Key Takeaways

• Planning an epic Australian vacation doesn’t have to be intimidating if you start by creating an itinerary based on attractions by state, which also helps with logistics
• All eight states and territories have notable cities and natural landmarks and areas that appeal to various types of travelers
• Getting to Australia is actually easier than travelers think, with many flight options from a range of gateways, including nonstop redeyes

Getting to know – and sell – Australia as a destination is easier than you might think. Not only is it the sixth-largest country in the world and the largest in Oceania with various territories along with its states and territories, but it’s its own continent. But not to worry. We at ALG Vacations^® have worked to compile the most concise overview and fast facts of its eight states and territories for your quick reference. In keeping with its most famous offshore region, the Great Barrier Reef, let’s dive in.

Overall, what should I know about the eight states and territories?

Australia is often divided into New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland, and Australian Capital Territory, each one with its own unique mix of environments, cultures and rhythms.

They also have their own climates that range from tropical, subtropical, desert, and temperate climates, which means visitors can include dewy rainforests, sandy plains, snowy alps, and sunny beaches in their tour itinerary. And don’t forget – seasons are opposite to the Northern Hemisphere Down Under, so book and pack accordingly! And consider peak seasons, spectacular wildlife events (e.g. whale watching season) and exciting festivals (e.g. Vivid Sydney) that could influence decisions on when to visit Australia.

Regardless, airports with direct flights from the U.S. include Sydney (SYD), Melbourne (MEL), BNE (Brisbane), and beginning this month, December 2025, Adelaide (ADL). Airline options typically include United Airlines, Qantas Airways, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and Air Canada. Carriers that fly via their hubs to Australia include Hawaiian Airlines, Fiji Airways, Air New Zealand, as well as the middle eastern airlines. Bonus: most flights leave just after 10 P.M., which is a perfect time for a binge-watch of a favorite series or a couple of movies before a nodding off for a snooze, making Australia only one sleep away! 

New South Wales

Known for its sparkling capital, Sydney, it’s equally famous for its seemingly endless beaches and bushland. The dining scene is sophisticated and diverse, too, and often focus on local produce and excellent seafood from nearby.

• VISIT: Sydney, Blue Mountains, Sapphire Coast, Port Stephens, Byron Bay, Bondi Beach, the Outback, Hunter Valley, Mudgee, Newcastle, Lord Howe Islands
• SEE: Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, Royal Botanic Garden, The Rocks historic neighborhood, Queen Victoria Building, Darling Harbour, Chinese Garden of Friendship, Hyde Park Barracks, Jervis Bay, Mungo National Park, Southern Highlands
• DO: Dive the Great Barrier Reef, Taronga Zoo Sydney or WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, whale-watching or skiing in season, wine tasting in Hunter Valley, Bondi to Coogee Walk, Sydney Observatory, Australian Museum
• EAT: Sydney rock oysters and barramundi, meat pies, pavlovas, lamingtons, Malaysian, barbecue, bacon and egg roll, fairy bread, Lebanese, deli sandwiches

Australian Capital Territory

While Sydney is best known as a major capital, the country’s capital is actually Canberra, the eight-largest city there by population. The territory it’s located in is a federal territory that’s best for outdoor adventure, urban exploration, and artistic influences.

• VISIT: Canberra, Tharwa, Hall, Sapphire Coast, Southern Highlands, Jervis Bay
• SEE: Australian War Memorial, Parliament of Australia, Mount Ainslie Lookout, Australian National Botanic Gardens, Mount Stromlo Observatory
• DO: Questacon science museum, National Museum of Australia, Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, National Zoo and Aquarium, Cockington Green, hike Mount Stromlo or Namadgi National Park, Aboriginal tours, truffle hunting in season
• EAT: Modern Japanese, Southeast Asian, truffles, burgers, Filipino food, hot pot, craft chocolate, coffee, and beer, baked eggs, Italian

Victoria

An exciting, high-energy region of Australia, the state in which Melbourne is located in attracts visitors from all over, and not just sports fan in this athletics capital. Oenophiles rejoice in the cool-climate wines distinct to this region, and the food matches in character. Plus, wildlife, wild landscapes, and Aussie culture add even more dimension to any stay.

• VISIT: Melbourne, Mornington Peninsula, Gippsland, Jackalope
• SEE: Great Ocean Road, penguins at Philip Island, the Grampians, Buchan Caves, Great Alpine Road
• DO: Wine tours in the Yarra Valley, Pinnacle Walk, Brambuk Aboriginal Cultural Centre, helicopter tour, Grampians Way biking, Metung Hot Springs, eco-cruising, Raymond Island Koala Trail, Portsea Pier and Port Phillip Bay shipwreck diving, Ashcombe Maze & Lavender Gardens hedge maze
• EAT: Gourmet pastries, hot jam doughnuts, South Melbourne “dimmies,” Turkish gozlemem, chicken parma, Ethiopian injera, Australian beef steaks, local seafood, wine, and flat whites

South Australia

A relaxed region full of wine, wildlife, and natural wonder, this is the part of the country you go to if the goal is to slow down and chill out. The capital, Adelaide, offers a sophisticated art and dining scene, but vast swathes of ochre outback and dramatic coastlines serve as good reminders that there’s still plenty of excitement to find if you want to speed up the pace.

• VISIT: Adelaide, Kangaroo Island, Barossa Valley, Eyre Peninsula, Fleurieu Peninsula, Clare Valley
• SEE: Mclaren Vale, kangaroos at Kangaroo Island, Flinders Ranges, Rawnsley Park sheep station, Deep Creek Conservation Park, Lake Bumbunga, Burra Heritage Trail sites, Adelaide Central Market
• DO: Swim the beaches, wine tasting/vineyard tours, hot air balloon rides, pedestrian shopping district retail in Adelaide, Coffee Pot steam train, Fleurieu Art Trail, , play golf, swim with dolphins and sea lions, cage dive with great white sharks, safari through the Outback
• EAT: Seafood from Eyre Peninsula, pie floater, fritz sausage, Jubilee Cake, emu, camel, shiraz, Riesling

Western Australia

The largest state in the country covers nearly a third of the land mass, making it rife with adventure possibilities in wide-open spaces, including secluded beaches and wildlife habitats. A Mediterranean climate and some of Australia’s best wines make it easy to kick back after a day of thrills, but fine food fuels it. 

• VISIT: Perth, The Coral Coast, The Kimberley, Broome, Cape Range National Park, Albrolhos Islands, Rottnest Island
• SEE: Whale sharks and more at Ningaloo Reef, quokkas on Rottnest Island, Horizontal Falls, dinosaur footprints near Broome, Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm, King George twin falls, snubfin dolphins in Roebuck Bay, Yardie Creek Gorge, Kalbarri Skywalk, the Pinnacles, Nature’s Window, “secret swimming pools,” Lake Ballart salt plain and sculptures
• DO: Beaches in Southwest Western Australia, Margaret River wine-tasting, 4WD road trips through The Kimberley, fly over the Bungle Bungles in Purnululu National Park, mangrove tour, camel ride on Cable Beach, snorkel with manta rays in Coral Bay, marine fly-fishing, surfing, Aboriginal foraging dinner tours, glass-bottom kayaking
• EAT: Geraldton rock lobster, South West Marron, barramundi, macadamia nuts, truffles, wine, Rottnest scallops, Broome pearl meat, Exmouth prawns, Mandurah crab, wattleseed, Kakadu plum sauce and jams, Australian beef, dairy

Tasmania

This island state is often called impossibly beautiful; it’s a heavenly counter to the name of its best-known resident, the Tasmanian Devil, which is nothing at all like its cartoon representation and actually an adorable member of the diverse wildlife scene here. But as captivating as its landscapes and wildlife are, the cultural experiences are equally noteworthy, including the food and drinks.

• VISIT: Hobart, Launceston, Devonport, Burnie, Freycinet, Bruny Island, West Coast
• SEE: Tasman Peninsula, Cradle Mountain, Port Arthur Historic Site, Port Arthur Lavender Farm, Coal Mines Historic Site, Dove Lake, Cradle Mountain Wilderness Gallery, Mount Wellington, Hobart’s historic waterfront, Bridestowe Lavender Estate
• DO: Down time on a beach, Tasmanian Devil Unzoo or Devils@Cradle conservation center, Three Capes Lodge Walk, horseback rides, Overland Track hike, canyoning, nocturnal wildlife tours in Cradle Mountain, Floating Sauna in Derby, mountain biking trails, Low Head Penguin Tour, Hollybank Wilderness Adventure course
• EAT: Apple cider, cheese, oysters, McHenry Distillery gin, Tamar Valley sparkling wine, salmon, lobsters, Leatherwood honey, pepperberry spirits, scallop pies, abalone, Bush Tucker fare

Queensland

For those traveling for the Technicolor dream world of the Great Barrier Reef, consider this the home base. It’s only one of the more than 1,000 ecosystem types and five World Heritage-listed sites in this magical state, where nature shines as brightly as the lights of the Gold Coast and its lively cities.

• VISIT: Brisbane, The Whitsundays (islands), Airlie Beach, Cairns, Daintree Rainforest, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Kuranda
• SEE: K’gari (formerly known as Fraser Island), Lake McKenzie, Maheno Shipwreck, “champagne pools” of Seventy-Five Mile Beach, “secret islands” in the Great Barrier Reef, Surfer’s Paradise beach, Sky Point, beachside breweries, Heart Reef, Whitehaven Beach, Capricorn Caves, Carnarvon Gorge, Wet Tropics World Heritage Rainforest, Cairns Esplanade, Eumundi Market, Noosa’s Hastings Street, Noosa Everglade, Australia Zoo, Mossman Gorge, Daintree Discovery Center
• DO: Anything in the Great Barrier Reef, whale-watching and baby turtle hatching in season, K’gari Great Walk to Valley of the Giants, nocturnal wildlife tours, Gold Coast theme parks, golfing, shopping, hot rod tours in the Whitsundays, Indigenous cultural tours, sailing, , swim with manta rays, beach-hop Great Keppel Island, Bush Tucker-style hunting/foraging, Aboriginal custodian-led rainforest tours, Indigenous spa experiences
• EAT: Mangos, lychees, pawpaws, Lamington cake, ice cream, peanuts, macadamia nuts, coral trout, Moreton Bay “bugs,” prawns, barramundi, snags (sausages), meat pies, Bundaberg rum, seafood

Northern Territory

Wide-open stretches of rich red Outback is practically an invitation to adventure, made even more intriguing with clear waterholes, ancient Aboriginal culture, and charming towns that ranging from desert to tropical. This vast and incredible territory is a stunning one from inland attractions to coastal capital.

• VISIT: Darwin, Alice Springs, The Red Centre
• SEE: Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Tjoritja West MacDonnell National Park water holes, Kings Canyon, Field of Light, Kings Canyon, Litchfield National Park, Kakadu National Park, Darwin’s waterfront precinct, Aboriginal Arts Trail, Milky Way from Alice Springs at Earth Sanctuary, Olive Pink Botanic Gardens, Telegraph Station Historical Reserve, Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre
• DO: Scenic flights, Kangaroo Sanctuary for orphaned joeys, Larapinta Trail, hot air ballooning, nocturnal wildlife tours, harbor or sunset cruise, safari day trips, barramundi fishing, camel rides, Todd Mall Markets shopping, Kings Canyon Rim Walk, Aboriginal-led safari, birdwatching in Kakadu
• EAT: Asian food market food in Darwin, Alice Springs Brewing Co. craft beer, Thai, Malaysian, Indonesian, bush tucker fare, crabs, barramundi, mud crabs, quandong peaches, Kakadu plum jams and sauces, Witchetty grubs, bush tee, damper soda bread, laksa noodle soup, curry

The Bottom Line

There’s literally a lot of ground to cover in Australia, so keep this page bookmarked for a concise overview that will be useful for clients trying to determine which of the eight states and territories in Australia to prioritize for their epic escape Down Under. Depending on their interests or their sightseeing bucket list, designing an itinerary starts here at ALG Vacations^® -- particularly Blue Sky Tours, the Indo-Pacific region specializing brand offering industry-high commissions on land.