8 Best Places to Visit in Australia and New Zealand

Sydney is a stage set on one of the world's most spectacular natural harbors. The luxury here lies in the lifestyle, the seamless transition from a boardroom to a surfboard. Sydney is a city where urban sophistication meets the power of the ocean. It is ambitious, beautiful, and unapologetically confident.

What to Expect

• Harbor Views: See the Opera House sails, gleaming white against the deep blue water, from a harborside restaurant.
• Bridge Climb: Feel the wind on your face as you climb the Harbour Bridge, taking in the 360-degree view of the city and waterways.
• Beach Culture: Dig your toes into the fine, golden sand at Bondi Beach, smelling the salt spray and sunscreen.
• Historic Lanes: Wander The Rocks, walking on original cobblestone streets to find hidden, historic pubs.
• Ferry Cruises: Cruise the harbor on a private boat, feeling the cool mist from the wake as you glide past waterfront mansions.

Highlights Sydney

• Sydney Opera House
• Sydney Harbour Bridge
• The Rocks
• Darling Harbour
• Royal Botanic Garden
• Bondi Beach

Explore this celebrated city as part of our sample Wonders of Sydney, Ayers Rock, and the Great Barrier Reef Tour.

Auckland is defined by its relationship with the water. Known as the "City of Sails," it is a place where the ocean is a playground and its heart is found in its multicultural beat. The largest Polynesian population in the world mixes with modern urbanites, all living on an isthmus scattered with dormant volcanic cones.

What to Expect

• Sailing Hub: Sail on the Waitemata Harbour on a private tour, feeling the boat tilt with the wind as you take in the city skyline.
• Island Escapes: Sip a crisp, cool wine on Waiheke Island, looking back at the distant city from a hilltop vineyard.
• Sky-High Views: Stand on the Sky Tower's thick glass floor, feeling a thrill as you look straight down at the streets far below.
• Volcanic Cones: Walk to the summit of Maungakiekie, smelling the fresh-cut grass and seeing the city unfold.
• Wild Coasts: Feel the fine, hot black sand between your toes at Piha Beach, hearing the roar of the Tasman Sea.

Highlights Auckland

• Viaduct Harbour
• Queen Street
• Sky Tower
• Maungakiekie
• Waiheke Island

Discover the "City of Sails" with Zicasso’s sample South Pacific Discovery Tour.

Melbourne is Australia’s soulful, artistic heart. It’s beauty is found in its hidden laneways and the aroma of its world-class coffee culture. It is a city that rewards the curious traveler, inviting you to lose yourself in moody jazz basements, graffiti-splashed alleys, and a dining scene that rivals any in Europe.

What to Expect

• Laneway Culture: Smell the rich aroma of fresh-ground coffee as you discover a hidden café in a vibrant, art-filled alley.
• Art Immersion: See the colorful, immersive exhibits at the National Gallery of Victoria or the edgy street art in Hosier Lane.
• River Walks: Stroll the Yarra River at dusk, seeing the city lights reflect on the water and feeling the heat from the Southbank flame jets.
• Penguin Parades: Huddle on the beach at St. Kilda pier at sunset, hearing the small calls of little penguins as they waddle ashore.
• Garden Calm: Relax in the immaculate Royal Botanic Gardens, feeling the soft grass and hearing the gentle sound of the ornamental lakes.

Highlights Melbourne

• Royal Botanic Gardens
• National Gallery of Victoria
• Federation Square
• Southbank
• St. Kilda

Find more inspiration for your visit on our sample Best of Australia Tour.

Matamata offers a rare opportunity to detach from reality. While famous as a movie set, the true appeal of this region is the sense of peace found in its rolling, emerald hills. It provides a tangible connection to a simpler, quieter world where the architecture is built into the earth and the primary sound is the rustle of leaves.

What to Expect

• Movie Magic: Open the round, brightly painted door of a Hobbit-hole, smelling the sweet scent of the flowers in its tiny garden.
• Shire Views: Look out over the green, impossibly perfect hills of “The Shire,” feeling the gentle breeze and hearing only birdsong.
• Tavern Comforts: Sip a craft ale or cider inside a nearby inn, sitting by the warmth of the crackling fireplace.
• Guided Stories: Hear the fascinating, behind-the-scenes stories of how the movie set was created on the working Alexander Farm.
• Scenic Falls: Visit the nearby Wairere Falls, hearing the rush of the water as it plunges 500 feet over the Kaimai escarpment.

Highlights Matamata

• Wairere Falls
• Hobbiton Movie Set
• Alexander Farm
• The Green Dragon Inn

Step into this cinematic world on Zicasso’s sample New Zealand North Island itineraries.

Visiting the Great Barrier Reef is a lesson in humility and wonder. It offers you the chance to interact with the world’s largest living structure. Its luxury lies in the isolation of the islands and the silence of the underwater world. It is a place to disconnect from digital noise and reconnect with the vibrant, fragile complexity of nature.

What to Expect

• Underwater Worlds: Snorkel over vibrant coral gardens, hearing the crunch of parrotfish and seeing neon-blue fish dart past.
• Silica Sands: Feel the pure, white silica sand of Whitehaven Beach, its texture fine as powder and surprisingly cool to the touch.
• Island Hopping: Sail the Whitsundays on a private yacht, dropping anchor in a secluded, turquoise bay for a swim.
• Luxury Stays: Relax at private island accommodations, hearing the gentle waves and the call of seabirds from your secluded villa.
• Turtle Encounters: Swim alongside a graceful green sea turtle as it glides effortlessly through the warm, clear water.

Highlights Great Barrier Reef

• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
• Whitsunday Islands
• Whitehaven Beach
• Fitzroy Island
• Green Island
• Magnetic Island

Explore this natural wonder with our sample Great Barrier Reef tours and vacations.

Rotorua is the elemental core of New Zealand, with a visceral connection to Earth's power and the people who have lived in harmony with it for centuries. It is a place where the ground breathes, hisses, and bubbles, serving as a powerful backdrop for an authentic immersion into the traditions and spiritual power of Māori culture.

What to Expect

• Geyser Eruptions: Feel the ground tremble and the warm mist on your face as the Pohutu Geyser erupts, shooting a tower of water high into the air.
• Cultural Welcomes: Hear the powerful call of the karanga (welcome) and feel the ground vibrate during the haka at a traditional Māori evening.
• Bubbling Mud: Hear the thick, rhythmic plop and gurgle of boiling mud pools, watching them bubble and spit in the geothermal valley.
• Thermal Spas: Soak in a private, silky, mineral-rich hot pool overlooking the lake, feeling the natural heat soothe your muscles.
• Steamed Feasts: Taste the savory, earthy flavors of a hangi feast, slow-cooked for hours using the natural geothermal steam vents.

Highlights Rotorua

• Rotorua Lakeside Trail
• Waimangu Volcanic Valley
• Te Wairoa (The Buried Village)
• Te Puia

Experience this unique region on our sample Best of New Zealand Vacation in 10 Days.

Scenic Fiordland offers a sense of prehistoric majesty that is rare in the modern world. Cruising the inky waters beneath mile-high cliffs forces a perspective of scale that makes human concerns feel insignificant. It is a place of thunderous silence, where the sheer verticality of the landscape commands total awe.

What to Expect

• Sheer Cliffs: Feel small as your cruise boat navigates beneath 5,000-foot granite peaks that rise straight from the dark water.
• Thundering Falls: Feel the intense, cold spray of Stirling Falls on your face as the boat noses right up to the powerful cascade.
• Profound Silence: Kayak on Doubtful Sound, hearing only the drip of your paddle and the distant calls of birds in the “Sound of Silence.”
• Wildlife Spotting: Watch for playful dolphins and fur seals sunning themselves on the rocks at the base of the cliffs.
• Scenic Drives: Navigate the beautiful Milford Road, driving through moss-covered forests and vast, glacier-carved valleys.

Highlights Fiordland National Park

• Milford Sound
• Doubtful Sound
• Te Anau

Explore this wild landscape on Zicasso’s sample New Zealand South Island itineraries and tours.

The Great Ocean Road is the embodiment of freedom. Confronting the Southern Ocean at the edge of the continent will expose you to wind-whipped cliffs, the scent of eucalyptus forests, and the crashing of waves against ancient limestone stacks. It captures the rugged, untamed spirit of Australia’s southern coast.

What to Expect

• Limestone Stacks: Stand at the lookout and hear the boom of the Southern Ocean as it crashes against the 12 Apostles.
• Coastal Drives: Grip the wheel as you navigate the winding road, with the wild, blue ocean on one side and steep cliffs on the other.
• Rainforest Walks: Take a short walk in the Great Otway National Park, smelling the damp earth and ancient ferns of the temperate rainforest.
• Koala Spotting: Look high into the eucalyptus trees near Kennett River, smelling their distinct scent as you search for koalas sleeping in the branches.
• Surfers' Coast: Watch the surfers at Bells Beach, feeling the strong coastal wind as they ride the long, rolling waves.

Highlights Great Ocean Road

• Port Campbell National Park
• Torquay
• The 12 Apostles
• Loch Ard Gorge
• Great Otway National Park

Get inspired for your road trip with our sample top itineraries for visiting Australia for the first time.

Cherish the colorful marine life of the Great Barrier Reef and take in the picturesque beauty of epic scenery at Fiordland National Park when you explore Australia and New Zealand. Famous destinations like the Great Ocean Road and Rotorua represent only a fraction of the enticing places you can visit in the countries.

Find more inspiration with our Australia and New Zealand tours or discover information to help you decide on what to do, when to visit, and more with our Australia and New Zealand travel guide.