Sydney is such a wonderful place with SO much to see and do. However if you’ve got a spare day or want to see a quieter part of NSW, we’ve got four amazing day trips from Sydney that you should consider. Even better is that they are all easily accessed via train straight from Sydney Central Station! You could of course also drive to any of these locations if you have access to a car.
If you do choose to catch the train, all of the day trips from Sydney that we recommend are accessible on the Opal network (the payment system for Sydney’s public transport). You can tap on and off with a dedicated Opal Card, or simply with your bank-issued contactless card. If you want to know more about how to use the public transport system in Sydney, we have a post that has everything you need to know!
All four of these day trips we have personally done in one day and while they are long days, they’re all wonderful. So read head to see which ones might be right for you!
If you want to keep train prices down you can travel outside of peak hour times. For intercity trains these times are 6am – 10am and 3pm – 7pm. It’s $3.10 more per journey to travel during peak hour but for a day trip it’s probably just more convenient.
Blue Mountains
Cost: $7.23 per way on the train outside peak hour or $10.33 per way during peak hour
The Blue Mountains is probably the most famous day trip from Sydney. It is a mountain range that runs for 96km west of Sydney and takes almost 2 hours on the train to reach. The name comes from the blue tint in the air that you can see from a distance. This is caused by the eucalyptus oil from the many eucalyptus trees. We have a whole post about things to do in the Blue Mountains if you’re heading there!
Towns
The main towns that people tend to visit are Katoomba and Leura, both of which are on the train line. They have some wonderful shops and restaurants and are lovely places to spend the night if you’ve got time. If not, its entirely possible to see them both in the same day and have a look around. Leura has one of our all time favourite bakeries called “Bakehouse on Wentworth” that has incredible pies.
Views and Attractions
However the main thing to do on your visit to the Blue Mountains is to see the landscape. Head to the “Echo Point Lookout” that has an amazing view of the Three Sisters rock formation. You can also walk down and across a little bridge into one of them.
Next head to Scenic World which is a tourist attraction with the worlds steepest railway. It also has the Southern Hemisphere’s steepest aerial cable car and a glass skyway that runs between two cliffs. These attractions are cool but the walkway through the forest floor is one of the best and most beautiful bits. Tickets range depending on season but are around $50-$60 per person. It’s best to book online as you have to book an entry time as well. Both the Three Sisters walk and Scenic World can be driven to or easily accessed by bus from Katoomba train station.
Wollongong
Cost: $7.23 per way on the train outside peak hour or $10.33 per way during peak hour
Wollongong is a coastal town about 2 hours on the train south of Sydney. Just outside the train station is the town centre which has some nice independent shops and restaurants. Most of the year there should be lots of people around as Wollongong has a well known university, but during break it’ll probably be pretty quiet.
After walking around town, the best thing to check out is the Flagstaff Point Lighthouse at Wollongong Head. You can’t go inside but it has some wonderful views of the coastline which makes for some great photos. On either side of Wollongong Head are Cove Beach and City Beach which are great to relax on.
Newcastle
Cost: $7.23 per way on the train outside peak hour or $10.33 per way during peak hour
Newcastle is a great beach town 2.5 hours on the train North of Sydney. The train gets in to Newcastle Interchange and from there it’s an easy walk into the city or there’s a light rail. The city has some great shops to explore and lots of delicious food. If you want a beach, Newcastle beach is a beautiful one right next to the city. However if you’d rather avoid the sand, the Newcastle Ocean Baths are right beside the beach.
Just up from the baths is Fort Scratchley, an old defence building from 1882. You can visit for free 10am-4pm every day except Tuesday and there’s also a great view from it. If you’re there around 1pm, don’t be alarmed by the gun firing done 6 days a week. Just down from the fort is Foreshore Park which is a lovely place to walk around, as well as Nobbys Beach. Across from Nobbys beach is Horseshoe Beach which is a dog beach and is our favourite place to sit and watch all the pups! Lastly, up a very windy walkway is Nobbys lighthouse where there’s a great view back at Newcastle.
Stockton Bight Sand Dunes
If you like sand dunes and have access to a car, only a 40 minute drive away from Newcastle is the Stockton Bight Sand Dunes. Thousands of years old, they are the largest moving coastal sand dunes in the Southern Hemisphere. They’re a great place to sand board or just go and experience because it’s such a cool place. If you don’t have a car there are some other great things you can do in Newcastle like whale watching trips or true crime walking tours!
Kiama
Cost: $7.23 per way on the train outside peak hour or $10.33 per way during peak hour
Kiama is another great coastal town around 2 hours and 15 minutes on the train south of Sydney. It’s the same train that goes to Wollongong, you just stay on for another 15-20 minutes. Kiama in similar to Wollongong in that it has a small town centre with nice shops and cafes. It also has a headland with a lighthouse that has some great views of the coastline.
Markets
There are two things that make Kiama different, the first of which are the Kiama Seaside markets. These are on 9am – 3pm on the third Sunday of every month and are held along the waterfront. There’s over 100 stalls that sell handmade arts, crafts, jewellery and clothing as well as vintage products, fresh produce and food. It’s a really lovely market if the dates work for you!
Kiama Blowhole
The second thing that makes Kiama worth heading to is the Kiama blowhole, which is out on the headland, not far from the lighthouse. Kiama Blowhole is the largest blowhole in the world and the water can reach 30 meters in the air when there’s a big swell. Out on the headland there is also a visitor centre, a café and lots of lovely picnic spots.
Which One Should You Choose?
These are 4 great day trip options from Sydney that are easily and cheaply accessed by Sydney’s train system. If you can only do one, our favourites are definitely the Blue Mountains and Newcastle. Depending on if you want a trip into nature or to the beach, both places also have enough to keep you entertained if you want to stay the night. If you do go to any of these places, let us know where you went and we hope you have an amazing time!
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