A photograph of Australia

Country guide

Places to visit in Australia — page 8

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, abo...

Photograph · Corey Leopold · CC BY 2.0

50,740 Places
5Cities

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

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.

Checked 2026-08-25

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

Seasonal closures come from recorded opening hours.

  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
  9. September: no seasonality data recorded — this month
  10. October: no seasonality data 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. Mount Lofty Botanic Garden Mount Lofty Botanic Garden
    157 1 hour

    Mount Lofty Botanic Garden

    Mount Lofty Botanic Garden is a botanical garden situated in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia. It forms part of the network of botanic gardens managed under the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of South Australia.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Adelaide
  2. Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria
    158 1 hour

    Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria

    Royal Botanic Gardens

    Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria is Melbourne Gardens, a living botanical landscape beside the city centre rather than a single indoor attraction. Its identity comes from planted collections, lawns, lakes and winding paths that make the garden itself the experience.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Melbourne
  3. St Kilda Beach St Kilda Beach
    159 1 hour

    St Kilda Beach

    St Kilda Beach is a sandy beach located in the inner-southern suburb of St Kilda, approximately six kilometres from Melbourne's central business district.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Melbourne
  4. Swan Bells Swan Bells
    160 45 min

    Swan Bells

    The Bell Tower

    The Bell Tower is a landmark structure in Perth, Western Australia. It houses the Swan Bells, a set of eighteen bells from St Martin-in-the-Fields church in London.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Perth
  5. Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology
    161 1 hr 30 min

    Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology

    The Abbey Museum of Art & 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
  6. Brisbane Tramway Museum Brisbane Tramway Museum
    162 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
  7. Davies Park Davies Park
    163 1 hour

    Davies Park

    Davies Park is a public park in Brisbane, Queensland, managed by Brisbane City Council. It serves as recreational green space within the metropolitan area and is included in curated visitor rankings for the city.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Brisbane
  8. Queensland Maritime Museum Queensland Maritime Museum
    164 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
  9. Sea Life Sydney Aquarium Sea Life Sydney Aquarium
    165 1 hr 30 min

    Sea Life Sydney Aquarium

    SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium

    SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium is a large public aquarium situated in Darling Harbour, a waterfront entertainment precinct in central Sydney.

    • High
    • Family attraction
    • Sydney
  10. Queen Victoria Market Queen Victoria Market
    166 45 min

    Queen Victoria Market

    Queen Victoria Market is Melbourne's historic working market on the northern edge of the central business district.

    • High
    • Market
    • Melbourne
  11. White Rabbit Gallery White Rabbit Gallery
    167 1 hour

    White Rabbit Gallery

    White Rabbit Gallery is a contemporary art museum in Chippendale, Sydney, founded by Judith Neilson to present her collection of twenty-first-century Chinese art. The gallery occupies a converted four-storey knitting factory, giving the visit an industrial architectural setting.

    • High
    • Art and culture venue
    • Sydney
  12. Birrarung Marr Birrarung Marr
    168 1 hour

    Birrarung Marr

    Birrarung Marr is a public park in Melbourne situated along the Yarra River. Its name derives from Woiwurrung language, with Birrarung meaning river of mists and Marr referring to the side of the river.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Melbourne
  13. Black Hill Conservation Park Black Hill Conservation Park
    169 1 hour

    Black Hill Conservation Park

    Black Hill Conservation Park is a protected natural area within the Adelaide metropolitan region. The park forms part of the Mount Lofty Ranges and serves as a significant conservation reserve preserving native vegetation and providing habitat for local wildlife.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Adelaide
  14. Brownhill Creek Recreation Park Brownhill Creek Recreation Park
    170 1 hour

    Brownhill Creek Recreation Park

    Brownhill Creek Recreation Park is a public park situated within the Adelaide Park Lands system. It occupies a portion of the extensive Park Lands that encircle the central business district of Adelaide, South Australia.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Adelaide
  15. Hallett Cove Conservation Park Hallett Cove Conservation Park
    171 1 hour

    Hallett Cove Conservation Park

    Hallett Cove Conservation Park is a protected coastal reserve in the Adelaide metropolitan area, South Australia. The park preserves significant geological formations and Aboriginal cultural heritage along the shoreline of Gulf St Vincent.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Adelaide
  16. Marino Conservation Park Marino Conservation Park
    172 1 hour

    Marino Conservation Park

    Marino Conservation Park is a compact coastal reserve in metropolitan Adelaide, 18 km south of the city. It protects native vegetation while remaining accessible from surrounding streets and the Seaford railway corridor.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Adelaide
  17. Morialta Conservation Park Morialta Conservation Park
    173 1 hour

    Morialta Conservation Park

    Morialta Conservation Park protects a steep gorge landscape in the Adelaide Hills, about 10 kilometres northeast of central Adelaide. Fourth Creek, rocky cliffs, eucalypt woodland and seasonal waterfalls create a substantial bushland destination close to the city.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Adelaide
  18. Roma Street Parkland Roma Street Parkland
    174 1 hour

    Roma Street Parkland

    Roma Street Parklands

    Roma Street Parklands is a landscaped urban parkland in central Brisbane, immediately beside Roma Street station and the Brisbane Coach Terminal. Its character comes from connected planted areas, lawns, paths, hillside levels, the Spectacle Garden and the Rainforest Walk.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Brisbane
  19. Supreme Court Gardens Supreme Court Gardens
    175 1 hour

    Supreme Court Gardens

    Supreme Court Gardens is a public garden in central Perth, Western Australia, beside the Supreme Court of Western Australia. The garden forms part of a significant civic and heritage precinct within the city’s central business district.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Perth
  20. Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute
    176 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
  21. Adelaide Zoo Adelaide Zoo
    177 1 hr 30 min

    Adelaide Zoo

    Adelaide Zoo is a zoological garden in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1883, it is Australia's second oldest zoo and occupies land near the River Torrens.

    • High
    • Family attraction
    • Adelaide
  22. Williamstown Botanic Gardens Williamstown Botanic Gardens
    178 1 hour

    Williamstown Botanic Gardens

    Williamstown Botanic Gardens is a historic public garden in Melbourne's western suburb of Williamstown. Its nineteenth-century origins and Victorian landscape character make it a calm counterpoint to the waterfront's maritime attractions.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Melbourne
  23. Perth Zoo Perth Zoo
    179 1 hr 30 min

    Perth Zoo

    Perth Zoo is a zoological park located in Perth, Western Australia. Established in 1898, it occupies a position along the Swan River in the suburb of South Perth.

    • High
    • Family attraction
    • Perth
  24. National Wine Centre of Australia National Wine Centre of Australia
    180 45 min

    National Wine Centre of Australia

    The National Wine Centre of Australia is a visitor attraction in Adelaide dedicated to showcasing Australian wine culture and industry.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Adelaide
  25. Shrine of Remembrance, Brisbane Shrine of Remembrance, Brisbane
    181 45 min

    Shrine of Remembrance, Brisbane

    Shrine of Remembrance

    The Shrine of Remembrance is a war memorial located in Brisbane, Queensland. It stands as a commemorative structure dedicated to honoring military personnel who served and sacrificed in armed conflicts.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Brisbane

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.