Sydney Harbour, Sydney, New South Wales © Qantas Airways
Getting here: find cruises and flights to Australia
Adventure awaits. Get ready to pack your bags and hit the sea or sky. Here’s our guide on getting to Australia.
From the sun-soaked outback to the crystalline waters of the Great Barrier Reef, there are thousands of ways to see Australia. But first, you have to get here. You can reach our beautiful country in a number of different ways – enough to suit every budget, timeline and itinerary.
Reaching Australia by air
Sydney airport, New South Wales © Destination NSW
With a number of direct flights from the US and Canada to Australia, the land of koalas and kangaroos is closer than it’s ever been before – a lineup of new and existing flight paths make getting here as easy as putting a shrimp on the barbie. Travellers can choose from a wide range of flight operators, including Qantas, Virgin, Delta, United, American Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Jetstar.
Direct flights start from just 10 hours – just enough time for a movie, dinner and a snooze before you’re waking up to the dazzling Aussie coastline. From North America, you can connect to most of Australia’s capital cities, including Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide and Darwin.
If you’re travelling from other cities across America, there are easy and convenient layover options to get you Down Under in no time. Non-direct flights are available with either domestic or international layovers. International layover destinations include Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Nadi, Auckland and Hong Kong, among others. These flights with layovers start from just 18 hours (koalas sleep more than that per day!).
Direct flights to Sydney
| Departure city | Flight operators | Flights per week |
| Los Angeles International (LAX) | Qantas American Airlines United Delta Air Canada Hawaiian Air New Zealand |
3 7 7 7 4 5 2 |
| San Francisco International Airport (SFO) | United | 7 |
| Vancouver International Airport (YVR) | Air Canada | 4 |
| Honolulu International Airport (HNL) | Hawaiian Airlines Jetstar |
5 TBC |
Direct flights to Melbourne
| Departure city | Flight operators | Flights per week |
| Los Angeles International (LAX) | American Airlines |
5-6 |
Direct flights to Brisbane
| Departure city | Flight operators | Flights per week |
| Los Angeles International (LAX) | American Airlines |
4 |
Reaching Australia by sea
Circular Quay, Sydney, New South Wales © Hamilton Lund, Destination NSW
If cruising the open seas is your preferred way to travel, there are plenty of options for you to sail your way Down Under. There are a number of spectacular cruises, from 18 nights, that offer luxurious and comfortable ways to travel to Australia.
You can embark on a cruise to Australia from Los Angeles, Hawaii, Seattle, New York, and San Francisco with operators including Cunard, Holland America, Royal Caribbean and Oceania. These cruises often offer packages that include many of Australia’s major cities and tourist destinations, so you can tick off a lot of your bucket list without even having to unpack!
