The Best Weekend Trips And Getaways From Sydney

Animated nightlife and worldly landmarks lie within Sydney‘s sun-kissed streets, but the real adventures are beyond its outskirts. Hugged by untamed wilderness, serpentine rivers, historic villages and vineyards on rolling hills, the picturesque areas surrounding the city are just a short drive or train journey away. Escape the crowds and embrace nature as you embark on boat tours, bush hikes and the signature Australian experience of wine-tasting.

Batemans Bay

Finding fame with its oyster farming scene, this seaside city has given birth to a wealth of seafood restaurants enticing enough to attract weekend trippers from the big city. Snorkellers will love the otherworldly depths of its beaches, which are luminescent with reefs and fish. On land, the expanse of wild bush punctures foamy tide, offering an endless stretch of nature to explore on both sides.

1. Half-Day Sea Kayak Tour From Batemans Bay

Activities

Floating away from the hum of the crowds, this kayak tour takes you to some uncharted nooks and crannies along the coastline. Keep an eye on the horizon for the looming arch of a migrating whale’s back, while your guide teaches you about the surrounding environment and the diverse marine life below the surface. Take a break with home-made cake and fruit on a secluded beach – only accessible by water, you can swim or snorkel, while thrill-seekers will be kept occupied jumping from the towering rocks.

Newcastle

2. Humpback Whale-Watching Tour From Newcastle

Tours

Set sail on this whale-spotting eco-tourism cruise to encounter creatures rarely glimpsed and learn something new about their natural behaviours. An experienced helmsman will take care of traversing tranquil or choppy waters, so you can confidently keep your eyes glued on the ocean’s rippling surface, looking for the shadow of the elusive gentle giants. Meanwhile, a witty seafaring guide will provide an informative soundtrack to the experience. Along the way you may be visited by inquisitive dolphins, seals or birds, which love to play in the foamy tracks of the boat.

Hunter Valley

Hunter Valley’s cascade of hills is lined with rows of gnarled trees sprouting twisting vines – the sign of a flourishing wine industry. Its viticultural roots date all the way back to the early 1800s, when its proximity to Sydney helped fuel the trade (particularly with Semillon and Shiraz). A blend of family-owned and world-class wineries, the area offers up an array of tours sure to please any palate.

3. Picnic and Wine Tasting at Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard

Activities, Tours

Wine enthusiasts will be in their element on this tour, which dives into its history and production process. A self-guided tour of the in-house Audrey Wilkinson Museum lays the foundations, so you’ll feel a little more in-the-know when it comes to the masterclass on wine tasting. Teaching you about tasting notes and introducing a rich range of varietals to sip on, you’ll be well informed when you leave (and most likely slightly inebriated). To complement the boozy buzz, head out for a vineyard picnic with a bottle of hand-picked wine and gourmet hamper.

Blue Mountains

Tinged with a cosmic-blue hue when spied from afar, the Blue Mountains appear like a Bob Ross painting brought to life. The never-ending eucalyptus trees stretch into the horizon, hiding native wildlife, twisting trails and spellbinding underground glow worm caves. Watching over the land is the famous Three Sisters rock formation – Aboriginal legend has it that they were three beautiful sisters turned to stone by a village elder.

Jervis Bay

Dig your toes into the whitest sand in the world and gaze out over the postcard-worthy haven of Jervis Bay. Sitting on the south coast of New South Wales, this idyllic spot seems to be torn from the set of Castaway (but with much better connections to civilisation). The clear waters and two national parks are alive with chattering wildlife, while the area is also fringed by numerous villages and sea-inspired eateries.

4. Dolphin Cruise From Jervis Bay

Tours, Activities

Go and visit the region’s most spirited residents on this bucket list-worthy dolphin cruise. Nearly 100 bottlenose dolphins frolic in the waters of Jervis Bay, and this tour takes you up close to their natural playground, giving you a front-row seat to the creatures swimming and jumping around the boat. The specially designed catamaran spoils you with five viewing points to witness their aquatic antics and sticks to an ethical distance that won’t invade their natural habitat. As you cut through the marbled blue-green ocean a guide will narrate the voyage, providing an insight into the marine park’s thriving ecosystem and the wildlife that lives among its labyrinthine reefs.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.