10 days in Australia: itinerary

The 10-day route that works is a triangle: Sydney, then one tropical or desert contrast, then Melbourne. Two domestic flights, three beds, no driving days longer than three hours.

Sydney is the arrival city for most long-haul flights, so start there and let jet lag burn off on ferries and coastal walks rather than on a highway. Cairns is the reef and rainforest option, best June to October. Uluru is the desert option, best May to September. Melbourne closes the trip with food, sport and a laneway grid that rewards walking.

Skip the Sydney-to-Cairns coastal drive on 10 days. It is roughly 2,400 km and eats five or six days of driving alone.

Days 1–4, Sydney. Day one is arrival: check in, walk to the harbour, take one ferry and eat early. Day two covers Circular Quay, the Opera House forecourt and the Rocks on foot. Day three is the Bondi to Coogee clifftop walk, about 6 km and two hours at an easy pace. Day four is either the Blue Mountains by train (about two hours each way) or a Manly ferry and beach day if you want something slower.

Days 5–7, Cairns. Fly up in the morning and use the afternoon for the esplanade and the free lagoon pool. Day six is the reef: a full-day boat from Cairns or Port Douglas, with transfers and lunch usually included. Day seven is rainforest — Daintree and Cape Tribulation by tour, or the Kuranda scenic rail and skyrail if you want a shorter day.

Days 8–10, Melbourne. Fly down and spend the afternoon in the laneways and at Queen Victoria Market. Day nine is the Great Ocean Road as a long day tour (12–13 hours) or a sport or gallery day in the city. Day ten is museums and last shopping, then the airport. Keep the evening free if your flight home is that night.

Domestic flights do the heavy lifting. Sydney–Cairns and Cairns–Melbourne are both about three hours in the air, and booking two to four months ahead usually keeps fares down. Baggage is often charged separately on the low-cost carriers.

In the cities you rarely need a car. Sydney and Melbourne have trains, trams and buses with tap-on cards, and both airports have train or bus links to the centre. Cairns is small enough to walk plus the occasional taxi. If you add the Great Ocean Road as an independent drive, allow two nights, not one.

Driving times to respect: Sydney to the Blue Mountains about 1h 30m by car, 2h by train; Cairns to Port Douglas about 1h 15m; Melbourne to the Twelve Apostles about 4h each way.

Sydney: the CBD and Circular Quay put you on the ferries and trains, but prices are highest. Surry Hills and Darlinghurst are 15–20 minutes' walk from the centre with better food and mid-range rooms. Bondi suits beach-first travellers but adds 30 minutes to everything else.

Cairns: the city centre and esplanade are walkable to the reef terminal, lagoon and restaurants. Port Douglas is quieter and closer to the reef and Daintree, but you need a coach or car for everything.

Melbourne: the CBD grid is the simplest base, with trams on the doorstep. Fitzroy and Collingwood are cheaper and livelier, 10–15 minutes by tram from the centre. Southbank works if you want river views and easy walking to the arts precinct.

A 10-day trip lands around A$2,800–4,500 per person (roughly US$1,800–3,000) excluding flights to Australia. The spread is mostly accommodation and how many tours you book.

Hostels and budget motels pull the total down; reef trips, Uluru tours and Great Ocean Road day tours are the big single expenses. Food is manageable: A$15–25 for a casual meal, more in Sydney's harbourfront restaurants.

Swap Cairns for Uluru between May and September: fly Sydney to Yulara, stay two nights, then fly to Melbourne. Add one extra Sydney night to keep the pace sane. This suits travellers who want desert and culture over reef and rainforest.

Swap Cairns for Brisbane if you want a shorter flight and a gentler city: Brisbane plus K'gari (Fraser Island) fills three nights well, and the Gold Coast is an hour away.

If you have more time, 14 days adds Uluru and the Great Ocean Road as a self-drive, and 7 days cuts to Sydney plus one contrast. Both are linked below.