Travel like a local on day trips around Sydney

Stef Zisovska
Author - Diliff - CC BY-SA 3.0
Author - Diliff - CC BY-SA 3.0

Sydney is an awesome city with spectacular sights that are great to visit. But, when it comes to day tours out of the city, here you’ll find exceptional offers that are simply too hard to resist. Be prepared to spend a day exploring some of Australia’s beautiful parks or enjoy the stunning views from the Blue Mountains.

Art lovers will be very keen to visit the country’s capital, Canberra, while foodies will enjoy visiting some of the vineyards in Hunter Valley.

Blue Mountains

Blue Mountain landscape
Blue Mountain landscape

The Blue Mountains are located an hour and a half west of Sydney and are a great attraction for locals and tourists. These mountains and gorges are covered with eucalyptus trees that emit a substance which is thought to react with the light to produce the blue haze that gives the mountains their magical hue. Visitors can expect to see the most beautiful waterfalls to be found in Australia here, such as the Bridal Veil Falls, as well as the huge sandstone pillars known as the Three Sisters.

For those who enjoy walking, you can take to some amazing hiking trails that will show you the beauty of the region. To reach the Blue Mountains take a train from Sydney’s Central Railway Station to the Blackheath or Katoomba railway stations.

Hunter Valley vineyards and wine tasting

Vineyard at Hunter Valley
Vineyard at Hunter Valley

Just an hour’s drive from Sydney, Hunter Valley is the home of more than 100 vineyards, many of which have been producing wine since the 1800s. On this beautiful day tour, you will get the chance to taste local varieties of the Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Muscat, and Cabernet Sauvignon wines. The Upper Hunter Valley is famous for its Riesling. If you decide to spend a day wine tasting, you can forget about driving around. Ask about for guided wine tasting tours and be sure to stay safe.

Canberra

Canberra’s Parliament House
Canberra’s Parliament House

Art and architecture lovers visit Canberra to enjoy its modern design. An exciting day trip that gives you the possibility to explore the geometric circles and axes of streets and gardens that make up the city’s structure. While in Canberra you can visit the National Museum of Australia, which offers a fantastic overview of more than 50,000 years of native culture, the National Gallery of Australia, and the National Film and Sound Archive, which is the home of Australian TV, radio, as well as various film exhibitions.

Ferry to Manly Beach

Manly Beach
Manly Beach

One of the best day trips around Sydney is the 30 minute ferry ride to the Manly Beach. On the way, you get to see beautiful scenery, including the Sydney Opera House. The beach is glorious and long, full of friendly people, small shops, and restaurants. If you like surfing, you can do it here. If you’re not a beach type, then check out Oceanworld, an aquarium with sea turtles, sharks, and tropical fish that also allows visitors to dive with sharks.

Sydney Opera House/ Author – John Hill – CC BY-SA 4.0
Sydney Opera House/ Author – John Hill – CC BY-SA 4.0

So there you have some suggestions for day trips around Sydney that you can enjoy when visiting Australia. Getting out of the usual activities is always exciting and will get you closer to the real culture of the country. Every time you have the chance try to travel as a local and visit places the local people do. Enjoy your trip!

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stef-zisovska

stef-zisovska is one of the authors writing for Outdoor Revival