Sydney and the Blue Mountains

Day by day

The plan

Times are suggestions. Opening hours and seasons change, so check before you go. Once it’s in your trip, move anything you like.

1. Day 1

   The harbor

   1. 09:00

      Sydney Opera House

      Activity

      Walk around the sails up close, or join a guided tour of the halls inside.

   2. 10:30

      Royal Botanic Garden to Mrs Macquarie’s Chair

      Activity

      A walk through the gardens to a point with the Opera House and bridge lined up together.

   3. 12:30

      Lunch in The Rocks

      Food & drink

      Sydney’s oldest neighborhood, with sandstone lanes and pubs.

   4. 14:30

      Walk across the Harbour Bridge

      Activity

      The free pedestrian path gives views of the whole harbor; the Pylon Lookout is on the way.

   5. 18:00

      Dinner at Circular Quay

      Food & drink

      Watch the ferries come and go as the Opera House lights up.

2. Day 2

   Bondi to Coogee

   1. 08:30

      Bondi Beach

      Activity

      Watch the surfers and swim between the flags.

   2. 09:30

      Bondi to Coogee coastal walk

      Activity

      About six kilometers of clifftop path past Tamarama, Bronte and Clovelly.

   3. 12:30

      Lunch in Coogee

      Food & drink

      Fish and chips on the grass above the beach.

   4. 15:00

      Paddington and Surry Hills

      Activity

      Terrace houses with iron balconies, small shops and cafés known for their flat whites.

   5. 19:00

      Dinner in Surry Hills

      Food & drink

      One of the city’s main neighborhoods for eating out.

3. Day 3

   Ferries to the zoo and Manly

   1. 09:00

      Ferry to Taronga Zoo

      Getting around

      A short ride across the harbor from Circular Quay.

   2. 09:30

      Taronga Zoo

      Activity

      Koalas, kangaroos and platypus, with city views from the hillside.

   3. 13:00

      Ferry to Manly

      Getting around

      About half an hour past the harbor headlands.

   4. 14:00

      Lunch on the Corso

      Food & drink

      The pedestrian street that runs from the ferry to the ocean beach.

   5. 15:30

      Shelly Beach

      Activity

      A short walk to a calm, sheltered cove that is good for snorkeling.

4. Day 4

   The Blue Mountains

   1. 07:30

      Train to Katoomba

      Getting around

      About two hours from Central Station, climbing into the mountains.

   2. 10:00

      Echo Point and the Three Sisters

      Activity

      The famous rock formation above the Jamison Valley; the blue haze comes from eucalyptus oil in the air.

   3. 11:00

      Prince Henry Cliff Walk

      Activity

      A clifftop path from Echo Point toward Leura, with lookouts and short side trails.

   4. 13:30

      Lunch in Leura

      Food & drink

      A village of gardens, bakeries and tea rooms.

   5. 17:00

      Stay in Katoomba or Leura

      Stay

      Evenings are cool in the mountains, even in summer.

5. Day 5

   Waterfalls and back to Sydney

   1. 08:30

      Wentworth Falls

      Activity

      Walk to lookouts over a tall waterfall dropping into the valley.

   2. 11:00

      Govetts Leap Lookout

      Activity

      In Blackheath, a wide view over the Grose Valley and its sandstone walls.

   3. 12:30

      Lunch in Blackheath

      Food & drink

      A meat pie, the Australian classic, before the train.

   4. 14:00

      Train back to Sydney

      Getting around

      The Blue Mountains Line runs back to Central Station.

   5. 18:30

      Dinner at Barangaroo

      Food & drink

      A harborside walk and dinner by the water on your last night.