Balloon flight
Season: Year-round, weather permittingHot-air balloon flight over Camden
- Sunrise over farmland, rivers and the Razorback Range
- Many flights finish with breakfast
Your independent guide to South West Sydney
South West Sydney: the side of Sydney most visitors miss
Australia’s largest botanic garden, heritage towns from the 1800s, Sydney’s best Vietnamese food, steam trains and wild lookouts, all within an hour of the city. Honest advice, hand-picked tours and everything you need to plan your trip.
- Free cancellation on most tours
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Why South West Sydney?
City, country and bush in one region
South West Sydney runs from busy multicultural suburbs to quiet country towns, farmland and some of the wildest bush on the edge of any Australian city.
This is where Governor Macquarie founded his first country towns, where the Macarthurs bred the sheep that built Australia’s wool industry, and where refugees from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia created one of the best places to eat in Sydney.
Beyond the suburbs lie a 400-hectare botanic garden, steam railways, the dam that supplies Sydney’s water and quiet national parks. We help you choose the right experiences, book them with confidence and get more out of every day.
- 1810 the year Governor Macquarie founded Liverpool
- 400+ ha of the Australian Botanic Garden at Mount Annan
- 1 hour by train from the city
Traveller favourites
The best tours & day trips from South West Sydney
Top-rated experiences booked through Viator, from sunrise balloon flights over Camden to day trips to the Blue Mountains. Tap any tour for live prices and availability.
Balloon flight
Season: Year-round, weather permitting
Adventure
Season: Year-round, weather permittingTandem skydive south of Sydney
- Freefall strapped to an experienced instructor
- Views over the bush, farmland and coast
Day trip
Season: Year-roundBlue Mountains day tour
- The Three Sisters from Echo Point
- Bush walks, lookouts and mountain villages
Day trip
Season: Year-round; tulips in springSouthern Highlands tour
- Bowral, Berrima and Fitzroy Falls
- Cool-climate wineries and country cafés
Wildlife park
Season: Year-roundFeatherdale Wildlife Park tickets
- Koalas, kangaroos, wombats and native birds
- Hand-feed kangaroos and wallabies
Day trip
Season: Year-roundRoyal National Park and Sea Cliff Bridge tour
- Cliff-top lookouts and quiet beaches
- The Sea Cliff Bridge on the Grand Pacific Drive
Cruise
Season: Year-roundSydney Harbour cruise
- The Opera House and Harbour Bridge from the water
- Lunch, dinner and sunset sailings
Zoo
Season: Year-roundSydney Zoo tickets
- Native animals alongside lions, elephants and chimpanzees
- Keeper talks through the day
Where to go
Must-see places in South West Sydney
From the botanic garden at Mount Annan and heritage Camden to the food streets of Cabramatta and the steam trains of Thirlmere.
GardenAustralian Botanic Garden Mount Annan
Australia’s largest botanic garden
More than 400 hectares of native plants, themed gardens, bushland walks and picnic lawns between Camden and Campbelltown, with kangaroos often grazing in the open country.
Country townCamden
A heritage town on the Nepean
A country town of the 1840s on the Nepean River, with a church on the hill, heritage streetscapes and the farmland where Australia’s wool industry began.
Food & cultureCabramatta
Sydney’s Little Saigon
Busy streets of Vietnamese, Lao, Cambodian and Chinese restaurants, bakeries and grocers around Freedom Plaza, and one of the best places in Australia to eat pho.
VillagePicton
Viaducts, old pubs and ghost stories
A village of sandstone buildings in a valley, with an 1860s railway viaduct, a disused railway tunnel, one of the state’s oldest pubs and a reputation for ghosts.
MuseumNSW Rail Museum
Steam trains at Thirlmere
The state’s main railway museum, in the village of Thirlmere, with a big collection of locomotives and carriages and heritage train rides on the old main line.
Dam & lookoutWarragamba Dam and Burragorang Lookout
Sydney’s great reservoir
The huge dam that supplies most of Sydney’s water, and a lookout high above Lake Burragorang and the wild gorges of the Blue Mountains.
Where to stay
City hotels, country B&Bs and farm stays
Where you stay shapes your trip. We compare four bases across the region, with the trade-offs of each and direct hotel searches.
- Liverpool for choice and fast trains
- Campbelltown for value and airport trains
- Camden for country charm
- Picton and Wollondilly for farm stays
Stories & guides
Latest from the blog
Itineraries, food guides, day trips and practical advice for your trip.
PlanningA weekend in South West Sydney: a two-day itinerary
Camden, the Australian Botanic Garden and Cabramatta on day one; Picton, Thirlmere’s steam trains and Burragorang Lookout on day two, with tips on timing and what to book.
Food & drinkCabramatta food guide: pho, banh mi and more in Sydney’s Little Saigon
What to eat in Cabramatta, from pho and banh mi to spicy noodle soups and Vietnamese desserts, with tips on getting there and getting the most from a food crawl.
Day tripsThe best day trips from South West Sydney
The Southern Highlands, the Illawarra coast, the Blue Mountains and Sydney Harbour are all within easy reach. How long each trip takes, what to see and when to book a tour.
Plan like a local
Free South West Sydney travel guides
Tours & Tickets
Our pick of tours, adventures and day trips from South West Sydney, with who each one suits.
Getting There
Airports, trains, motorways and getting around South West Sydney, explained.
Travel Guide
Weather, seasons, events, transport and costs: what to know before you visit South West Sydney.
Plan your South West Sydney trip
From the Macarthur skies to Sydney Harbour
Float over Camden in a hot-air balloon, ride a day tour to the Blue Mountains or Southern Highlands, or head into the city for a harbour cruise. Compare tours and book in a couple of taps.
Good to know
Visiting South West Sydney: your questions answered
Is this an official council or tourism website?
No. SouthwestSydney.com is an independent travel guide. We are not connected with any council, the NSW Government, a tourism body or any of the attractions we describe. For council services, please contact your local council directly.
What is South West Sydney?
South West Sydney is the south-western part of the Sydney region. It usually means the council areas of Camden, Campbelltown, Liverpool, Fairfield and Wollondilly, and often Canterbury-Bankstown too. It runs from busy multicultural suburbs to country towns, farms and bushland.
How many days do I need?
A day covers one area, such as Camden and the botanic garden, or Cabramatta and Liverpool. A weekend lets you add Picton, Thirlmere and Burragorang Lookout. See our weekend itinerary.
When is the best time to visit?
Spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May), when days are warm rather than hot. Summer can bring days above 35 °C in Western Sydney. See when to visit.
Do I need a car?
Trains reach Liverpool, Cabramatta, Campbelltown and Picton, so you can see a lot without one. A car makes it much easier to reach Camden, the botanic garden, Thirlmere, Warragamba and the national parks.
Is South West Sydney a good base for seeing Sydney?
Yes, if you are happy to travel. Trains reach the city in about an hour, and you are closer to the Southern Highlands, the Illawarra coast and Canberra than you would be in the city. Rooms are often cheaper than in central Sydney.