TripAdvisor®, the travel planning and booking site, today announced Sydney BridgeClimb as the winner of its first-ever Travellers’ Choice® awards for Experiences in Australia. It also clinched the #4 spot globally.
“We’re excited to announce our inaugural Travellers’ Choice awards for Experiences, based on recommendations from our global TripAdvisor community,” said Janice Lee Fang, Director of Communications, Asia Pacific. “From an unforgettable climb up the Sydney Harbour Bridge, to a winery tour in Yarra Valley, or a gastronomy tour on board a vintage tramcar in Melbourne, international travellers and Australians can experience some of the best the Lucky Country has to offer through these top-rated activities.”
Another Australian tour that made it into the World list is the Great Ocean Road Small-Group Ecotour from Melbourne. TripAdvisor is the world’s largest provider of bookable experiences, with more than 100,000 bookable activities, tours and attractions worldwide.
Top 10 Experiences in Australia:
- Sydney BridgeClimb – Sydney, New South Wales bookable from $168
Scale new heights by experiencing Sydney atop the Harbour Bridge with this often sold-out tour. Climb up a steady incline, traverse catwalks and ladders, and be rewarded with panoramic views of the Sydney Harbour and Sydney Opera House. “Absolutely loved the whole experience. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about the city and of course the bridge itself. Once you are at the top the views of the harbour are amazing.” said one TripAdvisor reviewer.
- Great Ocean Road Small-Group Ecotour from Melbourne – Melbourne, Victoria bookable from $135
No trip to Melbourne is complete without a road trip down the Great Ocean Road. Travellers get to visit some of Australia’s most renowned natural scenery, including Apollo Bay and Great Otway National Park, without the hassle of renting a car on this guided tour. As one TripAdvisor reviewer put it, “The trip was extremely well organised, the landscapes are indeed breath taking. Every single stop and view far exceeded my expectations, I never imagined how beautiful the scenery is by the Great Ocean Road.”
- Sydney Taronga Zoo General Entry Ticket and Wild Australia Experience – Sydney, New South Wales bookable from $129
With views of the Sydney harbour and business district, Taronga Zoo features a wide range of Australian wildlife such as kangaroos, koalas and wombats. In small groups of no more than eight participants, travellers get to experience a two-hour tour of the zoo, and learn about the animals up-close. “The small group, behind the scenes experiences, and the expertise of the zookeeper were terrific. It was an Australian experience that left you plenty of time to see other parts of the zoo,” noted one TripAdvisor reviewer.
- Yarra Valley Wine and Winery Tour from Melbourne – Melbourne, Victoria bookable from $130
Learn about the flavours and terroir of Yarra Valley wines with a tour of four popular wineries — Punt Road, Balgownie Estate, Yering Farm, and Domaine Chandon. The tour, which includes tastings and a vineyard lunch, provides a good introduction for travellers to the Yarra Valley wine region.According to a TripAdvisor reviewer, “This was a wonderful way to spend the day and great value for money. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and made the group feel very welcome. The four cellar doors have been well chosen to provide a diverse sample of what the Yarra Valley has to offer.”
- Phillip Island Penguin, Brighton Beach, Moonlit Sanctuary from Melbourne – Melbourne, Victoria bookable from $135
From visiting koalas, kangaroos and wallabies at a conservation park to witnessing fairy penguins at a local beach, this tour also offers insights into the conservation efforts of Australian wildlife. In addition, the tour makes a stop at the iconic Brighton Beach for a visit to the colourful bathing boxes. “Our guide/driver made the trip very enjoyable and he was very entertaining and informative. He gave an excellent overview of all the sites we visited as well as talked about the amazing ecology of the little penguins and Phillip Island.” commented a TripAdvisor reviewer.
- Colonial Tramcar Restaurant Tour of Melbourne – Melbourne, Victoria bookable from $90
Indulge in a dining experience like no other with a gastronomy tour on-board a colonial tramcar restaurant in Australia’s top food city. Travellers get to hop aboard a vintage 1948 tramcar and dine on gourmet cuisine as they ride through Melbourne’s scenic southern neighbourhoods. A TripAdvisor reviewer found the whole experience “perfect, from the well organised boarding process, and the flawless delivery of the three courses and drinks. And the food was amazing!”
- Sydney Opera House Guided Walking Tour – Sydney, New South Wales bookable from $40
Discover fascinating insights of the World Heritage-listed Sydney Opera House with a 1-hour guided walking tour of this iconic venue. Travellers can look forward to entertaining stories about the performance centre's history and gain access to off-limits parts of the house. Reviewers love this “informative” guided tour that “goes over all the details of its history and all the steps of construction from inception to completion.”
- Great Barrier Reef Diving and Snorkelling Cruise from Cairns – Cairns, Queensland bookable from $165
Travellers can marvel at the diverse marine life through world-class diving and snorkelling at the UNESCO-listed Great Barrier Reef with this tour. The five-hour tour also includes a buffet lunch and options for certified dives or a 10-minute scenic helicopter flight. “The crew went above and beyond to make sure we saw everything we wanted to and were thoroughly entertained throughout the day. There was perfect amount of time to snorkel or dive the reef and the meals were delicious.” noted a TripAdvisor reviewer.
- Kuranda Scenic RailwayDay Trip from Cairns – Cairns, Queensland bookable from $164
On this tour, travellers will ride through the heart of the Barron Gorge National Park on the Kuranda Scenic Railway. The tour, which comes with five itinerary options, features scenic views of mountain valleys, waterfalls and of the dramatic Stoney Creek Bridge. A TripAdvisor reviewer commented, “A beautifully restored old train, excellent commentary, great views, coordinated well and great fun. Everything worked with precision and was on time.”
- Swan Valley Wine Gourmet Wine Cruise from Perth – Perth, Western Australia bookable from $169
Travellers can go on a wine tasting tour to the bucolic Swan Valley, a region well-known for its riverside vineyards and family-run wineries. The tour features a leisurely cruise along the scenic Swan River, on board wine tasting, and a two-course lunch with wine at the Sandalford Estate. Reviewers say the tour is “a wonderful way to experience the Swan River” and “well thought out and excellent value.”
Top 10 Experiences in the World:
- Cooking Class and Lunch at a Tuscan Farmhouse with Local Market Tour from Florence – Florence, Italy
- Berlin Bike Tour – Berlin, Germany
- New York in One Day Guided Sightseeing Tour – New York City, USA
- Sydney BridgeClimb – Sydney, Australia
- Vatican VIP Experience: Exclusive Breakfast at the Vatican with Early Access to Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel – Rome, Italy
- New Orleans Cooking Class – New Orleans, USA
- Rotorua Maori Hangi Dinner and Performance – Rotorua, New Zealand
- Best of Niagara Falls Tour from Niagara Falls, Ontario – Niagara Falls, Canada
- Vancouver to Victoria and Butchart Gardens Tour by Bus – Vancouver, Canada
- Wild Wicklow Tour including Glendalough from Dublin – Dublin, Ireland
The awards recognise 345 experiences, tours, and activities globally, highlighting the world’s best experiences overall. They’re also broken down by country, and by category including day cruises, private sightseeing, cultural experiences, day trips, multi-day tours, hop-on hop-off tours, and food, beer, and wine experiences.
Winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account a business’s reviews, opinions and popularity with travellers over the last year.
For all of the 2018 Travellers’ Choice award-winning experiences, as well as the latest reviews, go to www.tripadvisor.com/TravellersChoice-Experiences. Travellers can also follow the conversation on Twitter at #travellerschoice.
Prices are in AUD and accurate as of June 22, 2018.
