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The 12 Best Places to Visit in Australia (2026)

Updated October 2026 · 12 picks

The best places to visit in Australia in 2026 are Sydney and its harbour, the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns or the Whitsundays, Uluru in the Red Centre, Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road. With more time, add Tasmania, the Daintree Rainforest, Kakadu and Margaret River.

Australia is roughly the size of continental Europe, so distances are the first thing to plan around: Sydney to Perth is a five-hour flight, and Sydney to Cairns about three. For a first two-week trip most people pick three bases — Sydney, the reef (Cairns or the Whitsundays) and either Uluru or Melbourne — and fly between them.

1. Sydney Harbour — Sydney, NSW

The Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and Bondi — the essential first stop.

Best for First-timers · Couples · Families

Sydney is built around one of the world's great natural harbours, and the best way to see it is from the water: the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly passes the Opera House and the harbour's headlands for the price of a bus fare.

Spend at least three or four days: the Opera House and Royal Botanic Garden, a climb or walk over the Harbour Bridge, the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk, and a day trip to the Blue Mountains.

Good to know: Use an Opal card or tap a contactless card on ferries, trains and buses — daily and weekly fare caps make it cheap.

Circular Quay, Sydney NSW 2000

Google Maps Website

2. Great Barrier Reef — Cairns and Port Douglas, Queensland

The world's largest coral reef system, reachable on a day trip from Cairns.

$$$ UpmarketBest for First-timers · Families · Couples

The reef stretches more than 2,300 kilometres down the Queensland coast. From Cairns and Port Douglas, day boats run to outer-reef pontoons and moorings where you can snorkel, dive or stay dry in a semi-submersible.

Choose an operator that goes to the outer reef rather than a near-shore island if snorkelling is the priority. Some reefs have been hit by bleaching in recent years, so good operators move between sites to find the healthiest coral.

Good to know: Go between June and October for calmer seas and no stingers; take seasickness tablets before the boat leaves, not after.

Reef Fleet Terminal, 1 Spence St, Cairns City QLD 4870

Google Maps Website

3. Uluru and Kata Tjuta — Red Centre, Northern Territory

The great red monolith at the heart of the country, sacred to the Anangu people.

$$ Mid-rangeBest for First-timers · Couples

Uluru rises 348 metres from the desert in Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park, which is jointly managed by its traditional owners, the Anangu, and Parks Australia. The colour change at sunrise and sunset is the reason to come; the 10-kilometre base walk shows rock art, waterholes and sacred sites up close.

Kata Tjuta, 40 minutes' drive away, is just as impressive — the Valley of the Winds walk between its domes is one of the best in Australia. Climbing Uluru has been banned since 2019.

Good to know: Stay at least two nights at Yulara so you get a sunrise and a sunset, and start walks early — afternoon heat closes some trails in summer.

Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park, Lasseter Hwy, Petermann NT 0872

Google Maps Website

4. Melbourne — Victoria, Melbourne

Australia's food, coffee and culture capital, with laneways, galleries and sport.

Best for First-timers · Couples · Budget

Melbourne is the city to eat and drink in: laneway cafés, Queen Victoria Market, and inner suburbs like Fitzroy, Carlton and St Kilda that each have their own character. The National Gallery of Victoria, the MCG and the free City Circle tram cover the classics.

It's also the base for the Great Ocean Road, the Yarra Valley wineries, the penguin parade on Phillip Island and the Mornington Peninsula.

Good to know: Trams inside the CBD's Free Tram Zone cost nothing — no need to tap on.

Federation Square, Swanston St & Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000

Google Maps Website

5. Great Ocean Road — Torquay to Allansford, Victoria

One of the world's great coastal drives, past the Twelve Apostles.

Best for Couples · Families · First-timers

The Great Ocean Road runs about 240 kilometres along Victoria's south-west coast from Torquay, past surf beaches, the rainforest of the Otways and the limestone stacks of the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and London Bridge.

It can be done as a long day trip from Melbourne, but two or three days is far better: stay in Lorne or Apollo Bay, look for koalas at Kennett River and catch the Apostles at sunset.

Good to know: Drive it west from Melbourne so the ocean is on your side of the car, and keep the Twelve Apostles for the late afternoon light.

Twelve Apostles, Great Ocean Rd, Princetown VIC 3269

Google Maps Website

6. The Whitsundays — Airlie Beach, Queensland

74 islands, Whitehaven Beach and the reef — best seen from a sailing boat.

$$ Mid-rangeBest for Couples · Families

The Whitsundays are a cluster of islands in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef, with Airlie Beach on the mainland and Hamilton Island as the two main bases. Day cruises, overnight sailing trips and scenic flights over Heart Reef cover the highlights.

Whitehaven Beach and the Hill Inlet lookout are the must-sees; Hamilton Island suits families who want a resort, while Airlie is the cheaper, livelier base.

Good to know: An overnight sail (two or three nights) is the best value way to see the islands at their quietest — before and after the day boats.

Airlie Beach QLD 4802

Google Maps Website

7. Hobart and Tasmania — Tasmania, Hobart

MONA, wilderness, and the country's best produce, all a short flight from the mainland.

Best for Couples · First-timers

Hobart is the base for southern Tasmania: MONA, the Saturday Salamanca Market, kunanyi/Mount Wellington and day trips to Port Arthur and Bruny Island. Its restaurants and the island's wine, whisky, oysters and cheese are reason enough to visit.

With a week, drive a loop to Freycinet and Wineglass Bay on the east coast and Cradle Mountain in the north-west — two of Australia's best national parks.

Good to know: Tasmania is cooler than the mainland all year — pack layers even in January.

Salamanca Place, Hobart TAS 7000

Google Maps Website

8. Daintree Rainforest and Port Douglas — Far North Queensland, Cairns

The oldest tropical rainforest on Earth, meeting the reef at Cape Tribulation.

Best for Couples · Families

The Daintree, north of Port Douglas, is part of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. Mossman Gorge, with Indigenous-guided Dreamtime walks, and Cape Tribulation, where the rainforest runs down to the beach, are the highlights.

Port Douglas is the smarter, quieter alternative to Cairns as a base, with outer-reef trips leaving from its marina every morning.

Good to know: Cross the Daintree River on the cable ferry and allow a full day — the road north is slow and the best stops are on boardwalks.

Mossman Gorge Rd, Mossman QLD 4873

Google Maps

9. Kakadu — Top End, Northern Territory

Australia's largest national park: rock art, wetlands, waterfalls and crocodiles.

Best for Couples · First-timers

Kakadu, about three hours from Darwin, is dual World Heritage–listed for its nature and its culture. Ubirr and Burrungkuy (Nourlangie) have some of the world's oldest rock art, and a Yellow Water cruise shows saltwater crocodiles and birdlife.

The dry season (May to October) opens the roads to Jim Jim and Twin Falls; the wet season brings thundering waterfalls but closes much of the park.

Good to know: Buy a park pass online before you go, and never swim anywhere that isn't signed as safe — crocodiles live throughout the park.

Bowali Visitor Centre, Kakadu Hwy, Jabiru NT 0886

Google Maps Website

10. Margaret River — South-West Western Australia

World-class wineries, surf beaches and caves, three hours south of Perth.

Best for Couples · Families

Margaret River packs more than 100 wineries into a strip of coast also known for its surf breaks, limestone caves, karri forests and the Cape to Cape walk. The cellar doors, from Vasse Felix to Leeuwin Estate, are some of the country's best.

Allow at least three days. Whale-watching from Augusta and Dunsborough runs roughly June to December.

Good to know: Book a winery tour or a driver — distances between cellar doors are short but the roads are rural and wine tastings add up.

Margaret River WA 6285

Google Maps Website

11. Kangaroo Island — South Australia

Wildlife everywhere you look — sea lions, koalas, kangaroos — a ferry ride from Adelaide.

Best for Families · Couples

Kangaroo Island is Australia's third-largest island and one of the easiest places to see native animals in the wild: sea lions on the beach at Seal Bay, koalas, wallabies and echidnas, plus the Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch in Flinders Chase National Park.

It's also a food destination — local honey, gin, wine and seafood. Take the SeaLink ferry from Cape Jervis or fly from Adelaide.

Good to know: Allow at least two nights; the island is bigger than it looks and driving at night means kangaroo strikes.

Kangaroo Island SA 5223

Google Maps Website

12. Ningaloo Reef and Exmouth — Coral Coast, Western Australia

Swim with whale sharks on a reef that starts at the beach.

Best for Couples · Families

Ningaloo is a World Heritage–listed fringing reef that runs close to the shore for about 300 kilometres, so you can snorkel straight off beaches like Turquoise Bay. Exmouth and Coral Bay are the bases.

From roughly March to July, tours take you swimming with whale sharks; humpback whales pass from about August to October and manta rays are around all year at Coral Bay.

Good to know: Fly Perth–Exmouth (Learmonth) rather than drive — it's more than 1,200 kilometres by road.

Exmouth WA 6707

Google Maps

Frequently asked questions

How many days do you need in Australia?

Two weeks is the realistic minimum for a first trip: four days in Sydney, three or four on the reef, three at Uluru or on the Great Ocean Road, and a couple in Melbourne. Three to four weeks lets you add Tasmania, Kakadu or Western Australia without rushing.

What is the best time of year to visit Australia?

Spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May) suit most of the country. Summer (December to February) is beach season in the south but hot and wet in the tropics; winter (June to August) is the best time for the north — Cairns, the Whitsundays, Kakadu and Uluru.

Is it worth going to Uluru?

Yes, if you can give it at least two nights. Sunrise and sunset over Uluru, the base walk and Kata Tjuta's Valley of the Winds are unlike anything else in the country. Flights go direct to Ayers Rock Airport (Yulara) from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. See our best national parks.

Where should I go for the Great Barrier Reef?

Cairns and Port Douglas have the widest range of day trips to the outer reef; the Whitsundays (Airlie Beach) combine reef trips with Whitehaven Beach and sailing. June to October brings the clearest water and no stingers.

Do I need a car in Australia?

Not in Sydney or Melbourne, where public transport and ferries cover the sights. You do for the Great Ocean Road, Margaret River, Tasmania and most national parks; drive on the left and avoid driving at dawn and dusk in the country, when kangaroos are most active.

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