The best eco tours in NSW

Head out on the river with Tweed Eco Cruises

Admire the beauty of the tranquil Tweed River with Tweed Eco Cruises, an Ecotourism Australia accredited company that aims to minimise waste and pollution, support local conservation efforts, provide educational experiences and participate in river clean ups. Take the Bush Tucker and Crab Cruise to enjoy hands-on activities like fishing, pumping the sand for yabbies and checking mud crab traps. Your expert guide will share their knowledge of the river’s ecosystem and its importance to the local Aboriginal people, and introduce you to the local native ingredients. 

Tweed Eco Cruises, Tweed Heads - Credit: Jeffery Kiefer Images

Connect with Aboriginal history with Ngaran Ngaran Culture Awareness 

The Yuin people have lived around Narooma, Bega and Bermagui for tens of thousands of years and the land holds a sacred significance for them. Get a glimpse of this ancient culture on a two-night Yuin Retreat with Ngaran Ngaran, an Aboriginal owned and operated cultural service provider. The experience includes a welcome to Country, a hike on Gulaga Mountain, Dreaming stories, an Indigenous dining experience and a traditional healing ceremony. You’ll come away with a deep appreciation for the world’s oldest living culture and its intrinsic connection to nature. 

Ngaran Ngaran Culture Awareness, Narooma

Trek the Blue Mountains mindfully with Tread Lightly Eco Tours

As the name suggests, Tread Lightly Eco Tours is committed to protecting the fragile environments of the Blue Mountains. Their Advanced Ecotourism accredited guides can take you on ecological bushwalks that range from a couple of hours to full day treks. You’ll be deep in nature, walking beneath thundering waterfalls and through ancient rainforest, while learning about the environment and its Indigenous connections. 

Tread Lightly Eco Tours, Blackheath

Spot nocturnal animals with Vision Walks Eco Tours

In Byron Bay, Vision Walks is all about low-impact travel, and their Vision Walks Eco Tours take it to the next level – military-grade night-vision goggles immerse you in the nocturnal world to watch wildlife without disturbing it. It’s the only walk of its kind in the world and you can expect to spot possums, pademelon, bandicoots, tawny frogmouth, fuscipes (bush rats), micro bats and frogs. The Advanced Ecotourism accredited company also participates in tree planting, koala habitat building and carbon reduction. 

Vision Walks Eco Tours, Byron Bay

Snorkel one of Sydney’s protected marine areas with Ecotreasures  

Even though it’s right next to Manly, one of Sydney’s busiest beaches, Cabbage Tree Bay is an aquatic reserve that protects an abundance of marine life. Join a guided snorkelling tour with Advanced Ecotourism accredited Ecotreasures to explore the world beneath the surface and swim with over 200 species of fish (including locally famous blue groupers), weedy sea dragons, grey nurse sharks and many more marine creatures. 

Ecotreasures, Manly

Paddle with dolphins with Go Sea Kayak Byron Bay

Paddle among pods of dolphins and watch humpback whales breach just metres away from you on a tour with Go Sea Kayak, who consider themselves an ‘off-grid’ business, using only solar power for their office, radios, phones and other equipment. The tours run in the sparkling waters of the Cape Byron Marine Park, a haven for wildlife. The experienced guides will educate you on the marine environment and the fascinating history of the area. 

Go Sea Kayak, Byron Bay - Credit: Kurt Tutt

Float over the vines with Balloon Aloft Hunter Valley

The first balloon ride operator in Australia to be officially recognised for its sustainable practices, Balloon Aloft has long been committed to minimising their environmental impact. Offering flights in the Hunter Valley, Mudgee, Byron Bay and Camden, they offset all carbon emissions via a partnership with Greenfleet, utilise rainwater and solar electricity, and plant native trees while removing non-native species on their properties. Admire the majestic view while knowing it’s in good hands.

Balloon Aloft, Hunter Valley

Get in the water with Dolphin Swim Australia 

More than 140 dolphins call Port Stephens home and it’s the only place where you can swim alongside them in the wild. Dolphin Swim Australia will take you out into the marine park to meet these inquisitive and playful creatures in their natural environment. You’ll also learn about the dolphins and their habitat, and how the company is actively involved in their conservation. 

Dolphin Swim Australia, Port Stephens

Have an in-river tasting with Sydney Oyster Farm Tours

Oyster farming is one of the most sustainable forms of aquaculture as it has a minimal impact on the environment. With Sydney Oyster Farm Tours, you’ll get an insight into how they run their farm in the pristine waters of the Hawkesbury River as well as taste freshly shucked oysters. The operators go even further to protect their waterways by sequestering carbon, using biodegradable packaging and running regular river clean ups. 

Sydney Oyster Farm Tours, Mooney Mooney

Have breakfast with the animals at Iris Lodge Alpacas 

Looking for a unique brunch companion? At Ecotourism certified Iris Lodge on the Central Coast you can sit down to coffee and croissants with their friendly herd of alpacas. The owners have worked hard to restore the farmland where the alpacas live, planting more than 13,000 native trees and grasses, reversing erosion of the creek, and removing invasive species. Keep an eye out for the colourful swift parrot, a critically endangered species that has flourished on the farm. 

Iris Lodge Alpacas, Jilliby

Ride through the hinterland with Beyond Byron E-bikes  

Rather than exploring the beautiful countryside of the Northern Rivers by car, hop on two wheels with Beyond Byron E-bikes, who use renewable energy sources to charge their bikes’ batteries. Following the new 24-kilometre Tweed section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail, you can join a guided tour or set out on your own. As well as lush landscapes, you can visit glow worm tunnels, have a dip at Unicorn Falls and taste the famous Ink Gin at Husk Farm Distillery 

Beyond Byron E-Bikes, Byron Bay

Get wild in nature with Navigate Expeditions  

Endless outdoor adventures await on the far South Coast with Navigate Expeditions. Their immersive, environmentally conscious tours include kayaking and oyster shucking on Pambula Lake, e-bike tours of Eden and walking the famed Light to Light trail. Every expedition is carefully tailored to have minimal impact on the environment with no single-use materials and aims to make a positive contribution to the community via donations to local organisations like Bega Local Aboriginal Land Council, Little Penguins Eden, Sea Shepard and more. 

Navigate Expeditions, Pambula

Climb the country’s highest mountain with Thredbo Guided Hikes 

Stand on the roof of Australia with a guided hike through the Snowy Mountains with Thredbo Guided Hikes, an Advanced Ecotourism certified tour company that partners with Greenfleet to offset carbon emissions, partners with NSW National Parks to protect local flaura and fauna and target invasive weeds, and conducts all tours under the Leave No Trace ethics, creating an opportunity to open environmental dialogue between visitors, guides and the community. Climb to the top of Mount Kosciuszko, the highest peak in the country, or explore glacial lakes during wildflower season. Experienced hikers can tackle the new multi-day Snowies Alpine Walk, taking you through snow gum forests and passing by enormous granite boulders while learning about native wildlife and history.

Thredbo Guided Hikes, Thredbo - Credit: Thredbo Resort