Once just for holiday rentals, Airbnb now plans your whole trip

Emily Murphy Emily Murphy
hero media
From art tours in Melbourne to Bowral beehives, Airbnb has just launched its biggest evolution yet.

Forget scrolling endless booking sites or relying on travel agents to curate your perfect escape. Airbnb’s latest global release redefines what the platform can offer, moving beyond accommodation to become a full-service travel companion that plans your entire trip.

Luxury services are now bookable

Airbnb Experiences flow on phone
Book experiences and services through Airbnb now. (Image: Airbnb)

At the centre of the shake-up is Airbnb Services, a brand-new offering that lets users book top-tier professionals across 10 categories, with five of those launching in Sydney and Melbourne.

Need a private chef for an anniversary dinner? Want a photo shoot with an award-winning photographer? Prefer to skip the supermarket and have your Airbnb fridge pre-stocked before you arrive? It’s all now possible, straight from the app.

And these aren’t just any service providers – we’re talking Michelin-starred chefs, renowned wellness practitioners with serious credibility and more.

Experiences that go way beyond the standard city tour

AirBeenBee honey Airbnb Experience in Bowral
Travellers can book a honey experience in Bowral. (Image: Airbnb)

Also making a big comeback: Airbnb Experiences, now completely reimagined and relaunched with a sharper focus on expertise, authenticity and local flavour.

The new line-up includes thousands of activities hosted by locals who know their cities best – and Aussies are already embracing the idea. You can now book everything from tasting rare honey straight from the hive in Bowral to a deep dive into Melbourne’s street art with an artist.

Duckboard Place street art
Airbnb Experiences can be booked in your own city. (Artwork: Middle: Steen Jones/Right: Lukas Kaspar)

It’s not just for travellers, either. Airbnb reports that over 40 per cent of Australians say they’re keen to use Experiences to explore their own backyard.

The categories span everything from history and culture to food and drink, art and design, entertainment, fitness, wellness and nature, with new options rolling out globally and across Sydney and Melbourne this season.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

AI Prompt

Next-level exclusives hosted by global icons

Megan Thee Stallion eating ramen for Otaku Hottie Quest
Airbnb Originals are one-of-a-kind experiences hosted by world-renowned figures. (Image: Adrienne Raquel)

And for those seeking something truly out of the ordinary, Airbnb has introduced Airbnb Originals: one-of-a-kind experiences hosted by world-renowned figures, exclusively for the platform.

Think making croissants with a French pastry legend, playing volleyball with an Olympian in Rio, or even cosplaying with Megan Thee Stallion at her Otaku Hottie Quest.

You can also toss a football with Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City or join K-pop royalty SEVENTEEN in Seoul for an exclusive fan celebration.

For Aussie travellers, it’s all part of a broader shift: from simply booking a place to sleep, to curating unforgettable moments – all in one tap.

Want to see more stories from Australian Traveller in your Google search results?

  1. Click here to set Australian Traveller as a preferred source.
  2. Tick the box next to "Australian Traveller". That's it.
Emily Murphy
Emily Murphy is Australian Traveller's Email & Social Editor, and in her 4+ years at the company she has been instrumental in shaping its social media and email presence, and crafting compelling narratives that inspire others to explore Australia's vast landscapes. Her previous role was a journalist at Prime Creative Media and before that she was freelancing in publishing, content creation and digital marketing. When she's not creating scroll-stopping travel content, Em is a devoted 'bun mum' and enjoys spending her spare time by the sea, reading, binge-watching a good TV show and exploring Sydney's vibrant dining scene. Next on her Aussie travel wish list? South Australia and The Kimberley.
View profile and articles
Cleves Hut in Nannup, WA
Australia

Aussies want to holiday like it’s 1995 – here are the country towns they’re visiting

Three towns, three states and a holiday that feels like 1995. Here’s where Aussies are looking this spring.

Read more
turquoise rock pools at Cape Schanck / Bushrangers Bay on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia
Australia

Don’t delay: these 9 summer holiday destinations are already 50% booked

Christmas-week beach houses are filling up fast. A cheaper, quieter week is still open, and so are three inland escapes.

Read more
Southern Ocean Lodge bathroom
Australia

Michelin has named these 3 Aussie hotels among the world’s best

Only 155 hotels in the world hold three Michelin Keys. Australia just went from one to three.

Read more
Capella Sydney, NSW
Australia

Just one Australian hotel made the World’s 50 Best list for 2026

The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2026 is hot off the press – and Australia has once again made the cut.

Read more
hero media

This geological wonder is hiding in the heart of Victoria

    Michael Turtle Michael Turtle
    Continue
    Mythical, historical and most of all, spectacularly beautiful, Buchan Caves demands you take your time – and a tour. 

    In the pools of water, so still they could be mirrors, the reflections of the stalactites make these limestone towers seem even taller. Almost 400 million years ago, an underground river carved through the rock to create the Buchan Caves. Now, artworks created by dripping water adorn these subterranean galleries: stalactites hanging from the ceiling, pillars connecting some to the ground, even curtain-like wave formations clinging to the stone.

    Caves House
    Visit the caves for the day or stay onsite in the campground or at the self-contained Caves House. (Image: Ben Savage)

    “This is called the Fairy Cave because it’s full of fairy dust,” a guide tells visitors as they enter a cavern glittering with “calcite that’s solidified into thousands of tiny little diamond shapes”.  Buchan Caves is Victoria’s largest cave system, but Fairy Cave is a highlight and, along with nearby Royal Cave, is accessible only by tour. Naturally cold, naturally dark, these caverns deep below the surface light up as the local experts tell their stories. 

    couple walking in cave
    You’ll need to book a guided tour to see the caves. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Among the hundreds of caves, some can be easily accessed from the surface. For instance, a casual stroll along the FJ Wilson Interpreted Walk, as kangaroos watch on from beneath acacia trees, leads into the 400-metre-long Federal Cave and its natural steps of white limestone. A slightly longer track, the Granite Pools Walk heads through soaring forest down into moss-covered gullies where the calls of lyrebirds trill through the leaves. 

    A quick history lesson on Buchan Caves 

    Buchan Caves
    Buchan Caves are a must-visit attraction in Gippsland. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Among the geology and the nature are millennia of history. This part of East Gippsland connects the high country to the coast and was long a place of refuge for the local Gunaikurnai people on seasonal migrations to the mountains. Archaeological studies show humans lived here up to 18,000 years ago, with artefacts such as small stone tools found around the site. But not too far into the caverns – oh no! The Gunaikurnai didn’t dare venture deep into the dark at Buchan Caves, telling stories they were inhabited by gnome-like nyols (small grey-skinned creatures that could steal memories). 

    Buchan Caves Hotel
    The Buchan Caves Hotel was rebuilt after burning down in 2014. (Image: Jess Shapiro)

    By the early 1900s, more people had started to hear about these incredible caves and so the Moon family set up home at the site and started to run tours below ground for intrepid visitors. More than a century later, their historic residence is available as accommodation, with the three-bedroom house sleeping up to eight people and now equipped with modern amenities the Moons could only have dreamt of. 

    But whether you stay overnight or just spend the day here, it’s worth taking your time to explore more than just the main caves, to get a deeper understanding of one of Victoria’s fascinating geological attractions.