Whether you’re an experienced bushwalker or you’re dipping your boot-clad toes into the world of multi-day hikes for the first time, you’ll find the perfect itinerary to match your walking style within the NSW Great Walks collection. From challenging treks through rainforests and gorges to spectacular coastal hikes and an epic alpine adventure, here’s a rundown of seven great walks that showcase the diversity of incredible landscapes you’ll encounter across New South Wales.

Walk on the edge of the sublime in the Blue Mountains

Enjoy a relatively gentle introduction to the joys of long hikes on the two-day, 19km Grand Cliff Top Walk in the Blue Mountains, a 75-minute drive or a two-hour train ride from Sydney. 

Feel the burn as you navigate the often steep clifftop paths linking Wentworth Falls to the regional hub of Katoomba via the charming village of Leura, drinking in the natural beauty of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains National Park, the panoramic views of the densely forested Jamison Valley and iconic rock formations like the Three Sisters.

Break up the trek by staying at a guesthouse or a self-contained cottage in Leura – or plan for one shorter day and one longer day with an indulgent stay at Fairmont Resort & Spa, as you’ll be passing through the resort grounds around a third of the way along the route. 

Keen hikers can tackle the majority of the walk in a single day with Blue Mountains Adventure Company, or rest up at accommodation in Katoomba in between shorter days of walking when you book one of not-for-profit operator Emu Trekkers’ two-day guided walks or one of Blue Mountains Tracks & Retreats’ walking weekends. 

Traipse between bushland and beaches on the South Coast

Hug a dramatic coastline as you ascend headlands and stroll along secluded sandy beaches on the three-day, 34km Murramarang South Coast Walk. You’ll walk the length of Murramarang National Park on the NSW South Coast, heading south from the national park’s Pretty Beach to the finishing point at Maloneys Beach near Batemans Bay. 

Book a self-guided walk and you’ll overnight in a national park cabin at Depot Beach and then at NRMA Murramarang Beachfront Holiday Resort in the town of South Durras, waking to the sight of kangaroos grazing in the beachfront dunes before lacing up your boots and beginning the new day’s adventure. 

Take the weight of a loaded backpack off your shoulders when you join one of Region X’s three-day guided experiences, starting from Maloney Beach and heading north. (The Batemans Bay-based company also offers a shuttle service to drive you back to your car at the opposite end of the national park if you’ve done the self-guided walk.) Or connect with like-minded travellers on a women-only guided trek with Women Want Adventure.

Light up your days on the Sapphire Coast

Be dazzled by one of the gems of the Sapphire Coast as you trace the rocky coastline of the stunning Beowa National Park on the three-day, 32km Light to Light Walk. Begin your odyssey at the 1847 sandstone Boyds Tower near the whale-watching hub of Eden, and head south towards Green Cape Lighthouse, the southernmost lighthouse in NSW, passing clifftops, coastal heathland and eucalypt forest along the way. 

Bring your own tents to spend nights in walk-in campsites during a self-guided three-day walk, or join guided expeditions with Navigate Expeditions (featuring an Aboriginal cultural kayaking tour), Sapphire Coast Guiding Co, Life’s An Adventure or Park Trek Walking Holidays.

Planning to come between May and July or between September and November? Be sure to bring binoculars to spy southern right and humpback whales breaching just off the coastline as they make their way to and from Antarctica. 

Feel on top of the world in the Snowy Mountains

Keep your cool in the warmer months – November to April – by immersing in the alpine wonderland that is the Snowy Mountains on the four-day, 56km Snowies Alpine Walk. Walking through Kosciuszko National Park, around 5.5 hours from Sydney, you’ll cross Australia’s highest suspension bridge on your way from the ski resort town of Guthega to Charlotte Pass on your first day. Spend up to nine hours on day two following the rewarding Main Range Track, before hiking from Charlotte Pass Village to Perisher Valley and walking 12km on the final day to Bullocks Flat at Crackenback. 

Tackle the self-guided four-day walk, pre-booking private accommodation or securing one of the national park lodges, arranging transfers with local operators and stocking up on supplies in the base town of Jindabyne. 

Alternatively, join a guided multi-day tour with Life’s An Adventure, The Adventure Gene, Thredbo Guided Hikes, Australian Walking Holidays or Women Embrace Adventure.

Trek along a string of beaches in Port Stephens

Commit to the 27km Tomaree Coastal Walk in the Port Stephens region, an hour’s drive north of Newcastle or 2.5 hours from Sydney, and you’ll start in spectacular style. The two- to three-day walk begins with a steep climb to Tomaree National Park’s Tomaree Head Summit, where you can take in sweeping views of Nelson Bay, the surrounding coastline and nearby islands.

From Tomaree Head you’ll enjoy a 7km walk through the national park and sheltered Fingal Beach to the town of Fingal Bay, where you can rest up for the night in laidback accommodation like Fingal Bay Holiday Park. Wake refreshed, recharged and ready to follow the path along the jagged coastline for 11km to camp at One Mile or stay at Ingenia Holidays One Mile Beach. Then savour the walk to the finishing point at Anna Bay’s Birubi Beach, at the edge of the Stockton Sand Dunes, the largest moving coastal sand dunes in the southern hemisphere. 

Hike from hut to hut in the Northern Tablelands 

Draw on all of your extensive bushwalking experience and challenge yourself to complete the four-day, 65km Green Gully Track through the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, around a 2.5-hour drive from the NSW North Coast town of Port Macquarie or the New England hub of Armidale.

Cross wild rivers carrying your backpack above your head and traverse extraordinary terrain, including Gondwana rainforest and the Apsley-Macleay gorges (one of Australia's largest gorge systems), on each full day of hiking, before recharging at restored stockman huts along the way. 

You’ll need to make a booking to undertake the self-guided five-night trek, as you must reserve your group’s exclusive stays at each of the track’s huts and the trailhead cottage. Or enjoy a six-day guided hike with Aussie Bike or Hike – they can pick you up from Port Macquarie airport if you don’t want to drive. 

Ramble through ancient rainforest near Byron Bay

Step into a dramatic landscape of ancient Gondwana rainforests, waterfalls and volcanic rims as you follow the four-day, 42km Gidjuum Gulganyi Walk through the lush Byron Bay and Tweed hinterland to the breathtaking Minyon Falls. 

Tap your reserves of energy and use all your bushwalking skills as you navigate challenging trails and creek crossings linking Mount Jerusalem National Park, Nightcap National Park and Whian Whian State Conservation Area with a full backpack of supplies. Pitch the tent you’ve lugged all day on an elevated timber platform in each of the three secluded walk-in campsites along the way. You can make it a little easier on yourself by booking Connect Adventures’ guided pack-free walk, or opt for Byron Bay-based Vision Walks Eco Tours’ offering to savour the prospect of luxury camping at the end of each day’s effort. 

Note to editors:
Some guided tours of the Light to Light Walk would normally feature a stay at Green Cape Lightstation Keepers’ Cottages; the cottages are closed for renovations in the second half of 2025.