Southern Capitals – City Meets Bush

Starting From AUD $2,414
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While both cities are set just 900 kilometres apart, you’ll find attractions abound between them on this Sydney to Melbourne tour. The Southern Highlands offers a taste of cool-climate wines soon after departing Sydney, with time to peruse Berrima, Australia’s best-preserved Georgian city. Canberra delivers more history and indulgences, while Melbourne dials up pop culture in its graffiti-coloured lanes. You’re traversing Ned Kelley country Australia in a snapshot.

Tour Highlights

  • Meet a local grazier at Gold Creek Station
  • Hear stories of the Gold Rush era from a passionate local pub owner in Beechworth
  • Learn about Australian Parliament from a local guide

Tour Itinerary

(B) Breakfast (L) Lunch (D) Dinner (SD) Specialty Dinner
Tour Code: ESBM

1
Sydney – Canberra (L, D)
Day 1
Sydney – Canberra (L, D)
It’s hard to believe that just 1.5 hours from Sydney lies a patch of countryside that could have been transplanted straight from the English Cotswolds. This is Berrima, the oldest Georgian village in Australia. Think atmospheric villages amid rolling hills of grape vines – the Southern Highlands is the closest wine region to Australia’s largest city, after all. And then there are the grand gardens and emerald farms, one of which you’ll visit to meet Craig Starr and his family. Their 400-hectare Gold Creek Station farm is your backdrop for a Be My Guest BBQ lunch and tales about life on the land. This is your start of your Sydney to Melbourne trip, and the entrée to the country’s cool little capital of Canberra, home to Parliament House, where you’ll go behind the political scenes, as well as the Australian War Memorial. Hearing the Last Post is a moving experience, and this Canberra guided tour will linger long after you leave the capital.
Crowne Plaza, Canberra
Set in a tranquil park settingin the heart of the city.  The central location is a 2 minute walk from the National Convention Centre Canberra and a short stroll to the city’s many shops, bars and restaurants.
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2
Canberra – Wangaratta (B)
Day 2
Canberra – Wangaratta (B)
Thanks to architect Walter Burley Griffin, Canberra is an urban planner’s delight – the city is that well laid out, as you’ll discover when you head to the summit of Mt. Ainslie for panoramic views on a Canberra guided tour. You won’t yet be able to see the mighty Murray River, but you’ll soon cross it en route to Beechworth. From Australia’s longest river to Victoria’s best-preserved gold rush town, Beechworth saw an influx of fortune-seekers from all over the world during the 1850s. Your Travel Director will give you the Beechworth lowdown, then set you on your way to further explore character-filled antiques stores, galleries, leafy parks and gardens, and museums at your leisure. There are plenty of charming cafés and restaurants to refuel in as well, before Wangaratta’s cathedrals beckon.
Quality Hotel Wangaratta
Located in Victoria’s High Country, within minutes drive by car or a short cycle of the acclaimed wineries, artisan producers and providores;.
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3
Wangaratta – Melbourne (B)
Day 3
Wangaratta – Melbourne (B)
Meandering south toward historic Glenrowan, you’re well and truly in Ned Kelly country – this is where the infamous bushranger and his gang were finally captured in 1880. The story is remembered on pretty much every city corner, whether in enormous statues or at the town’s well-curated museum. We’ll tell you all the tales – some of them true, many of them heresy. All of them entertaining. Then we’ll tell you a bit more about Melbourne, like how it’s the home of Aussie rules football, covets some of the country’s best arts institutions, and has a swag of stellar restaurants, cafés and bars. Small wonder it’s known as Australia’s cultural, culinary and sporting capital. Once you have your bearings after a city and Melbourne laneway tour, head off to explore. Forget your map – one of the joys of being in Melbourne is getting lost. Discovering a hidden jazz bar. Stumbling upon a hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Finding a gallery that catches your eye. Spending too much in that independent boutique. Enjoy.
Crowne Plaza Melbourne
Located right on the riverfront this hotel offers spacious guestrooms, unrivalled city skyline and river views.
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4
Melbourne Free Time (B)
Day 4
Melbourne Free Time (B)
You could spend weeks exploring Melbourne and its surrounds and not tire of the attractions. But you just have today, so make the most of it. We wouldn’t hold it against you if all you want to do is jump on a tram and ride the rails to the city’s character-filled neighbourhoods. Perhaps bohemian Brunswick, or seaside St. Kilda for Polish cakes along Acland Street. But if you want to explore further afield, we’ve got you covered on an optional experience. For a bird’s-eye view of the bay, sign up to scale the Eureka Skydeck, offering dizzying vistas in every direction from almost 300 metres above the street. If you’re an animal lover, then you’ll want to venture to Phillip Island to see hundreds of little penguins pad from the sea along the sand en route to their burrows. It’s a nightly attraction. Want to get back to nature? Chug through the lush Dandenong Ranges on the Puffing Billy Steam Train, followed by a sip or two of wine in the Yarra Valley. The flight of cool-climate drops enjoyed here is all you need to ease into the evening. The choice is yours.
Crowne Plaza Melbourne
Located right on the riverfront this hotel offers spacious guestrooms, unrivalled city skyline and river views.
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5
Farewell from Melbourne (B)
Day 5
Farewell from Melbourne (B)
Wait, how did you just pack so much action into a working week? Cities, countryside, farms, wineries, islands… this Sydney to Melbourne trip has been quite the adventure.

Inclusions

Attractions Included

  • Meet a local grazier at Gold Creek Station
  • Hear stories of the Gold Rush era from a passionate local pub owner in Beechworth
  • Learn about Australian Parliament from a local guide

Coach Features

  • 48 Seat coach
  • Restroom
  • Air conditioned

Experiences Included

  • Specialist team of two highly experienced Travel Director and Driver Guide
  • Local specialist guides
  • Centrally located premium 4-star hotels

Meals Included

  • 4 Full Breakfasts
  • 1 Lunch
  • 1 Dinner

Fitness Requirements

  • Canberra Parliament House Tour – Low level fitness required
    Comfortable walking pace tour of Parliament House. Lift options available moving between floors.

Visited Locations

  • Canberra
    You'll find a mix of history, art and the outdoors in Australia's capital city.  Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall.
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  • Wangaratta
    Wangaratta is a substantial rural service centre in north-east Victoria famed for its Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues which attracts artists of genuinely international stature and its proximity to some of Victoria's finest wine growing regions.
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  • Melbourne
    Melbourne is the coastal capital of the southeastern Australian state of Victoria. At the city's centre is the modern Federation Square development, with plazas, bars, and restaurants by the Yarra River.
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  • Sydney
    Sydney is the capital of New South Wales and one of Australia's largest cities, is best known for its harbour front Sydney Opera House, with a distinctive sail-like design.
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Attractions

  • Canberra Parliament House Tour
  • Gold Creek Station
    At Gold Creek Station you'll learn about life on a farm from local sheep farmer, Craig Starr and get a taste of life on the farm.
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Available Dates

Dates Price per person
On Request
21 Nov 2024 - 25 Nov 2024 $2,597$3,426
Available
06 Feb 2025 - 10 Feb 2025 $3,055$4,030
Available
20 Mar 2025 - 24 Mar 2025 $2,750$3,627
Available
10 Apr 2025 - 14 Apr 2025 $2,414$3,200
Available
28 Aug 2025 - 01 Sep 2025 $2,414$3,200
Available
16 Oct 2025 - 20 Oct 2025 $2,414$3,200
Available
20 Nov 2025 - 24 Nov 2025 $2,584$3,426
Available
05 Feb 2026 - 09 Feb 2026 $2,584$3,426
Available
19 Feb 2026 - 23 Feb 2026 $2,584$3,426
Available
19 Mar 2026 - 23 Mar 2026 $2,584$3,426
Southern Capitals – City Meets Bush
Days
5
Price from
AUD $2,414