Sydney to Brisbane Road Trip Itinerary: The 10 Best Places to Visit for an Extraordinary Trip

One of my fondest memories from the past two years is my Sydney to Brisbane road trip itinerary, which I completed in just over three weeks.

With 10 official stops on my itinerary, I ticked off many bucket-list destinations: Byron Bay, Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Hunter Valley…

I also discovered lesser-known places that whisked me off my feet when I least expected it. These include Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens and Caves Beach.

I finally saw koalas in person, and spent many, many idle hours at stunning beaches, recovering from the previous days’ hikes.

I did the famous Sydney to Brisbane road trip in reverse: a Brisbane to Sydney road trip.

However, in this blog post, I’m going to trace the route from south to north, from Sydney to Brisbane.

I’ll also discuss how to do this itinerary by van or car, Greyhound and public transport. I used a combination of all three.

Planning a Cairns to Brisbane road trip too (or the reverse direction)? I took this famous road trip using the Greyhound, and wrote a detailed guide to get you on your way.

Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. If you decide to click through and make a qualifying purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you – thanks for your support.

Is the Famous Sydney to Brisbane Road Trip Worth It?

For many people, a Sydney to Brisbane road trip is a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

So, is it worth it? I’m going to be brutally honest.

When I set out on my road trip, I had just finished up a one-month Cairns to Brisbane road trip.

Between Cairns and Brisbane, I was blown away by many destinations: the Great Barrier Reef, K’Gari (Fraser Island) and the Whitsundays especially.

On my Sydney to Brisbane itinerary, I had way fewer ‘wow’ moments. However, for relaxation, it was far superior.

For one, there are many safe swimming and surfing beaches on this itinerary. In comparison, between Brisbane and Cairns, many of the beaches were off-limits due to crocodiles and dangerous stingers (jellyfish).

So, I really appreciated my Sydney to Brisbane trip for giving me the chance to surf, swim, hike and relax. Mostly, the trip made me feel relaxed instead of excited or over-stimulated.

Caves Beach

In my opinion, the best places to visit from Sydney to Cairns are Sydney, the Blue Mountains (for incredible hiking trails), Port Stephens (for beaches and hiking) and Caves Beach and Lake Macquarie (for underrated beaches).

Here are some highlights of the route…

• Exploring Sydney: the Sydney Opera House, botanic gardens and the Coogee to Bondi coastal walk are some highlights.
• The Blue Mountains: incredible hikes, scenery and waterfalls.
• Surfing beaches.
• Incredible coastal walks.
• Koalas.
• Wine tasting in the Hunter Valley.
• Byron Bay, famous for its laidback beach lifestyle.

Sydney to Brisbane Road Trip Distance

There are around 580 miles from Cairns to Brisbane.

The journey takes 10 to 11 hours by road without traffic. The Greyhound bus takes longer because it makes regular stops along the route.

Here’s a quick look at the best places to visit from Sydney to Brisbane, along with the drive times.

1. Sydney
2. Blue Mountains: two-hour train or an hour and 40 minutes’ drive
3. Caves Beach: two hours and 35 minutes
4. Lake Macquarie: 45 minutes
5. Newcastle: 45 minutes
6. Hunter Valley (Pokolbin): an hour and 15 minutes
7. Port Stephens: 55 minutes
8. Port Macquarie: two hours and 15 minutes
9. Byron Bay: four hours
10. Brisbane: two hours and 45 minutes

I visited every single one of these destinations on my Brisbane to Sydney trip.

For each one, I’ll share my experience at each destination and whether I think it is worth visiting.

There are many more ‘offbeat’ destinations that you can visit en route, so Google Maps is your best friend for searching for nearby hikes, waterfalls and attractions.

How Long Do You Need to Go From Sydney to Brisbane?

It took me just over three weeks to finish my Sydney to Brisbane road trip.

However, I purposefully took my time. I even spent one full week in Byron Bay, with the aim of catching up on some writing in between exploring.

Ideally, you need at least 10 days to two weeks to do this road trip.

How to Get from Sydney to Brisbane

There are three main ways to get from Sydney to Brisbane: van or car, the Greyhound, or public transport.

1. Van or car

In my opinion, travelling by van is the best way to explore.

You don’t need to think about bus schedules, which gives you more freedom to explore off the beaten track.

This is an easy route with well-maintained roads. The longest drive is from Port Macquarie to Byron Bay, which lasts four hours.

Most of the drives range from 45 minutes to two or three hours.

In Australia, they drive on the left-hand side of the road.

If you want to rent a car instead of a van, Discover Cars is a nice option.

The website allows you to select a different drop-off location, so you can pick up your car in Sydney and drop it off in Brisbane.

Unless you plan to sleep in your car, you will need to book hotels. Therefore, hiring a van usually works out cheaper overall.

2. Greyhound and public transport

Aside from hiring a car one time in Byron Bay, I used a combination of the Greyhound bus and public transport to travel from Brisbane to Sydney.

For the first part of my trip, I used the Greyhound East Coast Whimit Travel Pass. This pass gave me 30 days of unlimited Greyhound tickets between Melbourne and Cairns for $449.

I had already used up most of my pass on my Cairns to Brisbane trip, so it ran out in Newcastle.

Instead of renewing it, I decided to continue my trip using public transport only — and it was easier than I expected.

From Newcastle, I took a public bus to and from Port Stephens. I also took the train to Singleton, which I used as a base to explore the Hunter Valley vineyards.

Once I was back in Newcastle, I continued my trip to Sydney by train.

From Sydney, I took the train to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. In the Blue Mountains, I used public buses and tours to get around.

My Sydney to Brisbane Road Trip Itinerary

Without further ado, let’s jump into my full itinerary, including all of the best places to visit from Sydney to Brisbane.

1. Sydney

Best for: Surfing, beaches and sightseeing

Time needed: 2 – 4 days

I spent just over one week in Sydney looking after a 17-year-old dog through Trusted Housesitters.

I was curious whether Sydney would live up to the hype, and it sure did…

Firstly, the beach culture is totally unlike anywhere else I have been.

Along the Coogee to Bondi coastal walk, the beaches and ocean pools were packed with locals taking their morning swim or surfing.

The coastal walk ends at Bondi Beach, which is, of course, an iconic destination in Sydney.

As a huge fan of the Bondi Beach TV show, it was incredible to see the lifeguard hut and Flat Rock in person.

Bondi Beach is located next to the Bondi Icebergs, a licensed swimming club that has been open since 1929. It’s another iconic photograph spot in the city.

Of course, there are also many famous landmarks in Sydney.

Top of the list is the Sydney Opera House, which hosts 40 shows per week.

If you don’t fancy purchasing opera tickets, you can admire the opera house from the outside instead. One of the most popular (and adventurous) ways to do this is by taking a sunrise kayaking tour.

I chose to take in the view of the opera house from the Royal Botanic Garden, which is free to enter and one of the best sunset spots in Sydney.

There are several other popular tourist activities in Sydney. The Sydney Skywalk, suspended 268 meters above ground, has incredible views over Darling Harbour.

You can also do the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb at day or night for a different angle of the harbour.

I really liked The Rocks area for a light stroll and souvenir shopping.

The Rocks

Established in 1788, the historic neighbourhood has heritage-listed sandstone architecture and a variety of art galleries and museums.

The options are pretty endless in Sydney, and with a great public transport network, the city is easily accessible even if you don’t have a vehicle.

Where to Stay in Sydney

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2. Blue Mountains

Best for: Hiking, waterfalls and scenery

Time needed: 2 – 5 days

The Blue Mountains is my favourite destination on the Sydney to Brisbane road trip itinerary.

Formed millions of years ago, the mountainous region is only a two-hour detour from Sydney.

If you like hiking, the Blue Mountains are pretty much paradisiacal.

I based myself at Flying Fox Backpackers in Katoomba (also my favourite hostel from the trip) and spent four full days hiking and visiting local waterfalls.

On the first day, I completed the Grand Canyon Walking Track, a six-kilometre hiking loop through a sandstone gorge with several small waterfalls.

This historic trail has been open since 1907, and it was deliciously misty when I visited.

On my second day, the sun came out. I visited Minnehaha Falls, a 20-metre waterfall that only required a short hike.

I spent the whole morning there swimming and sunbathing with new friends, until the sun disappeared behind the cliffs in the early afternoon. It was my favourite waterfall in the Blue Mountains overall.

Minnehaha Falls

The most famous landmark in the Blue Mountains is the Three Sisters, which I visited on my third day.

Formed over 200 million years ago, these three rock formations tower over the surrounding mountains. There are many interesting facts about the Three Sisters, including an aboriginal legend.

From the Echo Point viewpoint (directly accessible from Katoomba), you can then descend down the Giant Stairway.

I only walked down a short section of the Giant Stairway because earlier that day, I took the Leura Falls bush walk (within walking distance of Katoomba) past several misty waterfalls.

Leura Falls

Finally, on my fourth day in the Blue Mountains, I decided to take a canyoning tour at Empress Falls.

Although they include a 30-metre abseil down a slippery waterfall, these tours are pegged as beginner-friendly.

Honestly, the tour was a little too adventurous for me. I have abseiled many times before, but the waterfall was extremely heavy when I visited, so I found that part quite terrifying.

If the area has just had some heavy rainfall, be aware when you’re booking the activity.

Where to Stay in the Blue Mountains

The best area to stay in the Blue Mountains is Katoomba.

The town has good public transport connections (including a train to Sydney), making it easy to get around without a vehicle.

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3. Caves Beach

Best for: Scenic beach day

Time needed: 1 Day

You only need a few hours to explore Caves Beach, which is two and a half hour’s drive away from the Blue Mountains (and even less from Sydney).

I loved the morning I spent at Caves Beach, because it has a series of natural sea caves that you can explore.

At low tide, I strolled through a sandstone cave to the southern end of the beach, where there are yet more sea caves.

After taking some pictures, I headed back to the main beach to spend a couple of hours swimming and sunbathing.

There are toilets and changing rooms at the beach, so the set-up is very convenient if you simply want a traditional beach day.

Caves Beach is a nice, easy stop-off on the drive from Sydney to Newcastle.

There are some lovely places to stay overnight in the area, but you only really need a couple of hours at this stop.

I visited Caves Beach and Lake Macquarie by public bus (the number 14) from Newcastle. The bus only took one hour each way.

Where to Stay at Caves Beach

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4. Lake Macquarie

Best for: Lakefront beach with gentle water

Time needed: 1 Day

I was sunbathing on Caves Beach and contemplating when to take the number 14 bus back towards Newcastle, I noticed that there was a gorgeous white-sand beach, Naru Beach, nearby.

The beach was on Lake Macquarie, rather than next to the ocean.

Even better, to reach this beach, all I had to do was take the same bus (the number 14).

Instead of riding all the way to Newcastle, I could make a stop halfway at the Pacific Hwy at Docker St bus stop.

From there, it was only a five-minute walk to Naru Beach. It was an easy decision to spend a couple of hours at the beach before continuing my journey on the number 14 bus to Newcastle.

My last-minute decision to visit Naru Beach turned out to be an excellent decision.

The sand was white, warm and uncrowded. The water was incredibly clear and very calm aside from a couple of obvious currents carrying the lakewater away.

The beach barely had any tourists, just many local families enjoying the sun and sand.

If you have time, I recommend spending a couple of hours at Naru Beach to soak in the scenery. I doubt you’ll regret it.

There are also cruises available at Lake Macquarie, which usually involve a boat trip and a guided nature walk in the Lake Macquarie State Conservation Area.

Where to Stay at Lake Macquarie

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5. Newcastle

Best for: Coastal walks, swimming holes and beaches

Time needed: 1 – 2 days

You don’t need long to explore Newcastle, a lively city with busy beaches and a couple of ocean pools.

My main interest in Newcastle was hiking the coastal walk from Merewether Beach to Nobbys Beach.

I took the bus (number 21) from YHA Newcastle Beach to Merewether Beach to get coffee and visit the Merewether Ocean Baths.

After following the coastal walk towards King Edward Park, I arrived at Bogey Hole.

This ocean pool was carved into the rock by convicts during the city’s colonial rule.

Further along the coastal walk, there are more ocean baths: the Newcastle Ocean Baths.

There is also Fort Scratchley, built in the 1880s (if you’re lucky, you may spot migrating whales from here).

Bogey Hole

What else is there to see in Newcastle?

Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle Art Gallery and the Hunter Wetlands are some popular spots if you fancy some sightseeing.

Overall, I liked Newcastle’s coastal walk. The city itself reminded me of Manchester in the UK, so I felt quite at home.

Where to Stay in Newcastle

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6. Hunter Valley

Best for: Vineyards, wine tasting and kangaroos

Time needed: 1 – 2 days

The Hunter Valley (Hunter Region) is a nice way to add some variety to your Sydney to Brisbane road trip.

The region is one of Australia’s best-known wine-producing regions. The industry has been thriving since the early 1800s, with Semillon and Shiraz proving particularly successful.

The Hunter Valley also has a large population of kangaroos.

I saw four throughout my few days in the region, a couple on a hiking trail and the other two hopping through the vineyards.

Most of the wineries are located in Pokolbin, which isn’t accessible by public transport.

Most of the wineries offer cellar door wine tastings and vineyard tours (bookable through their website), so you can easily drive around yourself without booking a tour.

After challenging myself to explore the Hunter Valley without a car, I quickly came to the clear conclusion that I really needed a car to explore fully.

Firstly, I took the train from Newcastle to Singleton, where my friend and I stayed at the Royal Hotel Singleton.

From Singleton, we had to take two buses from Singleton to Cessnock in order to qualify for pick-up for a full-day tour of the wineries and vineyards in Pokolbin. It was doable but long-winded.

On another day, we did the Mount Bright trail without a car. Somehow, we managed to call an Uber to the trailhead (success!).

We made it to the summit with some minor navigation difficulties. However, after returning to the start of the trail, it proved impossible to call another Uber.

Instead, we called a taxi (using a local taxi company number) to take us back to a bus stop in Cessnock. Again, it was long-winded but doable.

Next time, I’d save myself the hassle and hire a car in Newcastle using Discover Cars.

Alternatively, missing out the hiking trail, I would take a full-day Hunter Valley tour from Sydney.

Where to Stay in the Hunter Valley

You’re best off basing yourself in Pokolbin, where most of the wineries and vineyards are located. Ideally, you need a car or van to get around.

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7. Port Stephens

Best for: Beaches, hiking and sandboarding

Time needed: 2 Days

Tucked on a peninsula just off Newcastle, Port Stephens is easily overlooked.

However, it’s one of the most scenic areas I visited on the trip. Plus, it has 32 kilometres of sand dunes, making it extremely popular for sandboarding.

Port Stephens district is made up of a series of laidback beach towns and villages, most with long, sandy beaches.

I stayed at Melaleuca Surfside Backpackers on the main road between Boat Harbour and One Mile Beach.

The rainforest-style hostel turned out to be a great base for visiting the local towns and villages by bus. It is a five-minute walk from One Mile Beach, a popular surfing spot.

Boat Harbour, 20 minutes away by bus, has a whale-watching lookout.

Anna Bay is also nearby. This is where the popular Port Stephens sandboarding tours take place along the Stockton Sand Dunes, accessible by four-wheel drive from Birubi beach.

I had already been sandboarding on Moreton Island near Brisbane, so I missed this tour. My friend, however, said it was a sure highlight on the road trip.

My favourite activity in Port Stephens was visiting Fingal Beach, where I strolled across the sand (dodging the land-borne jellyfish) to Fingal Head.

Fingal Beach

At low tide, a long strip of sand is revealed leading to Shark Island. You shouldn’t cross this narrow sandbar, as the tides and currents are very unpredictable.

However, the sandbar is gorgeous to look at, especially from the sand dunes behind. The ocean forms a crescent shape on either side of the sand bar.

Fingal Head and Shark Island

I walked directly from Fingal Head to the Tomaree Head Summit walk, making it to the summit just in time for sunset.

Tomaree Mountain was misty when I visited, but it still had decent enough views over Zenith Beach and Shoal Bay.

At Shoal Bay, you can hire paddleboards during the daytime. At night, there are lots of restaurants and bars along the bay that you might want to visit after summiting Tomaree Mountain.

Port Stephens is also a good place to go dolphin and whale spotting; this dolphin spotting tour has over 600 reviews.

The best time to spot humpback whales is from June to July and September to October. Meanwhile, September to May is the best time to go dolphin spotting.

Where to Stay in Port Stephens

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8. Port Macquarie

Best for: Koalas, surfing and coastal walks

Time needed: 1 – 2 Days

For me, Port Macquarie was the most disappointing destination on my itinerary.

Perhaps it was because I did my road trip in reverse (Brisbane to Sydney, but I had already done some very stunning coastal walks in Newcastle and Port Stephens.

Objectively, the Port Macquarie coastal walk is beautiful.

Between the port and Tacking Point Lighthouse, there are many beaches with gold sand and rockpools, bordered by spindly pine trees. However, they are very similar, and quickly merged into one for me.

If you’re a keen surfer, however, you may feel differently.

Early into the hike, you have the option of stopping at Town Beach.

There were handfuls of people surfing at Town Beach when I walked past, although there are no surf schools or surf shops directly at the beach (they are within walking distance, in the town).

There is, however, a surf school at Flynns Beach, an easterly bay with great surfing conditions. The name is Port Macquarie Surf School.

From there, I explored the Sea Acres Rainforest Boardwalk a little and ended my walk at Tacking Point Lighthouse, where I took the bus back to the town.

These are followed by Nobbys Beach and Shelly Beach, two beautiful stretches with rockpools. Shelly Beach is the busier of the pair, with picnic and barbecue areas.

The best thing about Port Macquarie for me was that I had the chance to visit the Koala Conservation Hospital Port Macquarie.

After spending two months in Australia, I was pretty over the moon to see koalas in the flesh.

The best times to visit the sanctuary is at the koala feeding times, when they are the most active. This happens at 8am and 3pm every day.

I visited at 3pm because most people rush to the sanctuary at 8am, hoping the koalas will be hungry from the night.

I saw many sleeping koalas, as well as one koala doing their mating call.

Where to Stay in Port Macquarie

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9. Byron Bay

Best for: Surfing, whale-watching and waterfalls

Time needed: 2 – 5 Days

Byron Bay’s reputation precedes itself. Firstly, there’s its iconic white lighthouse, which regularly crops up on my social media feed.

Secondly, there are Byron Bay’s well-known surfing beaches and whale-watching cruises.

Third and perhaps most famously, Byron Bay has been attracting hippies since the 1970s and 80s. Nearby is the ‘hippy town’ of Nimbin, where there are a large number of people living alternative lifestyles.

One thing I wasn’t aware of was how great Byron Bay is for waterfalls too. I spent over a week in Byron Bay, visiting its beaches, lighthouse and local waterfalls, so here are my highlights…

I visited the Cape Byron Lighthouse twice, once at sunset and once at sunrise. The best views were definitely at sunrise.

On my sunrise trip, I drove to the lighthouse and walked around the different viewpoints. From the lighthouse, I spotted a pod of dolphins diving through the waves, quickly followed by a collection of huge manta rays.

The colours were more intense than at sunset. However, if you want to do the full Cape Byron Walking Track from the town, sunset may be a better option.

This walking track is a beautiful route past beaches, which wraps around the headland.

On Byron Bay’s Main Beach, I tried surfing after renting a board at Soul Surf School. I have some experience surfing, but the waves were a little too big for me that day.

If you’re an experienced surfer, there are plenty of surf breaks around Byron for different ability levels, including The Wreck, Clarkes Beach, Wategos Beach and The Pass.

If you’re not a confident surfer, I highly recommend that you take a half-day surfing tour and class because there are some strong currents around Byron Bay.

After surfing, there are plenty of cool coffee shops in Byron where you can re-hydrate and caffeinate. Some of my favourites are Bayleaf Cafe and Jimmy’s Coffee.

That brings me to Byron Bay’s local waterfalls. With a group of friends, I hired a car and headed out to explore several waterfalls.

The first was Minyon Falls, a huge 100-metre waterfall which crashes down a large, rocky cliffside on the edge of the Nightcap National Park.

After visiting the lookout, we continued on to Whian Whian Falls, where we heard that there were very relaxing swimming holes.

The rumour was true: next to a small waterfall, we found a series of natural swimming homes surrounded by the bush. We spent several hours there, swimming and sunbathing, while watching locals cliff jump.

I was in Byron Bay in February, which is the wrong time for whale-watching.

However, between May and November, you’re in with a good chance of spotting migrating humpback whales on a whale-watching cruise from Byron Bay.

Where to Stay in Byron Bay

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10. Brisbane

Best for:

Time needed:

That leaves Brisbane, the final stop on the famous Sydney to Brisbane route. With tall skyscrapers and a large, central river, it’s a nice place to enjoy the cityscape and do some traditional sightseeing.

I only had a couple of days to spend in Brisbane, so I decided to condense my sightseeing by taking the CityCat ferry down Brisbane River at sunset.

This passed by one of the city’s most famous icons, Story Bridge.

On the South Bank, there are several museums, including the Queensland Museum and Queensland Gallery of Modern Art.

I didn’t have time to visit the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, but it’s a good place to see native Australian plants. It’s also located at the foot of Brisbane’s tallest mountain, Mount Coot-tha.

I did have time, however, to take the popular day trip to Moreton Island, where the Tangalooma Wrecks were sunk to create new coral reefs.

Moreton Island

I spent the day snorkelling and sandboarding on the island’s sand dunes.

This is your second chance at sandboarding if you didn’t get to try it in Port Stephens.

The snorkelling was pretty good, although having recently done a few snorkelling tours on the Great Barrier in Reef from Cairns to the Whitsundays, it wasn’t anything special.

Where to Stay in Brisbane

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I hope you found my Sydney to Brisbane road trip itinerary useful. If you’re looking for more detailed guides to exploring the east coast of Australia, feel free to continue reading…

• Cairns to Brisbane road trip: another popular east coast itinerary!
• Cairns travel itinerary (plus, the best time to visit Cairns and the best things to do in Cairns CBD)
• Cairns to Mission Beach road trip itinerary
• How to get to Fraser Island (K’Gari)
• Backpacking Whitsundays budget guide (and the best backpacker Whitsundays tours)
• How to visit Whitehaven Beach from Airlie Beach

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