TripAdvisor Names Australia As One Of The Best Countries In The World For Travel Experiences

Top-Rated Destinations also show Travellers’ Appetite for the Great Outdoors

TripAdvisor research today reveals that countries and destinations that put travellers in the heart of nature are the world’s top-ranked for travel experiences. The findings also show that, based on ratings from travellers themselves, Australia is #6 in the world’s top 10 countries for travel experiences.

Costa Rica - known for rainforests, volcanos, beaches and surfing – took the top spot on both the country and destination lists. New Zealand, famed for its adventure tourism, ranked second among the best countries and Vietnam, known for its bustling cities, delicious food and beautiful coastline took third place.

Closer to home, Australia’s variety of scenic experiences for travellers, such as the Ayers Rock (Uluru) Sunrise and Segway and a Full-Day Maria Island Scenic Cruise Including Buffet Lunch and Guided Walk, propelled the country into the top 10 country list for experiences.

The lists, announced today by TripAdvisor, the world’s largest provider of bookable tours and activities, recognise the top places (countries and destinations) in the world for travellers to do local tours, activities, and experiences, based on the combined average destination ratings and reviews* for bookable experiences on the site.

Australia’s Iconic Cities Overtaken by Smaller Destinations, like Yulara and Hobart

Travellers are showing appreciation for destinations beyond global favourites, with cities like Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne being outranked by places like Yulara, Hobart and the Gold Coast, which were listed in the top five of best destinations for experiences in Australia and New Zealand.

“These rankings show travellers’ growing appetite and appreciation for nature over cityscapes,” said Janice Lee Fang, Director of Communications, Asia Pacific, TripAdvisor. “With places like Yulara, Hobart and the Gold Coast all ranking amongst Australia’s top destinations for experiences, it’s clear travellers are breaking away from the big cities and thoroughly enjoying it! These destinations are perfect inspiration to start planning your next trip and with over 121,000 experiences available to book on TripAdvisor, you’ll never be stumped with what to do, somewhere new.”

Despite the popularity of Australia's smaller destinations, overall New Zealand cities came out on top, with Rotorua taking first place as the best destination for experiences in Australia and New Zealand, closely followed by Queenstown.

These are the top 10 destinations in Australia and New Zealand, top 10 countries, and top 10 destinations in the world for experiences, according to travellers’ ratings and reviews.

Best Destinations in Australia and New Zealand for Experiences

Rank	Destination	Average Destination Rating*	Top-Rated Experiences
1.	Rotorua, New Zealand	4.77	Kaituna White-Water Rafting Adventure Rotorua Forest Zip Line Canopy Adventure Tutukau Gorge Jet Boat Ride and The Squeeze
2.	Queenstown, New Zealand	4.72	Twilight Wine and Craft Beer Tour Queenstown Nevis Highwire Bungy Jump Half-Day Milford Sound Flight and Cruise from Queenstown
3.	Gold Coast, Australia	4.61	Gold Coast Solo or Tandem Parasailing Hot Air Ballooning including Champagne Breakfast from the Gold Coast Gold Coast Jet Boat Ride from Main Beach
4.	Hobart, Australia	4.59	Full-Day Maria Island Scenic Cruise Including Buffet Lunch and Guided Walk 2-Hour Small-Group Walking Tour of Hobart Half-Day Sailing on the Derwent River from Hobart
5.	Yulara, Australia	4.59	Ayers Rock (Uluru) Sunrise and Segway Uluru Camel Express, Sunrise, or Sunset Tours Kata Tjuta Small-Group Tour Including Sunrise and Breakfast
6.	Auckland, New Zealand	4.58	Auckland Insider Tour: Food Tour with Local Expert Full-Day Wild West Coast Photo and Discovery Tour including Lunch from Auckland Skydive Auckland
7.	Melbourne, Australia	4.54	Yarra Valley Cider and Beer Tour from Melbourne Central Melbourne Walking Tour Melbourne Balloon Flight at Sunrise
8.	Cairns, Australia	4.52	Luxury Outer Great Barrier Reef Island and Reef Tour from Cairns Behana Gorge Waterfalls Canyoning Tour from Cairns Atherton Tablelands Tour from Cairns
9.	Darwin, Australia	4.48	Northern Territory Outback Floatplane and Airboat Tour from Darwin Corroboree Billabong Wetland Cruise from Darwin Including Lunch Darwin History and Wartime Experience Tour
10.	Brisbane, Australia	4.48	Brisbane Bike Tour Mount Tamborine Wine and Winery Tour from Brisbane or the Gold Coast Brisbane City Essentials Walking Tour

Best Countries in the World for Experiences

Rank	Country	Average Country Rating*	Top-Rated Experiences
1.	Costa Rica	4.66	White Water River Rafting Class II-III from La Fortuna-Arenal Small-Group Guided Sloth Seeing Tour in La Fortuna Private Monteverde Cloud Forest Walk
2.	New Zealand	4.65	Auckland Insider Tour: Food Tour with Local Expert Tandem Parasail Flight over the Bay of Islands Half-Day Kayak to the Maori Carvings from Taupo
3.	Vietnam	4.62	Half-Day Hanoi Food Tour Full-Day Mekong Delta Bike Tour from Ho Chi Minh City Evening Hoi An Food Tour by Bike
4.	Ireland	4.57	Whiskey Tasting Tour of Dublin 1916 Rebellion Walking Tour Howth Peninsula Hiking Tour
5.	Scotland	4.57	Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Tour 4-Day Tour of the West Highlands and Isle of Skye from Edinburgh Old Town Edinburgh 2-Hour Guided Tour
6.	Australia	4.54	Ayers Rock (Uluru) Sunrise and Segway Full-Day Maria Island Scenic Cruise Including Buffet Lunch and Guided Walk Full-Day Small-Group Margaret River Wine and Food Tasting Tour
7.	Portugal	4.52	Secrets of Sintra and Cascais Private Tour 3-Hour Madeira Scenic Island Tour by Motorcycle Sidecar Lisbon Go 7 Hills Electric Bike Tour
8.	Mexico	4.50	Private Customizable Sailing Tour in Cancun Private Los 7 Cenotes with Lunch and Bike Ride from Merida Puerto Vallarta Adventure Tour: Ziplining, Rappelling and Tequila Tasting
9.	United States	4.50	Anchorage Craft Brewery Tour and Tastings Ocean Kayak Tours Kona Wild Dolphin and Reef Snorkelling Adventure
10.	Iceland	4.49	White Water Rafting Day Trip from Hafgrímsstaðir: Grade 4 Rafting on the East Glacial River Whale Watching RIB Boat Tour from Husavik Golden Circle Afternoon and Northern Lights Tour from Reykjavik

Best Destinations in the World for Experiences

Rank	Destination	Average Destination Rating*	Top-Rated Experiences
1.	La Fortuna de San Carlos, Costa Rica	4.81	White Water River Rafting Class II-III from La Fortuna-Arenal Small-Group Guided Sloth Seeing Tour in La Fortuna Canyoning in the Lost Canyon
2.	Kauai, Hawaii, USA	4.79	Half-Day History and Ecology Trek at the Makauwahi Cave Reserve Kauai Deluxe Sightseeing Flight Koloa Zipline
3.	Tromso, Norway	4.77	Norwegian Fjords Tour Including Professional Photos in Tromso Reindeer Feeding, Lasso Throwing, and Sami Culture Tour Including Lunch from Tromso Aurora Borealis Private Night Tour from Tromso
4.	Rotorua, New Zealand	4.77	Kaituna White-Water Rafting Adventure Rotorua Forest Zip Line Canopy Adventure Tutukau Gorge Jet Boat Ride and The Squeeze
5.	Puerto Vallarta, Mexico	4.76	Puerto Vallarta Adventure Tour: Ziplining, Rappelling and Tequila Tasting Sierra Madre ATV Adventure from Puerto Vallarta South Shore Private Sightseeing Cruise in Puerto Vallarta
6.	Sedona, Arizona, USA	4.72	Mogollon Rim Off-Road Tour Diamondback Gulch by Off-Road Jeep from Sedona Zip Line Tour at Out of Africa Wildlife Park in Camp Verde
7.	Queenstown, New Zealand	4.72	Twilight Wine and Craft Beer Tour Queenstown Nevis Highwire Bungy Jump Half-Day Milford Sound Flight and Cruise from Queenstown
8.	St. Petersburg, Russia	4.70	Shore Excursion: Three Day Highlights Tour Shore Excursion: 2-Day St. Petersburg City Explorer including Faberge Museum Visit St.Petersburg Private Tour of The Hermitage Museum
9.	Santorini, Greece	4.69	Santorini First Impressions Private Tour 5-Hour Private Cruise from Fira Santorini Wine Roads Tour with Wine Tastings
10.	Key West, Florida, USA	4.68	Sunset Sail in Key West with Cocktails and Hors D'oeuvres Small Group Kayak and Snorkel Eco Tour Parasailing in Key West

TripAdvisor is the world’s largest online provider of tours, activities and attractions, offering more than 121,000 bookable tours, activities and experiences to help travellers unleash the full potential of their trips.

Methodology

The best destinations for experiences were determined based on the average rating for bookable experiences in destination.

*Ratings are based on a five-point scale.