Sydney One Day Tours

[Nancy53]

We will be in Sydney, Australia in November, this year and will only have 2 days there before we leave on our cruise. Our time is going to be limited so I need to plan accordingly.

I plan on staying around the harbor where the cruise ships leave and would like the day we fly in to be able to drop our luggage and walk around the harbor, maybe do the harbor cruise and the opera house or just generally walk around that area.

Then the next day I would like to be picked up from our hotel (don't know where we are staying yet) and do the day tour to the Blue Mountaines to include the railway car, three sisters and Featherdale Wildlife Park to see the animals.

Can anyone first recommend a nice hotel around that area that would pick us up and do the one day tour to the Blue Mountaines and the Featherdale Wildlife Park. Not looking for a luxury hotel just something convenient and comfortable and safe. Was looking at the Holiday Inn, Sydney Harbor or something like that.

Which tour company would be the best that includes the Blue Mountaines and especially the Featherdale Wildlife Park because we want to see the animals in their natural areas. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I guess the morning of the cruise before boarding the ship we could also get a little sight seeing in.

Thanks.:)

[mochuck]

I don't think the hotels in Sydney have pick up services from the airport. They would probably organise a limo for you. There are shuttle bus services but they go everywhere. I would probably just get a taxi.

 

As for a hotel - the Sydney Harbour Marriott seems to be the one that most people recommend here - it is very well located right at Circular Quay and walking distance to the Opera House etc.

 

Wonderbus seems like a good tour to the Blue Mountains. I've also heard people talk about Activity Tours but reading their description of what is included they say National Park entrance fees. As far as I'm aware there are NO entrance fees to the Blue Mountains National Park. So I'm not sure what that is about.

[Annecj]

We thoroughly enjoyed our day tour with Anderson Tours to Featherdale and the Blue Mountains (and some other interesting sites). The tour included the railway car and the other ride. We were picked up at our hotel and then the tour ended with a ferry trip back down into Sydney harbor. We stayed at the Four Points Sheraton in Darling Harbor and would recommend it highly.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Just do a google search on Sydney Day Tours,

lots of operators and they will all pick up and drop off , from hotels.

[VROOM]

Hi

 

I am from australia. To get from the Airport in Sydney into the city the quickest and cheapest way is the Airport express train. It costs about $20 AUD return and slightly more than half that one way. it takes about 15 mins and will be way cheaper than a taxi which can take an hour if the traffic is bad. I have caught the train from the Airport to where my parents live many times with luggage and it is not difficult. there are escalators and lifts at the airport and lifts in the city. I would bet that your hotel will be around Circular Quay train station (harbour). You could do the Harbour Bridge Climb which is fabulous and even better at night. it is about $150 AUD but every one i know who has done it loved it. My son has done it. Another thing you can do is walk across the bridge on the footpath to Milsons Point or North sydney and walk back or catch the train. You get a pretty good view.

The Blue Mountains is very beautiful and you could quite easily catch a train up there from the city. They have express services that only stop a few stops it is about 2 hours i think on the train but would take most of that by bus or car and there is a lot of traffic. If you are interested in any other information i can try to find you some links. My cousin drives a taxi in Katoomba (Blue Mountains main town) and i could find out if he could take you on a tour. He has a lot of local knowledge and him and his brother organised a family reunion that we went to and we went around to lots of the tourist attractions. If i still lived in Sydney i may have been able to meet you and show you around. You didn't say where you were from.

 

Maree

Albury Australia

[donaldsc]

Hi

 

I am from australia. To get from the Airport in Sydney into the city the quickest and cheapest way is the Airport express train. It costs about $20 AUD return and slightly more than half that one way. it takes about 15 mins and will be way cheaper than a taxi which can take an hour if the traffic is bad. I have caught the train from the Airport to where my parents live many times with luggage and it is not difficult. there are escalators and lifts at the airport and lifts in the city. I would bet that your hotel will be around Circular Quay train station (harbour). You could do the Harbour Bridge Climb which is fabulous and even better at night. it is about $150 AUD but every one i know who has done it loved it. My son has done it. Another thing you can do is walk across the bridge on the footpath to Milsons Point or North sydney and walk back or catch the train. You get a pretty good view.

 

Maree

Albury Australia

 

I just came back from Australia. Her suggestions on Sydney are dead on, except that I might suggest the twilight bridge climb instead of the night climb. You go up in daylight, watch the sun set from the top of the bridge, and then come down at night.

 

I would add that you should spend some time riding the ferries. Pick any ferry - you can't go wrong.

 

We really lucked out on our ferry trip as the P&O cruise ship was leaving harbour as we were on the ferry. My picture of the ship under the harbour bridge is wonderful.

 

DON

[kenish]

This thread is a big help, we will be in SYD in 4 weeks and I'm planning a trip to the Blue Mts. We also want to do the Bridge Climb.

 

Since it will be winter, I hear the weather or visibility changes between bad and clear sometimes on a day to day basis. I'm thinking about not booking a Blue Mts. tour until I get to SYD or possibly the week before from Cairns when a SYD forecast is available. Is this a good idea, or am I likely to find the better tour operators booked up? (This is July 7-10, not sure how busy tourism is that week). Same question for the Bridge Climb...is there a chance the weather will be very wet, making the climb a poor experience and making it smarter to book on short notice?

[mochuck]

I think you might be OK leaving it until you get here. It is our winter so tourism is not so busy.

[maclady]

We booked the Sydney Marriott for 3 nights in January for $130 on Priceline. We bid for a 5 star Sydney Hotel. It might be less in November. I have heard that the Menzies is also good and centrally located and you might find an even better rate at that hotel. Try Priceline ,Hotwire, and Easyclick for good hotel rates. Let us know how your Blue Mountain tour goes because we want to do that too. Karen

[MMDown Under]

We booked the Sydney Marriott for 3 nights in January for $130 on Priceline. We bid for a 5 star Sydney Hotel. It might be less in November. I have heard that the Menzies is also good and centrally located and you might find an even better rate at that hotel. Try Priceline ,Hotwire, and Easyclick for good hotel rates. Let us know how your Blue Mountain tour goes because we want to do that too. Karen

 

Try the hotels themselves as well, as they often have specials.

 

Hilton hotels have specials 2 nights for the price of 1 at present, as it is winter here.

 

Accor hotels, which are all over Sydney, often have good specials.

[Globaliser]

We booked the Sydney Marriott for 3 nights in January for $130 on Priceline. We bid for a 5 star Sydney Hotel.

Just for clarity, was this the Sydney Harbour Marriott?

 

I know that the other Marriott sometimes turns up, but I think only on 4* bids. So it would be comforting to know that you got the hotel that we all know and love (in Priceline terms).

[gaggaandbj]

We will be on the Diamond Princess in Feb 2010. Any suggestions for tours in Melbourne & Tasmania ports?

[maclady]

Just for clarity, was this the Sydney Harbour Marriott?

 

I know that the other Marriott sometimes turns up, but I think only on 4* bids. So it would be comforting to know that you got the hotel that we all know and love (in Priceline terms).

 

It is the SYdney Harbour Marrriott-so it is a great deal for $130. I would suggest for January to start bidding at $115 to $120. For non-high season ,like November start at $100-$110.$130 was the maximum we planned to pay.If we hadn't gotten it at that price,I would have waited and tried again. The Boards have shown that that is the 5 star hotel you get on Priceline for Sydney. Karen

[Nancy53]

I think we have decided to stay at the Four Points Sheraton in Darling Harbor in November. I thought I had fgiured out what we were going to do but now reading some other boards don't know. Originally we were flying in on November 12th arriving around 8:00 am., thought we would take a cab to the hotel, drop off our luggage and do some sightseeing abound Darling Harbor like maybe the aquarium and maybe a harbor cruise.

Then the next day do the onen day tour of the Blue Mountains and the Featherdale Wildlife Park along with the harbor cruise for the last thing and get dropped off pretty close to our hotel. But now am not sure. Alot of people are saying that the trip to the Blue Mountains is not really worth it especially if the weather is not good. I have seen alot of mountaines like the Grand Canyon, the Grand Canyon in Hawaii, the mountains in California, the Rockies, Canadian rockies, Norway, Western North Carolina mountaines. Are the blue mountaines going to be anything different?

I don't want to be rushed through the Featherdale Wildlife Park and some say that its a long day on the one day tour. When we arrive on the day of the flight is there an easy way to get to the Featherdale Wildlife Park on a half day tour maybe from the hotel? The the next day we can still do the one day tour of the mountains and the zoo but don't have to rush.

If you take Anderson Tours how long do you get to stay at the Featherdale Wildlife Park. That is the main place we want to go to see the animals.

[Annecj]

We also stayed at the Four Points and Anderson Tours picked us up at the hotel very early in the morning. Featherdale was our first stop and I think we spent about 1 1/2 hours. I did not feel rushed and we certainly saw, fed and petted the animals. Next we stopped at a park for tea, coffee and cake and boomerang throwing lessons. Fun. The ride to the Blue Mtns. is lengthy but worth it and they do have a blue hue to them. The scenery is good. We had a very good lunch at a golf club and also saw some of the Olympic venues before the ferry ride back down the river. Our guide, John, was very informative and funny. It was six o'clock by the time we got back to Darling Harbor.

[rjscott]

Nancy,

The Blue Mtns are very scenic, and more like the mountains on the eastern coast of the U.S. than the Rockies. And, yes, they can get socked in by weather and so make your viewing of the area less than optimal. We spent two days in the Blue Mtns and we had a 1/2 day of rain the first day, and on our second morning, we awoke to very dense fog. Luckily, it burned off by late morning, so we had a wonderful afternoon, but it really is all in the luck of the draw. We love the wild animal parks in Australia, and so we spent the better part of a day at Featherdale. Perhaps you might just want to plan a visit there? Here's a site that offers tours to Featherdale: http://www.partner.viator.com/en/1810/tours/Sydney/Sydney-Featherdale-Wildlife-Park-Cuddle-a-Koala-Tour/d357-3998_260 Or, you could take a combination of the train and bus to Featherdale, if you're adventurous. It's not difficult and the transit people are very helpful. The bus stops just outside the park. Here's the site for planning a trip on the transit: http://www.131500.info/realtime/default.asp

Hope this helps!

Becki