Day 01: Arrive Melbourne
Welcome to the start of your wonderful holiday this morning as you arrive into Melbourne. Upon arrival you are met and are transferred to your hotel. Check in and relax. Spend the rest of the day walking around the city, or discovering the city on the inner circle tram that is free for all. The best and the liveliest place to spend the evening at Federation Square. We recommend you try out the dinner buffet at the Langham Hotel or at the Taxi Restaurant (a restaurant offering Australian dishes, heavily influenced by Asian and Japanese cuisine) at Federation Square itself. Overnight in Melbourne
Day 02: Melbourne
Post breakfast, you start the day with a visit to the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground). Enjoy a one hour tour of the MCG. The MCG has been the scene of many great sporting events. An MCG Tour invites you to relive more than 150 years of sporting excellence on the grand stage of this magnificent stadium. You will visit the famous Long Room, MCG Library, CV Bill Lawry Indoor Cricket Centre. In the afternoon you could take the free tram and head to the Harbor Town area that houses more than 200 shops, it is the largest retail shopping precinct here! Later in the evening please make your own way to the departure point at Tramstop number 125, Normanby Road, near the corner of Clarendon Street, South Melbourne. You must arrive 15 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time. The Tram departs at 5.45pm. The Colonial Tramcar Restaurant cruises the scenic streets of Melbourne while you can enjoy the fine cuisine and drink the very best of Australian wines, or make a selection from the fully stocked bar at a fully inclusive price. Enjoy a three course meal, all beverages from a bar service including tea, coffee and liqueurs in your 1.5 hours tram ride. Make your way back to the hotel on your own. Overnight in Melbourne
Day 03: Melbourne – Philip Island
Wake up to a lazy breakfast this morning following which we recommend you to hire a car for 2 days and drive down to the coast to Philip Island. The drive is around 3 hrs. On reaching Philip Island we suggest you to make your way to the jetty to board the Wildlife coast cruises to Seal Rocks, where you can see thousands of seals in their natural habitat. The cruise lasts 2 hrs. Once back have an early dinner and you can head off to the Philip Island Nature Park to experience the Penguin plus tour where you will see hundreds of small fairy penguins wobble back onto the beach and to their burrows each night. An experience that cannot be forgotten. Drive on to your accommodation for the night. Overnight in Philip Island
Day 04: Philip Island – Melbourne
Enjoy a relaxed breakfast at the resort and head to the Philip Island Grand Prix Circuit. Come October, this is where the 500cc Motorcycle races are held. This is also where the World Superbike Championship and V8 Supercar Championships are held. You could experience the thrill of Go Karting right here or Hot Laps in a HSV Holden. If this adventure was not enough, its time for you to enjoy an aerial views of the island from a helicopter. The choppers take off from adjacent to the circuit. There is more in store for you today as you may head off for a quick lunch and onwards to A Maze N Things, a fun place for adults and kids alike. From here its time to drive back to Melbourne but not without visiting the cute little chocolate factory where you can try and buy some great truffles, chocolate bars etc, made by the star chocolatier himself “Panny”. A 2 hr drive and you are back in Melbourne. Check into your hotel and the rest of the evening is free for you. Overnight in Melbourne
Day 05: Melbourne
Post breakfast this morning its time to head off to find some gold! Just 90 mins out of the city is Sovereign Hill which offers you hands-on experiences such as panning for real gold in the creek. The past is very much present in towns like Ballarat, whose early wealth and proud history was due to the mighty gold discovery of the mid-1850s. The glorious legacy that gold bestowed on this colonial town is still evident in the restored buildings and atmosphere of proud Ballarat. Sovereign Hill in Ballarat is a perfectly re-created example of gold rush life during Victoria’s Golden era. Explore the daily ritual of this gold town and stroll the main street to visit with goldsmiths, crafts people, traders, soldiers and the like. Find your own fortune whilst panning for gold in the stream, go “underground” to the fascinating gold mine and museum or ride the stage-coach through the village. Exhibits and displays unfold before you as you stroll through this bustling pioneer township. Have a chat to the gentle town folk and be captivated by the friendly outlook on their 1850s daily life. Visit the Ballarat Wildlife Park, where you’ll see a unique selection of wildlife in their natural habitats. You’ll see saltwater and freshwater crocodiles, Tasmanian Devils, kangaroos, koalas, echidnas and so many more. You can wander through the park taking in the many exhibits, join guided tours and participate in interactive shows. Later in the evening its time to be transferred back to the hotel. Overnight in Melbourne.
Day 06: Melbourne
There are loads of excursions that you can choose from today. You could head off to the wine area of Victoria – to the Yarra Valley, (around 1 hr) drive for the day, where you experience some wine tasting, a ride aboard the “Puffing Billy”- Australia’s favorite steam train that traverses a path of 24 kms through the forests, fern gullies and rolling farmlands and a visit to Healesville Sanctuary which showcases over 200 species of Australian wildlife. Lunch is included today. Come evening and its time for you to be escorted back to your hotel.
OR
Enjoy the most breathtaking drive along the coast – the Great Ocean Road. Here is where you can see the 12 apostles and take in the spectacular scenery.
Overnight in Melbourne
Day 07: Depart Melbourne
It’s time to bid farewell to Victoria as you ready yourself to be escorted to the airport for your flight back home this morning.