The NSW grand loop in 5 days

1. Royal Botanic Garden~1 h 30 min at the stop

Start the loop where the city itself began: the nation's oldest botanic garden (1816), free to enter, with a bayside path leading straight to the Opera House.

Worth knowing: The garden was founded in 1816 and is the oldest scientific institution in Australia.

Tip: Entry is free. Morning light on the water is best. Leave along the Farm Cove shore for the Opera House.

↓ walk · 15 min · 1.2 km

2. Sydney Opera House~1 h at the stop

Circle the sails on the podium for free; the one-hour interior tour is A$50 online and takes the building apart tile by tile.

Worth knowing: Jørn Utzon's building opened on 20 October 1973. The Opera House has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2007.

Tip: The podium is free. The interior tour is ticketed, and online is cheaper than the door. Opera Bar is on the lower concourse: Sunday to Thursday from 11:00 until late, Friday and Saturday 11:00 to midnight. No bookings.

↓ walk · 10 min · 0.8 km

3. The Rocks~1 h 30 min at the stop

The first settlement's cobbled lanes, pubs a century and a half old, and the bridge overhead. Lunch stop.

Tip: The Rocks Markets trade Friday 10am to 3pm and Saturday and Sunday 10am to 5pm. On other days come for the laneways rather than the crowds at the wharf.

↓ walk · 9 min · 0.7 km

4. Observatory Hill at sunset~40 min at the stop

End the day on the lawn by the 1850s observatory above the western side of the Harbour Bridge: sunset turns the arch copper as Barangaroo lights up below. The lawn is free, and locals bring a blanket and a bottle.

Worth knowing: The observatory was built in 1857–1859 on the site of an old fort and windmills. Visitors still look through its 1874 refractor, the oldest telescope in regular use in Australia.

Tip: The climb from The Rocks is short. Watch the sunset from here while the light is still on the water.

5. Taronga Zoo~3 h at the stop

The zoo on a harbourside slope (A$51.30 online, child A$29.70): giraffes framed against the Opera House and the Sky Safari cable car up from the wharf.

Worth knowing: The animals came up the harbour by barge from the old Moore Park zoo. Taronga opened on 7 October 1916.

Tip: Take the ferry from Circular Quay. Online adult tickets are from A$51.30 instead of A$57 at the gate, child (4–15) from A$29.70 instead of A$33, under-4s free.

↓ ferry · 55 min · 14 km

6. Manly: wharf and the Corso~1 h at the stop

Change at Circular Quay for the F1 ferry to Manly. The pedestrian Corso walks you from calm cove to ocean beach in five minutes.

Tip: The ferry lands at the wharf. Straight through it are The Corso and the beach. Swim between the flags.

↓ walk · 20 min · 1.5 km

7. Shelly Beach snorkelling~1 h 30 min at the stop

Cabbage Tree Bay aquatic reserve: gropers, rays and a turtle within mask range. Ride the ferry back at sunset.

Tip: Snorkel on a calm morning. It is a marine reserve. Stay off the rocks in a swell. The Boathouse is at the beach, 1 Marine Parade: breakfast and lunch every day 7:00 to 15:00, no bookings.

8. Scenic World~2 h 30 min at the stop

Drive ~110 km west in the morning. The world's steepest railway drops into the Jamison Valley; the from-A$64 ticket covers every ride.

Tip: Arrive at opening: 10am on weekdays, 9am on weekends. Book your session online, as weekends sell out. One ticket covers all the rides.

↓ walk · 20 min · 1.3 km

9. Echo Point & the Three Sisters~45 min at the stop

The clifftop track leads to the three pinnacles of Gundungurra legend. At sunset the sandstone burns orange.

Tip: You can walk the cliff track from Scenic World. The frame is at the rail, to the left of the crowd.

↓ drive · 6 min · 3 km

10. Dinner in Leura~1 h 30 min at the stop

Evening on the mountains' most charming street: restaurants, bookshops and crisp highland air. Sleep in Leura or Katoomba.

Tip: By day, Cafe Leura at 180A Leura Mall is open 8:00 to 15:00. The kitchen closes at 15:00, so this is lunch, not dinner. Book on a Saturday. The Mall is a few minutes' drive from Echo Point.

11. Bald Hill Lookout~20 min at the stop

About two hours from the mountains to the coast. Hang-gliders launch off the cliff above Stanwell Park, with the whole day's route unrolling below.

Tip: This is the hang-glider launch. Stay behind the fence. Leave the car in the lookout bay.

↓ drive · 10 min · 5 km

12. Sea Cliff Bridge~30 min at the stop

The 665-metre bridge slung over the ocean along the cliff. Walk it on the side path: behind the wheel it flashes past too fast.

Tip: The footpath is on the ocean side. Do not stop on the bridge itself. The photos are from the bays at each end.

↓ drive · 50 min · 58 km

13. Kiama: blowhole and harbour~2 h at the stop

The ocean fires a 30-metre plume out of the rock; lighthouse, harbour and a swim alongside. Overnight in Kiama: mornings here belong to you alone.

Tip: The blowhole only in a swell, and from behind the fence. Swim in the harbour, away from the rock. Lunch is at Penny Whistlers, 5/31 Shoalhaven Street: Sunday to Wednesday until 16:00, Thursday to Saturday from 7:00 through a late dinner.

14. Bombo Headland basalt columns~45 min at the stop

An old quarry on the headland north of Kiama left a palisade of basalt columns above the surf: a photographers' favourite, and free.

Tip: Best light is early morning, when the sun hits the columns straight off the ocean.

↓ drive · 1 h 10 min · 78 km

15. Wattamolla, Royal National Park~1 h 30 min at the stop

Lagoon, waterfall and beach in one cove of the world's second-oldest national park. Entry is A$12 per vehicle per day; gates open 7 am to 8.30 pm.

Tip: In summer and on weekends the Wattamolla car park fills by midday, so come early. Until 18 December 2026, Monday to Thursday outside school holidays, the Wattamolla picnic area is closed from sunset to sunrise for deer control.

↓ drive · 55 min · 45 km

16. Finish: Mrs Macquarie's Chair~30 min at the stop

Close the loop where the Opera House and bridge share one frame: five days of your own stories now sit behind that postcard.

Tip: The bench faces the Opera House. Sunrise or late day. From the gardens it is a short walk along the water.