Let me help you take the guesswork out of your planning. My wife and I recently explored Australia for our honeymoon. Here is the DETAILED itinerary from that epic trip!

General Itinerary

May 2-4: Fly to Sydney

4: Sydney (booked bike tour)….buy OPAL travel card

5: Sydney (booked bridge walk) 

6: Sydney (find a zoo ferry that day/booked tickets for the Opera House) 

7: Sydney  (booked blue ribbon blue mountain tour) 

8: Hamilton Island (Booked sunset sail) 

9: Hamilton Island (open) 

10: Cairns (open) 

11: Cairns (booked Seastar Cruises) 

12: Alice Springs (booked sunset camel ride) 

13: Alice Springs (booked 1 day Uluru trip) 

14: Melbourne (open) 

15: Melbourne (booked bike tour) 

16: Melbourne (booked  GOR tour with GoWest Tours: 7:30 pickup) 

17: Melbourne (booked with viator Yara Valley Wine Tour) 

18: Sydney /Fly to Chicago

Flights

2-4th: Fly to Sydney (confirmed with seats) 

United Flight UA639 from Chicago/Flight UA839 from LA

Depart: 7:17 pm (05/02) ORD

Arrival: 6:45 am (05/04) SYD

8th: Fly to Hamilton Island (confirmed with seats) 

Virgin Australia 1281

Depart: 9:55 am SYD

Arrival: 12:30 pm HTI

10th: Fly to Cairns (checkin at the airport for seats together) 

Qantas 2504

Depart: 11:55 am HTI

Arrival: 1:10 pm CNS

12th: Fly to Alice Springs (confirmed with seats) 

Qantas 1949

Depart: 8:15 am CNS

Arrival: 10:10 am ASP

14th: Fly to Melbourne (confirmed with seats) 

Qantas 797

Depart: 12:35 pm ASP

Arrival: 3:40 pm MEL

18th: Fly to Sydney (confirmed with seats) 

Virgin Australia 809

Depart: 6:45 am MEL

Arrival: 8:10 am SYD

18th: Fly to Chicago (confirmed with seats) 

United UA870 from Sydney/UA458 from San Fran

Depart: 10:30 am SYD

Arrival: 4:11 pm ORD

Hotels

4-8th: Sydney 

Sydney Harbour Bed and Breakfast

142 Cumberland St., Sydney

+61292471130

Checkin: 2:00 pm

Checkout: 10:00 am

8-10th: Hamilton Island 

Whitsunday Apartments

14 Resort Drive, Hamilton Island, 4803, AU

+61749699999

Check-in: 2:00 pm

Check-out: 10 am

10-12th: Cairns 

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cairns

121-123 The Esplanade and Florence St., Cairns, QLD, 4870

+61740506070

Check-in: 2:00 pm

Check-out: ????? 

12-14th: Alice Springs 

Chifley Alice Springs Resort

34 Stott Terrace, East Side, NT, 0870 Australia

+610889514545

Check-in: 2:00 pm

Check-out: ????? 

14-18th: Melbourne 

Heather’s Airbnb

377 Little Collins Street 31, Melbourne, VIC 3000

+61410872530

Check-in: 2:00 pm

Check-out: 10:00 am

Directions: Our preference from the airport is the Skybus which drops you at Southern Cross Station at a cost of $19 per person, you can buy tickets at the airport or online. One of us can meet you at the bus terminal and it's a short tram ride to the apartment. Taxi fare is $50-$60, the trip is around 25 minutes. 

Tours

4-8th: Sydney 

4th: Bike Buffs Sydney Bicycle Tours 

Meeting Point: MEETING PLACE FOR YOUR TOUR IS THE GARRISON CHURCH AT THE CORNER OF ARGYLE STREET AND LOWER FORT STREET, WELL JUST OPPOSITE ACTUALLY ON THE VILLAGE GREEN.
0414 960332

Start: 10:30 am

5th: Sydney Bridge Climb 

Meeting Point: 3 Cumberland Street, The Rocks, NSW 2000

+610282747777

Start: 12:05 pm (arrive 15 minutes early) 

5th: Open PM (Tasting Tour???/Bondi or Manly Beaches) 

6th: Open Am (Ferry to the Zoo???) 

6th: Sydney Opera House (Concert Hall) 

Meeting Point: Bennelong Point, GPO Box 4274, Sydney, NSW 2001

+69712101035

Start: 8:00 pm (arrive 30 minutes early to pick up tickets) 

7th: Blue Mountains Tour

Meeting Point: We’ll be picked up. 

+0421892760

Start: 7:00 am????? 

Notes: Email them between 7am and 2pm the day before and quote the conf. number with our address. We will receive the pickup time then. 

8-10th: Hamilton Island 

8th: Sunset Sail Whitsunday Islands

Meeting Point: Resort Centre Tour Desk next to Sails Restaurant (7am – 7pm)/Reef View Hotel Tour 
Desk in the Hotel Lobby  (8am – 5pm) 

+0749468305

Start: 4:45 pm (until 6:15 pm) 

10-12th: Cairns 

11th: Cairns Seastar Cruises (Great Barrier Reef): Michaelmas Cay and Hastings Reef Day Cruise

75 Esplanade, Cairns, Qld 4870, Australia

Meeting Point: Pier E1 of the Marlin Marina

+0740416218

bookings@seastarcruises.com.au

Start: 8:00 am (boarding starts at 7:30 am) 

Notes: $15 fee pp is payable on the day on the boarding, call 48 hours in advance to reconfirm. 

12-14th: Alice Springs 

12th: Sunset Camel Ride

Pyndan Camel Tracks, 21259 Jane Road White Gums

+0416170164

pyndan@cameltracks.com

Meeting Point:  We’ll be picked up 30 minutes before (4:30). 

Start: 5:00 pm (until 6:00 pm) 

Notes: Call or text 48 hours in advance to reconfirm pickup/tour. 

13th: Uluru Adventure

Gray Line Office

Shop 7-9 Capricornia Centre (opposite Information Centre), Gregory Tce, Alice Springs 

+610889522177

alicesprings@grayline.com

Meeting Point:  We’ll be picked up at 5:50 am. 

Start: 6:00 am (until 12:30 am) 

Notes: Call or text 24 hours in advance to reconfirm pickup/tour. 

14-18th: Melbourne 

15th: Freddy’s Bike Tours 

Meeting Point: See notes. 

+61431610431

james@freddysbiketours.com

+0431610431

Start: 11:00 am

Notes: They will send details about the meeting point the day before or you can meet 15 minutes prior at their shop in Batman Park. 

16th: Great Ocean Road Day Tour

Go West! 

+0394855290

info@gowest.com.au

Meeting Point:  Pickup at Adina Apartments, 189 Queen St. 

Start: Pickup at 7:35 am

Notes: Call or text 24 hours in advance to reconfirm pickup/tour???? 

17th: Yarra Valley Food and Wine Day Trip from Melbourne including Lunch at Yering Station

Vinetrekker Wine Tours

Melbourne city hotels or St Paul's Cathedral/Cnr of Swanston & Flinders Streets, Melbourne. Located opposite Federation Sqaure and Flinders Street Train Station. 

+61 3 96998148

Meeting Point:  approx 8:45am-9:00am (confirmed the night before) 

Start: 9:00 am

Notes: Call or text 24 hours in advance to reconfirm pickup/tour???? 

  Photo Credit: australiansky .co .uk - The Opera House is only one of the many things you should see Sydney.