What could be more earth-friendly and carbon neutral than getting around on foot? 

Begin your day at Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden, a verdant showcase of Australia’s native plant species. Take a stroll in the Australian Rainforest Garden—an Edenic sanctuary dripping in lush greenery and home to an impressive array of ancient and rare plant species found only in Australia. Or indulge in peripatetic pleasures amongst the lilies and wildflowers of the Australian Native Rockery while possibly catching a glimpse of the Sydney Opera House and harbour. For a more structured route, you can refer to the Royal Botanic Garden’s monthly self-guided tour for visitors, curated by volunteers. 

Prefer to be enlightened by a guide? The Royal Botanic Garden runs free 1.5-hour guided walks at 10:30am daily. (They also have an afternoon tour that runs from Mondays to Fridays, from 1:00pm to 2:00pm.)

If you’re not ready to leave just yet, linger over lunch at the garden restaurant, Botanic House. Here, the regal title of ‘ambassador chef’ has been bestowed on former Master Chef judge Luke Nguyen, who was born in Thailand to Vietnamese parents, and grew up in Australia. Expect a menu as culturally colourful as Nguyen’s heritage! 

Wish to see a different part of the city while minimising your carbon footprint? Do so by going on foot! Here are more walking tours that you can consider:

• Sydney Sights Free Walking Tour (donation-based, no booking required, tours run daily at 10.30am and 2.30pm)

• Sydney Free Walking Tour (donation-based, no booking required, tours run daily at 10.30am)

• Diego Bonetto’s Foraging Tours (booking required, tours are typically held in the morning)

• The Rocks Aboriginal Dreaming Tour (Aboriginal guides are handpicked by Elders to share their cultural heritage, booking required, tours run daily at 10.30am)

• Aboriginal Cultural Tours (led by a team of Aboriginal educators, booking required, tours run from Mondays to Saturdays at 10.30am)

• Sydney coastal walks and hikes (free, self-guided)

Still game for more eco-friendly exploring? 

Join an afternoon cycling tour with Bonza Bike Tours or BlueBananas, and ride through Sydney City or the surrounds of the famed Manly Beach. Alternatively, sign up for an enriching dinner tour with social enterprise Taste Cultural Food Tours — they run occasional evening tours at Chatswood, otherwise known as Sydney’s “Little Asia.” You can also enquire about a private tour that suits your schedule. 

Get directions to The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney

Get directions to Botanic House

Buy tickets to Diego Bonetto’s Foraging Tours

Buy tickets to Sydney Rocks Dreaming Tour

Buy tickets to Barangaroo Aboriginal Walking Tour

Nature lovers: if you have time for a day trip away from Sydney, the Blue Mountains should be at the top of your list. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Blue Mountains are named for the almost preternatural blue haze created by its eucalypt forests, when tiny droplets of oil released from the trees mix with water vapour and sunlight. 

The most popular way to get to the Blue Mountains is by car, and driving directions are on the destination’s official website. A train from the Central Railway Station to Katoomba Station is another option — Katoomba is the Blue Mountains’ most-visited town. Travelling by train is great for sitting back, relaxing, and basking in the countryside view.

To minimise your environmental impact during your explorations, book a tour with a green provider such as Tread Lightly Eco Tours. The tours are led by environmental and cultural specialists, and you can choose between a bushwalk or a four-wheel drive tour to less accessible areas like the Jenolan Caves, where you can see limestone crystals and underground rivers. You can also look for other agencies that are certified by Ecotourism Australia, a non-profit organisation dedicated to sustainable and culturally responsible tourism.

Looking to plan your own trip? A recommended way to get around is by the Blue Mountains Explorer Bus, which picks travellers up from Katoomba Station. Here are two attractions that you shouldn’t miss:

• Scenic World: This is a theme park with a difference—Scenic World is a family-run business focused on minimising its ecological footprint while giving tourists a meaningful way to experience the Blue Mountains. Here, you can ride the world’s steepest passenger railway or glide between cliff tops (via cable car) for the best views of the area’s most popular attractions, namely Katoomba Falls, the Three Sisters, Mount Solitary, and Jamison Valley.

• Three Sisters: This is an iconic sandstone formation with Aboriginal significance. More than one origin story exists, but the essence is that the Three Sisters represents three women who were turned into stone for their own protection.

Get directions to Blue Mountains

Get directions to Central Railway Station, Sydney