What I love about Sydney is that it’s so vast and packed with exciting things to do. I spent half a year exploring a new every weekend, and I hardly ever left the city’s limits. But if you’re looking to explore beyond Sydney to see more of Australia, a day trip is possible without a car.
From bush walks to wildlife to coastal beauties, Sydney’s surroundings offer a variety of incredible day trips accessible by public transportation organized tours. Here are 10 of the best day trips from Sydney without a car.
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The Blue Mountains are Sydney’s most popular day trips. It’s an easy train ride away with stunning lush bush covering the mountains, waterfalls and charming historic mountain towns. Highlights include the Three Sisters, Scenic World or Wentworth Falls.
You can choose from a variety of bushwalks or just stay on the Hop On Hop Off bus to take in the sights.
Katoomba is the main town most tourists visit and offers lots of food and antique shopping opportunites. Alternatively, you can also get off a station earlier at Leura, which is a lovely little town where I enjoyed spending an afternoon.
The cheapest option is to go on your own by train, roughly 2 hours from Central to Katoomba. I’d recommend the 6:23am or 6:53am train to Katoomba to make the most of your day in the Blue Mountains.
The easiest way to get around the Blue Mountains once you arrive by train is the Hop On Hop Off bus, as local buses take longer and aren’t as frequent. If you have time, I would recommend booking a night in Katoomba YHA and give yourself 2 days to explore.
Alternatively, the easiest and most convenient way to visit the Blue Mountains without a car is to book an organized tour. You’ll get picked up by coach in Sydney and visit the best attractions without having to wait for trains or buses. You’re spoiled with options: from a more active adventure including a waterfall walk to a more relaxed and kid-friendly tour including rides at Scenic World and an animal visit at Featherdale Wildlife Park.
If you’re looking for a mix of bushwalks and coastal views, Royal National Park is a must-visit. It offers beautiful walking tracks, and while a car is ideal, it’s not necessary if you plan accordingly with the public transportation schedules.
On one end of the park, the Coast Track has beautiful coastal formations like Wedding Cake Rock and The Balconies.
At the other end, Palm Jungle Loop has access to the Figure Eight Pools. Just keep in mind that this is an ambitious walk which requires planning. Only go to the pools if the risk rating is very low or low.
To access the Coast Track, take the train to Cronulla (a suburb of Sydney nice enough to visit on its own) and then the ferry to Bundeena (runs once an hour).
To access Palm Jungle Loop, take the train to Otford and walk along the coast to the trailhead. Make sure you don’t miss the last train back to Sydney though, as the trains don’t run very frequently.
Another popular day trip from Sydney is Jervis Bay, known for its white sand beaches. In fact, it’s home to Hyams Beach, known to have the whitest sand in the world. And combined with turquoise water, Jervis Bay’s beaches just may be the among the most beautiful in the world.
The area also offers dolphin-watching opportunities, so a cruise in the area is a must.
While you can reach Jervis Bay by public transportation (4 hours by train, 5 hours by bus), the journey is too long for a day trip. So, either plan to stay overnight or book a Jervis Bay day trip tour, which takes you to all the nice spots inaccessible by public transportation and includes dolphin-watching and wild kangaroos spotting!
Port Stephens is also known for its beautiful beaches and wildlife cruises. If you take a tour, you’ll also get the chance to stop at some attractions along the way, like sandboarding at the Stockton Sand Dunes.
Traveling by public transport takes 4.5 hours (and includes a train and 2 buses), so for a day trip from Sydney your best bet is to book a Port Stephens tour that includes transport, dolphin cruise, sandboarding and even a stop at a winery.
The capital of Australia, Canberra, is an interesting mix of history, culture and politics. A visit to Canberra is not complete without seeing the Parliament House, and Canberra also holds many museums.
Canberra is also an interesting city because it was a planned city, built for the purpose of being the capital because it is halfway between Sydney and Melbourne.
Just 3 hours by car, 5 hours by public transport or an hour by plane, Canberra is doable as a day trip or weekend trip from Sydney. Even if you fly, it would be better to stay overnight, as it will take more time for you to get there and also to get around by public transport.
So if you want to do a day trip to Canberra from Sydney, an organized Canberra day tour is the best option. Not only is your transport to Canberra arranged, but you also get transportation around Canberra, a guide and a tour in Parliament House included.
And along the way, you’ll see the small towns of New South Wales, which in itself is a treat and allows you to see more of Australia beyond just the big cities.
For any wine lovers, may I introduce your favorite day trip from Sydney? Hunter Valley is a wine region near Sydney. It’s full of vineyards that offer great cuisine, beautiful views and, of course, wine.
Hunter Valley isn’t accessible by public transport, so the best option is a Hunter Valley tour. In addition to transportation, this tour won’t not leave you with an empty belly: 3 wine tastings, a spirt tasting, cheese and chocolate tasting AND a restaurant lunch with wine or beer are included!
Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park offers lush wilderness and ancient Aboriginal sites near Sydney’s Northern Beaches. The bushwalks in this park also offer chances to see wildlife and beautiful harbor and ocean views.
This park is located near the coastal suburbs Northern Beaches, my favorite part of Sydney.
You can get to the Northern Beaches on your own with the B1 bus. However, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is not accessible by public transport. So if you’d like to take a bushwalk through this gorgeous piece of wilderness near Sydney, you’ll need to book a private guide to drive you there. This guided tour of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park will also take you to hidden gems in the Northern Beaches.
Just 1.5 train by train from Sydney, Wollongong is a beachside city easily accessible as a day trip from Sydney without a car. It’s a nice train ride to get away from the city and visit some beautiful beaches, the Botanic Garden or the science museum, UOW Science Space.
Alternatively, thrill seekers interested in skydiving can purchase direct transfer from Sydney to Wollongong when booking a skydiving adventure in Wollongong.
I used this skydiving company up in Airlie Beach, and they made the experience one of the highlights of my Outback and East Coast road trip loop from Sydney.
Take the South Coast Line train for 1.5 hours from Sydney to Wollongong for a stress-free coastal escape. Or book a transfer with your skydive adventure.
And if you stay on the train for a further hour from Wollongong (2.5 hours from Sydney), you’ll arrive at Kiama. Another coastal town, Kiama is home to the world’s largest blowhole, and it’s just a 15-minute walk from the train station.
Kiama also offers a lovely coastal walk with lookouts and beaches. And you’ll have plenty of lunch options to replenish before the train ride back to Sydney.
Take the South Coast Line on a 2.5 hour train journey from Sydney to Kiama.
Located 2.5 hours north of Sydney by train, Newcastle is a charming coastal city that is much smaller than Sydney but also offers history, art, events and beaches.
As Australia’s second-oldest city, Newcastle has plenty of historic sites to visit, like the 19th century Fort Scratchley and Nobbys Lighthouse. If you have time, the Newcastle Memorial Walk is reachable by bus and worth checking out, along with the views from nearby King Edward Park.
Take the Central Coast & Newcastle Line train 2.5 hours. From the station, take a bus or tram around town (I’d recommend starting at Foreshore Park).
From scenic national parks and coastal towns to wildlife encounters and wine regions, Sydney offers plenty of exciting day trips even without a car. While renting a car gives you more flexibility, organized tours and public transportation make it easy to explore some of the best sights around Sydney.
Whether you choose a day of hiking in the Blue Mountains, lounging on Jervis Bay’s white beaches, or wine tasting in Hunter Valley, you’re sure to experience the diverse beauty of Australia.
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The Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park looks like an excellent day trip!
On our first visit to Sydney, we only made it to Blue Mountains as a day trip. We plan a much longer return visit one day. So it was great to read about all the day trips we can do with Sydney as a base. I love the variety of sights we can explore.
I'm in Melbourne and I don't get to Sydney often enough. Would love to go to the Hunter Valley and check out the wineries there. I like the sound of the tour. Hopefully soon.
So cool! I like that you give ideas that dont require a car as a lot of travelers may not have the luxury of a car. I love using public transportation when possible
Me too! It's often less stressful than renting a car :)
I did a tour to the Blue Mountains back on my trip to Australia and it was a great day trip, very easy. I never considered taking the train but there are so many of these day trips that seem easy enough to get to. Newcastle looks like it would be a pretty place to explore.
Awesome! The train is cheaper, but you won't get to see as much since travel takes longer.
I have been in Sydney quite a few times but have yet to make it to the Blue Mountains. I hear it is fabulous but I always end up doing things in Sydney itself.
I must get back to the Blue Mountains some time. I was there many years ago and loved it. It's good to know that there is a Hop On Hop Off Bus now! I had no idea.
I'd love to visit Sydney. Awesome ideas for day trips. Great post!