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🇦🇺 Itinerary · Australia · 30 days

1-month Australia itinerary 2026: the grand tour

30 days: East Coast from Sydney to Cairns, the Red Centre and Uluru, then Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road. The grand tour of Australia, with flights, budget and transport.

🔄 Updated June 1, 2026

📅 See the program 🔄 See variants

In brief

Duration

30 days

Stops

7 places

Average budget

€5,000-7,000

Total distance

~8,500 km

Profile

Grand journey

Season

May-Sep

Sydney 4d · Byron Bay 3d · Whitsundays 4d · Cairns 4d · Uluru 4d · Melbourne 4d · Great Ocean Road 4d

Itinerary map

The route at a glance

Australia 1-month itinerary map: Sydney, Byron Bay, Whitsundays, Cairns, Uluru, Melbourne, Great Ocean Road

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Detailed program

7 days, day by day

1

~€95/day

Sydney · D1 to D4 · The iconic harbour

  • D1 Arrival in Sydney, Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Circular Quay.
  • D2 Bondi, Bondi-to-Coogee coastal walk, Surry Hills.
  • D3 Blue Mountains: Three Sisters, hike.
  • D4 Manly by ferry, northern beaches, free day.
🛌 🛌 The Rocks · e.g. hotel facing the harbour (4 nights)·🚆 Train + 🚇 transport·Australia guide →
2

~€80/day

Byron Bay · D5 to D7 · Surf and bohemian vibe

  • D5 Flight Sydney → Ballina, road to Byron Bay, surf beaches.
  • D6 Cape Byron lighthouse (easternmost point), dolphins, whales in season.
  • D7 Hinterland: Nimbin, hinterland waterfalls, organic markets.
🛌 🛌 Byron Bay · e.g. lodge near the beach (3 nights)·✈️ Flight + 🚗 car
3

~€120/day

Whitsundays · D8 to D11 · Whitehaven Beach

  • D8 Flight to the Whitsundays, Airlie Beach.
  • D9 Sailing cruise through the 74 islands, Whitehaven Beach.
  • D10 Snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, Hill Inlet.
  • D11 Hamilton Island or beach day, rest.
🛌 🛌 Airlie Beach · e.g. waterfront resort (4 nights)·✈️ Flight + ⛵ catamaran
4

~€110/day

Cairns · D12 to D15 · Great Barrier Reef and Daintree

  • D12 Flight Whitsundays → Cairns, Esplanade and lagoon.
  • D13 Boat trip to the Outer Reef, snorkelling or diving.
  • D14 Daintree rainforest, Cape Tribulation, crocodile cruise.
  • D15 Kuranda Skyrail above the canopy, Kuranda village.
🛌 🛌 Cairns or Port Douglas · e.g. hotel near the reef (4 nights)·✈️ Flight + 🚗 car
5

~€100/day

Uluru and the Red Centre · D16 to D19 · The Outback

  • D16 Flight Cairns → Ayers Rock (Uluru) via a major city, red desert.
  • D17 Uluru at sunset, walk around the sacred monolith (10 km).
  • D18 Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), Valley of the Winds, sunrise over Uluru.
  • D19 Kings Canyon optional, Anangu Aboriginal culture, desert starry sky.
🛌 🛌 Yulara · e.g. desert lodge (4 nights)·✈️ Flight + 🚐 desert transfers
6

~€90/day

Melbourne · D20 to D23 · Cultural capital

  • D20 Flight Uluru → Melbourne, CBD laneways and street art.
  • D21 Fitzroy cafés, Queen Victoria Market, Greek and Italian quarters.
  • D22 Mornington Peninsula or Phillip Island (penguin parade).
  • D23 Galleries, sport (MCG), dining, free day.
🛌 🛌 Melbourne CBD · e.g. central hotel (4 nights)·✈️ Flight + 🚊 free city tram
7

~€85/day

Great Ocean Road · D24 to D30 · Coastal road and finale

  • D24 Set off by car on the Great Ocean Road, Torquay surf beaches.
  • D25-D26 Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, Otway forest, wild koalas.
  • D27 Lorne, Apollo Bay, swimming and coastal viewpoints.
  • D28 Back to Melbourne, Yarra Valley vineyards.
  • D29 Last day in Melbourne, final shopping.
  • D30 Return flight from Melbourne to Europe via an Asian stopover.
🛌 🛌 Along the Great Ocean Road then Melbourne (6 nights)·🚗 Rental car

How much

Budget for this itinerary (per person, flight included)

Backpacker

€5,000

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €1,200
  • 🏨 Hostel: €38/night
  • 🍽️ Simple meals: €22/day
  • ✈️ 5 domestic flights: €700
  • 🎫 Reef + Uluru + excursions: €800
Recommended

Comfort

€6,000

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €1,300
  • 🏨 3-4★ hotel/resort: €95/night
  • 🍽️ Mixed dining: €38/day
  • ✈️ Domestic flights + car: €1,100
  • 🎫 Guided excursions: €1,000

Premium

€10,500

per person

  • ✈️ Business class: €2,400
  • 🏨 5★ and desert lodges (Longitude 131): €280/night
  • 🍽️ Renowned tables: €65/day
  • 🚖 Private transfers + premium car
  • 🎫 Uluru and Whitehaven flights, private dive: €1,500

Shorter, longer

Other possible durations

1 week

1 week

Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef. The essential format.

2 weeks

2 weeks

The whole East Coast: Sydney, Byron Bay, Whitsundays, Cairns.

You're here

1 month

1 month

The grand tour: East Coast, Outback and Uluru, Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road.

How to get around

Itinerary logistics

Australia is a continent the size of Europe. Over 30 days and ~8,500 km, this grand tour rests on 5 domestic flights (Sydney, Byron, Whitsundays, Cairns, Uluru, Melbourne) and a rental car for the Great Ocean Road. Budget ~€700 to €1,100 for domestic transport.

✈️

Domestic flights

5 segments · Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin · book early

🚗

Great Ocean Road car

Melbourne → Twelve Apostles · left-hand driving

⛵

Whitsundays catamaran

sailing cruise through the 74 islands

⛵

Great Barrier Reef boat

Outer Reef from Cairns

🚐

Uluru desert transfers

Yulara to Uluru and Kata Tjuta

Adapt by season

One austral window to reconcile it all

Over 30 days mixing tropical coast, desert and temperate south, May to September is the best compromise: dry season in the north (Cairns, Whitsundays outside stinger season), cool nights but clear skies in the Outback (Uluru), and the south (Melbourne, Great Ocean Road) in a mild autumn-winter. The southern summer (Dec-Feb) makes the Outback scorching (40°C) and the north humid. For Uluru, avoid high summer: the heat there is extreme.

Author tips

What I would redo (and change)

✅ Would redo

  • • In July 2024, at Uluru, I watched the sunset then stayed for the starry night: with no light pollution for hundreds of kilometres, the Milky Way crushed the sky while the monolith glowed red. The Anangu guide told the Tjukurpa stories. A moment that justifies the detour to the Red Centre.
  • • Combining East Coast, Outback and south: three Australias in one trip, each a world apart.
  • • Keep the Great Ocean Road for the end: the coastal road closes the trip beautifully.
  • • Uluru while respecting Anangu culture: you no longer climb the rock, you walk around it.
  • • The Whitsundays sailing cruise rather than a quick Whitehaven round trip.

⚠️ Would change

  • • Skip Byron Bay (3 days) if you would rather have more time in the Outback.
  • • Add Tasmania (4 days) if you love wild nature and hiking.
  • • Take the domestic flights as a pack when buying the international ticket.

FAQ

Itinerary FAQ

Is a month necessary for this grand tour? +
Yes: with ~8,500 km, the tropical East Coast, the Outback (Uluru) and the temperate south (Melbourne, Great Ocean Road), under 3 weeks would force you to sacrifice a region. A month links it all without rushing, domestic flights helping.
Can you climb Uluru? +
No, the climb has been banned since 2019 out of respect for the Anangu people, the traditional owners of the sacred site. You walk around the monolith (10 km) and visit neighbouring Kata Tjuta.
Do you need an air pass for Australia? +
Book your 5 domestic flights early on Qantas, Jetstar or Virgin. Air passes exist but low-cost flights booked ahead are often cheaper. Budget €100 to €200 per segment.
When should you go for this route? +
May to September: dry season in the north (outside stinger season), Outback with cool nights but clear skies, mild south. The southern summer (Dec-Feb) makes the Outback scorching and the north humid.
What budget for 1 month in Australia? +
Budget €5,000 backpacking and €6,000 in comfort per person, flight from Europe included. The cost of living, domestic flights and excursions (reef, Uluru) weigh heavily.
Do you need a visa for Australia? +
Yes: an eVisitor (free) or ETA electronic visa is required for most Western travellers, applied for online before departure. Valid 12 months, stays of 3 months maximum, enough for 30 days.

Marie Laurent ✓

·

Southeast Asia specialist · itinerary personally tested.

Last updated: June 1, 2026.

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