6 Places To Visit In Australia

From the Outback to the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the Great Barrier Reef, Australia truly has it all. There’s so much to see and do that it could take you a lifetime to experience everything this continent has to offer. But you can’t go wrong by sticking to this list of the 6 best places to go in Australia.

# Sydney, Australia

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia, and it's easy to see why so many people settle here. The cosmopolitan capital of New South Wales has all the shops, nightlife, dining, and museums you could ask for. Tourists love the iconic sites of Sydney Harbour, including the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

# Exmouth, Australia

Western Australia's Exmouth is one of the few places in the world where you can swim with whale sharks. Although these fish can grow to be more than 40 feet long, swimming with them is perfectly safe as they eat mostly plankton and are uninterested in humans.

Exmouth is also home to the Ningaloo Coast, with its amazing World Heritage-listed coral reef—Australia's largest fringing coral reef. (It's 161 miles long!) Even better, the reef is so close to shore that you can wade out to it and snorkel away—no boat required.

# Perth, Australia

If you're after great weather, Perth is the best place to visit in Australia—it's Australia's sunniest capital city. There are plenty of outdoor activities for you to enjoy in this Western Australian city. Check out Kings Park and Botanic Garden, a sprawling retreat of almost 1,000 acres in the heart of the city. It's full of natural bushland and wildlife and offers panoramic city views. Best of all, it's totally free to visit!

Just south of downtown Perth, you'll find the port city Fremantle, one of the hipper destinations in Perth. Fremantle is both historical (there's plenty of maritime and convict history to explore) and modern (there are bars, eclectic shops, and so many coffee shops that there's an area dubbed Cappuccino Strip).

# Darwin, Australia

Did you know that Darwin has a bigger harbor than Sydney? This Northern Territory capital city is full of surprises. You can swim with crocodiles at Crocosaurus Cove, hand-feed wild fish in Darwin's Doctors Gully, or swim in Lake Alexander.

If you're visiting Darwin between April and October, don't miss the Mindil Beach Sunset Market, held Thursday and Sunday nights. Food, arts, and entertainment are all on offer here.

# Uluru, Australia

A visit to Australia just wouldn't be complete without a pilgrimage to iconic Uluru. The rock rises 1,142 feet out of Australia's Red Centre.

Uluru sits in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. The lesser-known Kata Tjuta formation is only about 25 miles away from Uluru, and both are spectacular to visit at sunrise or sunset.

# Melbourne, Australia

Animal lovers, Melbourne is the best place for you to visit in Australia. In Melbourne, you can see koalas, penguins, seals, and tons of other wildlife.

The waters around Melbourne's Phillip Island are home to about 32,000 little penguins—and about 4,000 of those make their burrows on Summerland Beach. Every night, visitors are treated to a parade of little penguins as they come into the beach for the night. There's also Healesville Sanctuary, where you can see koalas, kangaroos, wombats, emu, dingoes, platypuses, and more.