The Australian Opal Centre (AOC) has announced the return of its Australian Opal Tour, scheduled for September 22–30, 2026—a nine-day journey covering more than 3,800 kilometres (2,380 miles) across four of Australia’s principal opal-producing regions.
Departing from Sydney, the itinerary links Lightning Ridge (New South Wales), Winton (Queensland), Coober Pedy (South Australia) and—new for 2026—Andamooka (South Australia). The addition of Andamooka expands the South Australian portion of the program and reflects renewed interest in the historically significant opal field.
Because the opal fields are separated by vast distances, the tour relies on chartered aircraft, allowing participants to experience multiple regions within nine days while maximizing time on the ground and offering aerial views of Australia’s opal country.
Designed for collectors, gemmologists, jewellers, and others interested in the natural and cultural heritage of Australia’s opal fields, the program provides direct access to working mining communities. Participants will meet miners, cutters, scientists and traders, handle both rough and finished stones, and gain insight into the geological and cultural forces shaping each locality.
“This tour is about understanding Australian opal in its context,” said Jenni Brammall, Head of Collections, Programs & Research at the Australian Opal Centre. “When you are on the fields, seeing opal fresh out of the ground and speaking with miners, cutters, scientists and traders with decades of experience, you gain insights that are impossible to obtain from a finished stone alone.”
The itinerary includes visits to active mining areas, exposure to a wide range of Australian opal types—black opal from Lightning Ridge, boulder opal from Queensland, and crystal and light opal from South Australia—along with access to the AOC’s internationally recognized collection of opalised fossils, rare relics of Australia’s ancient past. Experiences such as night fossicking and expert-led geological and paleontological discussions are also part of the program.
Participants will also gain insight into the new Australian Opal Centre facility currently under construction in Lightning Ridge, a major partly subterranean museum and research complex intended to become an international hub for opal science, education, art and culture.
The previous Australian Opal Tour, held in 2024, attracted participants from Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, reflecting growing international interest in Australian opal provenance and field-based gemological knowledge.
The tour cost is AUD $13,800 twin share, with a $700 single supplement. The price includes charter flights from Sydney, ground transportation, accommodation, meals, guided tours and expert-led experiences. Participants pay only for drinks, personal purchases and an optional meet-and-greet gathering in Sydney the evening before departure.
Places are limited due to aircraft seating.
The Australian Opal Centre is a not-for-profit scientific and cultural organization based in Lightning Ridge, dedicated to research, education and preservation of Australian opal, opalised fossils, and the history and culture of Australia’s opal fields.
Further information about the 2026 Australian Opal Tour is available from the Australian Opal Centre.
Further information about the 2026 Australian Opal Tour is available at: https://www.australianopalcentre.com/opaltour
