I know! 10 days in Australia sounds ridiculous! Especially since Australia is far away from most places. However, 10 days was all I had on my first visit to Australia and I absolutely the made the very best of these 10 days! This post covers how to spend 10 days in Australia on your first visit to the country covering some of Australia’s major cities, attractions and highlights!
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Table of Contents
Notes About 10 Days in Australia
- It’s easy to miss how huge Australia is and going from one place to another takes time. For your 10 days in Australia, I would suggest saying on one side of the country vs. trying to fly across the country.
- You can easily fly into one city and fly out of another on this 10 days in Australia itinerary. I flew in and out of Sydney because that is what was cheapest for me but you can adjust this itinerary based on where you fly in and out. For example if you fly into Sydney and fly out of Melbourne, then you can do 2 days in Sydney back to back instead of splitting it like I have.
- Feel free to shuffle the order of this itinerary around. Check for internal flights before you make your own itinerary for 10 days in Australia.
- If you have a choice between Virgin Australia and Jet Star for internal flights, my personal recommendation would be to fly Virgin IF the price difference is small.
- This itinerary does involve driving. Car rentals are relatively affordable if you book in advance and although Australia drives on the left side, I did not have any issues driving or navigating. There are signs on the roads reminding you to drive on the left!
- If you don’t want to drive, you can either take tours or Ubers.
- I have detailed posts on all the cities mentioned on this itinerary. I have linked all of them below! Definitely check them out as I go into a lot of detail in those individual posts.
10 Days in Australia
Day 1 – Sydney
You can breakdown things to see in Sydney in to 3 sections; city, beach and views. Below are some of the highlights not to miss but definitely check out my linked post below for more details.
- Sydney Opera House
- Sydney Harbor bridge
- Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach walk
- St. Mary’s Cathedral
- Queen Victory Beach
- Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair
- Maybe Sammy
Where to Stay
I stayed in the Surry Hills area and was able to either walk or take Ubers everywhere. The central train station is also close by. There are lots of places to eat, bars and cafes in Surry Hills and it’s only a 20 minutes drive from the airport.
Check out my detailed post on Sydney HERE
Day 2 – Melbourne
Melbourne is the base for days 2-4. You can do these 3 days in any order that you like.
Take an early morning flight to Melbourne from Sydney. The flight is less than 1.5 hours and you are on the ground before you know it. There is a lot to see in Melbourne so try and get there earlier in the day.
You can explore the city of Melbourne on day 2. Here are some things to do:
- Brighton Beach – Uber if you don’t have a vehicle
- Queen Victoria Market
- State Library of Victoria
- Explore the arcades
- Explore the shopping and vibrant streets
- Flinders Station
- National Gallery of Victoria
- St. Paul’s Cathedral
- Federation Square
- Hoiser Lane
- Penguin Parade at Philip Island (optional) – Tour if you don’t have a vehicle
See my detailed post on how to spend one day in Melbourne HERE
Day 3 – Great Ocean Road (Overnight in Melbourne)
The Great Ocean Road is considered one of Australia’s best road trips! This is a 240+ kilometer stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia. While you can do this trip as an overnighter, with only 10 days in Australia, you will need to visit the Great Ocean Road as a day trip from Melbourne. It will be a long day but it will be worth it! The start of the Great Ocean Road is about 100 KM from Melbourne. Start your day early, so that you have time to really see the Great Ocean Road well.
See HERE for a detailed post about the Great Ocean Road. I have outlined how to see it if you self-drive or by tour. Below are some highly rated and recommended tours!
Day 4 – Yarra Valley (Overnight in Melbourne)
Located an hour north of Melbourne, the Yarra Valley is definitely a place you should check out if you love wine! This region produces Chardonnay, sparkling wine and Pinot Noir and has been making wines for over 170 years. You can visit about 4-5 wineries with a lunch stop during your day trip to the Yarra Valley.
Yarra valley has things you can do even if you don’t love wine and makes for a great day trip from Melbourne.
Read my detailed post on the Yarra Valley to learn more!
You do need a vehicle to get around the Yarra Valley. If you don’t have one, then check out these tours below! There is a hop-on-hop-off tours as well that will give you a little more flexibility.
Where to Stay
Stay in a central location in Melbourne like the Central Business District (CBD). Most of the sites on day 2 and the tours on day 3 and 4 (if you opt for tours), will most likely start from the CBD. I stayed at a great place in the CBD that was close to everything! Check it out HERE!
Day 5 to 6 – Barossa Valley
Spend days 5-6 of your 10 days in Australia in the Barossa Valley. This region is the oldest and biggest wine producing region in South Australia. The Barossa is best known for its Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Grenache and has over 150 wineries!
THIS post shows you how exactly to spend two days in the Barossa Valley and includes the best wineries to visit!
Where to Stay
I stayed at a very central location in Tanunda which was ideal because it was walking distance to restaurants and shops in downtown Tanunda. HERE is the link if you want to check the place out!
If you do not have a designated driver or don’t want to drive, then you can either hire a private driver or check out some tours below.
Day 7 to 9 – Cairns
Located in the northern part of the state of Queensland, Cairns is one of the more popular gateways to the Great Barrier Reef. I dedicated 3 of the 10 days in Australia to Cairns because I absolutely love to snorkel and the Great Barrier Reef was my number #1 bucket list item in Australia. There is a lot to do in Cairns beyond the Great Barrier Reef too, making it an ideal location for people of different interests and age groups.
If you are like me and are visiting Cairns for the Great Barrier Reef, then I think you should explore the reef both from under the sea as well as from the sky. I wrote 3 very detailed articles about the Great Barrier Reef and Cairns that you should check out below!
- Explore the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns – All you need to know!
- Top 10 things to do in Cairns – Includes activities and places beyond the Great Barrier Reef
- How to spend 3 days in Cairns – 3 itineraries 3 different ways with something for everyone!
Below are the tours I can recommend for exploring the Great Barrier Reef!
Where to Stay
Pick a central spot when you are booking accommodation, especially if you don’t plan on driving. I stayed at the Crystalbrook Flynn. This hotel is located in a very central spot and is walking distance to everything! HERE is a link if you want to check it out!
Day 10 – Sydney
I split up Sydney because I was flying out of Sydney. Instead of having the 2 days in Sydney back to back, I split it so that I got back to Sydney ahead of my flight back home. I did not want to fly in for my flight back home the same day.
Itinerary Alternatives
- If you don’t love wine, you can skip the Barossa Valley and spend those two days in the Gold Coast instead.
- Another alternative is to add those days to Sydney and take a day trip to the Blue Mountains.
Helpful Resources
eSIM
I used to buy a local sim card when I landed in a new country. While they are certainly cheaper than roaming, they can still be expensive plus you also need an unlocked phone for it to work. I have since switched to buying an eSIM. They are relatively inexpensive and so easy to set up and use. Check out this LINK for a 10% discount (use SHORTGIRL10 if it’s not automatically applied at check out).
One callout is that these are data only sims!
Car Rental
If you plan on driving checkout rental car options HERE.
Accommodation
I always book accommodation on booking.com. In addition to offering options with free cancellations, they also have a ton of filters that make it easy to book the exact type of accommodation with the amenities you are looking for.
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