7-Day Vivid Sydney & Blue Mountains

Welcome to our fantastic 7 day tour taking in the spectacular Vivid Sydney and New South Wales Coast. With our pick-ups complete it’s time to sit back and relax as we head towards the picturesque area known as Tamborine Mountain. Here we call in at the Tamborine Mountain Coffee Plantation where our guide will take us on a journey and hands-on experience into how coffee is made. We’ll stay on for morning tea before making tracks for the Coast.

We stop for lunch in Byron Bay before continuing south to Coffs Harbour for our welcome dinner and overnight stay.

This morning we hit the road running! Making great time, we arrive into Forster Tuncurry where we have the opportunity to witness one of Australia’s cleanest lakes. Wallis Lake is the sparkling jewel in the crown that consists of the Great Lakes region in the Barrington Coast. The lake stretches for 25 kilometres between Wallingat State Forest and a sliver of land separating the lake from the sea.

We break for morning tea and a chance to browse the Forster Arts and Crafts Centre. This is the largest working craft centre in NSW, providing an exciting and fascinating collection of handcrafted pieces. Back on board we continue on to Newcastle where the friendly folk at the Queens Wharf Hotel will be waiting to greet us for lunch.

Our travels this afternoon take us through the stunning Central Coast - a vibrant mix of quaint seaside towns and hinterland villages. We reach Sydney late afternoon. Dinner tonight will be at the hotel. The evening is free to immerse ourselves in VIVID or simply relax in the hotel.

Uncovering the sights of Sydney today we make our way to the Harbour foreshore and Mrs Macquarie’s Chair. The chair, carved out of the sandstone by convicts for Governor Lachlan Macquarie’s wife to watch the activity on the Harbour offers great views of the Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Fort Denison.

Afterwards there will be time to wander along Circular Quay and feel the ambiance that only Sydney can exude with plenty of eating choices for lunch. This afternoon we make our way to the Sydney Opera House for a guided tour. We see the theatres, discover the stories, history and magic of the House and learn how architect Jorn Utzon’s heritage listed masterpiece came to life. We then have an enchanting evening ahead. Dinner tonight will be located 82 floors above the city CBD, in the iconic Sydney Tower Restaurant.

SkyFeast offers spectacular, 360- degree revolving views of the harbour and city below showcasing all the brilliance that Sydney Vivid Lights have to offer.

This morning we head across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and onto Manly where we have some time at leisure before we take a tour of the Quarantine Station at North Head. For many, this historical site was the beginning of a new life in Australia and today you’ll hear the personal stories of the passengers quarantined and the dedicated staff who lived and worked on site. After our interesting tour we’ll sit down to enjoy lunch.

Returning to the hotel you’ll have time to relax before a fantastic farewell dinner. As darkness falls, Sydney’s transformed into a spectacular canvas of light, filled with creativity and inspiration. Transferring to our vessel, we commence our dazzling Vivid Lights Cruise! Enjoy dinner while witnessing the city come to life with immersive light installations and projections. What a magical way to end our stay in Sydney.

Today we leave the hustle and bustle of Sydney behind and head for the beauty of the Blue Mountains. Following breakfast, we head to Penrith where we board the Nepean Belle Paddlewheeler for a morning cruise on the Nepean River, with the opulent scenery of the Blue Mountains National Park around us. The Nepean Belle is a romantic old-world style Paddlewheeler. Reflecting the grace and charm of yester-year, the "Belle's" interiors are beautifully panelled with stained timbers featuring cedar and teak.

This afternoon we arrive in the Blue Mountains and immerse ourselves in nature at Scenic World. Descend into the Jamison Valley on the world’s steepest train, the Scenic Railway, glide on the Cableway past the iconic Three Sisters, take a stroll beneath ancient rainforest or journey between cliff tops taking in the panoramic views of World Heritage landscapes on the Scenic Skyway – the choice is yours!

We complete our day with a visit to Echo Point and see the Three Sisters at Katoomba – a great stop for a photo opportunity! It’s time now to make our way to Lithgow.

Today we farewell the Blue Mountains and head through the stunning Capertee Valley, the world’s second largest canyon. Making a stop for morning tea from the coach along the way we follow the Bylong Valley Way passing through Denman reaching Muswellbrook early afternoon. It’s time to sit back, relax and let our tastebuds dance with the flavours of the region at Hunter Belle Cheese. Viewing windows into the cheese making, maturation and packing rooms allow us to understand how cheese is made from the milk of Brown Swiss Cows.

We are enjoying our time here so much we stay on for a delicious lunch however the main attraction is “Bessie” a life-sized Fibreglass cow that can be hand milked, showing first hand exactly where milk comes from.

From here we make our way through to Tamworth stopping briefly for a group photo opportunity at the iconic Big Golden Guitar and a look through the onsite National Guitar and Gallery of Stars Wax Museum. A visit to the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame is a must while in Tamworth. Here, we learn all about the story of Australian country music through fascinating exhibits and brilliant displays of memorabilia from legendary artists such as Slim Dusty to new stars like Keith Urban and Kasey Chambers. We have time to relax a little at the hotel before our farewell dinner.

Sadly, our tour must come to an end today! Departing Tamworth, we travel up to Oxley Scenic Lookout, located on Bald Hill, for some fantastic views over the city and region. Our journey takes us through rich sheep and cattle country.

We arrive in Glen Innes, known fondly as the ‘Land of the Beardies” for a morning tea break from the coach. The town was settled by Scots and regards itself as the Celtic capital of New England.

We continue through to Tenterfield, often referred to as the birthplace of the nation. It was here that Sir Henry Parkes made his famous speech which set the federation of Australia in motion. We visit the School of the Arts, where the celebrated speech took place, before time in town to purchase lunch.

We continue over the Queensland border arriving home mid-afternoon with some fond memories of our fabulous getaway.