Australia’s West Coast & Ningaloo Reef – 8 Day Boutique Comfort Tour
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Perth to Exmouth & Ningaloo Reef – 8 Day Boutique Tour
An eight-day adventure like no other. What other trip offers the chance to visit the towering natural limestone Pinnacles, snorkel the waters of Ningaloo Reef – and meet a whale shark (they’re harmless, don’t worry!) – enjoy bushtucker with the Nhanda and Malgana people, catch rock lobsters, go dolphin spotting, and more? None. Book now and experience it for yourself.
Included
Visit to the largest sand dunes in WA
Walk through the mysterious alien-like limestone towers of the Pinnacles at Nambung National Park
Monkey Mia Conservation Park – Dolphin Spotting with Local Ranger
Ningaloo Reef – Glass Bottom Boat Cruise & Snorkelling Experience
Kalbarri – Rock Lobster Pot Pull Boat Trip
Monkey Mia – Didgeridoo Dreaming Night Tour with Bush Tucker
Northampton – First nations community art gallery visit
Hutt Lagoon (Pink Lake)
Kalbarri National Park – Z Bend, Natures Window & Kalbarri Skywalk
Shark Bay – Eagle Bluff Lookout & Shell Beach
Shark Bay – Hamelin Pool Stromatolites
Geraldton – Orientation tour
Carnarvon – Gwoonwardu Mia (Gascoyne Aboriginal Heritage and Cultural Centre)
Vlamingh Head Lighthouse Visit – Exmouth
Small Group Tour (Max 16 Guests)
All Transport (Private vehicles, boat trips)
All Accommodation – comfortable locally owned hotels
Friendly & experienced local guide
7 Breakfasts
Full itinerary
Day 1: Pinnacles National Park & Geraldton
Your adventure starts with a welcome meeting in Perth at 8.30am, before we set out for the trendy seaside resort of Geraldton. But this isn’t just any journey. We’ll stop off along the way to take in the largest dunes in WA and the mysterious alien-like limestone towers of the Pinnacles at Nambung National Park, as well as checking out the Leaning Trees of Greenough and the lovely Jurien Bay, where you might spot a sea lion or two. In Geraldton, have an orientation drive around town before dinner, drinks, and a chance to get to know everyone.
Included Activities
Visit to the largest dunes in WA
Walk through the mysterious alien-like limestone towers of the Pinnacles at Nambung National Park
Geraldton orientation tour & the stunning HMAS memorial lookout
Included Meals
None
Accommodation – Hospitality Inn Geraldton
Day 2: Northampton & Kalbarri National Park
After a leisurely breakfast, we head to historical Northampton, one of the oldest towns in Western Australia. We’ll catch some heritage buildings dating back to the 1800s, and meet the artists at a First Nations gallery. Next up: the Pink Lake at Hutt Lagoon, which truly lives up to its name, before gazing in awe at the wind-eroded sandstone of Nature’s Window, the spectacular Z-Bend Gorge, and the Kalbarri Skywalk at Kalbarri National Park.
Included Activities
Northampton – First nations community art gallery visit
Pink Lake at Hutt Lagoon
Kalbarri National Park – Z Bend, Natures Window & Kalbarri Skywalk
Included Meals
Breakfast
Accommodation – Kalbarri Edge Resort
Day 3: Shark Bay & Monkey Mia
It’s a bit of an ocean-themed day today. Jump on a boat at the Kalbarri Marina to learn about the local rock lobster industry – and even pull up some lobster pots yourself, and keep your catch to enjoy later that evening! Then it’s one sealife legend to another, as we head off to scenic Monkey Mia, where the local Dolphin population thrives. Stop via the Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve for some ‘living fossils’, and one of Shark Bay’s picturesque lookouts. Put your feet up at Monkey Mia, or hit the water, before an evening First Nations experience courtesy of the Nhanda and Malgana people. This is your chance to try the didgeridoo or traditional conch shell, and taste some bush tucker.
Included Activities
Kalbarri – Rock Lobster Pot Pull Boat Trip – keep your catch to enjoy later
Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve for some ‘living fossils’
Visit the beautiful Shell Beach which is formed from billions of tiny cockle shells
First Nations experience courtesy of the Nhanda and Malgana people – try the didgeridoo or traditional conch shell, and taste some bush tucker.
Included Meals
Breakfast
Accommodation – Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort
Day 4: Shark Bay & Monkey Mia
Here’s a post-breakfast activity you don’t get every day: Bottlenose dolphin-spotting with WA Parks & Wildlife experts. Learn a bit about these magnificent animals, and then take some well-earned time off to relax on the beach, snap photos to make the folks back home jealous, or sit at the bar and watch the wildlife go by. If you fancy it, there’s a sunset cruise, and you’re invited, feel free to bring a sundowner with you. If you’re lucky you might spot the elusive sea cows, or ‘Dugongs’.
Included Activities
Bottlenose dolphin-spotting with the Parks & Wildlife experts
Free afternoon to walk the beaches, hire kayaks or relax by the pool in paradise
Optional Activity – Sunset cruise and the chance to spot the elusive sea cows, or ‘Dugongs’.
Included Meals
Breakfast
Accommodation – Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort
Day 5: Carnarvon
It’s definitely a more spaced out day as we head to Carnarvon Space and Technology Centre for a quick photo stop. It was created to support NASA’s Gemini, Apollo and Skylab programs. Next up, we visit the Gascoyne Aboriginal Heritage and Cultural Centre to learn about the region’s unique culture and country from its First Nations custodians. Snap some pics of the Carnarvon Cactus Farm, one of the town’s quirkiest sights, before heading to – Travel along the Gascoyne Food Trail. The trail features everything from bananas and avocados, to beans, beef, ice cream, and mangoes. Relax tonight – maybe take the chance for a stroll along the beautiful foreshore to a local restaurant?
Included Activities
Quick photo stop overlooking the Carnarvon Space and Technology Centre created to support NASA’s Gemini, Apollo and Skylab
Visit the Gascoyne Aboriginal Heritage and Cultural Centre
Gascoyne Food Trail drive. The trail features everything from bananas and avocados, to beans, beef, ice cream, and mangoes
Included Meals
Breakfast
Accommodation – Hospitality Inns Carnarvon
Day 6: Coral Bay, Ningaloo Reef & Exmouth
Today we are off Coral Bay, home to the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef, the world’s largest fringing reef, we’ll embark on a glass-bottom boat tour and snorkel experience, to see up to 250 species of coral and 500 species of fish. Further along the coast we visit Vlamingh Head Lighthouse, with stunning views, then rest up in Exmouth town.
Included Activities
Visit Ningaloo reef on a glass-bottom boat tour and snorkel experience
Visit Vlamingh Head Lighthouse with breathtaking views
Included Meals
Breakfast
Accommodation – Ningaloo Lodge Exmouth
Day 7: Exmouth
It’s your day. Experience a swim with the world famous whale sharks, go whale-spotting, swim with manta rays, or get your hiking boots on – the choice is yours. You can select your optional adventure when you book your tour, or your guide can help you get set up. Please note: Public transport is non-existent in Exmouth, so pre planning your activities is a must!
Optional Activities
Choose from many local activities on land or out on Ningaloo Reef – Swim with whale sharks, manta rays, or join a day tour to Cape Range National Park
Included Meals
Breakfast
Accommodation – Ningaloo Lodge Exmouth
Day 8: Exmouth
All good things must come to an end, sadly. It’s time to say goodbye to your fellow travellers after breakfast (Or, if you booked additional accommodation, enjoy an extended stay and the chance to do more activities). Thanks for the memories!
Included Meals
Breakfast
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Well paced itinerary, interesting and informative guide whilst being a lot of fun!
Small group tour and everyone was catered for.
Would recommend highly! ️️️️️


The trip for me was accompanied by great concerns and endless doubts. Much to my surprise, thanks to one man, Irish by origin, I discovered a new world full of good things. This is Ian, the one and only legendary guide! There are no people like you, Ian. You are humane, patient, professional, serious, interesting, knowledgeable, diverse and multidisciplinary.
I enjoyed every moment and I have no doubt that thanks to you I got to know a country rich in amazing people, landscapes, nature, culture and much more.
The company that organized the trip, Via Travel, is simply genius - it is a trip that was organized in a smart, professional and most amazing way!
I couldn't ask for more! I was blessed! Continue on your wonderful path with amazing people!


The tour was a great mix of naturals wonders, cultural experiences and sharing good times together, all facilitated by Summar and enhanced by her knowledge, kindness and sense of fun.
Highlights for us were the Pinnacles, the Aboriginal arts centre at Northampton, Kalbarri National Park, crayfishing, the famous WA spring wildflowers, snorkeling on Ningaloo Reef, and the friendships made.


Amazing Pinnacles to swimming with Whale Sharks. Summar was exceptional looking after us all and so well informed. We had the best time and I would do it all again.
We made friends for life. Thank you!!


The fact that the group was small, only 9 people, also made this a memorable tour. Our best recommendations! Bente and Per, Norway


Be ready for early starts and lots of driving but worth it


Day 1 There could have been pick up several places in Perth.
Nambung was interesting, so was Carnavon (day 5) Ningaloo Reef (day 6) and Exmouth (day 7&8). The really nice places are Kalbarri (lobster fishing) and the trip to the National park (day 2&3). The First Nations experience and visiting parks and places around Shark Bay and Monkey Mia (day 3&4) is well worth the money.
This trip is totally dependent on an excellent tour guide to be a success. You need knowledge of history, nature, people, culture and all that is special for this aera.
We were lucky and got Summar as our guide.
She was also an excellent driver.
Todo the trip in 8 days may feels abit short, a day or two extra in Kalbarri would have been nice.






Hotels selected were great and comfortable, because I was traveling solo, I paid extra to have my own room. Worth the extra money, unless you have no preference. I am in my mid/late 30’s so having comfortable and clean hotel rooms was key, my hostile days are long gone.
Experiences were incredible, a few highlights that were my favorite was visiting the Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie, wine tasting in the Hunter Valley, taking a dip under a live waterfall in Bielsdown River, having belly hurting laughs with Cockatoo Paul, and soaking in all the sun in Byron Bay. I did not want to leave Bryon, it’s such a magical gem of a place.
Restaurants selected that were included in your booking were amazing. I am a lucky one and have no food allergies and love to eat anything..but for the ones from our group that had allergies or food preferences they were accommodated
As far as our tour guide Eoin Kennedy was beyond amazing!! By far the best tour guide I have ever had on a trip. He was personal, provided great insight, extremely knowledgeable, and had an awesome personality. Lots of laughs were shared. He is a one-man band when touring the group, he is not only your tour guide, but he is also your driver. Definitely would book another trip just to have him as my tour guide again.
I booked the 8-day excursion with Via Travel, which started in Sydney and ended in Brisbane, from there I continued my trip solo to the Whitsunday’s. About half of the group stayed on to continue the trip up the coast, and the rest either continued traveling or traveled back home. Everyone from my group was wonderful, lots of laughs, fun memories, and friendships created.
Don’t think about booking, be about booking!


One of the highlights of the trip was the snorkelling excursion to Whitsunday Islands, offering surreal views of colourful marine life and stunning coral reefs.
Magnetic Island charmed us with its laid-back atmosphere and stunning coastal scenery, while the lively city of Cairns provided the perfect finale to our journey, with a fun last night out with the whole group.
Throughout the journey, our guide, Jason, played an important role in enhancing our experience. His knowledge about each destination, coupled with his enthusiasm, made every stop on our itinerary come alive. Jason's attention to detail and dedication to ensuring our comfort and enjoyment were truly appreciated.
In conclusion, our experience with Via Travel exceeded all expectations, thanks to the breathtaking destinations, and the exceptional guidance provided by Jason. We highly recommend Via Travel to anyone seeking an enriching and unforgettable group travel experience in Australia.


We would never have been able to achieve all the activities in this region without Via travel and their local knowledge, this was key to everything for us!!! Via travel ensure that all age groups feel included and experience that sense of adventure. A BIG thank you Justin, not only for your knowledge but most importantly for your kindness.




The places chosen to stay were unique and not all big commercial hotels. The group dinners were well coordinated. The ability to ask the guide questions as they came up and the personal commentary as the group was small enough not to get lost in the crowd.
Every detail down to Jason shopping for a bbq at the hotel including some native foods like kangaroo. We got to see them, pet them and taste them if we chose to. He even took the time to drive us to find a Kasawari bird in the wild.
I will definitely be doing more tours with Via Travel Australia 5 stars all the way!


Would highly recommended, even for a lone traveller of any age. Loved the banter and made my holiday!!





I will be travelling later this year on their new 14 day east coast australia adventure tour from Brisbane to cairns. Sitting in the office now dreaming of beaches islands and rainforest. Thanks to everyone at Via for helping me
to experience the real australia and have a relaxing holiday at the same time.


So many amazing beaches, tropical forests and up close wildlife experiences (koalas, kangaroos and we saw a platypus!). I will never forget! We had some free time too in some places, so I had time to explore and unwind at my own pace.
So glad I booked with Via, they were friendly and professional from the moment I emailed them to the end of the tour. To be honest, I was unsure on the best way to see the east coast and west coast of Australia safely and don’t normally take guided tours, but this felt different, thanks Via Travel!





Last december I got married to Carmen, we are from Spain and we wanted a different honey moon so we decided to join in the 14 day Sydney to Cairns tour. It has been the trip of our lives, they prepare everything with great care and you can see/feel the social responsibility of the company and the service providers they have chosen.
We were lucky to have Wara as a guide, since he is passionate about his country and a person fully committed to his community, able to give us a lot of information and anecdotes that made the trip much more interesting.
The first week of the tour was great, seeing spectacular places and having the opportunity to go through the koala hospital, but the second week is totally incredible and being able to end up in the Great Barrier Reef is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I recommend you that you to go diving.
Kind regards.


I’ll admit I was a tad nervous being a solo traveler joining a group tour midway, but the group tour guide, Wara Dan, immediately made me feel comfortable to get on the road with then strangers who are now life-long friends.
The tour itself packs in A TON of activities in just one week. Looking back I can’t believe we did as much as we did or travelled as far as we did (over 1700km). And I wouldn’t change a thing. Wara (our guide) kept the trip interesting with fun stops along the way and was also extremely knowledgable of Australian history and culture. The trip would not have been nearly as informative or fun without him. Wara also made sure we were comfortable and prepared for each day’s next adventure, from snorkeling at the Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef, to spotting platypus and waterfalls in the Atherton Tablelands and of course the excursion to Fraser Island.
In short, I 100% recommend this Intrepid tour of the East Coast ESPECIALLY if you can have Wara as your guide. It’s already on my list to come back to see the west coast of Australia!


I would 100% recommend this tour.




