10 Day City to Outback Escape Itinerary

Welcome to Sydney, the oldest and grandest of Australia's big cities. Dynamic, cosmopolitan and surrounded by stunning natural attractions, Sydney is the ultimate big city getaway. Set on one of the most beautiful harbours in the world and with famous architectural icons such as the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge to explore, Sydney offers plenty of excitement at any time of the year.

Settle in with a stroll along Circular Quay. With the Harbour Bridge at one end and the Opera House at the other, is there any more iconic place to begin your Australian dream vacation?

Accommodation: Sydney - 3 nights

Panoramic Sydney Sights - A Luxury Tour

Depart your hotel for an unforgettable Panoramic Sydney half day city sights tour. You will visit thehistoric Rocks area and hear about early convict history. Enjoy magnificent views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Visit Sydney's trendy new district Oxford Street and travel through elegant Paddington with its terrace houses before arriving at the Pacific Ocean where you will see the superb coast cliff walk around Tamarama and Bronte. Furthermore, you will be able to travel on to famous Bondi Beach. Return to Sydney via Double Bay, Kings Cross and Mrs Macquarie's Point for a final magical viewpoint over the harbour.

The Backstage Tour of the Opera House

This intimate tour grants you exclusive access to areas normally reserved for the stars and their crew. Limited to 8 people per tour, you will visit the backstage areas of one of the busiest performing arts centres in the world as it prepares for the upcoming performances. Stand on the Concert Hall stage where some of the world's performing legends, such as Dame Joan Sutherland, Michael Bublé, Pavarotti and Australian Idols, have stood. Take up the conductor's baton in the Opera Theatre orchestra pit. Peek inside the dressing rooms of the stars. And hear about the secrets and real-life dramas that go on behind the curtain. Includes a full breakfast in the Green Room* which is the private domain of our performers and staff.

Relax, get away from the city and enjoy some fabulous wine and food in Australia's oldest wine-growing region. Just 2 hours north of Sydney, the Hunter Valley combines world-renowned wines with gourmet local produce and stunning countryside - all the makings for a fabulous, relaxing day. This tour concentrates on the smaller, boutique wineries in this stunning area, where regional variations are even more prominent and the passion of the wine-makers is obvious. These wineries help bring the winemaking process to life, and you will enjoy private tastings with those for whom wine-making is their greatest passion.

Collect your rental vehicle and travel approximately 1 hour to The Blue Mountains Only 90 minutes from Sydney, the 1,000m sandstone plateau of the Blue Mountains is part of a spectacular World Heritage Area that covers more than one million hectares. Here visitors can enjoy clean, fresh mountain air and four distinct seasons. Staying in historic guesthouses, exploring heritage areas and discovering a vibrant arts scene is all part of the Blue Mountains experience. The area offers a variety of adventure activities, including bushwalking, rock-climbing and canyoning.

Accommodation: Blue Mountains - 2 nights

With a blue horizon of eucalyptus trees that appear to stretch on forever, expect to be enchanted by the natural beauty of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. Set out on foot to explore some of the 140 kilometres (87 miles) of walking tracks, admire the native bushland, marvel at the impressive rock formations and explore underground caves on a holiday centred around the outdoors. Whether you're out for a gentle stroll with the family or embarking on a vigorous multi-day trek with calf-burning descents to the valley floor, the Blue Mountains has a bushwalk to suit every level of ability and enthusiasm. We recommend popping into the National Park Visitors Centre in Katoomba to discuss options.

Uluru (Ayers Rock) is Australia's most recognisable natural icon. Standing 348 metres high, the monolith has a great cultural significance for the traditional Aboriginal owners, the Anangu people. Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is located 440 kilometres by road south-west of Alice Springs and encompasses both Uluru (Ayers Rock) and the 36 domes of Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) and both dating back hundreds of million of years. 

Sound of Silence - Dining Under the Outback Sky

At the Sounds of Silence experience you can dine under the canopy of the desert night, while your very own storyteller shares tales as told in the stars. Your journey begins on a lone sand dune. Here you enjoy sparkling wine and a selection of delectable canapés. Dining under the sparkling outback sky as the sun sets, you feast on a BBQ buffet of authentic Australian delicacies complemented by some of Australia's quality wines. Stargazing attention then turns to some of the world's best stargazing. In winter, guests gather around a campfire to savour a special treat of hot mulled wine.

Accommodation: Uuru (Ayers Rock) - 3 nights

Experience the tranquillity of the pre-dawn land under a canopy of stars. Watch the amazing transformation of colours and life as the desert awakens with Uluru and Kata Tjuta as your backdrop. Once the sun is up, enjoy a guided tour at the base of Uluru visiting the Mutitjulu waterhole. Your guide will explain some of the rock paintings and stories from the creation period as told by the Anangu people. This Desert Awakenings tour is a much sought after experience that delivers insight into the ancient landscape, ecology, culture, heritage and history of what is now regarded as Australia's spiritual heartland.

Kata Tjuta Domes Tour

You will travel to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park to a place where unique flora and fauna thrive, Kata Tjuta (The Olgas). Here your guide will reveal the many attributes of this diverse environment and describe the cultural significance of Kata Tjuta as a sacred Aboriginal men's ceremonial site. Arriving at Walpa Gorge you will walk between the mighty conglomerate domes and hear how these 36 domes that make up Kata Tjuta have evolved over millions of years. Take time to listen to the wind (Walpa) far above and view the scale of the rock walls that surround you. The spirituality of this location embraces everyone who ventures here.

Field of Light Star Pass - Art Installation

The experience begins with a convenient hotel pick-up and short transfer to the remote desert location with majestic views of Uluru. You're welcomed at an exclusive dune top just after the sun has set on the horizon. Savour a selection of outback canapes with sparkling wine or beer as your host provides insight into the light installation that awaits you. As darkness falls, 50 000 glass spheres gently come to life. Covered under a sky brilliant with stars, Field of Light beckons you to explore and lose yourself momentarily in the rhythms of coloured light.

We like to think of our Harbour as a sunset painting in progress. The aqua blues of Summer give way to the warm orange hues of Autumn before deepening to a magical Winter twilight blue. Year round, sun-up or sun-down, the colours of Sydney Harbour will welcome you onboard a signature Sunset Dinner Cruise. This is the perfect start to an evening or stunning end to an amazing day in the greatest city in the world.

Accommodation: Sydney - 1 night

Your 10-Day City to Outback Escape of Australia ends here in Sydney today, and we know you will leave with magical memories of a truly exceptional Australian experience as you board your onward flight.