If you’re planning a trip to Australia in summer, this itinerary for 2 weeks in Australia will help you plan your trip around the best destinations to visit in Australia in summer. In two weeks, you can visit some of the most beautiful places in Australia, including Sydney, the Gold Coast, Melbourne, Tasmania and Brisbane. Summer in Australia is from December-February, and is a great time of year to visit Australia, if you go to the right places!

If you’re planning a trip to Australia in autumn, spring or winter (March-November), check out my other itinerary for 2 weeks in Australia for first time visitors, for more ideas.

Where are the best places to visit in Australia in summer?

Summer in Australia is in December, January and February, but in northern parts of Australia it can feel like summer starts in September! The best places to visit in Australia in summer are in the southern half of the country, which includes major cities & beach destinations like Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, and popular travel destinations like Tasmania and South Australia. It may be hot, but there are SO many beautiful places to visit in Australia in summer.

Where to avoid in summer in Australia

There are a few destinations that I’d avoid travelling to in summer in Australia. 

The Tropics

First, is Far North Queensland, which includes Cairns, The Great Barrier Reef & The Whitsundays. It’s wet season, which brings extreme heat and humidity, summer storms and the chance of cyclones (hurricanes). The best time to visit this region is March-November, especially in the middle of the year from May-August.

The Outback & The Red Centre

I’d also avoid visiting Uluru and the Red Centre, for the simple fact that it is extremely hot. Summer is not the time to visit the Outback or the Red Centre, in the middle of the desert! 

Bushfire-prone areas

You don’t need to necessarily avoid, but you do need to be aware of bush fire season in several regions of Australia. For example, the Great Ocean Road in Victoria is in peak bush fire season in summer, especially when the weather has been hot and dry. Make sure you have contingency plans if the area you’re travelling to is prone to bush fires and check for advice from local authorities.

Travel tips for summer in Australia

Get Up Early

Sunrise is very early in most parts of Australia in summer, especially in Brisbane & the Gold Coast. Avoid being in direct sun in the peak of the heat of the day, between 11am-3pm. Heatstroke is a sure way to ruin a holiday! In summer, the early hours of the morning between 5am-7am are lovely, with light sunshine and mild weather. We tend to start our time at the beach or on a hike as early as we can. You’d be mad to start a hike at 10 or 11am in the hottest parts of Australia in summer.

Slip, Slop, Slap, Wrap

Every Australian knows the sun safety campaign, Slip Slop Slap – and now, they’ve added wrap. Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat and wrap on some sunnies.

Australia makes the best sunscreen in the world, with high standards and quality control. Buy sunscreen once you get to Australia, the Cancer Council is a particularly good brand. Look for SPF 50+, and make sure you reapply if you’re spending all day outside or have gone swimming. Don’t spend your time in Australia sunburnt!

Carry a water bottle

Staying hydrated is especially important in the hot Australian summer, so carry a water bottle with you. You’ll find places in every major city to refill your water bottle.

Now that’s all out of the way, let’s get into an ideal 2 week itinerary in Australia, in summer!

What’s On in Australia in Summer

There are lots of major events in Australia in Summer. Some of the best major events in Australia in summer include the Australian Open tennis Grand Slam in Melbourne, the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, and the Boxing Day Test (cricket). Of course, you’ve also got Christmas and New Year’s Eve. There are New Year’s Eve Fireworks all over the country. If you’re in Australia on Christmas Day, you’ll find lots of restaurants and pubs are open for Christmas Day Lunch bookings, often with a set menu. Of course, you could also spend it on the beach!

Itinerary: 2 Weeks in Australia in Summer

This itinerary for 2 weeks in Australia in summer is perfect for first time visitors. It includes Australia’s three largest cities, which each have lots to offer visitors, as well as some of Australia’s most beautiful travel destinations, with the beaches of the Gold Coast and the pristine environment in Tasmania.

• Day 1-2: Brisbane
• Day 3-5: Gold Coast
• Day 6-8: Sydney
• Day 9-11: Tasmania
• Day 12-14: Melbourne

Day 1-2: Brisbane

Fly into Brisbane International Airport for the beginning of your Australian holiday. Sunny, subtropical Brisbane is the capital of Queensland and is the fastest growing city in Australia. For a few days in Brisbane, the best things to do are to stroll through Southbank Parklands, have dinner & drinks under the Story Bridge at Howard Smith Wharves, shop on James Street and if you’re so inclined, take a half day out at Lone Pine Sanctuary to cuddle a koala.

Where to stay in Brisbane

For a short stay in Brisbane, the best places to stay are in Southbank, the Brisbane CBD or New Farm.

Day 3-5: Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is home to some of the best beaches in the world, and an excellent place to visit in summer in Australia. There are 21 beaches on the Gold Coast, and they’re all beautiful! Spend a couple of relaxing days beach hopping on the Gold Coast, including some of the best beaches like Burleigh Heads, Main Beach, Kurrawa and Coolangatta. For some extra activity, get up early and walk through Burleigh Heads National Park (accessed directly from the beach), visit the new Home of the Arts (HOTA) centre, or check out Miami Marketta for a grazing dinner. 

To get to the Gold Coast, you could hire a car & drive from Brisbane (60-120 mins depending on holiday traffic), or you could take the train from Roma Street Station to Helensvale, and then catch a bus, taxi or Uber from Helensvale to where you’re staying.

Where to stay on the Gold Coast

The best places to stay on the Gold Coast are Burleigh, Coolangatta and Broadbeach. Surfers Paradise has lots of accommodation options and a beautiful beach, but it can be a bit touristy and tacky around Caville Avenue. Coolangatta is quite far south, so isn’t ideal for travelling around the coast, but it has a beautiful, enormous beach and a lively main strip, so you won’t need to go far. It’s also close to the airport, which is in Coolangatta. Broadbeach is the beach just south of Surfers Paradise, so it’s central while being a bit more peaceful. 

Day 6-8: Sydney

Sydney is the largest city in Australia, and a must-visit for first time visitors. Sydney is a great place to visit in Australia in summer, with typically hot, sunny weather. 

Some of the best things to do in Sydney include seeing the Sydney Opera House & the Sydney Harbour Bridge (you can climb it, if heights are your thing) and visiting Bondi Beach.

I love the Coogee to Bondi Coastal Walk, but make sure you start early and bring plenty of water and sunscreen, and cover your shoulders (ie a t shirt rather than a singlet). 

Where to stay in Sydney

For first time visitors, staying in the CBD will be the most convenient place to stay. Trendy inner city suburbs like Surry Hills or Darlinghurst are also fairly central

My favourite part of Sydney is Bondi, but if you’re wanting to do a lot of sightseeing it’s a bit of a pain to stay here because it’s not central and the nearest train station is in Bondi Junction. When I stayed in Bondi on a girls trip, we loved the neighbourhood but spent a lot of time (& money) in Ubers.

Day 9-11: Tasmania

Fly from Sydney to Hobart, the capital of Tasmania. Tasmania is Australia’s island state, tucked away at the bottom of the country. I love Tasmania, it’s one of my favourite parts of Australia. 

Tasmania is typically very cold, so summer is the best time of year to visit – and you’ll still want to bring a jacket,  just in case!

In Tasmania, you could spend your entire time in Hobart for a more relaxed pace. Alternatively, if you want to see as much as possible and don’t mind a faster pace, you could spend the first day in Hobart, drive to Freycinet National Park on the second day, have approximately 24 hours in the park to see Wineglass Bay, and then spend the third morning driving to Launceston, before having an afternoon and evening in Launceston. It’s tight, and would benefit from an extra day, but it is possible.

Where to stay in Tasmania

In Hobart, stay in the CBD or in Battery Point. In Freycinet National Park, you can stay at Freycinet Lodge or find budget accommodation just outside the national park, in Coles Bay. In Launceston, stay in the city centre.

Day 12-14: Melbourne

For your final few days in Australia, discover Melbourne. Melbourne is the second-largest city in Australia, and considered Australia’s cultural and sporting capital. 

The best things to do in Melbourne include exploring the laneways of the Melbourne CBD, visiting the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) which is the best art gallery/museum in Australia, and exploring some of Melbourne’s most iconic neighbourhoods like historic Carlton, trendy Fitzroy and beachside St Kilda.

Melbourne has some of the best food in Australia, so you’ll want to make a restaurant reservation at one or two of the best restaurants in Melbourne before you arrive.

If you’re in Australia in January, you can catch the Australian Open in Melbourne, which is one of the world’s four Grand Slam tennis tournaments.

You can fly home from Melbourne International Airport.

Itinerary: 3 Days in Melbourne For First Time Visitors

Where to stay in Melbourne

The best place to stay in Melbourne for a short trip of a few days in the Melbourne CBD or Southbank.

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