Smart Self-Managed Tours

Country guide

Australia

A photograph of Australia
Photograph · Corey Leopold · CC BY 2.0

Australia covers 7,688,287 km², sixth largest in the world, and close to 4,000 km separate its east coast from its west. Nearly 28 million people live here, about 80 per cent of them within 25 km of a mainland coastline 35,821 km long — which is the fact that governs any trip taken across it. The cities form a rim around an interior that stays largely empty; Sydney and Melbourne pass five million each, and Canberra, the capital, is neither of them. Six states and ten territories, and a sensible visit chooses two of them rather than the map.

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
English is the principal language; no federal official language
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+61
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Australian dollar (AUD)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
000
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type I · 230 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Safe from treated public supplies
Follow local notices in remote communities and after disruptions

Planning a visit

  1. January: seasonal closure recorded
  2. February: seasonal closure recorded
  3. March: seasonal closure recorded
  4. April: seasonal closure recorded
  5. May: seasonal closure recorded
  6. June: seasonal closure recorded
  7. July: no seasonality data recorded
  8. August: no seasonality data recorded — this month
  9. September: seasonal closure recorded
  10. October: seasonal closure recorded
  11. November: seasonal closure recorded
  12. December: seasonal closure recorded

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Army Museum of Western Australia
    02 1 hr 30 min

    Army Museum of Western Australia

    The Army Museum of Western Australia is a military heritage institution located in the Perth metropolitan area. It preserves and presents the history of the Australian Army in Western Australia, covering conflicts from colonial times through to contemporary operations.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Perth
  2. Cockatoo Island
    03 1 hr 30 min

    Cockatoo Island

    Cockatoo Island is the largest island in Sydney Harbour, located at the junction of the Parramatta and Lane Cove rivers. The site holds UNESCO World Heritage status as part of the Australian Convict Sites.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Sydney
  3. Australian Museum
    04 1 hr 30 min

    Australian Museum

    Australian Museum is Australia's oldest public museum, presenting natural history and cultural collections beside Hyde Park.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Sydney
  4. Hyde Park Barracks
    05 1 hr 30 min

    Hyde Park Barracks

    Hyde Park Barracks is a historic convict site in central Sydney, located on Macquarie Street adjacent to Hyde Park.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Sydney
  5. Sydney Mint
    06 1 hr 30 min

    Sydney Mint

    The Mint is a heritage building in Sydney with historical significance tied to Australia's colonial past. Originally constructed as part of the colony's infrastructure, it served an important role in early Sydney's development.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Sydney
  6. Sydney Observatory
    07 1 hr 30 min

    Sydney Observatory

    Sydney Observatory is a heritage astronomical observatory and museum located in The Rocks area of Sydney. Established in 1858, it occupies a prominent position on Observatory Hill near the harbour.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Sydney
  7. Melbourne Museum
    08 1 hr 30 min

    Melbourne Museum

    Melbourne Museum is a broad museum and one of Melbourne's highest-priority visitor stops in the current curated list. The visit is best understood through the natural-history, social-history, and cultural displays, rather than as a generic pin on a city map.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Melbourne
  8. Australian National Maritime Museum
    10 1 hr 30 min

    Australian National Maritime Museum

    The Australian National Maritime Museum is a major cultural institution located in Sydney's Darling Harbour. It preserves and presents Australia's maritime heritage through exhibitions, vessels, and programs.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Sydney
  9. South Australian Museum
    11 1 hr 30 min

    South Australian Museum

    The South Australian Museum is a major natural history and cultural institution in Adelaide. It occupies a prominent position on North Terrace in the cultural precinct.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Adelaide
  10. Elizabeth Bay House
    13 1 hr 30 min

    Elizabeth Bay House

    Elizabeth Bay House is a historic colonial residence in Sydney, New South Wales. It stands as a significant example of early Australian architecture and domestic life from the nineteenth century.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Sydney
  11. Elizabeth Farm
    14 1 hr 30 min

    Elizabeth Farm

    Elizabeth Farm is a historic house museum in Sydney, recognised as one of Australia's oldest surviving European buildings. Constructed in 1793 for John and Elizabeth Macarthur, it represents early colonial architecture and the beginnings of Australia's wool industry.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Sydney
  12. Immigration Museum
    15 1 hr 30 min

    Immigration Museum

    The Immigration Museum is a museum in Melbourne dedicated to the history of immigration to Australia. It explores the stories of people who have migrated to Victoria and Australia, examining the causes, processes, and impacts of immigration.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Melbourne
  13. Museum of Sydney
    16 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of Sydney

    The Museum of Sydney is a history museum located in Sydney, New South Wales. It occupies the site of Australia's first Government House, built in 1788.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Sydney
  14. Susannah Place Museum
    20 1 hr 30 min

    Susannah Place Museum

    Susannah Place Museum is a heritage house museum located in Sydney. It preserves a terrace of four houses built in 1844, offering visitors insight into urban working-class life across more than 150 years.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Sydney
  15. Ian Potter Centre
    22 1 hr 30 min

    Ian Potter Centre

    Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia is an Australian art gallery and one of Melbourne's highest-priority visitor stops in the current curated list.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Melbourne
  16. Migration Museum
    23 1 hr 30 min

    Migration Museum

    The Migration Museum in Adelaide is a cultural institution dedicated to documenting and sharing the stories of people who have migrated to South Australia. It explores themes of displacement, settlement, identity, and belonging through personal narratives and historical records.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Adelaide
  17. Carrick Hill
    27 1 hr 30 min

    Carrick Hill

    Carrick Hill is a historic house and garden estate located in Adelaide, South Australia.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Adelaide
  18. Experiment Farm Cottage
    28 1 hr 30 min

    Experiment Farm Cottage

    Experiment Farm Cottage is a heritage property located in the Parramatta area of Sydney. The site holds historical significance as part of Australia's early colonial agricultural history.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Sydney
  19. Scienceworks
    29 1 hr 30 min

    Scienceworks

    Scienceworks is a science museum and technology centre located in the Spotswood area of Melbourne. It operates as part of Museums Victoria, one of Australia's largest public museum organisations.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Melbourne
  20. Hellenic Museum
    34 1 hr 30 min

    Hellenic Museum

    The Hellenic Museum is a cultural institution in Melbourne dedicated to preserving and showcasing Greek history, art, and culture. Located in the city, it serves as a bridge between Australia's Greek community heritage and broader public engagement.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Melbourne
  21. RAAF Museum
    39 1 hr 30 min

    RAAF Museum

    The RAAF Museum is an aviation museum located at Point Cook, Victoria, within the Greater Melbourne region. It serves as the official museum of the Royal Australian Air Force, preserving and presenting the history of Australian military aviation.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Melbourne
  22. South Australian Aviation Museum
    41 1 hr 30 min

    South Australian Aviation Museum

    The South Australian Aviation Museum is a heritage aviation museum located within the Adelaide Park Lands. It preserves and displays aircraft and aviation artifacts significant to South Australia's aerospace history.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Adelaide
  23. ACMI
    42 1 hr 30 min

    ACMI

    ACMI is a screen-culture museum and one of Melbourne's highest-priority visitor stops in the current curated list. The visit is best understood through the moving-image, television, film, and games displays, rather than as a generic pin on a city map.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Melbourne
  24. Linnwood
    45 1 hr 30 min

    Linnwood

    • High
    • Museum
    • Sydney
  25. National Railway Museum
    46 1 hr 30 min

    National Railway Museum

    The National Railway Museum is a railway heritage museum located in the Adelaide metropolitan area of South Australia. It preserves and displays Australia's railway history through locomotives, carriages, and associated artefacts.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Adelaide
  26. South Australian Maritime Museum
    48 1 hr 30 min

    South Australian Maritime Museum

    The South Australian Maritime Museum is a cultural institution in Adelaide dedicated to the maritime heritage of South Australia.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Adelaide
  27. Koorie Heritage Trust
    52 1 hr 30 min

    Koorie Heritage Trust

    The Koorie Heritage Trust is an Aboriginal cultural centre located in Melbourne. It serves as a significant institution dedicated to preserving and promoting the living culture of south-eastern Australia's First Peoples.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Melbourne
  28. Museum of Lands, Mapping and Surveying
    53 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of Lands, Mapping and Surveying

    The Museum of Lands, Mapping and Surveying is a specialist museum in Brisbane dedicated to the history of land administration, cartography, and surveying in Queensland.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Brisbane
  29. Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology
    58 1 hr 30 min

    Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology

    The Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology is a cultural institution in the Greater Brisbane region, dedicated to collecting and displaying art and archaeological artefacts.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Brisbane
  30. Brisbane Tramway Museum
    60 1 hr 30 min

    Brisbane Tramway Museum

    The Brisbane Tramway Museum is a heritage transport museum located in the Brisbane metropolitan area. It preserves and operates historic tramcars that once served the city of Brisbane.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Brisbane
  31. Queensland Maritime Museum
    63 1 hr 30 min

    Queensland Maritime Museum

    The Queensland Maritime Museum is a maritime heritage institution located in Brisbane. It occupies a site at the South Brisbane Dry Dock on the Brisbane River.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Brisbane
  32. Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute
    70 1 hr 30 min

    Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute

    Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute stands as a dedicated Aboriginal cultural centre in Adelaide, South Australia. The institution serves as a gallery and performance space focused on promoting contemporary and traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and culture.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Adelaide
  33. Aviation Heritage Museum
    71 1 hr 30 min

    Aviation Heritage Museum

    The Aviation Heritage Museum is a museum in Perth dedicated to aviation history and aircraft preservation. It serves as a repository for historical aircraft, aviation artifacts, and related memorabilia.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Perth
  34. Claremont Museum
    75 1 hr 30 min

    Claremont Museum

    Claremont Museum is a local heritage museum situated in the Perth metropolitan area of Western Australia. It serves as a community-focused institution dedicated to preserving and presenting the history of the Claremont district and its surrounding region.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Perth
  35. Wireless Hill Museum
    83 1 hr 30 min

    Wireless Hill Museum

    Wireless Hill Museum occupies the site of a former telecommunications station that played a significant role in Australia's early radio history. The museum preserves equipment and stories from the era when wireless communication connected Perth to the world.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Perth
  36. Boatshed
    85 1 hr 30 min

    Boatshed

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Perth

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to Australia be?

Ten to fourteen days should cover one coast, one city pair or one city plus a nearby landscape, not the continent. Sydney and Melbourne can share a southeastern route; Perth, the tropical north and the Red Centre each demand separate flights and more time.

What entry documents are needed for Australia?

Australia’s Department of Home Affairs is the authority for Visitor visas and electronic travel permissions. Select the product for the passport and purpose, complete required declarations, and remember that visa approval does not remove Australia’s strict biosecurity obligations.

What is the best way to travel around Australia?

Flights are usually the efficient link between distant states. Rail and coaches serve selected corridors, cars become important outside cities, and urban fare cards are local rather than national; remote drives require fuel, water, communications and realistic distance planning.

When is a practical time to visit Australia?

Australia’s seasons and hazards vary dramatically by latitude. Southern-city summers, tropical dry seasons and Red Centre heat create different windows, so choose dates for the selected region and check official fire, cyclone or flood advice before road travel.

What money and payment basics apply in Australia?

The Australian dollar is the sole recorded currency. Contactless payment is common, but remote roadhouses and small services justify a backup card or cash; check surcharges at the point of sale and budget fuel around long gaps rather than metropolitan prices.

What practical safety details should I save for Australia?

Use 000 for urgent police, fire or ambulance assistance; Australia uses Type I power at 230 V. Treated public tap supplies are recorded as safe, but remote-site notices take precedence, and travellers should save the state emergency service relevant to their route.