Down Under
14 DAYS
Honolulu, Oahu HI 2 • Aboard flight 2 • Sydney 5 • Cairns 4
Basic Inclusions
Accommodations
Accommodations in centrally-located three-star or four-star hotels. Rooming on a double basis.
Meals
All breakfasts. Four lunches. All dinners.
Transportation
Round-trip transportation on scheduled airline. All public transportation tickets included where applicable.
Guide
Tour escort throughout. Special arrangements as noted.
Travel Protection
Passports provides and pays for a Post Departure Travel Protection Plan that includes coverage for Trip Interruption, Trip Delay, Medical Expense and Evacuation and more.
Tour Summary
Itinerary Includes
Tour escort throughout
Day 1: Arrival Honolulu, Oahu HI
Arrival transfer
Day 2: Honolulu, Oahu HI
Pearl Harbor and Honolulu sightseeing: USS Arizona Visitor Center and Memorial, City sightseeing Tour in Honolulu
Optional Atlantis Submarine Tour
Optional Luau dinner
Days 3-4: Honolulu, Oahu HI - Aboard flight
Optional Excursion to Diamond Head and Hanauma Bay: Diamond Head State Monument, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Hanauma Bay snorkeling (snorkeling equipment included)
Departure transfer, Overnight flight Honolulu-Sydney
Day 5: Sydney
Day 6: Sydney
Half-day city sightseeing: Local Guide
Sydney Harbour Lunch Cruise
Day 7: Sydney
Optional Excursion to Featherdale Wildlife Park and the Blue Mountains
Day 8: Sydney
Optional Excursion to the South Coast
Day 9: Sydney
Day 10: Sydney - Cairns
Departure transfer, Flight Sydney-Cairns, Arrival transfer
Half-day city sightseeing: Local Guide
Day 11: Cairns
Excursion to the Atherton Tablelands: Rainforest Train Ride
Day 12: Cairns
Excursion to the Great Barrier Reef: Outer Barrier Reef Cruise, Lunch on Green Island
Day 13: Cairns
Excursion to Mossman Gorge, The Daintree River and Tribulation National Park: Local Guide, Daintree River Cruise
Day 14: Departure
Departure transfer
UNPARALLELED STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival
Depart continental U.S. for Hawaii. There's a movie on board and a whole new world to look forward to.
Arrive in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu. Aloha malihini (welcome newcomers).
A walk along the splendid Waikiki Beach this evening takes you past vacationers from the world over and miles of fabulous, high-rise beachfront hotels.
Overnight: Honolulu, Oahu HI
Day 2: Pearl Harbor Cruise, Honolulu City Sightseeing, Honolulu, Optional Atlantis Submarine Tour, Optional Luau dinner
Today, discover major landmarks in and around Honolulu.
Take a tour of Pearl Harbor today.
After watching a 23-minute documentary at the Visitor Center, you will board a Navy launch to transfer to the site of the USS Arizona, where you will relive even more vividly December 7, 1941, the "date which will live in infamy." As you step aboard the Arizona Memorial, built over the sunken ship, and feel the weight of the fate of the 1,177 sailors who perished with their ship, you'll realize that this is a visit you will never forget.
On your coach tour, you will see landmarks such as the Iolani Palace, the statue of King Kamehameha, the Hawaii State Capitol, and Chinatown.
Take advantage of a free afternoon to explore one of the many shopping areas for souvenirs or bask in the sun along the palm tree lined (and world famous) Waikiki Beach.
Make your way to the harbor where you will board an Atlantis Submarine. You will descend 100 feet and see real marine life up close, including coral, turtles, and fish, as well as artificial reefs, shipwrecks and airplanes.
Tonight, enjoy a luau dinner, under the stars of the Pacific Ocean.
Overnight: Honolulu, Oahu HI
Days 3-4: Honolulu, Optional Excursion to Diamond Head and Hanauma Bay, Overnight flight to Australia
Enjoy some free time in Honolulu today.
As you drive by on your way to the bay, have a look at the iconic Diamond Head, a volcanic cone etched on the Honolulu horizon which reaches an altitude of 762 feet.
Discover the iconic Diamond Head, a volcanic cone etched on the Honolulu horizon which reaches an altitude of 762 feet.
Visit the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, located nine miles from Honolulu, in a lovely bay formed by the crater of an ancient volcano.
Enjoy snorkeling at the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, which is also a Marine Life Conservation District (gear rental included).
Tonight, an evening flight takes you west, over the International Date Line (you lose a "day" now, but will get it back on the return trip!)
Overnight: Aboard flight
Day 5: Sydney
Welcome to Australia's flagship city, a cosmopolitan place surrounded by beaches!
The remainder of the day is free to plan as you wish.
Overnight: Sydney
Day 6: Sydney City Sightseeing, Sydney Harbour Lunch Cruise
A sightseeing tour takes you past landmarks such as the soaring, futuristic Opera House, the historical Rocks area where the First Fleet landed in 1788 to establish Australia's first European settlement, and the Darling Harbour area.
A half-day local guide, well-educated and specially-trained on the history and culture of Sydney, will accompany you today.
Board a sailing catamaran for an afternoon cruise on Sydney Harbour. Get a water side view of the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Elizabeth Bay, Fort Denison, million dollar mansions, and the bays and inlets that dot the harbour.
While on board, enjoy a luncheon buffet.
Overnight: Sydney
Day 7: Sydney, Optional Excursion to Featherdale Wildlife Park and the Blue Mountain
Plan your free time or consider an optional excursion.
Enjoy an excursion to Featherdale Wildlife Park, located just outside of the city. The park is famous for its display of wildlife in natural habitats. See koalas, kangaroos, wombats, dingoes and reptiles.
A cable car and scenic railway afford thrilling views of bushland, deep valleys, and waterfalls.
Overnight: Sydney
Day 8: Sydney, Optional Excursion to the South Coast
Plan your free time or consider an optional excursion.
Today's day trip takes south of Sydney, past the Royal National Park and along the coastal road set below the heights of the Dharawal National Park.
Overnight: Sydney
Day 9: Sydney
Enjoy some free time in Sydney today.
Consider heading to Bondi Beach, located fifteen minutes from the city center by bus. Get off the bus at the northern side of the beach for sunbathing and swimming.
Consider exploring the Royal Botanic Gardens on the edge of Sydney Harbour, or plan a visit the Australian Museum, a science museum with a strong focus on natural history, paleontology and anthropology, fields for which Australia is an outstanding source with its geological history that spans 3.8 billion years.
You may want to head to the Taronga Park Zoo, which is famous for its breeding and rehabilitation programs for indigenous species: Platypus, Koala, Wallaby, and more. It's also home to mammals such as kangaroos, lemurs, gorillas, elephants, monkeys, seals, to name a few, and countless bird and reptile species.
Overnight: Sydney
Day 10: Flight to Cairns, Cairns City Sightseeing
In Australia, north means warmer, not colder. Fly north to tropical Cairns today.
Cairns has much to offer, from the scenic beauty of tropical rain forests to the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef. The city is situated on the shores of a natural harbor, Trinity Inlet, and framed by a backdrop of rugged mountains covered with thick tropical rain forests. In town, you will see landmarks such as the historic Courthouse Hotel (which occupies a former Courthouse inaugurated in 1922), heritage buildings surrounded by verandahs and the Esplanade Promenade.
A local guide, well-educated and specially-trained on the history and culture of Cairns, will accompany you today.
Overnight: Cairns
Day 11: Excursion to the Atherton Tablelands
Visit the amazing Atherton Tablelands today, some 60 miles west (inland) from Cairns.
See the astonishing Australian Butterfly Sanctuary and journey to Caravonica Lakes by Skyrail.
You'll ride a "Commentary Train," and learn about these lush rainforests, waterfalls, crater lakes and picturesque villages.
Overnight: Cairns
Day 12: Excursion to the Great Barrier Reef
People come from all over the world to see the Great Barrier Reef, a 1,200 mile long series of tropical, palm tree islands stretching along Queensland.
The clear water teems with life.
During your cruise, you'll head 20 miles offshore where you will have a chance to snorkel on the Outer Reef, ride in a specially designed semi-submersible boat, or sunbathe on the deck.
Enjoy lunch on Green Island, formed over 6,000 years ago by waves depositing sand, coral and other debris.
Overnight: Cairns
Day 13: Excursion to Mossman Gorge, The Daintree River and Tribulation National Park
See the cane fields and sugar mill at Mossman today, some 30 miles north of Cairns.
A local guide, well-educated and specially-trained on the history and culture of Cairns, will accompany you today.
Take a guided boat cruise along the Daintree River, through mangrove forests, and perhaps the densest rainforest of them all. Crocodiles slither into the river at the sound of the boat's engines. Dundee, where are you?
A walk with your guide through the jungle features fascinating wildlife and Aboriginal tribal villages, here in the shadow of Cape Tribulation National Park.
Overnight: Cairns
Day 14: Departure
En route to the airport, the enormity of the Australian continent colors your thoughts.
Get your "lost day" back as you fly home across the International Date Line, eager to share your discoveries with family and friends.
CUSTOM TOURS
All tours can be customized to your particular needs.
Or start from scratch - we will build your dream tour!
Honolulu City Sightseeing
Hanauma Bay
Sydney City Sightseeing
Sydney Harbour Lunch Cruise
Cairns City Sightseeing
Excursion to the Atherton Tablelands
Excursion to the Great Barrier Reef
The Daintree River
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