Upon arrival in Sydney, you will be met by your local tour guide and transferred by motorcoach to your hotel. En-route your guide will provide you with suggestions and recommendations for ways to spend your afternoon and evening at leisure. (Accommodation: The Grace Hotel, Superior Room x 1 night)

The Grace was originally built by the Grace Bros. retail empire in the 1920s as a showpiece of their peak of success. Beautifully restored to its former glory, The Grace is one of Sydney’s prominent examples of Art-Deco architecture with a distinguished Neo-Gothic exterior. Located in the heart of Sydney, the heritage listed Grace Hotel offers warm and personal service with the luxury of a 4½-star hotel. The Grace exudes a unique blend of old-world charm and modern comfort.

After a full breakfast in the hotel, you will board your coach and travel through to Parkes, stopping in the Blue Mountains for a buffet lunch. A buffet dinner will be served tonight at the Country Comfort Parkes. (Accommodation: Country Comfort Parkes or Comfort Inn Parkes, Standard Twin Room x 1 night) (Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided)

A full breakfast is included this morning. Later, you will travel back to Sydney via the Parkes Observatory and the Blue Mountains where you will have a buffet lunch. A buffet dinner tonight will be served at The Grace Hotel. (Accommodation: The Grace Hotel, Superior Room x 3 nights) (Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided)

After a full breakfast in the hotel, you will have a free day to enjoy all that Sydney has to offer. Insight Cruises is offering an optional Botanic Gardens and Taronga Zoo tour (see just below). (Accommodation: The Grace Hotel, Superior Room) (Breakfast provided)

Optional Botanic Gardens and Taronga Zoo Tour
Price: $199 if added to Parkes Tour; $299 if purchased separately.

This adventure begins with a short transfer to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney. Here you will embark upon a specialized tour to discover all that the Gardens have to offer.

Learn of the richly diverse history and culture of Aboriginal people of the Sydney region. The Botanic Gardens is an important ceremonial site for many of the Sydney Aboriginal clans and home to the Cadigal clan. Wogganmagule (Farm Cove) and its surrounds offered an impressive and carefree existence. With a diverse array of bush foods, ample fresh water, and a plentiful supply of seafood from the harbor, it was paradise for the local Aboriginal people for thousands of years. Your tour encompasses Cadi Jam Ora, First Encounters, and the Australian Native Rockery. Moving on, you will then be taken on a guided Rainforest walk, learing about tropical plants and exploring the Tropical Center.

After lunch “on your own” (60 minutes of free time), transfer to the Taronga Zoo where you will be met by Zoo Keepers and some of their friendly, cute, and cuddly counterparts before beginning your extended Australian Walkabout Tour. This is an exciting journey with an experienced guide, touring the Zoo’s wonderful Australian animal displays. Led by your expert guide, discover the Zoo’s displays including visits to the kangaroos, koalas, wombats, dingoes, echidnas, and Australian birds.

Also experience the Platypus Pools exhibit, which recreates the wonder of a Blue Mountains sandstone gorge, where you can see over 40 species of Australian animals and the “dinosaur tree”, the Wollemi Pine. Enjoy a round-trip on Taronga’s Sky Safari cable car, which provides fantastic views of the Zoo, Sydney Harbour, and the city skyline before a refreshing afternoon.