Sydney: Royal National Park Coast & Rainforest, Koalas & Lunch
Description
Epic coastal hike, lagoon swim and picnic in Royal National Park. Maximum 7 guests, flexible itinerary, rare mix of coast, rainforest and lagoon that most tours never combine. Royal National Park is stunning all year. In winter, humpback whales migrate along this coastline with a real chance of spotting them from the clifftops. In summer, swim in the lagoon and ocean at Wattamolla Beach. Pickup from Sydney. Coastal hike to Wedding Cake Rock or Eagle Rock, sandstone cliffs and wide ocean views. In warmer months a clifftop picnic with local cheeses and fresh fruit. In cooler months a warm café lunch along the Grand Pacific Drive. Ancient rainforest trail through ferns, palms and towering eucalyptus. Optional Symbio Wildlife Park koala session. Sea Cliff Bridge stop on the way home. Around 8 km, moderate. Pace always flexible, day adapts to you. Consistently rated the highlight of their entire Sydney trip by our guests.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Start your day with an easy pickup from Sydney CBD and leave the city behind as we head south into Royal National Park, where the cliffs meet the Pacific and the air already feels different. We start with a coastal hike to either Wedding Cake Rock or Eagle Rock, depending on the weather and how challenging you’d like the walk to be on the day. Both routes take you across sandstone cliffs and coastal tracks with wide open ocean views and some of the most beautiful scenery in the park.
One of the oldest trails in Royal National Park, this forest path winds through tall eucalyptus trees and lush ferns, with soft ground underfoot and filtered light through the canopy. You’ll walk at an easy pace along shaded tracks, surrounded by birdsong and the fresh scent of the bush. It’s a quieter, more grounded part of the park, rich in history and feeling. Along the way, there are moments to pause, take in the textures of the forest, and simply be immersed in nature.
Wattamolla Beach Picnic & Swim After the hike, unwind at Wattamolla Beach, a lagoon-style paradise perfect for a refreshing swim and picnic. Enjoy a spread prepared by a local caterer, featuring local cheeses, marinated olives, freshly made dips, crackers, falafel with hummus, dolmades, and seasonal fruit, paired with refreshing locally brewed kombucha.
Next, we head to Symbio Wildlife Park for the 3 pm koala education session. We arrive on time on purpose, as this is when the koalas are awake and moving. You’ll learn about them, see them up close and understand why this timing is so special. There’s also time to walk among kangaroos and take photos.
Quick photo stop at Otford Lookout for those big coastal views, and if the ice cream truck’s there, we’ll grab a cheeky treat.
Visit the iconic Sea Cliff Bridge for a short walk and incredible ocean views before heading back to Sydney, relaxed and full of memories from the day.
Grand Pacific Drive & Coastal Viewpoint After leaving the park, we’ll drive along the spectacular Grand Pacific Drive, one of Australia’s most scenic coastal routes. Soak in the sweeping ocean views and stop for photos at a panoramic lookout.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(26)
We had such an amazing experience with Sabina! From the moment we met her, she was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable and made the entire day feel relaxed and enjoyable rather than rushed. She took us to some breathtaking locations that we would never have discovered on our own, shared interesting local stories, and made sure everyone was comfortable throughout the tour. Her passion for Sydney and the surrounding national parks really shines through. As a bonus, Sabina also captured beautiful photos of us during the trip and sent them through afterwards, which was such a thoughtful touch and means we have wonderful memories to look back on. If you’re looking for a small-group tour that’s personal, well-organised and full of hidden gems, I highly recommend booking with Sabina and Beyond Guidebook. Thank you again for such a memorable experience!
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a thoughtful review. Reading messages like this truly means the world to us. We're so happy you enjoyed discovering some of our favourite places and that the day felt relaxed and personal. That's exactly the kind of experience we hope every guest takes home. We're also glad you enjoyed the photos. We know how special it is to have memories you can look back on long after the trip is over. Thank you for choosing Beyond Guidebook and for recommending us to future travellers. We hope our paths cross again someday. Safe travels and all the best for the rest of your adventures!
We love this tour with Sabina, she is such an easy going guide. She prepared everything in advance. She is also very punctual in time. Took good care of my parents as they can't really walk much. She was very attentive to everything we asked. Eventually she was more like a friend than a guide. The tour itself is very chill and not rushing. You have plenty of time to do everything without rushing at all. We had a fun day with Sabina.
Thank you for such a thoughtful review! It makes us incredibly happy to hear that the day felt relaxed and enjoyable from start to finish. We believe the best experiences happen when there's no need to rush, so we're glad you had plenty of time to take everything in. We're especially pleased that your parents felt comfortable throughout the day. Making sure everyone can enjoy the experience at their own pace is something we genuinely care about. Thank you for spending the day with us. We hope your Australian adventure continues to be full of great memories!
what a wonderful day! Sabina has created a flexible itinerary that allows the people on the tour to get what they want out of the experience, while visiting some seriously awesome locations. Along the way Sabina shared interesting facts about the locations and kept me interested, excited and engaged throughout. I was surprised by the amount of things we were able to do, while the itinerary felt relaxed, well planned and efficient. Some of my favorite moments were seeing several whales wandering along the coast, all the fun birds we heard and saw, and the koalas at Symbio (seriously, what a great place!). I highly recommend this tour, and will be booking more with Sabina when I return to Sydney.
Thank you so much for this. It genuinely made my day. The whales really turned it on for us that morning, didn't they? And Symbio never disappoints. I love that the relaxed pace worked for you while we still fit so much in. That balance is exactly what I'm chasing on every walk. Come find me next time you're in Sydney; there's plenty more coast to explore. :)
Went on a tour with Sabina via Getyourguide! Mum and I were very appreciative: it was def a highlight of our Sydney trip. Lunch wasn't very protein heavy but hummus was yummy and guide was attentive throughout ❤️
Thank you so much, so happy it was a highlight of your Sydney trip! That means a lot. And noted on the lunch, I am always looking to make the picnic even better so I appreciate the feedback. So glad you and your mum had a wonderful day out there! Hope to see you both again soon. Sabina, Beyond Guidebook
Sabina is great person and guide! I had a wonderful time with her, very open and fun person. It seemed that I was with friend because she makes you feel so comfortable. She took us to an amazing and beautiful landscape in the royal national park. I definitely recommend her ! I’ll try to book another tour with her.
Thank you so much for these beautiful words 🌳 That is the greatest compliment. Feeling like you are walking with a friend rather than a guide is exactly the experience I want every single person to have! Royal National Park never disappoints and I am so glad we got to explore it together. I would absolutely love to have you back on the trails again! Sabina
Our day with Sabina was incredible, from pick up at our hotel, to drop off at the end of the day. She tailored to day to our interests. We love hiking and being outdoors. Her knowledge of wildlife and fauna added so much to our adventure. Little touches like a coffee and coconut cookie in the morning to a charming picnic lunch, snack on a beautiful overlook, made our day so memorable. speaking of memorable, within a couple hours we received her wonderful photos. I try to take lots of photos but to have so many photos that are not selfies of our day will help us relive our amazing day forever. Thank you Sabina for an incredible Aussie adventure. We will always carry Sabina in our hearts and hope our paths cross again. I highly recommend this tour.
Hi Sue & James, Thank you so much for such a beautiful message, it means a lot. I’m really glad you felt the day was tailored to you, that’s always the intention, to make it feel personal and not just like another tour. It was such a good day out, and I loved sharing it with you both. Thank you again for trusting me with your time here. I’ll definitely remember this one as well. If you’re ever back in Sydney, reach out, would be lovely to cross paths again. See you out there 🙂
Fantastic experience that provided an escape from the busy city life of Sydney. We were able to see some spectacular views through an enjoyable hike followed by a carefully prepared lunch consisting of local cheeses and crackers. I recommend this excursion without hesitation ! I also booked a separate excursion with the same tour company a day later to experience a different hike through the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. As fabulous and enjoyable. You will not be disappointed.
Thank you so much for this, really means a lot! So glad you got to step away from the city and properly enjoy it out there. That mix of the hike, the views, and just slowing down over a simple picnic… that’s exactly what it’s all about. And love that you came back for Ku-ring-gai as well. Two completely different landscapes, but both have their own kind of magic. Really appreciate the recommendation and the trust across both days. Hope the memories stay with you for a long time 😊
Everything about our day with Sabina was fabulous! Extremely recommend this hike!!!
Thank you so much, that really means a lot! I loved sharing the day with you and I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Appreciate the recommendation and hope our paths cross again somewhere out there!
Phenomenal experience! Sabina our host and guide was knowledgeable and very helpful providing us with umbrellas when it rained. We were lucky the sun came out in the afternoon when we arrived at the waterfall, river and beach for a swim The food was delicious, we devoured it all Highly recommend!
Thank you so much for this, I really appreciate it 🙏 The weather gave us a bit of everything that day, but I’m so glad we got that sunshine in the end for the swim. It always feels like a little reward after the rain. Really grateful you joined me and I hope to see you again out there sometime 🫶
Amazing day Sabina was well organised well planed for the day despite the weather conditions she made the day amazing from the forest walk to the picnic then the swim wow all covered in one day amazing. Grateful for today and looking forward to booking again soon thank you 🙏
Thank you so much for this, it really means a lot 🫶 The weather definitely kept us on our toes, but I’m so glad we got to experience it all together, from the forest to the swim and that picnic moment in between. Really appreciate you trusting the day and going with the flow. I’d love to take you out again anytime 🙏
