Where can I go 3 hours from Sydney?

Sydney is beautiful but wait until you discover what else New South Wales has to offer, within three hours away from the city.

Sydney is a charming city and has some of the most popular Australian attractions like the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

After you’ve spent a couple of days in the city, you start to feel ready to explore further out. Luckily New South Wales has incredible destinations with some being within three hours of Sydney.

Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains is a gorgeous destination in New South Wales and it’s only an hour and 40 minute drive from Sydney! The Blue Mountains has iconic landmarks like the Three Sisters and Jamison Valley.

We highly recommend visiting Scenic World which has three unique rides you can go on to discover amazing views of the Blue Mountains. The Scenic Railway and the Scenic Cableway take you to Jamison Valley. When you’re in Jamison Valley, you can do the 20 minute Scenic Walkway.

There’s also the Scenic Skyway that takes you between cliff tops and you’ll get marvellous views of the surrounding area.

Hunter Valley

Two hours out from Sydney is the Hunter Valley, one of Australia’s best wine regions. This wine region is best at producing semillion while also making all other wine types.

A day trip from Hunter Valley is ideal, especially if you’re into your wines. You can book a wine tour and make a day out of trying delicious wines from Hunter Valley. On wine tours, you’ll visit about four different wineries and try up to 20 different wines! Some of the tours include lunch and even a cheese tasting too.

Port Stephens

Escape the busy city life and drive two and a half hours to experience a touch of Australian paradise. Port Stephens has beautiful beaches, national parks, and wildlife to spot.

You can do a boat trip to spot bottlenose dolphins jumping out of the water. Or if you visit between June and October, you can go on a whale watching cruise!

But there’s more to do in Port Stephens. You can chill out on the pristine beach or go sandboarding over the Anna Bay dunes.

One day tours are perfect to visit Port Stephens and discover life outside of Sydney.

Jenolan Caves

Make a three hour drive out of Sydney to see the magical and beautiful Jenolan Caves. These caves are some of the most famous caves you’ll see in Australia.

You can explore the 340 million year old caves and see how remarkable they are inside. There are boardwalks inside the caves to walk across, which even sits above the stunning Blue Lake.

With many beautiful and incredible places within three hours away from Sydney, which one are you excited to visit?

Cameron Ward

Managing Director at Sightseeing Tours Australia

Cameron Ward turned his travel passion into a thriving Australian tourism business. Before he co-founded his own business, Sightseeing Tours Australia, he was enjoying being a Melbourne tour guide. Even now, Cameron delights in helping visitors from all around the world get the most out of their incredible Australian trip. You’ll see Cameron leading tours or writing about his favourite Australian places where he shares his local insights.