Visible on a clear day from Sydney’s observation towers, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains region is a popular destination for idyllic day trips away from the urban hustle. Visitors to Sydney who opt to venture outside the city on a mountain day tour are rewarded with outdoor activities, memorable experiences, and the natural beauty found in Blue Mountains National Park, including rugged sandstone outcrops, cavernous valleys, and towering eucalyptus forests. This stunning scenery draws visitors from the U.S., Europe, and the rest of the world.

At 80 miles (130 km) northwest of Sydney Harbour in New South Wales, the Blue Mountains can be reached from the city in lessthan two hours by car or bus. It’s also a scenic train trip from Sydney to the mountains, with stations in Wentworth Falls, Leura, Katoomba, Medlow Bath, Blackheath, Mount Victoria, and Lithgow.

This fertile patch of paradise north of Sydney is one of Australia’s prime wine-growing and gourmet-food producing regions. Lushly carpeted with vineyards and dotted with historic country towns, it’s a popular tourist region attracting holidaying families, gourmet food and wine lovers, and Sydneysiders wanting a relaxing weekend break from the big-city hustle-bustle.

Follow the wine trail past more than 120 wineries, where famous names like Lindemans and McWilliams produce award-winning semillon and shiraz wines, then book into a boutique guesthouse for spa pampering and gourmet local produce tastings.

The Hunter Valley is 75 mi (120 km) north of central Sydney, around a two-hour trip by car via Hwy 1. Singleton and Maitland are two of the region’s major centers, with other towns including the cheese and wine-making village of Pokolbin, the charming town of Cessnock and historic Wollombi.

To get here by public transport, catch a train from Sydney’s Central station to Maitland, Singleton, Muswellbrook or Scone. Hunter Valley Buses connect towns across the Hunter Valley region.