Backpacking Australia: 22 best places to visit
The most rewarding stops for backpackers in Australia, ranked and mapped — and real routes through them, written by travellers who went.
Read Australia stories- 1
Sydney
New South Wales
Opera House, harbour, beaches.
2
Great Barrier Reef
Queensland
The world's largest reef.
3
Melbourne
Victoria
Laneways, coffee, culture.
4
Uluru
Northern Territory
The sacred red monolith.
- 5
Whitsunday Islands
Queensland
Whitehaven's white silica sand.
- 6
Great Ocean Road
Victoria
Twelve Apostles coast drive.
7
Cairns
Queensland
Reef-and-rainforest gateway.
8
Byron Bay
New South Wales
Surf, lighthouse, easy vibe.
9
Gold Coast
Queensland
Surf beaches and theme parks.
10
Blue Mountains
New South Wales
Eucalyptus cliffs near Sydney.
11
Hobart
Tasmania
MONA, harbour, wild Tasmania.
- 12
Kangaroo Island
South Australia
Wildlife and empty beaches.
- 13
Perth
Western Australia
Sunny isolated west-coast city.
14
K'gari (Fraser Island)
Queensland
Sand island, lakes, dingoes.
15
Darwin
Northern Territory
Tropical gateway to Kakadu.
16
Ningaloo Reef
Western Australia
Swim with whale sharks.
17
Noosa
Queensland
Chic beach and national park.
18
Adelaide
South Australia
Wine regions on the doorstep.
19
Margaret River
Western Australia
Wine, surf, forests.
20
Cradle Mountain
Tasmania
Alpine peaks and wombats.
21
Port Douglas
Queensland
Reef and Daintree base.
22
Alice Springs
Northern Territory
Red Centre outback hub.
Backpacking routes through Australia
Real trips through Australia, drawn on maps by the people who took them.
Perth to Broome: The West Coast Road Trip Where the Outback Meets the Reef
Driving Australia's wild west coast: Kalbarri, Shark Bay, snorkelling Ningaloo with whale sharks, and Karijini's gorges. Campervan costs and route notes.
A Tasmania Loop: Hobart, the East Coast and Cradle Mountain in Ten Days
A ten-day Tasmania road trip loop from Hobart: Port Arthur, Wineglass Bay, Bay of Fires, Launceston and Cradle Mountain, with campsite and ferry costs.
Sydney to Cairns: The East Coast Backpacker Run Without the Party-Bus Autopilot
The classic Sydney to Cairns route by Greyhound: Byron Bay, Noosa, the Whitsundays and the reef, with 2026 hop-on-hop-off costs and where to slow down.
Been backpacking in Australia?
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