The ultimate guide to whale watching in Sydney

Play I Spy on the ocean’s most majestic giants with our guide to the best whale watching in Sydney.

Thousands of whales escape the cold of Antarctica and migrate to Australia to warm up every year – but they don’t just chill motionless in Sydney’s toasty seas. The mighty mammals make the most of their time spent down under to breed, calve, and feed. Increase your chances of an encounter right off the coastline, home to Sydney’s best bush and coastal walks, with our top tips for whale watching in Sydney.

Whale watching season in Sydney

a mother and calf whale migrating along Bondi Beach — Whales migrate along the vast seascape of Bondi Beach. (Image: Destination NSW)

Sydney’s whale watching season is based on migration patterns. It’s all about when mamas leave Antarctica to give birth in the warmer waters of the Coral Sea and then when they return to Antarctica for food. Although the season starts further south around April, the best chance to go whale watching in Sydney is a rather generous window between May and November. Drilling that down further, from May to August, whales are on their northern migration to Tropical North Queensland, so you may see them on the move.

Our advice, however, is to get your binoculars on from mid-August to November when whales are on their southern migration back to the Antarctic. It’s when they trolley their newborn calves back home with them and so they’re feeding and teaching their little ones how to swim. An absolute must-see or what? Bear in mind, it’s not uncommon to see whales in Sydney’s waters throughout December, but the sighting frequency is low so be sure to manage your expectations.

two humpback whales passing through Sydney during their migration up the NSW coastline — Humpback whales pass through the NSW coastline during their migration. (Image: Destination NSW)

Each year, there are around 16,000 whales swimming past and through Sydney’s waters. A large proportion of these are humpbacks, but southern right whales can also be spotted. It goes without saying that the annual migration is a sight to behold. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch whales flipping and rolling, an awe-inspiring showcase that attracts roughly 1.6 million visitors to Sydney’s shores per year. Of course, they certainly don’t perform on command – we need to adjust to the lifestyles of these otherworldly beauties and go looking for them.

Best time of day to see whales in Sydney

a humpback whale breaching near Sydney Heads on its annual migration along the NSW coastline — Witness the magnificent humpback whale spectacle. (Image: Destination NSW)

Experts say ideal conditions peak between 11am and 3pm during the day due to the sun sitting directly overhead, making visibility top-notch. It’s also worth noting that if you plan on booking a whale watching tour on the water, cheaper rates are offered in the mornings because sightings are fewer. Regardless, if you stick to the May to November window and get looking from Sydney’s best vantage points (more on that later) regularly when you can, you’ll increase your odds.

Whale watching tours in Sydney

Sighting a whale will go down as one of the best animal encounters of your life, and your best bet in making it happen is from a boat with an expert guiding you. From all-out luxury endeavours to budget-friendly drop-ins, there are plenty of options to suit a range of timeframes and tastes.

Sydney Harbour Whale Watching

Sydney Harbour Whale Watching offers daily whale watching cruises lasting 2 hours and 45 minutes, departing from Sydney’s Circular Quay. The fully equipped vessel offers indoor and outdoor seating so you can comfortably admire these marine beauties.

Got some burning questions? There will be a marine biologist on board to answer any of your oceanic questions and enhance your whale watching experience. For something more romantic, they also offer sunset cruises or private expeditions.

Click on the video below for a little taste at what you might see!

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Price: From $65 per person

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

Sydney Princess Cruises

Offering four-hour cruises at both breakfast (Saturday’s and Sunday’s only) and lunch, Sydney Princess Cruises sets sail from the heart of the city. Departing from and returning to Circular Quay’s Eastern Pontoon, these guys explore Sydney Harbour and out past the heads with more than two decades of experience under their belt.

Fascinating intel and facts are dished out over full meals, tea and coffee, plus there are both indoor and outdoor viewing areas. They also offer a two-and-a-half-hour tour (no meals included).

Best of all, whale spotting is guaranteed, and if the odds aren’t in your favour, you’re invited to hop on a second cruise to try again free of charge.

Price: Adults from $89 per person

Captain Cook Cruises

A two-and-a-half-hour cruise from Circular Quay is on offer from the friendly folk at Captain Cook Cruises, who leave from Circular Quay twice every Saturday and Sunday. Departing from Wharf 6, the comfortable vessel provides indoor and outdoor seating plus expert commentary to help you find what everyone’s looking for. Again, whale sightings are in the bag but if you don’t catch one, you can ride again for free.

Price: Adults from $62 per person.

Whale Watching Sydney

Glide the water in style on board a high-speed, purpose-built catamaran taking passengers from Darling Harbour and Circular Quay out to open waters in just 15 minutes. Whale Watching Sydney offers two Sydney cruises – a two-hour voyage and a two-and-a-half-hour one.

The vessel itself is built with two spacious viewing decks and air-conditioned cabins, and you’ll receive tea and coffee while on board. There’s also a licensed bar to purchase additional spoils. Like many of the other whale watching tours in Sydney, you’ll get a free return trip if you don’t spot any gentle giants on your first cruise.

Price: From $85 per adult.

Groupon

Take advantage of a great deal on Groupon, including a four-hour whale watching tour with expert commentary and either a hot buffet breakfast or a BBQ lunch.

Price: Adults from $50 per person.

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Where to see whales in Sydney from shore

an aerial view overlooking Kamay Botany Bay National Park, Kurnell in Sydney's south — Admire incredible coastal views at Kamay Botany Bay National Park. (Image: Destination NSW)

Not up for a day on the water? There are plenty of vantage points around Sydney made for off-water whale-watching.

Bare Island Fort at La Perouse (16 kilometres southeast of Sydney’s CBD), offers a scenic view, perfect not only for whale watching but also for picnics, bird watching and exploration. It’s only open for tours on Sundays but it’s worth the wait.

Directly across the other side of the bay, Cape Solander is regarded as one of the best spots in Sydney to whale watch from shore as you can get within 200 metres from the giants. Located near Kurnell in the Kamay Botany Bay National Park, it has a viewing deck with information boards.

sandstone cliff walls lining the Kamay Botany Bay National Park, Kurnell — Waves gently crash on the sandstone cliff walls at Kamay Botany Bay National Park, Kurnell. (Image: Destination NSW)

For the more adventurous, the Cape Baily Coastal Walk in Kamay Botany Bay National Park is a two-and-a-half-hour trek to the cliffs. Even if you don’t get to see whales, you’ll score the chance to see wildflowers along with diverse birdlife such as sea eagles, kestrels and terns.

Finally, the Curra Moors Loop Track in the Royal National Park offers a 10-kilometre loop with coastal views and whales are often sighted. On route to whale watching glory, you’ll also pass waterfalls and jaw-dropping sandstone cliffs among other natural wonders.

What to bring

Even if the sun is shining, dress warmly for your whale watching expedition. Ocean winds make carrying a windproof jacket or thick jumper essential.

If you’re venturing out on a boat for the morning or afternoon, it might be best to pack some seasickness tablets too — conditions can get rather choppy. On that note, it’s a good idea to ditch heels in favour of sturdy shoes with plenty of grip.

Further day bag supplies should include sunscreen, sunglasses and your camera, of course.

Once you’ve spotted the whales, it’s time to get acquainted with Sydney’s best secret swimming spots.

The outback is calling, and the adventure is made all the easier with this hot new AAT Kings’ tour.

It’s the desert palette of rust-red earth and vast cobalt sky that calls you at first, for where better to get away from it all than the outback? Of course, once you start driving, taking note of all the weathered pubs, dusty tracks and tiny towns held together with humour, resilience and more corrugated iron than ever deemed possible, something else grabs a hold of you: the idea that far from the celebrated icons and landmarks associated with Australia, you’re finally immersed in an authentic slice of local life that few have ever experienced.

Ancient landscapes, proud pastoral histories, ghost towns, culinary powerhouses and a rich Indigenous heritage; there are plenty of facets to life on the land. The best way to experience all of the above with both ease and like-minded friends? AAT Kings’ new Outback New South Wales Adventurer, a 9-day small group tour. This Sydney-return itinerary is designed to connect travellers not only with iconic outback destinations, but with the characters, culture and experiences that bring each place to life.

Highlights? The Adventurer has more than a few, but here are eight to start.

1. Broken Hill

See the striking art at Living Desert and Sculptures. (Credit: Destination NSW)

Welcome to Broken Hill, where mining history, outback eccentricity and a surprisingly rich arts scene unite in a rusty desert landscape. In Australia’s first heritage-listed city, exploration is quickly rewarded. Begin with a guided walking tour taking in the city’s grand Victorian and Art Deco architecture. Later, enjoy visits to both the Broken Hill City Art Gallery and the Living Desert and Sculptures – the perfect place to enjoy the changing colours of an outback sunset. Of course, no visit to Broken Hill is complete without a stop at the historic Palace Hotel Broken Hill, famous for its role in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Happily, it makes for the perfect spot for dinner.

2. White Cliffs

people in a mine in white cliffs nsw — Strap on your hardhat and head underground. (Credit: Destination NSW)

Strap on your hardhat and start spending your imaginary fortunes; White Cliffs, Australia’s oldest commercial opal field, is begging you to come in search of rare pineapple opals. Admittedly, you’re much more likely to find white opals, but the true gems of White Cliffs – where much is built underground to escape the desert heat – are everywhere.

Here, you’ll descend 13.5 metres underground into a working mine to learn about the region’s heritage, and observe how miners continue the search for these prized gemstones. Perhaps you’ll even find a couple yourself?

3. Mungo National Park

mungo national park nsw outback — Spend time in the striking, lunar-like landscape of Mungo National Park. (Credit: Destination NSW)

With its lunar-like landscape made up of ancient, dried lake basins and sculpted sand and clay formations, a drive into UNESCO World Heritage-listed Mungo National Park is somehow two things all at once: uniquely Australian with vast outback skies, and somehow otherworldly, as though you’ve been dropped off by spaceship. At its heart lies the iconic Walls of China, a 30-kilometre sand-and-clay lunette shaped by thousands of years of erosion.

Understanding more than 40,000 years of Barkindji, Mutthi Mutthi and Ngiyampaa history begins with a visit to the Visitor Centre, and concludes with a sunset tour led by local Aboriginal guides. A key experience? Learning about the discovery of Mungo Man and Mungo Lady. At 40,000+ years old, these are among the oldest human remains found anywhere in the world.

4. Kinchega National Park

kangaroo in Kinchenga National Park nsw — Meet the locals of Kinchega National Park. (Credit: Destination NSW)

Some come to Kinchega National Park for its iconic Darling River landscapes full of birdlife and haunting river red gums; others visit for its rich First Nations and pastoral history. Your visit will encompass all of the above, with a guided tour (part of AAT Kings’ MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience) designed to give a deeper understanding of Barkindji cultural heritage, history and traditions.

Walk with local guide David as he shares ancestral knowledge and creation stories, and explains how native plants – through bush food and bush medicine – have sustained Indigenous communities for thousands of years. Then sit back and enjoy those views alongside native tea and sweet treats.

5. Griffith

chef at zecca restaurant in griffith — Treat your tastebuds to ‘the food bowl of Australia’. (Credit: Destination NSW)

How can you say no to a visit to a destination widely regarded as ‘the food bowl of Australia’? Shaped by fertile farmland and home to approximately 75 per cent of New South Wales’ wine grapes, this is a day to roll up your sleeves and enjoy the best gastronomy the state has to offer. Think vineyards, cellar doors, cafes and restaurants largely shaped by its multicultural heart (Griffith is not only home to over 60 nationalities, but has the highest proportion of Italian ancestry anywhere in Australia).

6. Mudgee

exterior of lower wines in mudgee nsw — Visit some of Mudgee’s best wineries. (Credit: Destination NSW)

Nestled by the Cudgegong River, Mudgee packs a big punch for a heritage country town, having carved a reputation for itself as one of the country’s leading (and award-winning) wine regions, a key epicurean destination, and a regional arts centre growing in both visibility and vibrancy.

Take a moment to enjoy the town’s 19th-century charm before heading to Lowe Family Wine Co. for a guided tasting of organic and biodynamic wine, followed by a relaxed lunch featuring a feast of homegrown and local produce. Will you walk away with bottles of Mudgee’s iconic reds under your arms? It’s a distinct possibility.

7. Silverton

see the living ghost town of silverton on AAT Kings new NSW outback tour — See the living ghost town of Silverton.(Credit: Destination NSW)

A once-booming silver mining hub, the dystopian setting for Mad Max 2, and now a tranquil settlement that’s home to around 50 people; Silverton is considered a living ghost town and remains a sight to behold.

Take time to explore its heritage streets (and perhaps take a look at the quirky Mad Max 2 Museum) and the Silverton Hotel, an iconic outback pub, before a visit to Silverton Gaol & Historical Museum. It’s home to a wealth of colonial artefacts, early mining equipment and stories from the outback’s pioneering past which will serve to anchor you firmly in place.

8. Shear Outback

man working at shear outback in nsw — Get a glimpse behind the wool curtain. (Credit: Destination NSW)

If you ever find yourself singing, “click go the shears boys, click, click, click…”, you’ve come to the right place. Shear Outback, an award-winning tourist and education attraction located in Hay, brings to life the traditions and stories of one of the outback’s most enduring industries: sheep shearing.

Here, in the heart of the Riverina, you’ll enjoy live shearing demonstrations, meet the shearers, shedhands, sheepdogs and yes, sheep, who come together to show guests exactly what it takes to provide Australians with all that glorious wool.

Discover more of Outback NSW with AAT Kings. Visit aatkings.com.

The ultimate guide to whale watching in Sydney

Play I Spy on the ocean’s most majestic giants with our guide to the best whale watching in Sydney.

Whale watching season in Sydney

Best time of day to see whales in Sydney