How many days do I need for a luxury trip to Australia?

At least 12 days if you want Sydney, the Red Centre, the Kimberley and Melbourne. Our Australia Experience covers Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the Great Barrier Reef in 8 days.

Where should I stay to see Uluru in luxury?

Longitude 131°, where tented pavilions face Uluru so the rock is the first thing you see at dawn.

Is Southern Ocean Lodge open again?

Yes. Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island was rebuilt and reopened in late 2023 after the 2019-2020 bushfires.

Where should I stay in Sydney?

Claire's favorite version starts with two nights at the Park Hyatt for the Opera House views. Our group trip stays 4 nights at Four Seasons Sydney.

Australia Luxury Travel Guide | Caviar in the Air

Australia is a whole continent, and doing it in luxury means accepting that the distances are part of the point.

What does a luxury trip to Australia look like? Give it at least 12 days. Start with harbour views in Sydney, fly to the Red Centre to wake up facing Uluru at Longitude 131°, add the Great Barrier Reef or a Kimberley expedition cruise, and finish in Melbourne's laneway restaurants. The magic lives in the wild places between the cities.

Key facts

How long: at least 12 days for the full country. Our 8-day trip focuses on Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the reef.
Best reef months: June to October, the dry season, which overlaps with humpback whale season (roughly June to September).
Where to stay: Longitude 131° at Uluru, Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island, Saffire Freycinet in Tasmania, and a harbour-view room in Sydney.
Caviar trip:The Australia Experience, 8 days from Sydney to Cairns with 4 nights at Four Seasons Sydney and 3 at Crystalbrook Bailey. Dates to be announced.

Why Australia for Luxury

The Lodges

Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island sits on the cliffs above the Southern Ocean. It was rebuilt and reopened in late 2023 after the 2019-2020 bushfires. At Longitude 131° you sleep in a tented pavilion facing Uluru, so the rock is the first thing you see at dawn. It holds two MICHELIN Keys.

Where we stay on our trip: Four Seasons Sydney and Crystalbrook Bailey in Cairns.

A tented pavilion bedroom at Longitude 131° with Uluru through the glass Photo: Courtesy of Longitude 131°

Saffire Freycinet in Tasmania is the one for oysters and quiet, on a coast of granite peaks and empty bays.

The Hazards granite peaks rising above a quiet bay on Tasmania's Freycinet Peninsula Photo: Tim Lippis / Unsplash

Experiences Worth the Trip

Private Great Barrier Reef snorkeling with a marine biologist
Helicopter access to remote Kimberley waterfalls
Aboriginal cultural immersion with Anangu elders at Uluru
Private cellar door visits in the Barossa Valley

A green sea turtle resting on coral on the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland Photo: Kristin Hoel / Unsplash

If the reef is the part you're dreaming about, read my guide to seeing the Great Barrier Reef the ethical way. If you travel for the table, my Sydney vs Melbourne food and wine guide will help you pick your restaurants.

Claire's Take

I tell every traveler that Australia needs at least 12 days. When I plan it for myself, I start in Sydney with two nights at the Park Hyatt, right by the Opera House. (Our group trip stays somewhere else: four nights at the Four Seasons Sydney, also on the harbour.) From there I fly to the Red Centre for Longitude 131°, then up to the Kimberley for a small-ship expedition cruise, and I finish in Melbourne's laneway restaurants.

The Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge across the water on a clear day Photo: April Pethybridge / Unsplash

The real Australia is in the spaces between the cities, and you deserve the time to see them. If you'd like a shorter version with the planning done for you, The Australia Experience covers Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the outer reef in eight days.

Explore Australia with Caviar in the Air, where the wilderness comes with a very good bed.

6X Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialist with 65+ countries visited across all 7 continents.