It’s a world heritage site and one not to miss when you visit.
Another jewel not to miss when in Melbourne are the two campuses of the National Gallery of Victoria. Situated in Southbank, the expansive collection of extraordinary items of this gallery refuse to fit into a single building.
A visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens ought to complete your visit to Melbourne, resplendent over 38 sprawling hectares of land. You can learn a lot about Aboriginal bush medicine here.
2. Sydney
Ideal duration: 2 Days
At the thought of Australia, it’s Sydney and its Opera House that pop into one’s mind before anything else. This iconic city leisurely spreads itself around its harbour and coastline, giving that unmissable Australian vibe to the dwellers here.
Sydney is so much more than the Opera House; it’s packed with local experiences you can’t get anywhere else.
Why Sydney, Though?
Sydney is the perfect balance between the bustle of a busy urban culture and the lull of a lazing, easy-going beachside afternoon. This city is evolving even as we speak, plump with emerging rooftop and alley-side bars and cafes, overflowing with local throngs in its suburbs.
You could almost say this city is more harbour than anything else when in truth, it offers a spellbinding trip into the Blue Mountains and Byron Bay. The natural wonders that surround Sydney are but a stone’s throw away when you get worn out from the busy city life.
The experiences to be had in Sydney would leave you more confused about its character than enlightened – which is why it’s on our list!
Sydney Experiences
The first experience that’s like a pilgrimage for those who visit this city would be Bondi Beach. Lined with tempting grassy knolls and invitingly warm golden sands, the blue hues of Bondi Beach leave an unforgettable picture in mind.
Just North of Bondi lies Watson’s Bay, a legacy of a fishing village, rich with the sights of heritage cottages and expansive waters. Take a swim at Camp Cove, or explore the historical restaurants like Doyles on the Beach.
Not to miss is the Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park, a dizzy mix of sandstone, water bodies, and Australian bushlands. The blue-gold-green colour combination of the vista here is sure to tempt countless photographs.
3. The Great Barrier Reef
Ideal duration: 2 Days
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef should be counted among the must-see sights before you die. This natural wonder stretches over 2,000 km along the Queensland coastline, housing over 3,800 reefs and atolls in the Coral Sea.
This destination is best accessible if you make Cairns (140 km away in an almost straight line) or Port Douglas (about an hour away) your starting points.
This reef is the largest – yes, that’s the word – the largest living structure on our planet. The Great Barrier Reef is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to over 400 types of corals, 4,000 varieties of molluscs, and housing over 1,500 species of fish. This entity covers a sprawling area of 348,000 square kilometres, leaving more to be discovered each time you take a dive.
Visiting this marvel of Earth in Australia gives you an opportunity to witness the vivid, flamboyant coral formations and swim amidst giant clams and maybe whales too. If you’re lucky, you may even spot six species of marine turtle – out of the seven that our world has!
Not surprisingly, this reef is one of the world’s most diverse ecosystems that thrive underneath the sea. It attracts millions of tourists each year for a fun day out exploring underwater life using snorkels or with professional divers.
The Great Barrier Reef is not to miss when travelling to Australia – at any cost!
4. Uluru
Ideal duration: 2 Days
Albeit a little removed from the more accessible areas of Australia, Uluru remains the most stark, awe-inspiring, and maddening vistas swathed in shocking colour contrasts that are hard to forget.
No part of Australia is quite as endowed in art, culture and tradition as Uluru, where its indigenous peoples – the Anangu – run, maintain and own the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. There are a handful of experiences to be had in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park area.
Why Uluru, Though?
Uluru gives you a chance to learn about Australia’s roots and indigenous peoples. The Anangu have walked the rocks of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park for over 50,000 years, practising their culture, conserving the land and making it their home.
It’s said that the topography of this region contains the creation stories and knowledge of plants, animals, relationships, and the law of the land. The nature of the sacredness of some areas of this region is such that tourists aren’t allowed to enter or take photographs, for they may breach the Tjukurpa restrictions.
Australia isn’t just beaches, cities and coasts – it’s its people and traditions too. It’s for this reason that Uluru is a must-visit.
Uluru Experiences
The Talinguru Nyakunytjaku Lookout offers a memorable sight of the sunrise – it’s what this region is best known for. Offering a sweeping view of Uluru in the foreground and Kata Tjuta in the rear, this sunrise is sure to etch itself in your mind for a long time.
The next top choice would be the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre to really experience the Uluru culture and ways at close quarters. The exhibits of this gallery focus on the natural and human history of the region, offering a good insight into Tjukurpa that spells out their laws, customs and religion.
About 35 km due west of Uluru lies the iconic domed rocks of Kata Tjuta – a sight not to miss. There are about 36 boulders standing next to each other, creating a stellar topography that’s high and deep at the same time.
5. The Gold Coast
Ideal duration: 2 Days
The Gold Coast is your gold standard for a stereotypical yet iconic Australian holiday. The destination remains loyal to the sun and the sand, letting only the blue beach waters cool things down.
From your beach mat on the coastline, you can clearly discern the makings of a queue of high-rises inland, but let that not fool you: there’s evidence of kitsch there every once in a while. Regardless, the Gold Coast remains one of the most coveted destinations for vacationers in Australia: let us prove to you why.
Why the Gold Coast, Though?
The most iconic part of the Gold Coast is its undisputedly beautiful sand that runs uninterrupted for about 52km, allowing locals and tourists alike to make their vacation what they will. To top it off, the Gold Coast enjoys 300 days of sun every year, making it accessible to holidayers and merrymakers literally all year long.
If you need more, this destination offers fantastic surf for water adventurers and also a striking view of the sunset to admire over a glass of bubbly.
Gold Coast Experiences
Hiding behind the name of Gold Coast is a collection of some of the most beautiful national parks, like the Burleigh Head National Park, Springbrook National Park, the Lamington National Park, and so many more. Who knew you could experience a little wildlife in a city that’s known for its beach life?
We also recommend SkyPoint, a vantage point to capture eagle’s eye views of the entire coast and its hinterlands from a perch 230 m above the ground (and that’s just the first quarter-top).
Another one of precious experience would be the Miami Marketta, a hawkers’ market peppered with fairy lights and mixed moods with razzmatazz stalls that sell art, food, music, and so much more.
Are You Ready to Fly?
Australia is elusive, even to the natives. Every stone turned and unturned on its soil has so much to offer to those who want to look beyond its glitzy facade.
We’ve tried to create the best 10 nights/11 days itinerary that lets you see Australia from every side and angle and in the most efficient way possible. We can customise an itinerary just for you – all you have to do is let us know what you wish to see.
Get in touch with us – drop us a line at GoTraveLab.