Quick verdict: Australia is the 6th-largest country with reef + desert + cities + beaches + unique wildlife. This guide ranks 15 essential Australian experiences for 2026.
The 15 best things to do in Australia
Snorkel Great Barrier Reef
World’s largest coral reef. Outer reef boats from Cairns or Port Douglas. Best snorkel/dive site on Earth.
Climb Sydney Harbour Bridge
Iconic bridge climb (134m) with Opera House views. Different times of day (dawn, day, twilight, night).
Visit Uluru (Ayers Rock)
Sacred Aboriginal monolith. Sunrise + sunset are world-class. Field of Light installation at base.
Drive Great Ocean Road
300km coastal drive past Twelve Apostles + Loch Ard Gorge. From Melbourne. Australia’s most scenic road.
See Opera House inside
Iconic building tour. Or attend a performance ($60-500). Best Sydney experience beyond beach.
Bondi to Coogee coastal walk
6km cliff-top walk past 5 beaches. Bondi Icebergs + Bronte + Tamarama + Clovelly + Coogee. Best Sydney walk.
Sail Whitsunday Islands
Whitehaven Beach + 74 island archipelago + Great Barrier Reef. Boat charter or day tour.
Wine tasting in Margaret River
Premier Australian wine region. Cabernet Sauvignon + Chardonnay specialists. Less touristy than Hunter Valley.
Hike Cradle Mountain
Tasmania’s iconic peak. Overland Track (6-day trek) or day hikes. Wombats + Tasmanian devils.
Watch penguins at Phillip Island
Little Penguin parade at sunset. Thousands waddle to nests. Family-friendly Melbourne day trip.
Surf at Bells Beach
Australia’s most famous surf spot. Easter Rip Curl Pro tournament. Beginner-friendly lessons available.
Visit Melbourne laneways
Hosier Lane (street art) + Degraves Street (cafes) + Centre Place. Most Melbourne experience. Hidden bars + cafes.
Snorkel with dolphins (Rockingham)
Swim with wild dolphins. 90 min from Perth. Most accessible wild dolphin encounter.
Cage dive with sharks
Great White cage dive in South Australia. April-September peak. Only place legally allowed in Australia.
Try Aboriginal cultural tour
Authentic Indigenous experience. Walking tour + traditional food + dot painting. Most meaningful Australian connection.
Compare Australia tours and tickets →
Helpful Packzup guides
Skip the Paid Lookout: Where Locals Actually Send You
The Sydney Tower Eye gets sold hard, but it is the one paid view I would skip. Tickets run around AU$27 on a weekday and about AU$38 on weekends, and the glass and angles make it frustrating to actually photograph the Opera House and Harbour Bridge from the deck. Walk instead to Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, a sandstone bench on the harbour edge inside the Royal Botanic Garden. It frames both the Opera House and the bridge together in one shot, it is free, and it is roughly a 20-minute stroll from Circular Quay. The Garden itself charges no entry fee, so an early-morning loop costs nothing and beats the tour-bus crush.
The under-the-radar pick most first-timers miss sits across the country in Tasmania: MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art at Berriedale, just outside Hobart. Adult entry is about AU$39 and Tasmanians get in free. Two things to plan around:
- It opens Thursday to Monday, 10am to 5pm, and is closed Tuesday and Wednesday, so check the calendar before you commit a day.
- Arrive by the ferry from Brooke Street Pier, a roughly 25-minute run up the River Derwent that is half the experience.
And the Three Sisters at Echo Point? Worth one quick photo, not a whole day.
Frequently asked questions
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Updated 2026. Some links on Packzup are affiliate links.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.