Top Australia Art & Culture - page 8

Get together with a guide and a small group to explore the Sydney CBD, The Rocks, Surry Hills, or Newtown on a nightlife tour. Ideal for solo travelers, couples, and friends, this tour visits a few hidden and top-rated Sydney bars. Enjoy a provided beverage at the first venue, with no pressure to drink. Along the way, hear fascinating crime stories, local legends, and fun trivia.

Discover Melbourne's bar scene, including "hidden" bars you won't find in any guidebooks, on this small-group bar-hopping tour. Visit several venues for cocktails, Australian wine, and beer, stopping into a classic pub, a speakeasy-style cocktail bar tucked into the laneway, a wine bar with options from the nearby Yarra Valley, and another bar selected by your guide depending on your group’s interests. Your first drink is included, plus get tips for additional places to visit on your own.

Discover the beauty and culture of Sydney on this small-group e-bike tour with all navigation taken care of by your local guide. Enjoy insider commentary and directions via your Bluetooth-connected helmet, which helps you hear with ease. Explore Sydney’s attractions in just a few hours by bike, seeing Darling Harbour, Barangaroo Reserve, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, Chinatown, and more.

There’s more to Rottnest Island than sandy beaches and beautiful bays, including a fascinating military history. Begin by taking in coastal views on a roughly 40-minute cruise from Perth. Next, take a train to the top of Oliver Hill and venture into the island's historic WWII tunnels with a guide, for insight you'd miss if exploring by yourself. When it’s time to leave, simply head back to the jetty to catch your return ferry.

Ending a day out means deciding between a sunset drink and sorting dinner, then getting between the two. This cruise combines them, gliding along the Thomson River with stories of local wildlife and Indigenous culture as you settle in on the top deck. As night falls, dock at Smithy's Outback Dinner and Show for a two-course camp-oven dinner and live entertainment.

The site of over 130 executions since it opened in 1841, the Old Melbourne Gaol is one of the city’s most popular museums. Ensure entry even over busy periods, such as weekends, Easter, and the Australian summer vacation, by booking tickets in advance. Once you’re there, follow in the footsteps of notorious outlaw Ned Kelly and discover the tragic stories that brought criminals to their doom.

Get a taste of Melbourne on a foodie walking tour of the 19th-century Queen Victoria Market. Enjoy a personalized experience with a guide and small group as you browse the myriad stalls and mingle with locals and vendors. Enjoy tastings of delicious seasonal delicacies, such as fresh seafood, grilled peppered kangaroo, local goat-milk cheese, fresh dips, and gelato. Bring your own drink bottle to refill at stations in the market.

Spend an evening in Brisbane on a Sunset River Cruise along the Brisbane River while enjoying the background music. You’ll see the attractions as you drift along, with the city lights in the background.

Uncover a spookier side of Brisbane CBD with a ghostly walking tour that reveals tales of the city's eerie past. Listen to historic stories that span 200 years of crime and tragedy as your guide leads you through the streets. Discover spots you'd otherwise miss and hear fascinating yet chilling anecdotes—all with a suitably macabre twist.

Discover the best of Sydney's rich gastronomy, without having to make any reservations, on this small-group walking tour. From classic Aussie staples to indigenous flavors, this tour provides a deeper understanding of Australian food culture. Learn the history behind each dish as well as insider stories from your guide and leave with a full belly of delicious food.

Although Cape Leeuwin is known for its national park with diverse plant and bird life, visitors also enjoy learning about the history of this remote peninsula and one of the tallest lighthouses in Australia. This tour gives an in-depth look at a lighthouse that has been functional since the 1800s while offering stunning views of Australia’s most south-westerly point.

Skip the trial and error of exploring Melbourne’s food scene and experience eateries you wouldn’t find on your own on this shared evening food tour of the city. Follow your guide as they take you to hole-in-the-wall eateries around Melbourne, including in Chinatown and by the Yarra River. As you walk, explore the city’s laneways including Hosier Lane with its popular street art.

Experience Brisbane in a new light on this after-dark true crime tour of the city streets. A great way for locals and visitors alike to uncover the secrets that lurk in the shadows of this thriving modern metropolis, this night tour includes visits to some of the city’s most historic places and oldest buildings. Your guide will also share lots of stories about Brisbane’s notorious past as you walk through the city center.

Combine two top Hobart experiences with this tour package. Admire the Tasmanian capital from the summit of Mount Wellington, then experience a different kind of beauty at the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), one of Australia’s newest and most controversial art museums with a varied collection including Egyptian mummies and edgy contemporary installations. Hotel pickup adds convenience to your day.

Go ashore when your cruise ship pulls into Sydney, learning about the city on a guided walking of the Rocks. The 90-minute walking tour proceeds at a leisurely pace and departs twice daily. Your informative guide shows you historic buildings and streets in the Rocks, along with views of famous icons like the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House. Discover the history found in small alleys and some of the oldest streets in the city on a tour with a knowledgeable local guide.

Explore Northern Queensland’s UNESCO World Heritage–listed Kuranda Rainforest on a full-day tour from Cairns. Take in the highlights of the award-winning Rainforestation Nature Park with a thrilling Army Duck tour, followed by a guided tour of the Koala and Wildlife Park. Learn more about Kuranda’s unique Aboriginal heritage at the Pamagirri Aboriginal Experience, complete with traditional dancing, didgeridoo music, and spear-throwing demonstrations. Return transfers from Cairns hotels are included.

See Darwin’s highlights on a handy half-day tour by bus. Learn about Darwin’s World War II history at the Defence of Darwin Experience, with admission to this military heritage site included. Explore the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, and stop by the 1934 Qantas Hangar and Darwin Aviation Museum, among other sites on this comprehensive introduction to Darwin. Includes handy hotel transfers; caravan parks cost extra.

Learn all about the aboriginal heritage of Cairns on this three hour group eco cultural tour. You’ll have a river cruise across the Trinity Inlet from the Cairns Marina, then a traditional Mandigalbay Yidinji welcome and smoking ceremony. You’ll also have a tour of the Indigenous Protected Area and a guided walk through the bush to hear about Indigenous customs and the critical connection between Aboriginal culture and Country.

Creator of the novel that inspired “The Thorn Birds” TV series, author of 24 books, Colleen McCullough lived on Norfolk Island for almost 36 years—and you get exclusive access to her property, Out Yenna, on this small-group tour. View the priceless collection of artefacts she and her Norfolk Islander husband gathered on their travels and experience the luxurious serenity that fueled McCullough’s epic novels.

Explore Tasmania’s convict history and natural beauty on this tour led by a guide with 17 convict ancestors—a perspective you won't find anywhere else. Dive into the stories of "Van Dieman's Land" as you explore an early convict settlement, the natural prison of Pirates Bay, and the UNESCO-listed Port Arthur Historic Site. You stop at scenic locales, including Devil's Kitchen, Tasman Arch, the Blowhole, and a lavender farm.

Experience Queensland’s capital city with a river cruise to Brisbane’s landmark Ferris wheel. Enjoy complimentary tea, illuminating commentary from an informative guide, and beautiful views while sailing down the Brisbane River. Then, take a magical gondola ride on the Wheel of Brisbane and savor a delicious lunch and drink at the Plough Inn—it’s included in the tour price.

Explore Tropical Northern Queensland's Paronella Park with ease on this small-group tour from Cairns that includes dinner. Head first for the stunning Babinda Boulders for a guided rainforest walk or swim, then continue to Etty Bay, home to the southern cassowary. After a guided tour of Paronella Park, you have plenty of time to explore independently before dinner at a local hotel.

Learn a bit about Australia's convict history at the Kingston convict site on Norfolk Island on this tour from Burnt Pine. You'll visit the settlement of the island's first penal colony, which is part of the Australian Convict Sites UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Let one simple booking sort out a whole day’s worth of Melbourne sightseeing and get a unique first-hand experience with not just Aussie nature, but a piece of its history too on this Puffing Billy, forest, and Yarra Valley combo tour. Start by hopping aboard the over-100-year-old railway, before walking around huge Californian Redwoods, then finish the trip with a glass of wine at a Yarra Valley winery.