Sydney Opera House and Birding Tour

 The Sydney Opera House and Birding Festival  

This will be an 8-day tour which starts and ends in Sydney, Australia.  We will stay at the Sydney Paradox Hotel for 7-nights.  This hotel has an excellent location for daytime activities. During the day we will go birding to areas that are within a 1- 2 hour drive from Sydney.

Options:  If you are only interested in Opera, you can skip the birding days, if you are only interested in Birding, you can skip the opera nights.  Or, you can select as many opera nights or birding days as you like. Included in the price are six events, whether you choose birding or opera. For example:  You can choose three opera nights and three birding days, or any combo you like.   If you would like to add more than six events, the price is an extra $220 per event.  Please contact us for details. 

Sydney Opera House: The main opera schedule is generally January - March, but there are operas, musicals, and classical performances performed through out the year.   

We usually see about 150 different bird species.  

New South Wales Bird List
(This is the list of the birds that we have seen in New South Wales)

• Travel Dates 
• 2028
• February 1 - 8, 2027, spots left = 0
• February 1 - 8, 2028, spots left = 8 
• Group Size: 8 travelers
• Trip Length: 8 days
• Rates:  
• Per person = $4,750 (based on double occupancy, an extra $1,050 for single). This price includes six events.  For example:  You can choose six days of birding or six nights of opera, or a combo of both.  If you would like to add more than six events, the price is an extra $220 per event.  Please contact us for details. 
• Rates include:  Lodging, breakfast, lunch and dinner on days 2 - 7, airport transfer to/from Sydney, basic travel insurance, and a choice of six events (either birding or opera, or a combo of both). 
• Not included: Airfare to the Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD), snacks, alcohol, lunch and dinner on days 1 and 8, and trip cancelation insurance.
• Adventure level:  Easy, please check the "Welcome" page for definition
• Reservations: To reserve a spot on the trip, a non-refundable 50% deposit is required, and the non-refundable balance is due six months prior to the trip.  

Below is the 2027 schedule. As soon as the opera house releases the 2028 schedule, we will post the new events. 

Day 1:  Arrival at the Sydney Airport

• Shuttle transfer from the Sydney Airport (SYD) to the Sydney Paradox Hotel where we will stay for the next 7-nights.  The Sydney Airport is a 20-minute drive from our lodging.
• No activities for the day.  Meals on your own. 

Day 2:  Sydney

• Birding sites within Sydney:  Royal Botanic Gardens and surrounding parks.
• 7:00pm:  There will be an option to go to a performance at the Sydney Opera House, depending on the venue schedule. 2027: Magic Flute

Day 3: Sydney

• Birding the northern beaches: Dee Why Lagoon, Long Reef Headland, Warriewood Wetlands, Irrawong Reserve, and Chiltern Trail.
• 7:00pm:  There will be an option to go to a performance at the Sydney Opera House, depending on the venue schedule.  2027: La Boheme

Day 4:  Sydney

• Birding the Blue Mountains, Lithgow Wastewater Plant, Wentworth Falls, and Woodford Dam. 
• 7:00pm:  There will be an option to go to a performance at the Sydney Opera House, depending on the venue schedule. 2027: Comedy event

Day 5:  Sydney

• Birding the central coast: Ourimbah rest stop, Tuggerah Lake, Pioneer Dairy, and McPherson Swamp.
• 7:00pm:  There will be an option to go to a performance at the Sydney Opera House, depending on the venue schedule. 2027: Poulenc & Ravel

Day 6: Sydney

• Birding Royal National Park 
• 7:00pm:  There will be an option to go to a performance at the Sydney Opera House, depending on the venue schedule. 2027: Elixir of Love

Day 7:  Sydney

• We will be taking the ferry to Manly and spending most of the day there and at locations in the Sydney Harbor. 
• 7:00pm:  There will be an option to go to a performance at the Sydney Opera House, depending on the venue schedule. 2027: Opera Hits

Day 8:  Departure day

• Shuttle to the airport for your flight home.  No scheduled activities for the day. 

Mike Barrow:  

Originally from the UK, Mike has called Australia home since 1990, immersing himself in the country’s diverse ecosystems and developing an unparalleled understanding of its avian inhabitants. He is recognized as one of the leading birders in Sydney and surrounding regions.