The ultimate Lap of Australia itinerary

A lap of Australia is the ultimate road trip and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It’s your chance to discover every corner of this diverse landscape, from lush green rainforests and wetlands to dry desert fringes and snowy highlands. But with so many stops to see, putting together a lap of Australia itinerary can be pretty daunting.

Save yourself the stress and use our list of the top places to visit along the way. This ultimate itinerary can be modified to suit the amount of time you have available and includes all the best sightseeing and camping spots. Plus, we’ve thrown in a heap of extra information like drive times, distances, the best season to travel and much more!

And if you want even more information regarding costs, direction of travel, seasons, vehicle selection and a whole lot more, don’t forget to also check out our tips for the Big Lap of Australia.

The ultimate lap of Australia itinerary: 10 places you can’t miss

Total distance: 15,500 km | Recommended duration: 3 to 18 months | Best time to do the route: Between May and November | Route Map

1. Sydney and the Blue Mountains

Begin your Big Lap of Australia in Sydney, home to some of the most iconic sites in the country. Catch a show at the Opera House, climb the Harbour Bridge, sunbathe on Bondi Beach and visit the animals at Taronga Zoo.

Take a day trip to the Blue Mountains (1.5 hours west of Sydney), a UNESCO World Heritage site where you can ride the world's steepest passenger railway, view the Three Sisters or hike to the bottom of Katoomba Falls. Then spend another day exploring the Royal National Park, less than an hour south of the city centre.

Stay at the Lane Cove Holiday and Caravan Park if you want a central but scenic campsite. Powered campervan sites start at $48 a night and facilities include a swimming pool, camp kitchen, playground, sports facilities and more.

1. The Pacific Coast

Drive Time: 14 days | Distance: 800 km

From Sydney, trace the Pacific Coast northwards and visit some of the best coastal towns in NSW. Do some dolphin-watching in Port Stephens, explore Myall Lake National Park and stop for a photo at the historic Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse.

Spend a night in Port Macquarie before tackling the 1.3km boardwalk in Sea Acres National Park. Then give the kids a break from the road and let them have some fun at the Big Banana Fun Park in Coffs Harbour.

Finally, enjoy a well-earned beach break in Byron Bay. Stroll along the Cape Byron walking track, visit nearby hinterland towns like Nimbin or simply chill out on Main Beach.

Stay at the First Sun Holiday Park in Byron Bay, located directly on the beach and only a minute's walk from the town centre. Powered campervan sites start at $68 per night and facilities include a camp kitchen, bathroom blocks, BBQs, laundry, surfboard and bike hire and more.

See our Sydney to Coffs Harbour road trip guide or our Sydney to Byron Bay road trip guide for more information on this leg of your lap around Australia.

3. Brisbane and the Gold Coast

Drive Time: 5 days | Distance: 170 km

The Gold Coast is only an hour's drive north of Byron Bay and offers a heap of fun activities for the whole family. Spend your days soaking in the sun in Surfers Paradise, catch a ferry over to Stradbroke Island or treat the kids to a day at Australia’s biggest theme parks.

Another hour north of the Gold Coast and you’ll be in sunny Brisbane. Take a bike ride around the Kangaroo Point riverside circuit before stopping for lunch and a beer at the historic Howard Smith Wharves precinct. End the day with dinner at the Eat Street Northshore open-air market.

Stay at the Brisbane Holiday Village, a family-owned caravan park with spacious powered sites starting from about $59 per night. The family-friendly facilities include a resort-style lagoon pool, mini-golf course, sports fields and daily lorikeet feeding.

1. Cairns and North Queensland

Drive Time: 28 days | Distance: 1,800 km

Heading further north from Brisbane, follow the Sunshine Coast and explore sights like the Glass House Mountains and Noosa National Park. Catch a ferry from Hervey Bay to World Heritage-listed K’gari (Fraser Island) and take a dip in Lake McKenzie before camping on the beach.

Continue up the coast, visiting the regional city of Rockhampton and Eungella National Park near Mackay. Spend a few days in Townsville, where you can see the highly-rated Museum of Tropical Queensland and tour nearby Magnetic Island in a mini-moke.

After a few weeks, you’ll reach Cairns, a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and adventure capital of Australia. Join one of the many snorkel or dive tours out to Michaelmas Cay or Green Island and swim amongst coral reefs and schools of tropical marine life.

Or stay on land and ride the Skyrail Cableway deep into the Daintree Rainforest before returning on the Kuranda Scenic Railway.

Stay at the highly-rated Cool Waters Holiday Park in Cairns, which offers picturesque powered campsites starting from about $38 per night. The family-friendly facilities include a turtle sanctuary, rainforest walkway, cafe, swimming pool, spa and recreation room.

See our Queensland Coast road trip guide for more information on this leg of your lap around Australia.

5. Darwin and Kakadu National Park

Drive Time: 10 days | Distance: 2,500 km

It’s time for a taste of the Australian Outback, as you cut from the Queensland coast to the Top End. Along the way, stop at Karumba, where local pubs serve cold beer and fresh prawns overlooking the Gulf of Carpentaria. And don’t miss your chance to spend a night at the Daly Waters Pub, a legendary watering hole in the NT where they serve kangaroo loin and crocodile burgers.

Delve deeper into the Northern Territory and kayak around the world-famous Katherine Gorge within Nitmiluk National Park. Take a soak in the Katherine Hot Springs before continuing to Kakadu National Park, where you can cruise through the Yellow Water wetlands and marvel at ancient Aboriginal art at Nourlangie Rock. This area is a must-visit on any lap of Australia itinerary!

On your way to Darwin, stop and take an Adelaide River Jumping Crocodile Cruise. Then enjoy some authentic Asian cuisine on the Darwin waterfront before cooling off in the local wave pool.

Stay at the Oasis Tourist Park, a quiet and family-friendly camping spot just outside of Darwin city centre. Powered sites start at about $39 per night and facilities include a swimming pool, BBQ area, amenities blocks and more.

See our guide to the best road trip around the Northern Territory for more information on this leg of your lap around Australia.

6. Broome and the Coral Coast

Drive Time: 28 days | Distance: 4,300 km

From the Top End of Australia, drive west through the Kimberleys and head for the seaside town of Broome. Along the way, stop at outback towns like Kununurra and Halls Creek, where you can take a scenic flight over the Bungle Bungles. Once in Broome, take a tour of the pearling farms before enjoying a sunset camel ride along Cable Beach.

After Broome, start tracing the Coral Coast southward. Be sure to spare a few days and explore the Karijini National Park, host to some awesome swimming holes like Weano Gorge and the Handrail Pool. Continue to Exmouth, where you can drift snorkel over the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef and swim with whale sharks.

The kids will likely want to chill out for a few days at Monkey Mia in the Shark Bay World-Heritage Site, where they can hand-feed dolphins from the beach. And you’ll likely want to spend a few nights camping in Kalbarri National Park, where you’ll find awesome hiking trails to amazing sandstone sights like Nature’s Widow and Z-Bend.

Pass through the city of Geraldton and enjoy panoramic views from the HMAS Sydney II Memorial. Then finish your tour of the Coral Coast with a drive around Nambung National Park, home to the Pinnacles Desert.

The closest (and the best) campground to the Pinnacles is RAC Cervantes Holiday Park. Powered camping sites start at about $32 per night. Facilities include a large heated swimming pool, table tennis, tv room and clean bathrooms.

See our guide to the best road trip around Western Australia for more information on this leg of your lap around Australia.

7. Perth and the Margaret River

Drive Time: 7 days | Distance: 470 km

It’s just over 2 hours from Cervantes to Perth. After your long drive down the Coral Coast, you’ll want to spend a few days here relaxing on the soft sands of Cottesloe Beach or a shady patch in King’s Park and Botanic Gardens.

Take a day trip to nearby Rottnest Island, home to 63 beautiful beaches, over 135 species of fish and more than 10,000 quokkas. And then make your way south to the Margaret River region, where adults can revel in world-class wineries whilst the kids play on white-sand beaches.

Stay at the Margaret River Tourist Park, located in the centre of the town and only 10 minutes drive from some of the best surf beaches in the country. Powered caravan camping sites start at $32 per night and facilities include a swimming pool, camp kitchen, bathroom blocks, games room and more.

8. Adelaide and the Nullarbor Plain

Drive Time: 14 days | Distance: 3,300 km

From the Margaret River, cut inland through the wilderness of South Western Australia. Walk amongst some of the tallest trees in the country at the Valley of Giants near Walpole. Then pop back out of the treeline and follow the limestone cliffs along the coast to historic Albany and pretty seaside towns like Denmark and Esperance.

It may take you two or three days to tackle the Eyre Highway across the Nullarbor Plain, Australia’s longest straight road. Take breaks often and be sure to stop at the Bunda Cliffs for panoramic views of the blue waters of the Great Australian Bight.

Spend another few days trying some of the country's best seafood around the Eyre Peninsula. Go cage diving with great white sharks off the coast of Port Lincoln or camp by the beach in Lincoln National Park.

Once you reach Adelaide, enjoy a well-earned tipple at the National Wine Centre or relax in the Adelaide Himeji Garden. Once you’ve got the energy, be sure to visit the South Australia Maritime Museum or National Railway Museum.

Stay at the Brighton Beachfront Holiday Park in Adelaide, a highly rated campground with powered sites starting at $47 per night. Facilities include a mini-golf course, games room, go-kart hire, bike hire and heaps more.

See our guide to the best road trip around South WA or our Perth to Adelaide road trip guide for more information on this leg of your lap around Australia.

9. Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road

Drive Time: 7 days | Distance: 1,000 km

Leaving Adelaide and heading further east, wine-lovers should spend a few days visiting the vineyards around the Barossa Valley and Clare Valley. Before crossing into Victoria, top at Mt Gambier and take a walk around the circumference of the famous Blue Lake.

Make your way to the coast and start the historic Great Ocean Road, being sure to see all the world-renowned sights like The Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and London Bridge. And spend at least a day or two admiring the tall redwood forests and waterfalls in the Great Otway National Park.

As you mosey your way along the coast, drop in on Torquay, the surfing capital of Australia and home to Bells Beach. Then, when you eventually reach Melbourne, make the most of all the major attractions such as the Eureka Skydeck and Royal Botanical Gardens.

Stay at the Werribee South Caravan Park, situated in a quiet beachside spot just outside of Melbourne. Powered sites start at about $35 per night and facilities include a BBQ area, playground, tennis courts and more.

See our guide to the best Great Ocean Road trip for more information on this leg of your lap around Australia.

10. Canberra and the Snowy Highlands

Drive Time: 7 days | Distance: 1,050 km

From Melbourne, it’s only a few days drive back to Sydney. We suggest going via the Snowy Mountains, particularly if travelling in winter. Stay in Jindabyne and spend a few days skiing or snowboarding at Perisher or Thredbo. Alternatively, in summer, Kosciuszko National Park has some awesome hiking and biking tracks.

And don’t forget to spend at least one day in Australia’s capital city, Canberra. Here you can visit the highly-rated Australian War Memorial, take a tour of Parliament House or have some scientific fun at Questacon.

Stay at the Alivio Tourist Park in Canberra, where powered sites start at $72 per night. Facilities include free WiFi, a swimming pool, sports facilities and lots more.

Alternatively, if you just can’t get enough of the beach and would rather take the coastal route, take a look at our guide to the best road trip around the NSW South Coast.

Hire out your van after a lap of Australia

Once you’ve experienced this lap of Australia itinerary for yourself, you’ll be left with a heap of wonderful memories. But you may also be left with an unused caravan, campervan or motorhome sitting idly in your driveway…

Why not earn a return on your investment by renting it out? Right now, holidaymakers all around Australia are wanting to hire a van like yours for their next road trip!

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