How Long Have You Got, and Why Are You Going? Planning Your First (or Next) Trip to Australia

Author: Chris Hawkins, Programme Director

Welcome to Australia, and welcome to Australian Sky. The best Australian holidays are never built around a list of "top sights." They're built around two simple questions:

How long are you planning to go for?
And why are you travelling to Australia?

The honest answers to these questions change everything about your itinerary - the route, the pace, even which coast you fly into. Our team have genuinely lived and travelled this country extensively, not just read about it, and that's what lets us match the holiday to the traveller rather than the other way round.

How long are you planning to go for?

Australia is enormous. Sydney to Perth is a longer flight than London to Dubai, and I've watched too many well-meaning itineraries try to cram in six states in ten days, leaving travellers exhausted, jet-lagged, and staring at the inside of yet another airport lounge rather than the country itself.

My rule of thumb, learned the hard way over many trips of my own: pick fewer places and stay longer. Give yourself at least 2-3 nights in each stop before moving on. That's enough time to shake off the flight, get your bearings, and actually feel a place rather than just tick it off - whether that's watching the light shift over Uluru at dawn, or working out which Bondi coffee shop does the best flat white before the surf crowd arrives.

Two weeks is enough for a proper introduction to Australia, and we build wonderful itineraries around that timeframe. If you can stretch to three or four weeks, even better - that's when the country really opens up, and you can add in somewhere like Tasmania or the Kimberley without feeling rushed. Not everyone has that kind of time, and that's fine too; we'll simply be more selective with you about where those precious days go.

What is your reason for going?

People travel to Australia for every reason imaginable, and the "why" really should shape the "what."

Visiting friends or family? It's the most common reason Brits head to Australia, and it's an easy trap to spend the entire trip on someone else's sofa and someone else's schedule. I always encourage VFR travellers to carve out a few days just for themselves - a proper mini-break bolted onto the visit. One of my favourite indulgences in Sydney is a long, lazy lunch at a riverside restaurant on the Hawkesbury, arriving by seaplane from Rose Bay - it's the kind of thing you'd never book for yourself on a normal trip, and it turns a family visit into a genuine holiday too.

Celebrating something? Honeymoon, wedding anniversary, milestone birthday - Australia does romance and indulgence brilliantly, from beachfront retreats to desert lodges under an impossibly starry sky. Have a browse of our Australia honeymoon collection for a sense of the calibre of places we can arrange, or get in touch and we'll tailor something entirely bespoke.

Travelling solo? You won't be short of company. Our escorted touring holidays bring together like-minded travellers all over the country, and I've lost count of the number of solo clients who've come home with a WhatsApp group of new friends and firm plans to travel together again. Read more in our guide to going solo down under.

First time in Australia? For newcomers, I almost always point people towards the East Coast and the Red Centre - it's the combination that gives you the widest, most rewarding spread of what makes this country so extraordinary: Sydney's harbour energy, the reef, the rainforest, and then the humbling stillness of Uluru at sunset. Our East Coast Islands and Rainforest tour and our Red Centre Sights & Sounds tour - which includes the Sounds of Silence dinner beneath the stars, one of the most memorable evenings I've had anywhere in the world - are two of our most-loved starting points. We're also not afraid to steer you off the well-worn trail while we're at it, because the "real" Australia is very often found just around the corner from the postcard shot.

Coming back for more? If you're an Australia obsessive like me - and once you've been, there's a good chance you will be - we've plenty of options for return visitors. Think remote 4WD touring through the Northern Territory's Top End, self-drive adventures along the Great Ocean Road or the coast from Sydney to Cairns, or lesser-visited corners like the Kimberley and Western Australia's outback. There's always another layer to this country.

Every one of these routes can be right, depending on you. That's the honest truth of it, and it's why I'd always encourage a conversation over a click-and-book. Our specialists have genuinely been to the hotels, walked the trails and eaten at the restaurants we recommend - we're not reading reviews and repackaging them.

Ready to start planning? Browse our full range of Australia holidays, explore our tours and touring holidays, or simply give us a call on 01342 310 580 - our enthusiasm for this country is, I promise you, entirely infectious.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many days do I really need for a first trip to Australia?
I'd suggest a minimum of two weeks on the ground, not counting flights. That's enough for a well-paced introduction covering somewhere like Sydney, the Great Barrier Reef and the Red Centre without feeling rushed. If you can find three to four weeks, you'll get a much richer trip.

What's the biggest mistake people make when planning an Australia itinerary?
Trying to see too much. Australia's distances catch people out every time - flights between states can take as long as flights from the UK to the Mediterranean. I'd always rather see a client spend four nights in two brilliant places than one night in eight forgettable ones.

Is Australia a good destination for solo travellers?
Absolutely - it's one of the easiest countries in the world to travel alone, and our escorted tours make it easy to meet other solo travellers too. Many of our clients travel solo and come home having made friends for life.

When is the best time of year to visit Australia?
It depends where you're going, since the seasons run opposite to the UK's and the country spans tropical and temperate climates. Broadly, our autumn to spring (roughly April to October) suits most itineraries best, though the Top End has its own distinct wet and dry seasons worth checking with us before you book.

Can you build a completely tailor-made itinerary rather than a set tour?
Yes, and it's actually how most of our holidays come together. We use our set tours as inspiration and starting points, then adjust the pace, hotels and destinations around your reason for travelling and how much time you've got. Just give us a call and we'll start sketching it out together.