Inspiring Australia with Luxury Gold
Photo: Great Barrier Reef
As the world leader in luxury small group journeys, Luxury Gold is redefining the New Golden Age of Travel. With the finest end to end bespoke approach to travel, you will be spoiled on your next journey with high end experiences in magnificent environments. From exceptional dining at sort after Michelin Star restaurants to unique street food experiences. Curated experiences with afterhours access, VIP experiences and the exclusive Founder’s Collection on select itineraries where you can meet and greets with nobility, icons and royalty. You will enjoy magnificent stays at world leading properties such as the Belmond and Red Carnation Hotels or unique chalets or private game reserve lodgings. Beyond these high-end experiences, your every need will be catered to by your 24/7 Travel Concierge who combines local knowledge with the ultimate black book of contacts to customize your truly unforgettable luxury small group journey.
Inclusions:
- Magnificent Stays at Hand-Picked Hotels
- Curated Experiences
- Connect and make long-lasting memories with Local Experts
- Extraordinary Dining
- Custom Coach with 2x the legroom
- Travel Concierge
- Door to Door Transfers
- Smaller Groups
- Full-service Porterage
Photo: Map of Inspiring Australia itinerary
Day 1: Welcome to Cairns
Meet your Travel Concierge for a Welcome Dinner at the Reef House Restaurant, where you will enjoy a meal made from seasonal ingredients as you overlook the crystal-clear water of the Coral Sea.
Day 2: The Ancient Daintree Rainforest and Indigenous Culture
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Daintree National Park is the largest continuous area of tropical rainforest on the Australian continent. Join your Local Expert for a fascinating exploration in Daintree National Park and learn about the relationship the indigenous Kuku Yalanji people have with their land. Lunch is served in the quaint Daintree village. Return to your hotel, where you have the evening at your leisure.
Day 3: Cairns Natural Wonders
Experience the wonders of Cairns your way. Step aboard a glass-bottom boat and head into the Great Barrier Reef. In this shimmering paradise and wildlife-rich environment, soak up the sun on deck or snorkel in the crystal-clear waters past iridescent hard and soft corals and colorful marine life. With a bountiful lunch served onboard, it’s the most glamorous way to explore the reef. Or, take in the local culture visiting the vibrant village of Kuranda in the world’s oldest living tropical rainforest. Your adventure begins on the scenic SkyRail Rainforest Cableway, traveling through the rainforest as you ascend the mountain range. Linger in the Heritage Markets rich with local arts and crafts before returning to Cairns on the quaint Kuranda Scenic Rail.
Photo: Uluru Sunset
Day 4: Into the Outback
Depart the holiday hotspot of Cairns, flying to Uluru, the heart of Australia. The domes of Kata Tjuṯa are your first stop. Join your Travel Concierge for a guided walk deep through whistling Walpa Gorge, tracing the cultural significance of Kata Tjuṯa's ancient rocky domes. In the late afternoon, venture into the spiritual midst of Uluru in time to enjoy sparkling wine and a spectacular sunset.
Day 5: Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa
Experience the renowned Field of Light by Artist Bruce Munro – 50,000 hand-crafted glass spheres of colored light – a magical sight to behold. Wander through the paths and then, from the dune-top, watch as the dawn creeps across the desert plain and lights up Uluru. Later, spend time at the base of Uluru’s red slopes, embracing the timeless stories of the Anangu people, whose rock art you’ll have the opportunity to view. Visit the Mutitjulu Waterhole, home to the Anangu’s wanampi, an ancestral water snake. Then venture to the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Center, where you’ll learn about the strong connection shared over millennia between the Anangu and this ancient land. Explore the Tjukurpa Tunnel and read about the history and flora and fauna of the park. This evening meet the magical stars of the Southern Hemisphere at the sensational Sounds of Silence Dinner.
Photo: Uluṟu Sounds of Silence Dinner
Day 6: Spectacular Sunrise
Take part in another mesmerizing sunrise as Uluru is bathed in golden yellows, oranges and reds. Inspired by this otherworldly landscape, return to your hotel for a leisurely breakfast before traveling towards Kings Canyon to Curtin Springs Station. Gain an insider’s perspective into life in the outback as you meet the Severin family and learn about their legacy and cattle-wrangling heritage. In true Aussie style, feast on a homestyle barbecue lunch as you are regaled with tales of life in the challenging outback. Hearts and bellies full, continue to your home for the evening where you can take in the Northern Territory's vast and rugged landscape in this desert oasis.
Day 7: Desert and Canyons
Perfect for observing the changing colors of the landscape, today you're off on a sunrise 6km rim walk exploring the spectacular Kings Canyon. Highlights include the domed Lost City, and the luscious Garden of Eden. If you’d prefer a more relaxed walk, you can opt for the boulder-strewn Canyon Creek Bed, getting up close to the native plants and birdlife that call this part of the world home. Afterward, you’re traveling past the vast outback landscape towards Alice Springs at the foot of the MacDonnell Ranges. Join your Alice Springs hosts this evening for a barbecue dinner around a campfire.
Photo: Sunrise Walk at Kings Canyon
Day 8: Alice Springs to Sydney
Personalize your day in Alice Springs visiting one of the organizations that supports the communities in the outback. Visit the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) Tourist Facility to learn how this non-profit organization has been saving lives in the outback in 1939. Explore the heritage building which housed the first RFDS Alice Springs Base radio operator. Or, head to the School of the Air for a look at how technology is used to teach children in this remote area at this unique correspondence school that has pioneered distance learning long before it was normalized. After an enriching day, fly to Sydney where you have the evening to explore this vibrant city from your hotel in the heart of The Rocks district.
Day 9: Sydney Included Choice & Hunter Valley
Enjoy a Sydney sightseeing tour including seeing the famed Mrs. Macquarie's Chair. Mid-morning offers you an Included Choice activity so you can see more of the Harbor City. Customize your day and escape to a world long ago, before colonial settlement, and be touched by the most ancient human culture on earth. Join an Aboriginal guide for a 90-minute leisurely walkabout through the Rocks District, hear dreamtime stories passed down from Elders and discover how Aboriginal people existed by the Harbor. For a different pace, say ‘cheers’ to your local guide from Dave’s Tours on a historic walking tour of some of Sydney’s oldest pubs. Tread in the footsteps of the convicts, larrikin gangs & locals of the past as you share a drink in four of Sydney's oldest pubs. Between watering holes, your guide will take you through the alleys & cobbled streets of the Rocks as they share the gossip, shouts, and stories of Australia's first European settlement. This afternoon, depart Sydney for the Hunter Valley wine region. The evening finds you checking into your boutique hotel before dinner.
Day 10: Hunter Valley Wine Region
Spend the day exploring the amazing Hunter Valley Wine Region. Today includes good food, great wine and beautiful scenery. Indulge in exclusive private wine tastings at boutique vineyards and sit down to an exceptional tasting lunch. There will be time to explore cellar doors, a cheese shop, chocolatier, and more before spending the evening at leisure. You may like to relax on your balcony with a good book and bottle of wine, enjoy the hotel's Grecianstyle heated pool, spa and sauna or treat yourself to one of the dining options.
Photo: Hunter Valley Wine Tasting with Lunch
Day: 11 Sydney Harbor Lunch Cruise
Return to Sydney in time to tour magical Sydney Harbor. Cruise around the glistening Harbor while you savor a delicious lunch with a strong focus on local produce and wines. Relax on the spacious deck as you cruise past iconic sights like the Sydney Opera House, Harbor Bridge and small secluded coves surrounded by multimillion-dollar waterfront homes. This evening is free for you to explore and discover one of Sydney’s local restaurants.
Day 12: Sydney at Leisure
Wake up to a day at leisure in the harbor city of Sydney. There are so many sights to experience. You may choose to climb the Sydney harbor Bridge, take the ferry to Manly Beach, or explore some of the lesser-known interesting pockets of Sydney to see how the locals live. Late afternoon, join a VIP guided tour of the Sydney Opera House before a Celebration Dinner at Peter Gilmore’s Bennelong restaurant under the sails of the Opera House itself, the perfect location for our last meal together.
Day 13: Farewell Sydney
After breakfast, bid farewell to your fellow travelers and transfer to the airport for your onward journey.
