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Australia Road Trip Itinerary for up to 5 Weeks

Australia Road Trip Itinerary for up to 5 Weeks

Are you looking for the best Australia itinerary? It’s a tough choice – there are just so many options… Nevertheless, in this post, we try to give you a good starting point on how to best plan your Australia road trip itinerary. Find out!

Good to know: This 5 weeks Australia itinerary is structured in such a way that it includes separate ‘itinerary blocks’ per area (Sydney, Melbourne, Red Center, etc.). So you can just pick the areas that interest you the most and plan your own perfect Australia road trip.

We visited Australia twice. The first time we followed a standard East Coast itinerary from Cairns to Sydney and, to tell you the truth, were quite disappointed. The 5-week Australia road trip itinerary that I share in this article is based on our second road trip in Australia. We planned this trip ourselves, spent many hours perfecting this itinerary and we absolutely loved this trip!

This Australia itinerary covers many highlights that we thought were worth our time the most. After all, when you fly to the other side of the world, you really want to see the best of the best, right?

We spent more than a month in Australia with kids and visited many different regions. Our Australia itinerary started in Sydney and the Blue Mountains, followed by the Red Centre. We then visited Kangaroo Island and the Great Ocean Road. We spent 10 days in Tasmania and ended our Australian road trip in Melbourne.

Below you can find our 5-week Australia road trip itinerary in a nutshell. It includes a day to day planning of our Australian road trip and some practical tips.

Would I change anything to this Australia itinerary? Not much. I would add some extra days here and there, but this itinerary pretty much covers all the highlights in each place. And who has so much vacation time… We could only do this trip because our kids were still young and we weren’t tied to school holidays at that time…

Driving in Australia's Red Centre
Australia road trip is one for the bucket list!

There are a few popular regions of Australia we didn’t cover during this trip – the Great Barrier Reef and the Northern Territories around Darwin, also Western Australia.

We skipped the Great Barrier Reef because we had been there in the past and because our kids were too young to go snorkeling. We left Darwin for another time as well because we visited Australia in November and it’s rainy season in the North. But if you have more time, I definitely recommend adding these two areas to your Australia itinerary as well. Here you can find a suggested trip itinerary for Darwin area.

If you have even more time in your Australia itinerary, Western Australia is also beautiful, especially if you like nature destinations. Just keep in mind that distances are big and so you’ll need at least a few weeks extra if you want to add Perth and Western Australia to your Australian itinerary.

Australia trip itinerary featuring Sydney and the Blue Mountains, the Red Centre, Kangaroo Island, the Great Ocean Road, the Grampians NP, Melbourne, Tasmania and more - plan your trip! #Australia
 

Planning tip: Below you can find our Australia road trip itinerary. To help you plan your trip easier, I split our Australia itinerary into separate blocks per region.

That way you can easily mix and match these ‘blocks’ depending on which areas you want to visit. This will allow you to plan your trip Down Under and create your own perfect Australia itinerary, using our tips and suggestions. Take a look!

Sydney and The Blue Mountains – 4 Days

Probably every Australia itinerary will start or end in Sydney. It’s such a beautiful city and there is so much to see – definitely worth a stop. We don’t spend much time in cities when we travel, but we spent two days in Sydney and loved it. We also visited the nearby Blue Mountains and I think that this stunning area is also a must when visiting Sydney.

Here is what our itinerary in the Sydney area looked like:

TIP: You can either rent a car for the last two days or spend more time in Sydney, stay in the city, and book a day trip to the Blue Mountains. If you travel without kids, I think it’s a much better option to just stay in Sydney. Unless you want to spend more time exploring the Blue Mountains, of course. In that case, you may want to stay there for a few more days.

Sydney is a must in any Australia trip itinerary
Sydney is a must in any Australia trip itinerary
Blue Mountains Australia
Blue Mountains
 

Australia’s Red Center – 6 Days

If there is one part I would include in every Australia itinerary, it’s the Red Center. It’s just so typically Australian and so unique that you really shouldn’t miss it. The trip between Alice Springs and Ayers Rock including West MacDonnell Ranges and Kings Canyon is probably one of the most special trips we ever did, not just in Australia.

Below is a short version of our daily schedule. Here you can find our detailed 6- day itinerary for Australia’s Red Centre, from Alice Springs to Uluru.

TIP: You will need a 4WD for this itinerary. It’s possible to do this trip driving only on paved roads as well, but in that case, you will need to cover the distance of almost 700 km between Glen Helen and Kings Canyon on the paved road (instead of 250km via the Mereenie Loop).

If you decide to do that, then take your time to explore the gorges of the West MacDonnell Ranges a bit more and spend a night in Alice Springs again, before continuing to Kings Canyon. If you are only planning to drive from Alice Springs to Uluru, you can do it in a regular car. We always use the RentalCars website to find the best deals for car hire.

READ MORE: Red Centre Itinerary – from Alice Springs to Uluru

Australia Red Centre itinerary for the most complete road trip including all the highlights like Ayers Rock, Kings Canyon, West MacDonnell ranges and more
Uluru
West MacDonnell Ranges in Australia's Red Centre
Glen Helen Gorge – West MacDonnell Ranges
 

Adelaide and Kangaroo Island – 5 Days

I am so glad we included Kangaroo Island in our Australia road trip itinerary. It became one of our favorite places Down Under and one I’d like to return to again.

Here is an overview of our Kangaroo Island itinerary:

Good to know: You will need to rent a car in Adelaide and take a ferry to Kangaroo Island. We rented a car from Adelaide and dropped it off in Melbourne. After visiting Kangaroo Island, we continued our Australian road trip via the Grampians National Park and the Great Ocean Road to Melbourne (see further).

READ MORE: Kangaroo Island Itinerary

Remarkable Rocks on Kangaroo Island Australia
Remarkable Rocks – Kangaroo Island
Seals on Kangaroo Island Australia
Seal Bay – Kangaroo Island
 

Kangaroo Island to Melbourne via the Grampians NP and the Great Ocean Road – 7 Days

This part of our Australia itinerary required a bit more driving, but the two main highlights – Grampians National Park and the Great Ocean Road were more than worth it. Here is how our road trip itinerary between Adelaide and Melbourne looked like:

  • Day 16: Kangaroo Island to Robe. Stay in Robe for 1 night. There isn’t much to see in Robe, but you need to break the long drive somewhere in the area.
  • Day 17: Robe to the Grampians National Park. Stay in Halls Gap for 2 nights.
  • Day 18: The Grampians National Park.
  • Day 19: The Grampians to Warrnambool. Stay in Warrnambool for 1 night.
  • Day 20: Warrnambool to Lorne (Great Ocean Road). Stay in Lorne for 2 nights.
  • Day 21: The Great Ocean Road. TIP: try to spot some wild koalas at the Kennett River first thing in the morning.
  • Day 22: Lorne to Melbourne Airport and flight to Tasmania. Stay in Hobart for 1 night.

As you can see, we skipped the city of Melbourne at this point and flew straight to Tasmania. This is because we came back to Melbourne at the end of our Australia trip for the flight back to Europe (see further).

LEARN MORE: Best Stops on the Great Ocean Road

The Great Ocean Road is one of the must see places in Australia
The Great Ocean Road
Wild kangaroos in the Grampians NP Australia
Wild kangaroos at our hotel in Halls Gap
 

Tasmania – 10 Days

While not many people include Tasmania in their Australia trip itinerary, it’s really worth a trip if you have at least a week to spare. It’s probably worth it for just a few days as well, but it really depends on how much time you have. Below you can see what our itinerary in Tasmania looked like.

TIP: You will need to rent a car in Hobart for this Tasmania trip.

READ MORE: What to See and Do in Hobart

  • Day 23: Hobart to Freycinet NP. Stay in Coles Bay near Freycinet NP for 2 nights.
  • Day 24: Freycinet National Park.
  • Day 25: Freycinet NP to Scamander or Saint Helens. We stayed in Scamander and this is one thing I would have changed in our itinerary. I suggest to drive further till St Helens and stay there instead. Visit the Bay of Fires. Stay in St. Helens for 1 night.
  • Day 26: Saint Helens to Launceston. Stay in Launceston for 1 night.
  • Day 27: Launceston to Cradle Mountain NP. Stay in Cradle Mountain for 2 nights.
  • Day 28: Cradle Mountain National Park.
  • Day 29: Cradle Mountain to Strahan. Stay in Strahan for 2 nights.
  • Day 30: Strahan.
  • Day 31: Strahan to Hobart. Stay in Hobart for 1 night.
  • Day 32: Flight from Hobart to Melbourne. Stay in Melbourne.
Cradle Mountain National Park in Tasmania
Cradle Mountain NP in Tasmania
Russell Falls at Mt Field National Park in Tasmania
Russell Falls at Mt Field NP in Tasmania
 

Melbourne – 2 Days

  • Days 33-35: Melbourne and flight back to Europe.

If you like visiting cities, you can easily spend several days in Melbourne. We spent here one full day and half a day before heading back home.

READ MORE: One Day in Melbourne

If you are looking for more things to do near Melbourne, you could also visit the nearby Philip Island. It’s a great place to see penguins in Australia.

Flinders Street Station in Melbourne Australia
Flinders Street Station in Melbourne
 

So this is our 5 week Australia itinerary in a nutshell.

As you can see, I link to some more detailed itineraries per region here and there, so you can find more information in the related posts. I never found the time to write about all the places we visited, so feel free to leave a comment if you have any specific questions about the areas that we visited, but which are not covered on the blog.

READ ALSO: Tips for Planning a Trip to Australia

In our previous posts, you can also find tips and information for visiting Australia with kids.

If you found this post helpful, don’t forget to bookmark it and share it with your friends. Are you on Pinterest? Pin this image!

Australia trip itinerary ideas
 

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Peter

Saturday 28th of October 2023

Hello, Your 5 week itinerary looks very interesting. Can you tell when you did it. In what year and what period of that year? Thank you for your answer.

Jurga

Friday 3rd of November 2023

Hi Peter, we did this trip in November.

Maureen

Wednesday 18th of October 2023

Hi, is this a brochure that I can order. I love the sound of this trip. We would like to follow in your footsteps. We are going for 3 months. So may take more time, but, in the same places!

Jurga

Thursday 19th of October 2023

Hi Maureen, this itinerary is based on our personal experience and highlights some of the best places to visit in Australia, with suggestions on how to plan your time in each area. We do not organize trips and therefore don't have brochures, but you can find some additional articles linked from this one where we share more info about different areas. And yes, you can easily spend a lot more time in each of these places - there's a lot to see everywhere. With three months in Australia, you may also want to add some time at the Great Barrier Reef, Darwin, and Perth areas.

Fei

Sunday 16th of July 2023

I love all of your posts. I took your suggestions for Switzerland and Dolomites hiking. It was perfect trips for us. We will visit Australia if Feb. 2024. We only have 5 nights in Tasmania. Where do you think we stay for 5 nights? I love landscaping view, hiking, sunrise/sunset view and taking pictures. For sure we need to stay one night at Hobart for flight out. Thank you!

Fei

Tuesday 18th of July 2023

@Jurga, thank you for your quick reply. I will scribble your newsletter and keep up your travel blogs.

Jurga

Tuesday 18th of July 2023

Hi Fei, of all the places we visited in Tasmania, I think that Hobart, Freycinet National Park, and Cradle Mountain National Park were the most impressive. Take a look at our Hobart guide for more ideas for the city and surroundings - you could easily fill a few days in that area. Hope this helps.

Marina

Thursday 20th of October 2022

Hi Jurga! I'm going to Australia for a month beginning of November and wondering if I should reserve everything in advance. So far I only have my plane tickets and I'm planning to book my accommodation as well but I'd like to be more spontaneous regarding excursions and tours. I'm planning to do a cruise in the Whitsundays Islands, a tour of the Red Center (3-4 days) and some day trips (diving for example) departing from cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns). Do you think that's doable or there's a big chance everything will be fully booked? Thanks a lot for your input! Marina

Jurga

Thursday 20th of October 2022

Hi Marina, if your itinerary is somewhat set and you have the flights within the country and you are booking your accommodations, then I'd also do some research for the tours. It's not just about availability (day tours should normally be ok last-minute, but for multi-day trips, I'd definitely book in advance), but also about the time that it takes to research it all. It's so much simpler to do this at home where you can quietly compare the best options, read the itineraries, customer reviews, see at what time the tours start/end and plan it all. If you use websites like GetYourGuide (which we now use for all our tour bookings), usually, most tours offer free cancelation/date change until 24 hours in advance, so you can always adjust as needed. Also, a lot has changed in recent years and so many tours/tickets do indeed sell out. I'm not sure about Australia, but we just came back from Paris, and some tours I wanted to book were already not available 3-4 weeks before our trip. I don't expect this to be a problem for most day tours in rural Australia, but - as already said - I would definitely book the multi-day trips upfront. It's so much simpler to plan the rest of your itinerary that way. Hope this helps. Have a wonderful trip!

Paula Reed-Smith

Sunday 4th of September 2022

Hi Jurga I am loving your website. We are currently planning an 8 week trip to Australia next year, and am finding your blog and responses to questions so helpful in putting together an itinerary.

We are a family of 4, and my 2 daughters will be 16 and 14. One concern I have is luggage - we always seem to have loads of suitcases when we are away for a 2 week summer holiday🤦🏻‍♀️ What would your top tips and recommendations be for efficient travel packing for a long trip?

Thanks in advance!

Jurga

Sunday 4th of September 2022

Hi Paula, when we go on a longer trip, we typically pack clothes for max. 7-10 days and then do laundry a few times during the trip. This is really easy in Australia since many hotels and accommodations have excellent laundry facilities. So when booking places to stay, be sure to pay attention to this (at least once every 10 days or so). As for what to pack, take shoes that will fit on most occasions and depending on what you plan to see/do and where and when exactly you travel. For clothes, make sure you can layer and mix and match everything. Also, technical clothing or merino t-shirts can be great for trips like that since they wash easily and dry fast. For our 5-week Australia trip, we each had one sweater (fleece - dries fast), one light rain jacket, one pair of long pants and one pair of jeans, and I think 2 shorts. Plus around 10 t-shirts and swimwear. We also packed (each) one pair of light walking shoes (something like this) and one pair of sandals (like this). But we didn't really visit beaches or really warm destinations by the sea. For that, I'd certainly pack a light dress or two and flip-flops or very light summer sandals. Hope this helps. Good luck with the planning and enjoy your trip!

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