The Best of Australia and New Zealand with Singapore

Our nationwide shared chauffeur service collects you from home for your flight to Singapore.

On arrival, we transfer to our well-located hotel.

Singapore is one of Asia’s most electric cities with astounding skyscrapers, a multi-cultural population, historic architecture, stunning gardens and vibrant way of life. We’ll get to know it better on a tour, beginning with phenomenal panoramic views from its most iconic building - Marina Bay Sands. We’ll continue on through the Civic District to Merlion Park - dominated by its iconic fountain, a mythical creature with the head of a lion and body of a fish. Then we’ll explore Thian Hock Teng Temple; we’ll experience the beautiful National Orchid Garden; and make a stop in Little India - brimming with the unique scent mixture of joss sticks, jasmine and spices.

Meals: Breakfast

Today is free. Perhaps you’ll visit the breathtaking National Gallery or head to the city’s many food hawker stalls for freshly made noodles and fried rice.

Meals: Breakfast

In the morning we have some more free time, before we transfer to the airport for our overnight flight to Melbourne.

Meals: Breakfast

We touch down in Melbourne early this morning and transfer to our hotel for some time to relax.

In the morning, we’ll journey to the Dandenong Mountains, where trickling waterways meander down forest-cloaked slopes. The best way to take in the scenery is by train, so we’ll climb aboard ‘Puffing Billy’, Australia’s oldest narrow gauge steam train, to chug slowly through the landscape. This afternoon, our city tour shows us more of Melbourne.

Meals: Breakfast

This morning is free to relax or explore at your own pace. This afternoon (and evening), we head south-east of the city, to Phillip Island. The highlight here comes at Summerland Beach, where each evening a ‘parade’ of waddling fairy penguins make their way from the sea up to their sand dune burrows. The following day is free to enjoy all Melbourne has to offer.

Meals: 2 Breakfasts

One of the world’s most scenic drives, the Great Ocean Road hugs the southwest coast of Victoria. Rainforests, gorges, gullies, arches and blowholes - we’ll pass them all as we follow the cliff curves from Torquay to Warrnambool. We’ll skirt Cape Otway National Park and pass into Port Campbell National Park, where we pause to admire the famous limestone stacks known as the Twelve Apostles.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Australia’s ‘other red centre’, Coonawarra is where some of the world’s best cabernet sauvignon and shiraz is produced, perfected since the late 19th century. We’ll call in at a local winery for a taster of these award-winning vintages - and enjoy the sprawling vineyard views while we sip. Our journey then takes us through the South Australian countryside, following the Murray River as we make our way to Adelaide.

Meals: Breakfast

We’ll meet koalas and kangaroos at Cleland Wildlife Park, then it’s time for a tour of Adelaide, a trendy city with a big focus on food and wine. A following free day gives you a chance to explore.

Meals: 2 Breakfasts

We’ll fly to Alice Springs today. ‘The Alice’, as it’s affectionately known, was founded as a staging point for the overland telegraph line in the 1870s. On arrival in Alice Springs, we will visit the Telegraph station and Anzac Hill.

Please note: The order of excursions at the Red Centre is subject to change.

Meals: Breakfast

This morning we’ll take a tour of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, before heading to Uluru. People from across Australia and the world travel to discover Uluru, a site of deep cultural significance to First Nations people. Uluru is a World Heritage Site, and is believed to be around 550 million years old. The title deeds for the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (on which Uluru stands) were returned to the Anangu people by the Australian government in 1985. We’ll spend some time taking in the sheer size (348 metres), with two thirds of the rock actually buried beneath the sand. This evening, we visit the mesmerising Field of Light installation.

Please note: The order of excursions at the Red Centre is subject to change.

Meals: Breakfast

It’s an early start this morning, but well worth the wake-up call to see Uluru at sunrise. As the twinkling stars disappear above us, the towering silhouette of Uluru appears as the sun rises from behind it. Seeing the huge sandstone monolith in person is a true highlight. Once the sun’s risen, we’ll head west to explore the Olgas, a collection of more rounded rocks known as Kata Tjuta (‘Many Heads’).

This evening, we head to Uluru for an unforgettable sunrise viewing - watching with a glass of wine as the rock shifts from orange to crimson in the day’s last light. (Please note, the order of excursions at Uluru may change.)

Meals: Breakfast

We fly to Cairns, gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and Tropical North.

Meals: Breakfast

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s biggest reef system, sprawling along 200 kilometres of Australia’s coastline. A catamaran will take us to the Outer Great Barrier Reef, where you can admire the corals from an underwater observatory or semi-submersible boat. You’ll even have the chance to jump in for a spot of snorkelling.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Take a day to unwind in the warmth of tropical Queensland. Perhaps wander along the promenade and stop for a spot of lunch al fresco, or pay a visit to some of Cairns’ great museums and galleries.

Meals: Breakfast

We’ll journey up to Kuranda on the Skyrail, gliding above the rainforest canopy as we ascend. We’ll spend some time at leisure - Kuranda Railway Station is particularly lovely, with original wooden structures, tropical flowers and ferns. On a scenic railway ride, we’ll trundle through the rainforest and back down the mountainside. The track twists and turns across chasms and next to frothing waterfalls, passing through 15 tunnels along the way.

Meals: Breakfast

We transfer to the airport for our flight to Sydney, one of the world’s most recognisable cities. Gazing out at the Opera House or up to the Sydney Harbour Bridge (known as ‘the coat hanger’) are real ‘pinch me’ moments - and we’ll have plenty more to come over the next few days here. We’ll be staying near Darling Harbour, a restored area of dockland with a palm-fringed promenade, a Chinese garden and the magnificent Sydney Aquarium nearby.

Meals: Breakfast

Our morning city tour covers off all the highlights, including the harbour and its architectural icons, and the lush Royal Botanical Gardens. A different perspective awaits in the afternoon, as we see Sydney from the water on a harbour cruise. Two full days at leisure follow. Perhaps explore the historic Rocks district, where British convicts first settled on arrival in the city, or take the ferry over to the beach suburb of Manly.

Meals: 3 Breakfasts

It’s goodbye to Oz and kia ora to New Zealand as we touch down in the cathedral city of Christchurch, on South Island.

Meals: Breakfast

We travel south to Dunedin, which hugs a pretty harbour. There’s a strong Scottish influence here - it’s home to New Zealand’s only kilt shop, and the country’s whisky is produced here. To set the scene, we’ll enjoy a grand, Scottish-style dinner. The following day, you’re free to explore Dunedin’s delights.

Meals: 2 Breakfasts and Dinner

We journey across the plains of New Zealand’s Southland to Te Anau, gateway to Fiordland National Park. The scenery in this part of South Island is incredible - thick forest, vast lakes and sounds, and ribbons of water cascading over the edge of towering peaks.

Meals: Breakfast

It’ll be a photo-worthy drive this morning as we make our way through the Eglinton and Hollyford Valleys. A cruise on Milford Sound takes us along the fiord, past the spectacular Mitre Peak, out to the open sea and back again. Look out for seals and dolphins swimming and splashing in the water. Our drive to Queenstown takes us along the edge of Lake Wakatipu, the only land-locked lake in the world with its own tide - its name translates as ‘the lake that breathes’.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Queenstown, watched over by the jagged peaks of the Remarkables, is a favourite with those who love the great outdoors. After a day at leisure, we board the beautiful vintage TSS Earnslaw for an evening cruise across Lake Wakatipu. Our destination will be the high-country sheep station of Walter Peak, where we’ll dine in the elegant Colonel’s Homestead.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Today, we will visit Kinross Winery and Cellar Door to sample their wines before making our way to Twizel. On the way, we’ll stop at Lake Wanaka, where we'll have an included cruise to Ruby Island on the lake plus some free time to explore this lakeside town. We then continue to our hotel, located in the Dark Sky Reserve. This evening, you’ll have the perfect opportunity to book an optional stargazing tour - a magical experience under one of the clearest night skies in the world.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

This morning, we continue our visit to Mount Cook Village, where you'll have free time to soak in the spectacular alpine scenery and take in views of Mount Cook. You may choose to go on a short hike or perhaps book an optional helicopter ride. Afterward, we’ll stop at Lake Tekapo, where you’ll have free time for lunch, followed by an included visit to the Dark Sky Project. This experience offers fascinating insights into the stars and the region’s unique environment, all from a Maori perspective.

A scenic drive to Christchurch takes us along the shores of two alpine lakes, Lake Pukaki and Lake Tekapo. In the right weather conditions, they appear an intense milky-turquoise colour - a result of the fine particles of glacial rock-flour suspended in the water.

Meals: Breakfast

Heading north, we’ll pause at the coastal town of Kaikoura, famous for its seafood and sea life, before continuing on to Picton. Here, we’ll board our inter-island ferry to cross the Cook Strait, passing through the beautiful Marlborough Sounds. Wellington Harbour offers our first view of New Zealand’s capital city, our home for the next two nights.

Meals: Breakfast

We take a morning tour of the ‘Windy City’ of Wellington. The afternoon is free to explore - New Zealand’s national museum, Te Papa, is well worth a visit. For a panoramic view of the city and its surroundings, take the historic cherry-red Wellington Cable Car up to Kelburn. Wellington has laid claim to the invention of the flat white (though some Aussies would disagree) - either way, a barista-brewed cup is the perfect pick-me-up in between sights.

Meals: Breakfast

We head north, stopping at Huka Falls where the Waikato River squeezes through a narrow gorge and tumbles down into an aquamarine pool. We continue to Rotorua, known for its awe-inspiring geothermal activity, where we’ll enjoy a Maori cultural experience, an authentic Maori concert and a traditional ‘hangi’ feast.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

A farm show this morning gives an insight into New Zealand’s agricultural heritage, demonstrating mustering, shearing and milking. Then we’ll head to the National Kiwi Hatchery and find out more about New Zealand's national icon. This afternoon, we’ll take a tour of Whakarewarewa Thermal Village, where the Tuhourangi/Ngati Wahiao tribe have opened their doors to share their way of life for over 200 years. The village is set on a geothermal hotbed, with steaming hot pools and bubbling mud.

Meals: Breakfast

The darkness of the Waitomo Caves is pierced by the tiny blue-green lights of glow-worms - thousands of them cover the ceilings here. A boat ride along an underground river shows them in all their luminescent glory. We travel on via the dairy centre of Hamilton to Auckland.

Meals: Breakfast

Today we introduce you to the ‘City of Sails’, the largest city in New Zealand. Our guided tour highlights include Old Customhouse, the shoppers’ delight of Lower Queen Street, and Parliament Street. The remainder of the day is at leisure to explore or relax.

Meals: Breakfast

We’ll make our way to Northland, the birthplace of the nation. Our drive along the west coast of North Island passes sleepy harbourside hamlets and native forests. The Waipoua Forest is home to huge kauri trees, the largest of which - ‘Tane Mahuta’ (Lord of the Forest) - stands 30 metres tall. We’ll learn more about these ancient trees at the Kauri Museum.

On a cruise to Cape Brett lighthouse, we’ll keep an eye out for the seals, dolphins and whales that play in these subtropical waters. Our boat trip also takes us into the grand Cathedral Cave and through the ‘Hole in the Rock’. We’ll also visit Waitangi Treaty House, where the historic signing between Maori and British formed the nation of New Zealand in 1840. Our visit includes a guided tour of Waitangi.

Meals: 2 Breakfasts and Dinner

After a morning at leisure, we head south along the Hibiscus Coast to Auckland.

Meals: Breakfast

Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK.

Meals: Breakfast

Upon arrival, your vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.