7 Day Australia Itinerary
With Cost Breakdown By
A Filipino Solo Traveler
By DAN FORTEZA
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So what can a 7-day itinerary in Australia offer you? In this blog, I’ll share with you my actual day-to-day itinerary when I visited Australia last November: particularly in the cities of Sydney, Melbourne, and some parts of Victoria. I’ll also share the breakdown of cost during my trip as well as tips to guide you when traveling down under. Are you ready to see how much overall travel expenses were? I’m ready when you’re ready!
Hi there! First of all, I am Daniel – a solo backpacker from the Philippines. If you don’t know my story yet, feel free to read this article where I talked about how I quit my job in order to travel. This article was also featured on TripZilla Philippines.
Australia is an enormous country (though it is dubbed as the smallest continent on earth, it is huge!). You might find it impossible to see everything in one week or even two. When I visited Australia last November, I only managed to see the eastern side of the country including Sydney and Melbourne, all in a span of a week! Both Sydney and Melbourne are highly urbanized Australian cities and are mainly located in the coastal areas of the country.
NOTE: For Philippine Passport holders, visiting Australia requires a visa. If you are just on your way to getting your Aussie visa, read my blog on how to get your Australian Tourist or Visitors Visa (click HERE).
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- Manila (MNL) to Sydney (SYD) via Cebu Pacific – 6,599 PHP
- Sydney (SYD) to Melbourne (MEL) via TigerAir – 3,503 PHP
- Melbourne (MEL) to Manila (MNL) via Cebu Pacific – 4,607 PHP
SUBTOTAL: 14,709 PHP (~282.8 USD, 383.5 AUD)
AUSTRALIA 
Language: Australian English
Currency: Australian Dollar (AUD)
Exchange rate: 1 AUD = 38.35 PHP (Nov 2018)
Prefer mode of transportation: Subway / Metro Train / Tram
Int’l Airports in this trip: SYD, MEL
Time Zone: GMT + 10 (Eastern Std Time)
MY 7 DAY AUSTRALIA ITINERARY with COST BREAKDOWN
It was an 8-hour flight from Manila to Sydney. I arrived at Sydney International Airport (SYD) at around 10:45 AM.
Guess what’s the first thing I looked for at the airport? None other than… a sim card for an internet connection!
TIP: Some backpackers do not appreciate buying a sim card. But I always recommend buying one even if you’re just staying for a few days. Googling every thing is a life saver!
DAY 1 Photo Gallery
DAY 1 ACTIVITIES:
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Transport from Airport to Hostel. No hassle – there was an airport train connected through downtown Sydney (and vice versa). My hostel is near King Cross train station. I just walked a bit to get to my hostel!
- Hostel name: Jackaroo Hostel Sydney (click HERE to book)
- Hostel room type: Bed in 4-Bed Dormitory Room with Shared Bathroom
- Hostel rate: Refer to Day 1 expenses below.
TIP: When booking your hotel/hostel, look it up on Google Maps first and ensure that it is not too far from a subway/train station.
- Take a stroll to Sydney Harbor / Opera House! I just walked from my hostel to the Sydney Opera area. It’s about 2.6 km according to Google Maps but I’m telling you it’s worth the walk! Sydney is amazingly beautiful!
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Take a stroll around Sydney Botanical Garden. This park is very refreshing to see with its lush green trees everywhere, some trees even have purple leaves! This is basically just beside the Sydney Opera House area.
- Catch up with a friend and take a Sydney walk tour. I personally met an Aussie friend whom I kept in contact with. His name is Alex and I met him online haha (it’s Couchsurfing! Check it out). It was nice of him showing me around Sydney. We stroll together along the Harbor Bridge area, Circular Quay area, etc.
- Book online the Great Ocean Road Tour. Since I’ll be staying in Melbourne in the next 5 days, I won’t let miss seeing the well-known Twelves Apostles and the Great Ocean Road! Got my ticket at Fun Addicts. The tour is scheduled on my Day 5 in Australia. Refer to the Booking Essentials section below if you want to book the same tour as I did.
DAY 1 EXPENSES:
- Sim Card 20-GB data of internet (Vodafone) – 30.00 AUD
- Train from Sydney Airport to King Cross station – 18.70 AUD
- Fanta drink at Convenience Store – 4.00 AUD
- Cup noodle at Convenience Store – 3.75 AUD
- Kickin’ Chicken Burger – 14.10 AUD
- Hostel fee (1 night-stay) in Jackaroo – 32.00 AUD
- Train from Milton’s Point station to Wyndgard station- 4.40 AUD
- Train from Circular Quay station to King Cross station – 4.40 AUD
- Online pre-book Great Ocean Road Tour (for Day 5) – 54.00 AUD
SUBTOTAL: 165.35 AUD
DAY 2 Photo Gallery
DAY 2 ACTIVITIES:
- Head to the Bondi beach. You really do not want to miss this white-sand beach in Sydney. So I get up early in the morning for a stroll along this famous beach.
- Fly to Melbourne! After Bondi beach, I went straight to the train station and check-in for my afternoon flight to Melbourne.
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Meet a good friend and his Melbourne tour. This Aussie guy is the best! His name is Andrew. The time I arrived, he picked me up at the airport in his car.
- Experience the countryside at Clarkefield – Andrew drove me to his home in Clarkefield (about 45 minutes from downtown Melbourne). While on the road, he said we might spot a kangaroo. I have never seen a Kangaroo in my life so I got really excited. I kept eyeing for one, but unfortunately we spotted none!
- Go to the Docklands – He drove me back to downtown Melbourne and showed me the amazing night view at Docklands. Overseeing the Bolte bridge and the city’s skyscrapers were absolutely stunning. He also took me to a Korean restaurant as his dinner treat, then drove me to my hostel in Melbourne.
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Check in to my hostel in Melbourne.
- Hostel name: Lords Lodge (click HERE to book)
- Hostel room type: Bed in 6-Bed Mixed Dormitory Room with
Shared Bathroom - Hostel rate: Refer to Day 2 expenses below
DAY 2 EXPENSES:
- Train from King Cross station to Bondi Junction station – 4.40 AUD
- Fanta drink and Cup noodles w/ hot water at Convenience Store – 7.11 AUD
- Train from Bondi Junction station to Sydney Domestic Airport station – 19.70 AUD
- Bottled water at Sydney Airport – 4.19 AUD
- Hostel fee (5-night stay) – 140.00 AUD
NOTE: Since a friend took me out for dinner as his treat, I spent less on food on Day 2. He also gave me his Myki card (see photo on Day 3 gallery) – it is one’s ticket to travel on trains, tram and buses in Melbourne and many parts of regional Victoria.
SUBTOTAL: 175.4 AUD
DAY 3 Photo Gallery
DAY 3 ACTIVITIES:
- Visit State of Library of Victoria. You will surely love this quiet place! For those of you bookworms out there or just simply want to study (or pretend to haha like what I did), this is a cool place for you to study and chill. A huge library in the middle of Melbourne City! I was totally in awe. I used my Myki card to get me here using the city’s trams.
- Visit Melbourne’s Street Art. Another Melbourne’s gem near Flinder’s! Some laneways with fantastic graffiti.
- Visit Brighton Bathing Boxes. You’ve probably seen photos of the Brighton Bathing Boxes, 82 multi-colored beach huts lining the foreshore of one of Melbourne’s most iconic places. At Flinder’s station, I took a train going to Brighton beach train station using my Myki card.
NOTE: Within city center of Melbourne, trams are free!
DAY 3 EXPENSES:
- Cup noodles at Convenience Store – 3.00 AUD
- Tuna sandwich at Flinder Station 5.50 AUD
- Bottled coke at Flinder Station – 4.00 AUD
- Myki card top-up (for trams and trains) – 7.10 AUD
- Teriyaki fried rice and roast pork leg at Alf’s Food Court – 10.50 AUD
NOTE: I finally found a good place to eat near my hostel. At Alf’s Food Court, I find it not so expensive. It is located about 500 m. from my hostel.
SUBTOTAL: 30.1 AUD
DAY 4 Photo Gallery
DAY 4 ACTIVITIES:
- Visit Melbourne’s Zoo. I told myself I’m not leaving Australia without seeing and getting a selfie with Kangaroos haha. Because I was not lucky enough to see one in the countryside, I went to the Melbourne Zoo and took a selfie with these infamous Aussie mammals.
- Visit St. Kilda Pier. The pier is about 6 kilometers south from the Melbourne city center. St Kilda’s historic pier is where you can see some of the best sunsets in Melbourne, along with a colony of little penguins who call the breakwater home. Penguins at St. Kilda Pier normally appear after sunset. I left the Pier early so I wasn’t able to see one. By the way, taking photos is not allowed inside the pier’s breakwater area.
- Take a stroll down St Kilda Beach. After visiting the Pier, I headed to St Kilda Beach. This is known as Melbourne’s most famous beach. The beach is a sandy beach about 700 meters long.
DAY 4 EXPENSES:
- Packed noodles at Flinder Station – 5.50 AUD
- Zoo ticket – 37.00 AUD
- Chicken bao snack at Zoo – 9.50 AUD
- Myki card top-up – 9.90 AUD
- Tuna sandwich at Flinder Station – 5.50 AUD
- Packed noodles at Flinder Station – 5.50 AUD
- Orange juice pulpy drink at 7-11 – 5.00 AUD
- Stir fry and beef flavored rice at Alf’s Food Court – 10.50 AUD
SUBTOTAL: 88.9 AUD
DAY 5 Photo Gallery
DAY 5 ACTIVITIES:
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Take on the Great Ocean Road tour. Rupam, a guy from India whom I met online at Couchsurfing.com recommended me to book this one-day tour. The price was cheaper compared to other touring company so I did not hesitate to book one. I was with Rupam including 50+ people inside the tour bus brought to you by Fun Addict! It was a long trip from Melbourne but it was worth it. It was definitely one of the highlights of my travel in Australia!
- First stop: Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie
- Second stop: Great Ocean Road Memorial Arch
- Third stop: Apollo Bay
- Fourth stop: The Twelve Apostles
- Fifth stop: Loch Ard Gorge
DAY 5 EXPENSES:
- Chicken sandwich at Flinder Station – 5.50 AUD
- Two packed noodles at Flinder Station – 11.00 AUD
- Cup noodles at Convenience Store – 2.75 AUD
- Tuna sandwich at 7-11 – 5.00 AUD
- Orange juice pulp drink at 7-11 – 3.00 AUD
NOTE: I used my Myki card to get to Flinder’s which was the meeting point for the tour.
SUBTOTAL: 27.25 AUD
DAY 6 Photo Gallery
DAY 6 ACTIVITIES:
- Visit Queen Victoria Market. This is one of the major landmarks in Melbourne, Australia. I went here to find souvenirs and pasalubong!
- Explore more of downtown Melbourne. It was good to see the city one more time and with big crowds! One that day, there was a Melbourne Cup Parade (Horse Racing Cup) drawing thousands of racing enthusiasts in the city center. This caused the trams in the downtown to be nonoperational for a few hours.
- Explore Fawkner Park. This recreational park is close to my hostel so before I return back to my hostel, I had a chance to explore this lovely park. From this park, you can see the tallest building in Melbourne, Australia – Eureka Tower. The park also provides recreational areas for teams playing Cricket, Softball, Soccer, and Rugby.
DAY 6 EXPENSES:
- Bacon and Cheese Omelet at Alf’s – 8.50 AUD
- Plain French Toast at Alf’s – 3.00 AUD
- Aussie Chocolates – 18.00 AUD
- Keychains – 4.00 AUD
- Myki card top-up – 9.20 AUD
- Rice with Stir fry beef at Alf’s – 5.0 AUD
- Orange juice pulp drink at 7-11 – 5.0 AUD
SUBTOTAL: 52.7 AUD
DAY 7 Photo Gallery
DAY 7 ACTIVITIES:
- Take some rest and pack up. So this is the last day! Sad to bid goodbye to this amazing country.
- Transport from hostel to the Airport. Rain pours down when I left the city at Flinder’s railway station for Melbourne International Airport. To get to the airport, you need to get to the Southern Cross railway station first from Flinders. Then from Southern Cross station, you have to buy a ticket via SkyBus to the Airport costing 19.50 AUD for about 30 minutes of travel time.
DAY 7 EXPENSES:
- Salmon Omelet at Alf’s – 9.50 AUD
- Plain French Toast – 3.00 AUD
- Coffee, Donuts and Packed Noodles at Flinder’s – 10.00 AUD
- SkyBus ticket to Melbourne Airport – 19.50 AUD
SUBTOTAL: 42 AUD
And here is my over-all expenses! Drum roll please!!!
TOTAL: 965.25 AUD (37,017 PHP, 711.9 USD)
Though Australia is costly in general, I found adventure and tranquility throughout my journey. Australia is a beautiful! Exploring the land down under is a dream come true for me. People are culturally diversified and their Aussie accents are nice to hear, too.
Sydney is expensive. So is Melbourne. Both cities are clean. Access to transportation is not a problem. I know it was a good choice for me to stay longer in Melbourne as things are much cheaper and places are easier to navigate (Melbourne is laid out in a logical grid format like Manhattan!). Local transport in Melbourne serves the city’s population well and is efficient in getting to one point to another especially for a first-timer in Australia like me. There are free tram zones within the city, though I still do not know how that Myki card’s ‘touch on – touch off’ really works haha!
Again, Australia is huge. I know there’s so much more to explore. Someday I will be coming back to Australia to discover more! Watch out for it!
BOOKING ESSENTIALS
- Hotel / Hostel
- Booking.com. I usually book my hostel accommodation at booking.com. Thus, I recommend you guys trying it as well. Room accommodation ranges from cheap hostels to luxury hotels. Book hostels through booking.com as they have free cancellation or pay-at-the-hotel option.
- Airbnb. Try Airbnb in finding comfy and cozy rooms! I have used Airbnb on some of my other trips and I loved it!
Have you tried Airbnb? Sign up with my link and you will get up to 42 USD (2,200 Php) off your first stay. Click this link to get that discount.
- Flights
- TRIP. All of my flight bookings are from TRIP. Trip.com is one of the world’s leading travel search engines and searches hundreds of travel sites.
I suggest you check Trip (click HERE) as they usually offer cheap fare rates compared to other booking sites.
- Package tours in Melbourne and Sydney
- Viator. Viator is the world’s leading resource for researching, finding and booking the best travel experiences worldwide.
Click here to find the best Viator deals in Melbourne! Click here for Sydney!
- Fun Addict’s Great Ocean Road Tour ticket (click HERE to book)
Thank you from Kazakhstan ?? Daniel, it’s really useful information!
Oqası joq!