Top Australia Adventure Tours in 2026

There are plenty of great Yarra Valley wine tours to choose from, but some of them feel a lot more rushed than others. With this tour, you move at a chilled-out pace, checking out three specially selected wineries with the option to indulge in a cheese platter or charcuterie at one of the stops to fuel up. Note that lunch is not included on this tour.

Combine visits to two prominent nature attractions outside Melbourne without having to organize your own transport with this full-day shared tour to Phillip Island and the Mornington Peninsula. Drive to the Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park to see its broad range of Australian wildlife. Then head to Phillip Island for the evening penguin parade, stopping at several coastal spots along the way.

Enjoy five of the top activities in Hobart in one day on this tour. This experience is designed for those who are short on time in the city and don't want to miss its best experiences. Attractions include Salamanca Market (on Saturdays), Mount Wellington, city highlights, the historical nearby town of Richmond, and Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary (entry is own cost).

Seeing the Great Barrier Reef usually means snorkeling or diving, which rules it out for anyone who'd rather stay dry. Ride a glass-bottom boat over the reefs near Airlie Beach instead, watching the coral, reef fish, and turtles through the hull. Commentary covers the marine ecosystem as you go.

If you want to enjoy a tropical island beach paradise from Cairns but don’t have a lot of time, this half or full-day trip to Green Island is ideal. Be transported by fast catamaran from Cairns to save time. Choose between a glass-bottomed boat tour or the use of snorkeling equipment. Get access to the island’s pool or take a self-guided walk of the island if you want to be more active.

See Rottnest Island from the water on this day trip that includes a high-speed wildlife boat ride. Travel to the island—a favorite local getaway due to its secluded beaches and relaxing environment—by high-speed ferry from Perth or Fremantle. Then embark on a thrilling ride to look for seals, dolphins, sea birds, and other marine life. Afterward, you have free time on the island to explore independently—rent a bike or go swimming off one of the white-sand beaches.

Get up close to Australia’s native wildlife on this memorable full-day tour of Phillip Island from Melbourne, including a handy hotel pick-up. See adorable koalas and wallabies at the Moonlit Sanctuary Conservation Park on the Mornington Peninsula, spot Australia’s largest colony of fur seals at the Nobbies, and watch the sunset penguin parade along Phillip Island's coast. This small-group tour limits numbers to ensure a personalized experience.

Guided by a passionate hiker and photographer who has spent a lifetime in the Blue Mountains, this small-group day tour from Sydney goes where the tour buses don't. In a group of no more than 10, walk into the bush and find wild kangaroos grazing in Megalong Valley, then take real trails to lookouts most tours never reach. Want to push further on a longer, steeper stretch? You can. Want the shorter, easier path to the same view? You can do that too, and the group meets back up on the other side. Lunch is a proper Aussie pie with salad from Mountain High Pies, an award-winning Blue Mountains bakery, with around 20 varieties including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free. As dusk falls at Echo Point, enjoy a twilight spread of Shiraz, Brie and Danish Blue cheese, crackers, hummus and Australian sweets while Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos dive off the escarpment to roost. Included, not an upsell. Roughly 10 hours door to door, this is a tour for those seeking some soft adventure in nature.

Margaret River lies around 170 miles (275 kilometers) south of Perth. Skip the self-drive strain when you book this intimate tour, with numbers limited to just seven travelers and onboard Wi-Fi too. Stop at Surfers Point, the Boranup Karri Forest with its 165-foot (50-meter) trees, a winery, a dairy company, Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, and more. Your package includes lunch but excludes Busselton Jetty admission fee and other food and drink.

Discover the wondrous wildlife and mystical natural attractions of Western Australia on this full-day tour from Perth. Discover kangaroos and koalas at Caversham Wildlife Park and enjoy an included fish and chips lunch in the lobster fishing town of Cervantes. Take a guided walk through the eerie, lunar-like landscape of Pinnacles Desert, and get your heart racing as you speed through the massive dunes of Lancelin on a sandboarding and 4WD adventure.

Jervis Bay, south of Sydney, is known for its beautiful beaches and resident marine life. However, it’s not the easiest place to visit on your own, especially for a day trip. This Jervis Bay tour from Sydney simplifies the experience by handling transport and taking you to explore the area, including going for a cruise to look for dolphins and visiting pristine and often quiet local beaches.

Woondum National Park is full of subtropical rainforests—and off-road trails ideal for exploring on all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). This half-day ATV bike tour makes it easy to hit the trails in the park, even for first-timers. After a safety and tour briefing, ride the bikes on a specialized training track for roughly 30-40 minutes. Then, ride through the park to natural rock pools to swim, relax, and have snacks before making the return journey.

Exploring the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Kuranda Rainforest independently can be time-consuming and complex, with transport, tickets, and timing to manage. This full-day tour from Cairns simplifies the experience by combining the region’s highlights into one seamless itinerary. Journey to Kuranda aboard the historic Scenic Railway, visit the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, tour Rainforestation Nature Park in an amphibious Army Duck, and see koalas, dingoes, and native wildlife at the Koala and Wildlife Park. An immersive Dreamtime walk with a Pamagirri guide, and an Australian barbecue buffet lunch are included, before returning to Cairns via the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.

Whether you’re a hiker or a mountain biker, this one-way bus tour to the top of Kunanyi/ Mt. Wellington is a handy way to get to the top without exhausting yourself. You’ll be taken up in a shared bus with live commentary about the history and wildlife of the mountain. Then make your own way down on foot (a three-hour hike) or by mountain bike (around one hour).

Enjoy a day in nature on an intimate small-group tour of the Springbrook National Park and Mount Tamborine. Visit the Natural Bridge, manmade glowworm caves, meander on Gallery Walk, and wander the impressive Tamborine Skywalk rainforest path. Native animals may pop out their heads from time to time, and stay fueled with a light lunch at a Subway. A great day out for families, couples, or solo travelers alike.

Take in the beauty of local flora and fauna in Cairns’ Trinity Inlet with this short cruise (approximately 1 hour 15 minutes in duration). Admire diverse bird life, marvel at the mangroves and hopefully also spot a crocodile or two. The tour only takes a limited number of guests, so commentary from your guide is personalized and there is plenty of time for questions.

Explore UNESCO World Heritage–listed K’gari (Fraser Island) the adventurous way on a small-group day tour by 4-wheel-drive vehicle. Drive along the sandy beaches and enjoy the views of the largest sand island in the world. Take detours into the rainforest, admire sparkling Lake Mckenzie, and look out for a range of wildlife and birds. This tour is an easy way to experience the best of the island from Rainbow Beach.

Make the most of the beautiful Whitsundays—without the hassle of planning or organizing—with this full-day adventure. Head out on a high-speed, 80-passenger boat (complete with air-conditioning and a spacious outdoor area to sunbathe) and spend the day relaxing on the pristine sands of Whitehaven Beach. Enjoy a guided walk to South Whitehaven Lookout and dine on a buffet lunch served onboard the boat. Upgrade your day with the option to include snorkeling at a secluded reef location—all snorkel equipment is provided for ease. As you swim, spot tropical fish and maybe even a sea turtle or two.

In the late afternoon, walk amongst kangaroos as they graze freely and search for koalas in a wild natural habitat. After dark witness the unique beauty of the Glow Worms in their natural habitat while discovering the rainforest of a nighttime! On our nocturnal walk into the rainforest to the base of a waterfall we will search for wildlife and other critters lurking in the wilderness. This experience is designed to avoid other people and see as many animals and creatures as possible. If the sky is clear it is a beautiful spot to see the stars and the night sky or watching the sunset over the Gold Coast hinterland from a viewpoint.

Uluru, or Ayers Rock, is widely considered among Australia’s most impressive natural attractions—but it’s difficult to feel its size and scale from ground level. On this tour, begin with pickup at your Ayers Rock Resort hotel and take to the skies by helicopter with your guide. Soar high over Uluru and nearby Kata Tjuta, and capture uninterrupted views over the 500 million year-old formations on camera.

Sometimes driving through a small part of the Australian Outback isn’t enough. See the desert from above on a morning hot-air balloon ride. This tour from Alice Springs gets you up in the air near dawn for a scenic ride. Spot wildlife, including the elusive Red Kangaroo, from above, take in views of the landscape, and enjoy sparkling wine afterward.

Swimming with wild dolphins is a must for many travelers when visiting Perth or wider Western Australia. However, knowing the right places to visit can be confusing. This full-day tour takes you to the best spots in Rockingham—around 40 minutes from the city—to see pods of dolphins thrive in their natural habitat. Snorkel alongside them, always from a respectful distance, or hop back onto the boat to watch them from the deck.

Benefit from a full-day sailing tour from Port Douglas to the Outer Barrier Reef to swim, snorkel, and sail in one of Australia’s most famous destinations. Visit the northern portion of the Great Barrier Reef, where coral cays and turquoise ocean are home to colorful fish, sea turtles, and other marine life. Includes a buffet lunch, guided snorkel tour, glass-bottom boat tour, and commentary from a marine biologist guide.

There are so many amazing things to see in and around Melbourne that it can be tough to squeeze them all in, but this full-day group trip to Phillip Island is a great place to start. This way, you get to visit Brighton Beach, Nobbies Centre, the Penguin Parade, and a wildlife park, but don’t have to put up with any of the stress of organizing tickets, transport, and itineraries.