Sydney: Day Trips

Blue Mountains Just a 90-minute car or train ride from Sydney, this UNESCO-protected World Heritage Site has dreamy landscapes of eucalyptus forests, untouched bush, rare flora and fauna, picturesque villages, dramatic cliff drives, and limestone caves. 73 miles west of Sydney; www.bluemts.com.au
family | outdoors | nature

Canberra Australia's capital is busting at the seams with galleries and museums, including the new, billion-dollar parliament house, the National Gallery, and the Australian War Memorial. 175 miles southwest of Sydney; www.visitcanberra.com.au
family | city | culture

Grand Pacific Drive Encounter rainforests, sleepy, seaside towns, and the spectacular Sea Cliff Bridge as you cover this coastal road from Royal National Park to Wollongong. 105 miles round trip
family | road trip | nature

Hunter Valley This picturesque wine region is home to over 100 wineries and can be reached in two-and-a-half hours by car from Sydney. 93 miles north of Sydney; www.huntertourism.com
family | culture | outdoors

Newcastle/Port Stephens Take a swim in Newcastle's bogey hole (an ocean bath cut out by convicts), before heading north to Port Stephens, the permanent address of over 80 bottle-nosed dolphins. 137 miles north of Sydney; www.visitnewcastle.com.au
family | swimming | nature