Two countries, one long flight there, and four more inside the tour
Prices on this page are from-prices in US dollars per person sharing, before international flights, from the operators’ own pages unless we label a reseller listing. Here’s one real route, end to end.
- Melbourne2 nightsThe tour starts in Victoria’s capital.
- Cairns3 nightsA flight north, and a day out on the Great Barrier Reef.
- Sydney3 nightsAnother flight, to the harbor city.
- Queenstown3 nightsAcross the Tasman by air, with Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables.
- Rotorua2 nightsA flight to Auckland, then the coach south to the geothermal country.
- Auckland1 nightBack north for the last night and the flight home.
From $9,535; 2027 departures listed January to March at $9,613 to $9,834. All four flights are included. Stops and nights from Trafalgar’s day-by-day itinerary.
One country or two: what each half gives you
The two countries share a sea and a long flight from the US, not much else. Decide what you came for first.
You’re flying about 15 hours to get here, so it’s tempting to do both. Most of the tours we checked do, and they lean on internal flights to make it work.
Australia is where the flying happens. Trafalgar’s Panorama flies Melbourne to Cairns, Cairns to Sydney and Sydney to Queenstown before the coach takes over.
New Zealand is a road trip. G Adventures’ Highlights of New Zealand runs Auckland to Christchurch in 15 days with a single flight, Wellington to Kaikoura.
If you only have ten days, pick one country. Doing both in that time means an airport most days.
Uluru and the reef: the Australia most tours fly to
If Uluru is on your list, read the itinerary before the price. Both of Trafalgar’s two-country tours leave it out.
The Red Centre and the reef are a flight apart, not a drive. Tours handle that with charters: Tauck’s Spotlight on Australia uses three private flights in 10 days.
Uluru gets a short stay. Tauck spends one night, at Sails in the Desert; both of Trafalgar’s two-country tours skip Uluru entirely, so check before you book.
Visiting on your own? The national park pass is AUD 38 for an adult for three days, and free under 18. Ask whether your tour fare covers it.
Tourism Australia recommends April and May for the Red Centre, and says June to August is peak season around Cairns and the reef.
A guided walk at Uluru
Tauck’s Spotlight on Australia: a walk at the base of the rock that covers the rock’s cultural significance.
Sunset in the desert
Champagne, canapés and cocktails as the colors shift; the night is at Sails in the Desert.
North to the reef
A charter to Port Douglas for three nights, including a full day on a catamaran to Agincourt Reef on the outer Great Barrier Reef.
What to ask your operator
Does the tour include Uluru, and for how many nights? Is the reef day a full day on the outer reef, or a shorter trip? Those two answers separate a $600 day from a $960 one.
New Zealand: geysers, lakes and a very wet fiord
New Zealand rewards a slower tour. You see more from the coach window than from the airport.
Most New Zealand tours run the same spine: Auckland, Rotorua’s geothermal country, then a flight or ferry south to Queenstown and the lakes.
Milford Sound is the day trip from Queenstown. Trafalgar’s Contrasts gives it Day 13, a cruise on the fiord; Trafalgar’s shorter Panorama doesn’t go.
Pack for rain. Intrepid’s Milford guide says it rains about 200 days a year there, and that the waterfalls are at their best after it does.
Crowds peak in summer, December to February, per the same guide; winter is quieter and colder.
Want the glaciers too? G Adventures’ Highlights of New Zealand spends two nights at Franz Josef. Tauck’s North & South Island tour swaps them for Kaikoura and Wanaka.
Seasons, reversed: when to go down under
You’re booking a summer trip in your winter. The calendar flips, and so do the prices.
Summer: long days and top prices
Tourism Australia calls summer the hottest and most expensive time to travel. The tropical north is in its wet season.
- Trafalgar’s 2027 departures start January 14, at $9,613 on the Panorama
- Milford Sound’s crowds peak, per Intrepid’s guide
- Tauck runs its New Zealand tour January to March
Autumn: the Red Centre’s best months
Tourism Australia singles out April and May for the Red Centre. The tropical north’s dry season starts in May.
- Trafalgar’s Panorama has March 2027 dates at $9,613 and $9,834
- Globus’s Highlights of the South Pacific with Uluru departs March 18, 2027
- G Adventures’ New Zealand trip had sale fares on select dates through March 29, 2027
Winter: reef season, cold in the south
June to August is low season for Australia overall but peak in Cairns and on the reef, during the tropical dry season.
- Tourism Australia gives winter temperatures from about 11°C (52°F) in the south to 30°C (86°F) in the north
- Milford Sound is quieter and colder; Intrepid lists a 6-day New Zealand Winter Adventure in June 2027
- Fewer two-country coach departures on the calendars we checked
Spring: Tauck’s season
Tauck runs its Grand Australia & New Zealand from October to December and Spotlight on Australia in November.
- Globus’s Ghan tour departs October 30, 2027
- Intrepid’s North & South and Complete New Zealand trips start October 31, 2027
- The tropical north’s wet season begins in November
Season dates, temperatures and the wet season are Tourism Australia’s; Milford Sound crowds and rain are from Intrepid’s guide. We don’t quote crowd counts; nobody publishes them.
How many days Australia and New Zealand take
You’re fitting a long-haul trip into your vacation days. Count the flights before you count the sights.
Lengths from the operators’ listings. Days include arrival and departure days, not the flight from the US.
Our rule of thumb
Two weeks for one country done well, or both done briskly. Three weeks if you want Uluru and Milford Sound in the same trip. Add two travel days for the flights.
Who runs Australia and New Zealand, with real tours
Eight operators, priced on the same basis. Cheapest per day first.
| Operator & tour | Days | From | Per day | Where | Route | Group | Internal flights | Price source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contiki New Zealand Sweet As South | 9 | $1,373 | ~$153 | NZ | Christchurch loop via Franz Josef, Queenstown, Milford Sound | avg ~45; ages 18–35 | No (coach) | contiki.com, Nov 19 2026 |
| Intrepid New Zealand North & South | 14 | $4,815 | ~$344 | NZ | Both islands | small group | Ask | intrepidtravel.com, Oct 31 2027 |
| AAT Kings Uluru & Kata Tjuta Experience | 3 | $1,035 | ~$345 | Australia | Uluru add-on | coach | No | reseller, 2027 |
| G Adventures Highlights of New Zealand | 15 | $5,699 | ~$380 | NZ | Auckland to Christchurch | max 16, avg 12 | One (Wellington–Kaikoura) | gadventures.com, 2027 (regular fare) |
| Intrepid Sydney to Cairns Adventure | 15 | $5,895 | ~$393 | Australia | East coast | small group | Ask | intrepidtravel.com (was-price) |
| Intrepid Red Centre & Uluru Explorer | 6 | $2,580 | ~$430 | Australia | Uluru and the Red Centre | small group | Ask | intrepidtravel.com (was-price) |
| Globus Down Under Journey | 20 | $10,497 | ~$525 | Both | Sydney, Cairns, Uluru, Melbourne, Rotorua, South Island | coach, avg 36 | Included | globusjourneys.com, Feb 12 2027 |
| Globus Highlights of the South Pacific with Uluru | 20 | $10,862 | ~$543 | Both | Auckland to Sydney via Milford Sound, the reef, Uluru | coach, avg 36 | Included | globusjourneys.com, Mar 18 2027 |
| G Adventures Journeys: Iconic Australia and New Zealand | 23 | $12,649 | ~$550 | Both | Auckland to Cairns | max 16, avg 12 | Included | gadventures.com, Nov 29 2026 |
| Globus Ultimate South Pacific with the Legendary Ghan | 28 | $17,197 | ~$614 | Both | Melbourne to Auckland, two nights on the Ghan | coach, avg 36 | Included | globusjourneys.com, Oct 30 2027 |
| Trafalgar Australia & New Zealand Panorama | 15 | $9,535 | ~$636 | Both | Melbourne, Cairns, Sydney, Queenstown, Rotorua, Auckland | avg 45 | Four included | trafalgar.com (2027 dates $9,613–$9,834) |
| Trafalgar Contrasts of Australia & New Zealand | 18 | $11,519 | ~$640 | Both | Melbourne to Christchurch via Milford Sound | avg 45 | Four included | trafalgar.com, Jan 14 2027 |
| Tauck Grand Australia & New Zealand | 20 | $18,290 | ~$914 | Both | Melbourne, Uluru, Mossman, Sydney, Wellington, Te Anau, Queenstown | Small Group avg 24 | Six charters; trans-Tasman extra | tauck.com |
| Tauck Spotlight on Australia | 10 | $9,590 | ~$959 | Australia | Melbourne, Uluru, Port Douglas, Sydney | not stated | Three charters | tauck.com |
| Tauck New Zealand: A North & South Island Adventure | 14 | $13,990 | ~$999 | NZ | Auckland to Queenstown | Classic or Small Group | Included | tauck.com |
| Roam by Tauck New Zealand: North & South | 12 | $13,990 | ~$1,166 | NZ | Both islands | Roam | Ask | Tauck release, 2027 |
| Abercrombie & Kent Australia and New Zealand: An Epic Adventure | 17 | $26,195 | ~$1,541 | Both | Australia to Auckland | max 18 | Ask | abercrombiekent.com (currency not shown) |
From-prices in USD per person sharing, before international flights. Contiki’s and G Adventures’ Iconic fares are for late-2026 departures, the latest shown. Intrepid’s Australia fares are list prices before a sale. A&K’s page doesn’t name the currency. “Reseller” means the agency Global Journeys. Collette sells Australia and New Zealand Uncovered and other two-country tours; its fares weren’t readable on its site, so ask us.
Coach operators: Trafalgar, Globus
Both countries in 15 to 28 days, with the internal flights in the fare. Trafalgar averages 45 guests on both of its tours here.
Luxury: Tauck, A&K
Private charters, lodges such as Silky Oaks, and groups of about 24 (Tauck Small Group) or 18 (A&K). From about $915 to $1,541 a day.
Small groups: G Adventures, Intrepid
Groups of 16 or fewer on G Adventures. Intrepid sells dozens of shorter trips you can chain: east coast, Red Centre, both New Zealand islands.
Ages 18 to 35: Contiki
New Zealand Sweet As South, 9 days from $1,373 in multi-share rooms, mostly hostel nights.
What Australia and New Zealand cost per day, and all-in
The spread here runs from about $153 to $1,541 a day. Flights inside the fare explain much of the middle.
Our arithmetic on the from-prices above. Inclusions differ: the Trafalgar, Globus and Tauck fares include internal flights; Contiki’s uses multi-share rooms.
Read the internal flights before the price. Four domestic and trans-Tasman flights are a real cost, and the two-country coach tours at about $525 to $640 a day already carry them.
Tauck’s Grand tour includes six charters but not the Sydney to Wellington flight, which you book with your international ticket.
All-in math
What an Australia and New Zealand tour costs once you land
We filled in Trafalgar’s Panorama at its lowest listed fare and the midpoints of Trafalgar’s general tip guidance. The meals and extras figures are our starting estimates; change them, and swap in your own quote.
The Panorama includes 14 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 6 dinners, so about 20 meals are yours. The extras box starts with the ETA (AUD 20) and the NZeTA plus levy (NZD 117 by app), converted roughly; add your optional excursions. Tipping isn’t customary locally; on a G Adventures trip set the driver box to zero and use its optional 10 to 15 dollars a day for the leader. Add your international flights to the total.
Find your Australia and New Zealand tour
Answer the length question with the flights in mind. Twelve days on the ground needs fourteen on the calendar.
Matcher
Match a real tour to how you travel
Five taps: budget, which country, style, group size and length. It suggests tours from the table above.
The Ghan and the Indian Pacific: crossing Australia by train
You can fly over the outback or ride across it. The train takes days, and that’s the point.
Australia’s two famous trains cross the outback overnight. The Legendary Ghan runs Adelaide to Darwin in 4 days and 3 nights, from about AU$3,590 in a Gold Twin for 2027.
The Indian Pacific runs Sydney to Perth in 3 nights, from about AU$3,190 in Gold. The Ghan’s fare includes its meals and off-train excursions.
On a tour, Globus is the simplest way aboard: its 28-day Ultimate South Pacific puts two nights on the Ghan between the reef and New Zealand.
Book early. Globus and Cosmos set final payment for Ghan departures at 180 days, against 90 for other South Pacific tours.
Our luxury trains compared page sets the Ghan and Indian Pacific against the world’s other great trains, cabin by cabin.
Tipping, cards and the small costs
You can leave most of the tipping math at home. Leave the American Express card there too.
| Who | Guidance | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and service, New Zealand | Not expected; workers are paid a fair wage | Tourism New Zealand |
| G Adventures leader | Optional: 10–15 AUD or NZD per person per day, for outstanding service | Trip page |
| G Adventures local guides | Don’t tip unless your leader asks; up to ~10% at good restaurants | Trip page |
| Trafalgar Travel Director and driver | $5–$7 and $3–$5 per person per day (its general guidance) | Trafalgar tipping guide |
| Collette prepaid tipping | About 11 a day Classic, 14 Explorations (Australian site; currency not stated) | Collette AU/NZ sites |
| Roam by Tauck | All gratuities included | Tauck |
Cards and cash
G Adventures warns that American Express isn’t widely accepted in Australia, so bring a Visa or Mastercard too, and a 4-digit PIN for ATMs.
Carry some cash in small notes. Australia and New Zealand each use their own dollar; declare AUD 10,000 or more entering Australia.
Fees on top of the fare
The Uluru park pass is AUD 38 for adults if your tour doesn’t include it. New Zealand’s NZD 100 visitor levy comes with the NZeTA.
Australia’s biosecurity rules are strict: the State Department notes limits on food, plants and wood products. Declare snacks rather than risk a fine.
ETA, NZeTA, flights from LAX and DFW, and the date line
Both countries make US visitors register online before the flight. Do it a few weeks out, not at the gate.
Fly in a day or two early. You lose a calendar day flying west, and a 15-hour flight is a poor warm-up for an early reef boat.
Price an open-jaw ticket: Trafalgar’s Panorama starts in Melbourne and ends in Auckland, its Contrasts in Christchurch.
Apply for the ETA and NZeTA yourself, in the official apps. The Australian Embassy says an ETA costs AUD 20 there; any site charging more is a red flag.
The State Department’s guidance for Australia is to exercise normal precautions. Check travel.state.gov for New Zealand before you go.
Solo, families and slower travelers
The long flight is the same for everyone. What happens after it isn’t.
| If you are… | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Traveling solo | G Adventures Highlights of New Zealand | No single supplement if you share with a same-sex roommate; My Own Room available on every night |
| 18 to 35 | Contiki New Zealand Sweet As South | Multi-share rooms keep it near $153 a day |
| A family with kids 12 and up | G Adventures Highlights of New Zealand | Minimum age 12, physical grade 2 (light) |
| A family with younger kids | Intrepid Central Australia & Uluru Family Holiday | 6 days from $3,395 on Intrepid’s US site |
| Older, or slower on your feet | Tauck Spotlight on Australia | Activity level 2, three charters instead of long drives, two or three nights a stop |
| After the fewest hotel changes | Trafalgar Panorama | Three nights each in Cairns, Sydney and Queenstown |
| After the most comfort | Tauck Grand Australia & New Zealand | Silky Oaks Lodge, six charters, Small Group dates averaging 24 |
Check the luggage rules. Trafalgar’s US conditions carry porterage for one suitcase per hotel, except in Australia and New Zealand; ask what your tour allows before you pack.
Mobility limits change the choice. Tauck rates its New Zealand tour activity level 3, with stairs and 90 minutes of standing; a private tour lets you set the pace.
Cruise combos, extra nights and booking windows
Cruise first or tour first? Here’s how the pieces fit.
Adding a cruise
Planning a ship too? Start with our Australia and New Zealand cruises guide, then the Sydney, Auckland and Melbourne port pages.
A cruise covers the coasts; a land tour covers Uluru, Rotorua and Queenstown. Pair them, and put the tour first so you’re over the jet lag before you board.
Extra nights
Sydney before or after is the easy add. Our Sydney hotel picks and Auckland hotel picks are written for cruise nights, and work for tour nights too.
How far ahead to book
Globus and Cosmos take final payment 90 days out on South Pacific tours and 180 days on the Ghan, against 60 on most trips. For December to March, we’d book about a year ahead; our booking-window guide compares the operators.
Insurance
A long-haul trip with internal flights is where cover matters most. Some benefits depend on buying soon after your deposit; read our purchase-window guide before you pay it.
Before you book Australia and New Zealand
These are the lines that change the price or the trip. Tick them off as you go.
Your Australia and New Zealand checklist
Ticks aren’t saved. Deposits and cancellation terms are on each operator’s guide below.
Who should tour down under, and who should go alone
Book a tour if
- You want both countries in two or three weeks with the flights handled
- You want Uluru and the reef, which are a long flight apart
- You’re traveling solo and want a ready-made group for a long trip
- You’re pairing the trip with a Sydney or Auckland cruise and want the inland sights
Look elsewhere if
- You want New Zealand at your own pace; it’s easy by rental car, if you’re fine driving on the left
- You have ten days or less and want both countries; pick one
- You want the cheapest trip possible and aren’t 18 to 35; chain shorter Intrepid trips instead
- You can only travel in the northern summer and want the reef warm and dry; check the season tabs first
Our take
For a first trip, take an 18- to 20-day two-country tour with the internal flights in the fare: Trafalgar’s Contrasts or Globus’s Down Under Journey. They cost about $525 to $640 a day and include Uluru or Milford Sound, or both.
If you’re short on time, do New Zealand alone with G Adventures or Intrepid at about $344 to $380 a day, and save Australia for a cruise.
Either way, read the itinerary for Uluru and Milford Sound before you compare prices.
Where to go from here: who runs Australia and New Zealand
Free · No obligation
Want your Australia and New Zealand trip priced against the alternatives?
Tell us your dates and which sights matter: the reef, Uluru, Milford Sound. We’ll price a coach tour, a small group and a cruise combination side by side, internal flights included, before you commit.
Prefer to book the extras yourself?
Hotels, day trips and flights around the tour
Hotel nights before and after
Arriving a day early gives you a buffer if a flight runs late, and most people add a night when the tour ends.
Your free days
The days either side of the tour are yours. Day trips and tickets for the start and end cities:
Getting there and around
Fly into one city and home from another when the tour is one-way.
These are affiliate links: if you book through them, Seabound Journeys may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend. Our disclosure. We’re happy to book these for you too.
What first-timers to Australia and New Zealand ask us
How many days do you need for Australia and New Zealand?
About 15 days for a first look at both: Trafalgar’s Australia & New Zealand Panorama covers Melbourne, Cairns, Sydney, Queenstown, Rotorua and Auckland in 15. Add Uluru and Milford Sound and you’re at 18 to 20 days, like Trafalgar’s Contrasts or Globus’s Down Under Journey. One country alone takes 10 to 14 days.
Do US citizens need a visa for Australia?
You need an Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601) or a visa. The Australian Embassy in Washington says ETAs can only be applied for in the official Australian ETA app, with no visa charge and an AUD 20 service fee; anyone asking for more is a red flag. An ETA allows multiple stays of up to three months over 12 months.
Do US citizens need an NZeTA for New Zealand?
Yes. US travelers are visa-waiver visitors and need an NZeTA: NZD 17 in the app or NZD 23 on the Immigration New Zealand website, plus the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy of NZD 100, paid at the same time. It lasts up to two years. Immigration New Zealand says to allow at least 72 hours, and your passport must be valid three months past departure.
When is the best time to tour Australia and New Zealand?
The seasons are reversed: summer is December to February. Tourism Australia calls summer the most expensive time, recommends April and May for the Red Centre, and says June to August is peak season around Cairns and the reef, during the tropical dry season. Tauck runs its New Zealand tour January to March and October to November.
Should I tip on a tour in Australia or New Zealand?
Mostly no. New Zealand’s tourism board says tipping is not expected. G Adventures says tipping isn’t customary in either country; up to about 10% at a good restaurant is generous, and a small leader tip of 10 to 15 dollars a day (Australian or New Zealand) is optional. Tauck’s Roam tours include all gratuities.
How long is the flight from the US to Sydney?
About 15 hours nonstop from Los Angeles, on Qantas, American, Delta or United. From Dallas/Fort Worth, Qantas flies nonstop; Sydney to Dallas runs about 15 hours 35 minutes and the return about an hour longer. Air New Zealand’s Los Angeles to Auckland flight takes about 13 hours. You lose a calendar day flying west.
Can I ride the Ghan on a tour?
Yes. Globus’s Ultimate South Pacific with the Legendary Ghan Train spends two nights on the train inside a 28-day tour, from $17,197 for an October 30, 2027 departure. On its own, the Legendary Ghan runs Adelaide to Darwin in 4 days and 3 nights, from about AU$3,590 in a Gold Twin for 2027.
Sources · 34 links · checked October 2026
- Trafalgar: Australia & New Zealand Panorama (2027 dates)
- Trafalgar: Contrasts of Australia & New Zealand (2027 dates)
- Trafalgar: Tipping on a Trafalgar tour
- Tauck: Spotlight on Australia
- Tauck: Grand Australia & New Zealand
- Tauck: New Zealand, A North & South Island Adventure
- Tauck: 2027 Global Journeys on sale (Jan 7, 2026)
- Globus: Down Under Journey
- Globus: Highlights of the South Pacific with Uluru and the Outback
- Globus: Ultimate South Pacific with the Legendary Ghan Train
- G Adventures: Highlights of New Zealand
- G Adventures: Journeys, Iconic Australia and New Zealand (tipping, money)
- Intrepid: New Zealand trips (US prices)
- Intrepid: Australia trips (US prices)
- Intrepid: Best time to visit Milford Sound
- Contiki: New Zealand Sweet As South
- Abercrombie & Kent: Australia journeys
- Collette: Australia and New Zealand Uncovered
- Global Journeys: Australian tours starting April 2027 (AAT Kings, Ghan listings)
- Embassy of Australia, Washington: visas and migration (ETA app, AUD 20)
- Australian High Commission: Electronic Travel Authority (validity, stay)
- US State Department: Australia country information
- Immigration New Zealand: fee and levy table from October 1, 2024
- Immigration New Zealand: NZeTA factsheet (validity, processing)
- MBIE: International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy
- Discover New Zealand: NZeTA and visitor levy FAQ
- Tourism New Zealand: passport requirements
- Tourism New Zealand: is tipping customary?
- Tourism Australia: Australia’s seasons
- Tourism Australia: best time to visit
- Parks Australia: Uluru-Kata Tjuta park passes
- FlightRoutes: Los Angeles to Sydney nonstops
- Executive Traveller: Qantas Sydney–Dallas flight times
- Avionio: Air New Zealand NZ5 Los Angeles–Auckland schedule