Hi all,

My husband and I have a work trip planned in Sydney and since this is the first time we will be going there, we decided to go there early to spend the weekend at Blue Mountains, work from Monday to Friday and just experience the day to day city life for the week and then do something over the weekend and fly out that Sunday. We know it would get quite packed but we don't mind it as long as we make our visit worthwhile.

We land on Saturday 18th August and plan to go straight to Blue Mountains (details yet to be worked out whether we join a tour or self drive).

We would like the following information to help us plan this smoothly:

1) Blue Mountains - Where should we stay? Anything we should not miss at all? To do, to eat, to experience etc.
2) For our last 2 days in Sydney i.e 25th/26th August what should our itinerary be? We would have a fairly good idea of the central city I think so should we head out a bit farther, or go near Bondi? Anything we can do to make our last days memorable?
3) We will be staying at Darling Harbour after our Blue Mountains trip and throughout the work week but we are open to move to a different location for the weekend after that, before we fly out to Singapore. Any suggestions?

We both are in our early 30s, fairly active, always looking for experiences beyond tourist attractions. Not into art, history etc. We like adventure activities, walking tours, wildlife, unique experiences etc.

Thanks in advance.. Fodor always comes to my rescue while planning my trips!

Shveta

We’ve been to Sydney several times and did all the usual tourist stuff but by far the most enjoyable thing we did was to charter a sailboat for the day and spend the entire day sailing around the Harbor and Botany Bay. The scenery is fantastic and the sail itself was very relaxing. Our captain provided champagne and a variety of other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, fruit and cheese platters and a wonderful lunch including prawns grilled “on the barbie”.

It's easy to visit the Blue Mountains on your own without going on a tour. In addition to driving, you could consider taking a train from the airport to Central Station and transfer to the Blue Mountain Line. I would only considering taking the train if you are not travelling with too much luggage. There are several towns in the Blue Mountains with accommodations, although I like Leura. Katoomba is the one most visited by travellers. At the Blue Mountains, there are numerous hikes you could do, from easy walks to more serious hikes. WildWalks (Wildwalks | Your online bushwalking guide) has information about trail options. The Three Sisters is an iconic feature, and there are cable car and train rides nearby (at Scenic World) if you are into those activities. Keep in mind that it may not be worth going if the weather is foggy as there may be limited to no visibility.

There's plenty to see and do in the city. Personally I love walking in the area around Circular Quay, in the Royal Botanic Gardens, over the Harbour Bridge, etc. My favorite is the Manly to Spit walk; you can hop on a ferry to Manly Beach, enjoy some time in the area, and walk to Spit Bridge, or do it in reverse. There is also the Bondi to Coogee walk, which offers nice beaches and coastal views on a nice day.

If it's your only destination in Australia and you won't have another chance to see kangaroos and koalas, you may want to visit Taronga Zoo, reachable by ferry. Or you could visit Featherdale Wildlife Park to or from the Blue Mountains.

I agree with Tripplanner - except that, if your entry into Australia is on 18th August, I would encourage you to take the train. Coming off a long leg international flight & straight into a rental car in a foreign country is not a good idea.
It’s just a quick commute on the train to the Blue Mountains, but you will need to change at Central, so you woulsnt wa t to do it with a mountain of luggage. (Which you’re not likely to have for such a short visit).

Get a. Opal Card on arrival for use in all our Sydney & close regional public transport. Very convenient &saves $.
https://transportnsw.info/tickets-op...l-for-visitors

One thing we really enjoyed during a week's holiday in Sydney was doing the Bondi to Coogee walk. The path runs along the sea and there are lovely views the whole way. Each beach you come to is a bit different and there are public toilets and water fountains at each one. The walk is very popular with locals and tourists and there are some sections with stairs.

We caught the bus to Bondi Beach from the city area and got another bus back again from Coogee (after fish and chips...mmm). Just check online beforehand to see which bus number you need. You should wear a hat and sunscreen, there is little shade and even in our winter the sun can burn.

https://www.bonditocoogeewalk.com/ (also lots of reviews on Trip Advisor)

Kay

We always stay in Manly when in Sydney as our son an DIL live there, but even if they didn’t, it wouldn’t be high on my list of places to stay in the city. The ferry ride to circular quay never gets tired and then you are right in the centre of things. Some detail and photos of our penultimate visit on our blog @ https://accidentalnomads.com/2015/10/24/sun-sea-sydney/ .

We spent a weekend in the blue mountains that time and, as I recall it was a hell of drive from Manly but may be easier from elsewhere in the city.

Hi Crellston,
I’m sure “auto correct” got to your post! Clearly you meant Manly WOULD be high on your list of places to stay.

About the drive to the Blue Mountains - It’s usually only about 90 - 120 mins, depending on whether you hit peak traffic. Was the “ hell of a drive” due to the driver?

Thanks Bokhara2. I did of course mean WOULD, my iPad spellcheck does seem to have mind of its own these days. if ever I type my screen name it seems to come out as “cruellest one” ! Maybe apple are incorporating psychoanalysis into the OS these days.,

I don’t think it was down to the driver as it was my son who has a great sense of direct and has lived in Sydney for the last 8 years. Thankfully, he didn’t inherit my sense of direction . As I recall there may have been a diversion in place which doubtless added to the time