15 Australia Garden Tours Worth Flying For

1.Maleny Botanic Gardens Bird Aviary Experience Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 579 reviews · from $33Our pick

Walk through Maleny’s aviaries with a guide such as Lydia, meeting cockatoos, macaws, and other native and exotic birds that may perch on your hand, shoulder, or head. Your ticket also covers the gardens, free bird photos, and Wi-Fi. Allow 1 to 4 hours for the visit, longer if you add a picnic or buggy ride.

“Beautiful place to visit with great views and scenery. We enjoyed walking around the gardens and visiting the farm friends. They had a 2 month old baby donkey named ziggy who was adorable. We didn’t do the bird aviary but i’m sure that was a fun experience also. Recommend visiting if you are in the area!”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Aboriginal Heritage Walk – Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne Gardens

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 314 reviews · from $30Top rated

Spend 90 minutes in Melbourne Gardens with an Aboriginal guide such as Den or Jacobi, learning how native plants connect to Kulin culture, food, medicine, customs, and Country. The gentle walk includes sensory plant experiences and lemon myrtle tea. Meet at the Visitor Centre at 11:00am and return there at the end.

“Den was a great guide with fun humor. He walked us through garden explaining how the plants and land were utilized by aboriginal people. He also made us think about the land and how to continue connecting with the land and each other. Highly recommend this tour.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.The Explorer – Melbourne Gardens

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 224 reviews · from $10Best value

Ride through Melbourne Gardens in a small open-air minibus with a driver-guide such as Eugenie, Eugene, or Verity. In 30 minutes, you’ll see lawns, lakes, rainforest areas, and living plant collections while hearing about the gardens’ past and plant life. The 12-person limit keeps the trip friendly and easy to follow.

“Excellent 30 min tour of the gardens Certainly beats walking Our driver /guide Eugenie was very knowledgeable and pointed out all the plants and trees and told us about the history of the gardens Loved the open sided bus , great to take photos Highly recommended”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.1-Hour Gardens and Sporting Precinct River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 196 reviews · from $27

Spend one hour on Melbourne’s Yarra River, leaving from Southgate and cruising past Princes Bridge, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Herring Island, the MCG, Olympic Park and the National Tennis Center. You get recorded commentary, complimentary tea and coffee, and views from an enclosed cabin or outside deck. The boat returns to Southgate.

“Som people smoking on the boat , that's really not good.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.River Gardens Melbourne Sightseeing Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 193 reviews · from $29

Spend about an hour on the Yarra River from Southbank, with commentary on Melbourne’s bridges, gardens, sporting venues, and cultural sights. You can sit inside behind panoramic windows or outside when conditions allow. Tea and coffee are included, snacks and other drinks cost extra, and the cruise returns to Berth 2.

“A relaxing, informative experience with friendly staff. The weather played along excellently. Loved it!👌”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Night Walk in Cairns Botanic Gardens – Let’s Go Buggin

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 153 reviews · from $57

Join macro photographer Bridgette Gower at 7 pm for a two-hour walk through Cairns Botanic Gardens. She helps you find frogs, insects, spiders, and fungi, then offers advice on camera settings and composition. Groups are capped at four, and camera hire can be arranged in advance for beginner, intermediate, or professional equipment.

“I had an absolutely incredible time on this bug and nature walk in the morning. I was able to see many different types of spiders, moths, butterflies, beetles, etc. Bridgette is very knowledgeable and has a meticulous eye for pointing out the various insects and arachnids. I would recommend this tour to anyone!”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.The Explorer – Cranbourne Gardens

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 135 reviews · from $10

Ride The Explorer through Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne’s 15-hectare Australian Garden. Your driver-guide explains the Red Sand Garden, Howson Hill, Ian Potter Lake, Arid Garden, and Dry River Bed during a 25-minute open-air tour. The bus helps families and visitors with limited mobility see much more, with hop-off options along the route.

“I had an amazing time sight seeing at the Royal Botanic Garden. The operator was truly funny and friendly.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Hunter Valley: Wine Tour with 3 Tastings and Garden Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 103 reviews · 10 hours · from $166

Travel from Sydney to the Hunter Valley in a comfortable minibus with an English-speaking guide such as Ben, Rafael, or Jeff. Visit three or four boutique cellar doors, taste local cheese, enjoy lunch at Cypress Lakes, and browse Hunter Valley Village. Expect a full day, relaxed groups of 8 to 14, and a rotating winery schedule.

“Wonderful day out with 3 boutique wine tastings and cheese and chocolate shopping. Highly recommended!!”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Kuranda Koala Gardens and Birdworld Admission Tickets

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 99 reviews · from $27

Visit Kuranda Koala Gardens for close views of koalas, wombats, quokkas, crocodiles, kangaroos and rare nocturnal animals. Then walk to Birdworld, where more than 80 bird species fly through a rainforest-style aviary. Feeding and koala photo experiences cost extra, and early arrival helps.

“The bird world was kinda sad. The birds have very little space to move around. We thought it would be little more open.”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Kuranda Koala Gardens General Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 90 reviews · from $15

Spend about an hour at Kuranda Koala Gardens near the Heritage Markets, meeting koalas, quokkas, wallabies, wombats, reptiles, and crocodiles. Feed some animals, see rare nocturnal marsupials, and learn about local wildlife rehabilitation. Koala photos and holding experiences cost extra, so check the options before you arrive.

“Good place to spend a couple of hours if you are in Kuranda with kids. The kangaroo feeding and panda patting with family photo option is a highlight. The kids enjoyed the ranger talks while they fed the wombat and crocs. Kids also enjoyed the snakes and lazy tortoise.”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Cairns: Night Walk in Cairns Botanic Gardens

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 86 reviews · 2 hours · from $56

Join Bridgette or Ros from Aussie Macro Photos for a two-hour night walk through Cairns Botanic Gardens. Your guide uses a head torch and sharp eyes to find frogs, spiders, stick insects, possums, birds, snakes, and other rainforest life. The walk suits nature lovers and photographers, with optional camera hire available.

“Bridgette was an excellent guide and very knowledgeable. She founds lots of interesting creatures & insects that we would have never even noticed. We had a wonderful time on the tour.”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Kuranda Koala Gardens Park Entry

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 85 reviews · 1 day · from $15

Visit Kuranda Koala Gardens inside the Kuranda Heritage Markets for a close look at Australian wildlife. Your ticket covers entry, while koala and python photos cost extra. See wallabies, wombats, quokkas, gliders, freshwater crocodiles, nocturnal animals, marsupials, and reptiles. The park is wheelchair accessible and open from 9:30am to 4:00pm.

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Port Arthur, Richmond and Lavender Active Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 61 reviews · from $121

Spend a full day from Hobart exploring Eaglehawk Neck, Waterfall Bay, Port Arthur Historic Site and Richmond. The tour includes site entry, the Isle of the Dead harbor cruise, a cliff-top walk and a lavender-farm stop. Guides such as Nick, Trevor, David and Ian are known for lively Tasmanian stories. Expect a small group, early start and a brisk pace.

“We enjoyed the spectacular cliffs along Waterfall Bay track. We visited the Tasmanian Devil Sanctuary (Unzoo) instead of the Lavender Farm. We found the staff there very informative and learned much about the devils and the birds of the area. Port Arthur was amazing, our visit was too short to take in all there was to see. History is sometimes difficult to absorb. Nicolas was a great tour guide, very knowledgeable, accommodating, and entertaining. Very enjoyable day!”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Melbourne Gardens Explorer Minibus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 53 reviews · from $10

Take a 30-minute open-air minibus ride through Melbourne Gardens with an English-speaking guide. See part of the 38-hectare garden, hear about its plants and history, and watch for waterbirds near the ornamental lake. Children ride free on Kids Explorer tours during Victorian school holidays, with family commentary at selected times.

“Our guide Tommy was extremely friendly and welcoming. His knowledge of all the specimen he shared with us was outstanding! Our little trip was excellent in the small electric van which he drove very efficiently. The short stops were excellent allowing us to take photos . We had a memorable excursion and we highly recommend it to anyone with mobility problems. We learnt a lot about the park itself and the unique flora of the southern hemisphere. Many thanks to the team and particularly Tommy for being such a kind, experienced and friendly guide! Merci ! Anicq et Barry 😊Read more”

Check availability →Read our full review

15.Garden Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 48 reviews · from $17

Walk eight sandy paths through Cactus Country in Strathmerton, Victoria, home to more than 4,000 cactus and succulent species. Meet local owners Jim, Julie, and John Hall, then stop for cactus cake, cactus ice cream, or cactus cider. Allow 1 to 4 hours, and bring walking shoes, sun protection, and a camera.

“There is an insane amount of cactus set in a well designed space with beautiful architecture and art. It was prettt mind blowing.”

Check availability →Read our full review