5 Week East Coast Australia Explorer | Sydney To Cairns Highlights
- Get $50 cashback to spend on any tour or attraction along the East Coast
- A 36-day/35-night adventure along Australia's east coast, travelling from Sydney to Cairns
- All accommodation: Hostel (29 Nights), Camping (2 Nights), Sailing Boat (2 Nights), Overnight Bus (2 Nights)
- 15 meals
- Take a Sydney city tour to see the highlights, followed by a welcome dinner
- Cruise Sydney Harbour
- Stay in Byron Bay with a lighthouse walk & surf lesson
- Take a city & beach tour in both Surfers Paradise & Brisbane
- Walk through Noosa Headland & National Park
- Enjoy a Rainbow Beach Sand Blow Walk
- Discover the world's biggest sand island with a 3-day/2-night all-inclusive K'gari Tour, seeing Lake Mckenzie & Eli Creek
- Sail around the Whitsundays with a 2-day/2-night Whitsunday Island Sailing, snorkelling the reef & stopping at Whitehaven Beach
- Join the revelry at an Airlie Beach post-cruise party
- Spend a day at Magnetic Island with return ferry transfers & Magnetic Island Fort’s Walk
- Visit Mission Beach & the Cairns Lagoon
- Hop aboard a boat for a 1 day Great Barrier Reef Snorkel Trip
- Discover the North Queensland landscapes with a 1 day Atherton Tablelands Waterfalls tour
- Departs from the meeting point at WakeUp Hostel Sydney Central, 509 Pitt St, Haymarket NSW
Want to secure your spot on this adventure with a low deposit from only $300 per person? Chat with our friendly travel experts today to learn how!
Are your dates sold out? Click here to join our waitlist for last minute cancellations or help with alternative options!
What's Excluded
- Fraser Island Insurance Fee – Paid direct on arrival
- Fraser Island Sleeping Bag Hire – Paid directly if required
- Great Barrier Reef Conservation Levy – Paid direct on arrival
- Dolphin Feeding – Paid direct on arrival (Optional only)
- Optional activities
What to Expect
Get ready for an epic guided group adventure on a 5 Week East Coast Australia Tour from Sydney to Cairns. Discover amazing Aussie locations, have heaps of fun, create unforgettable memories and make friends for life!
Your guide...
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Please contact our helpful support team on support@backpackerdeals.com or see our live chat!
The 5 Week East Coast Australia Tour starts in Sydney on Mondays at 11.30 am and ends in Cairns on Mondays at 10 am. At the end of your adventure, your Group Leader can help you to arrange onward travel.
Tour Meeting Point: WakeUp Hostel Sydney Central at 11.30 am.
Tour End Point: Gilligan's Hostel and Resort Cairns at 10:00 am on checkout.
The beauty of this group style of travel is that it caters to travellers who are travelling solo and who want to meet and share experiences with like-minded people.
Rooming is organised on a twin-share basis. Solo travellers will be paired with another traveller of the same gender.
There is also an optional single supplement available on most trips for travellers who prefer to have their own room.
Absolutely!
The East Coast Explorer tours are designed for travellers 18-35 that wish to experience the best of the East Coast. Some travellers will be on Gap Years, and others will be on short holiday breaks looking to have fun, meet new people and experience Australia.
The tours are social and fun, and the itineraries are designed for those who are eager to travel and experience their ultimate travel moment. You should join if you are looking to meet other travellers, make the most of every moment and experience the best of the East Coast.
All countries require a valid passport (with a minimum 6 months validity).
Contact your local embassy or consulate for the most up-to-date visa requirements, or see your travel agent.
It is your own responsibility to have the correct travel documentation. Visa requirements for your trip will vary depending on where you are from and where you are going.
Yes, travel insurance is compulsory on this trip.
Local fees: $80AUD Total Paid direct. $30 EMC Levy, $20 port fuel and reef levy - Great Barrier Reef, $30 insurance - Fraser Island Adventure.
Spending Money: We recommend a travel budget of approx $80-$100/ day for meals when not included in the itinerary. This tour is designed to have free time in most locations so that you can participate in additional and optional activities. Explore and Prebook your activities online, or book once you arrive and your tour begins.
Below are some essential items for this trip. Please ensure you pack appropriately for the weather at the time of year you are travelling.
- Lightweight clothing. You will need to bring a mixture of lightweight clothing and layers. Long shirts and pants are useful to protect against the harsh Australian sun. Clothes should be easy to wash and dry. Maybe bring a change of smart clothes for dinner in larger cities. Australia is pretty casual; shorts or a skirt and a top, with sandals, is our usual warm-weather wardrobe.
- Comfortable, closed-in shoes. These will help protect your feet from cuts and scratches when walking through bush/grasslands and act as a protective barrier in the rare case of a bite or sting. A pair of sandals or thongs/flip-flops are great for the beach.
- Sun protection – a wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses.
- Try to avoid bringing unnecessary valuables and use your hotel safe. It’s also a good idea to purchase a money belt or pouch that is easily hidden. We strongly recommend that you photocopy all important documents, e.g. air tickets, passport, vaccination certificate, etc. and keep the copies separate from the originals. While not valid, a photocopy makes it much easier to obtain replacements if necessary.
Due to limited vehicle space and strictly enforced road laws regarding weight limits, your main piece of luggage must be soft-sided and weigh no more than 15kg/33lb. You can also bring a day pack/bag to carry water, camera, sunscreen, etc when you’re exploring during the day.
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All accommodation: Hostel (29 Nights), Camping (2 Nights), Sailing Boat (2 Nights), Overnight Bus (2 Nights)
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Meals: 9 Breakfasts, 6 Lunches, 6 Dinners (from 1 July 2024, meals reduce to 15)
If you have an existing medical condition or disability that may affect your trip or how the Operator delivers your experience, they ask that you inform them in writing at the time of your booking. You may be asked to obtain a medical certificate, and if they reasonably feel they are unable to accommodate your particular needs, they reserve the right to decline your booking.
Did you know when you book with us you get up to 10% CASHBACK to use on your next tour? We won’t be beaten on price! Let us know if you find this tour cheaper and we will beat it!
While travelling on this tour, you'll experience a vast array of wonderful food. Your group leader will be able to suggest restaurants to try during your trip. To give you maximum flexibility in deciding where, what and with whom to eat, only some meals are included in this tour price.
This also gives you more budgeting flexibility. As a rule, groups tend to eat together to enable you to taste a larger variety of dishes and enjoy each other's company. If you have dietary requirements and/or food allergies, please let The Operator know at the time of booking or prior to departure.
Vegetarians and vegans are well-catered for in Australia and most restaurants and cafes will have a good selection of vegetarian meals. Gluten and lactose-free diets are also well-catered for.
Reviews for 5 Week East Coast Australia Explorer | Sydney To Cairns
18 Reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Backpackerdeals and Travello reviews.




All Reviews
4/8/2025
Had the best time on my 6 week tour up the east coast!! Our tour guide, Annelise made every minute so enjoyable and always kept a positive attitude. All the trips out were well organised and made sure we saw all the best spots up the east coast! I made friends for life and would recommend this tour to anyone wanting to travel!!
12/11/2024
Over five weeks, I saw so many sides of Australia—the bustling cities, the peaceful beaches, and the vibrant reefs. Sailing through the Whitsundays and spotting wildlife on K’gari were my favorite parts. Booking was seamless, and it was one of those journeys that truly changed my perspective.
12/2/2024
I’d always wanted to travel Australia’s east coast, and this 5-week tour delivered big time. Byron Bay was such a cool place, and I even managed to stand up on a surfboard (for a few seconds, anyway). K’gari was breathtaking, and the snorkeling around the reef was like swimming through a rainbow. The whole trip was so easy to organize, and the group vibe made it even better. By the time we reached Cairns, I felt like I’d made lifelong friends and seen more of Australia than I ever thought I would.
11/28/2024
This 5-week adventure was hands down the highlight of my travels. The itinerary was packed but never felt rushed—we got to see all the top spots, and I even ticked skydiving off my bucket list! The group vibe was awesome, and our leader made sure we had a blast. Backpacker Deals made organizing everything so simple—I’d totally book with them again. If you want the ultimate east coast experience, you can’t go wrong with this tour.
4/29/2024
Just finished my 5 week east coast trip with the tour leader Ryan. It was 5 of the best weeks I have had, the bad weather played a big part as it cancelled some activities but that was out of anyone’s control and I still really enjoyed every second. Ryan (tour leader) was class, help with all the bookings and rearranging them due to the bad weather so everyone got to do the activities they wanted, giving suggestions of places to eat, drink, and things to do in our down time, and not just being a tour leader but becoming a mate as well. The only thing I would suggest is creating an alternative plan for wet season and maybe rearranging some of the time scales at some of the stops. But overall a really enjoyed experience
4/29/2024
This tour was much cheaper than if I had booked all of our activities by myself. It was nice to be able to maximize the time out of each day due to our amazing tour guide, Dec’s, thoughtful organization. I would recommend it to any traveler in their 20s looking to see Australia and meet likeminded people
4/29/2024
I've just finished the 5 week ultimate east coast tour, and it was one of the best experiences of my life! So many bucket list moments have been ticked off, and by the end of the tour I was honestly distraught to be leaving everyone - you definitely become a little family! Sophie S was our group leader and she smashed it - It's natural to go through both highs / low feelings when you're travelling and Sophie would always be available as an ear to listen to if you found yourself in one of those moments. I had an absolute blast and couldn't recommend the tour enough. If I could give one piece of advice it would be to budget yourself daily / weekly as you can get carried away - you'll thank your future self later haha! 10/10!
4/11/2024
Too much fun stuff happened for a short review but just to say I had an amazing time! Met a lot of amazing people and made great friends! Went to Australia on my own being from the Netherlands so I was a bit nervous, but booking a 5-week trip was for sure the right move.
2/28/2024
Wow, wow, wow!! That's all I can say to express how awesome this trip was! Had an absolutely splendid time with a great group and some amazing sceneries along Australia's beautiful coast. Made friends for a life time and 100% NEED to go back to Australia asap!!
2/19/2024
This trip was epic. Absolute highlights were the surfing lessons at Byron Bay & snorkelling in the Whitsundays. Every moment was a blast & made a bunch of mates along the way.
Policies
- The minimum age is 18 years, while the maximum age is 35 years
- Travel insurance is a requirement for all trips & tours
- Cashback is not earned on this tour. You will receive a $500 experience pass to use around Australia instead. Minimum...
- Cancellations of bookings 30-days or more before the start date will incur a fee of 20% of the indicated price
- Cancellations within 30-days prior to arrival or ‘no shows’ will incur a fee of 100% of the indicated price
- Deposit only payments...
A Refundable Booking is available at checkout. This will provide 100% refund for one of the many reasons included via our terms - including adverse weather, sickness or delays with transport.
All customer cancellation & refund requests are also subject to our website’s own refund conditions.