New South Wales is home to 60,000 years of continuous living culture – it's a treasure to explore. Whether you're tracing ancient trails across the Outback or being moved by the buzzing heartbeat of Sydney's streetscapes, Aboriginal cultural experiences can refresh your perspective and deepen your connection to NSW. This selection of some of the state's most sought-after, Aboriginal-led experiences will see you enjoying art, food, cruises, iconic landmarks and wild landscapes through an Aboriginal lens.

Explore Sydney's rich Aboriginal heritage

Breathe in the salty air at Barangaroo Reserve, the culturally significant harbour headland a short walk from The Rocks, as your Barangaroo Aboriginal Cultural Tours guide explains how the Gadigal people, the first inhabitants of the area, used the native plants found in the reserve as food and medicine, and for cultural practices. Next up, get a taste for native foods on an Aboriginal Bush Tucker Tour in the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.

See Sydney Harbour from a different point of view on BridgeClimb Sydney's BridgeClimb Burrawa Aboriginal Climb Experience. Be exhilarated and amazed as you ascend to the summit of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, taking in panoramic views of the Rocks and Circular Quay below as your Aboriginal guide shares stories of Sydney's Aboriginal past and present. Afterwards, take to the water on a two-hour Tribal Warrior Cultural Cruise to hear stories of the waterways.

Expand your understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures at the Australian Museum, or spend a memorable evening surrounded by Aboriginal art at the Art Gallery of New South Wales on the Yiribana Experience. Here you can explore the gallery's renowned Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art collection with an Aboriginal host before tucking into a five-course meal featuring native ingredients and complemented by paired wines.

Discover ancient landscapes on the North Coast

Be serenaded by the didgeridoo by Elder Kevin 'Gavi' Duncan before tasting botanical wines infused with native ingredients with Firescreek Botanical Winery's Aboriginal Storytelling and Wine Tasting Tour on the Central Coast, 75 minutes north of Sydney. Or be thrilled zooming around the Southern Hemisphere's largest shifting coastal sand dunes in nearby Port Stephens with Sand Dune Adventures, which runs quad-biking tours in the private Worimi Conservation Lands, led by Aboriginal guides.

See the ocean in a new light as you hear the story of how waves were created on a Gaagal Yuludarla (Ocean Dreaming) tour or delve into the heritage of Gaagal Wanggaan (South Beach) National Park with Unkya Cultural EcoTours at Scotts Head on the NSW North Coast, a five-hour drive north of Sydney.

Follow the highway north another 50 minutes to explore the idyllic creeks of the Coffs Coast on a stand-up paddleboarding experience with Wajaana Yaam Gumbaynggirr Adventure Tours. Admire the fish darting through crystal clear waters as your guide brings stories to life and introduces you to native coastal plants.

Imagine what the iconic tourist town of Byron Bay on the Far North Coast was like before colonisation on a tour with Explore Byron Bay. On the Byron Bay Lighthouse Aboriginal Tour, Arakwal Bundjalung woman Delta Kay will guide you along the Walgun Cape Byron Lighthouse Loop Trail, taking in panoramic views and beauty, connecting you to Country. On the Bangalow Native Bush Food Tour, Delta will point out the numerous native food and medicine plants, share an opportunity to learn some Bundjalung language and provide a variety of delicious native foods to sample. There are also private tours hosted in Byron Bay, Bangalow or Broken Head available. 

Soak up cultural wonders down south

Broaden your horizons on Yuin Country on the South Coast. Explore the Aboriginal cultural heritage of the Shoalhaven, around two hours south of Sydney, on a bespoke experience crafted by Djiriba Waagura. Join one of the burriburri Cultural Experiences to follow the footsteps of the Ancestors and experience a traditional smoking ceremony.

In Huskisson, Gadhungal Marring offers numerous cultural experiences, including the Baabaa-Gulli Murru Tour, a 90-minute 'walk and talk on Country'.

Feel culture all around you as you follow a coastal Dreaming track dotted with middens (ancient piles of shells and bones) in Eurobodalla National Park near Moruya. Southbound Escapes Tours offers a range of experiences in partnership with local Aboriginal guides including a Bingi Dreaming Walking Tour with Yuin Nation knowledge holder Patricia Ellis. 

Reflect on Aboriginal wisdom on the two-night Yuin Retreat hosted by Ngaran Ngaran Culture Awareness near Narooma. Hear sacred Dreaming stories passed down over generations as you walk on Country, bear witness to traditional ceremonies and savour gourmet catering showcasing native ingredients.

In Eden, Yandama On Country invites you on gentle and immersive experiences on Country. Be guided through Country on a walking tour learning about plants, animals, cultural land management and more. Also based in Eden, Bundian is facilitated by the Eden Local Aboriginal Land Council, offering guided experiences along Bundian Way, a 365km pathway of shared Aboriginal and European History that leads between Turemulerrer (Twofold Bay) and Targangal (Mount Kosciuszko), the highest point on the Australian mainland. 

At the very bottom of NSW, revel in the wild and rugged scenery of Kosciuszko National Park on a five-night kayaking adventure with Alpine River Adventures. Paddle and camp in the rugged Byadbo Wilderness with your Aboriginal guide on this unforgettable experience on a remote section of the Snowy River, home to a number of significant cultural sites.

Engage with Aboriginal culture in the Riverina

Soak up knowledge in the Riverina region as Wiradjuri man Mark Saddler of Bundyi Aboriginal Cultural Knowledge takes you on a cultural tour of the riverside city of Wagga Wagga and surrounds. Spot living artefacts alongside the Murrumbidgee River on his Aboriginal Walkabout Tour and enjoy lunch and visits to special Wiradjuri places on the Taste of Wiradjuri tour. 

Admire the craftsmanship of the boomerangs, didgeridoos and clapsticks on display in Wiradjuri Elder Michael Lyons's Sandhills Artefacts gallery in nearby Narrandera before joining him on a cultural tour to sites such as the Birthing Rocks and caves along the Murrumbidgee.

Two hours' drive southwest you'll find Bullanginya Dreaming, a  mesmerising weekly laser light show blending Bangerang Indigenous insights with the elemental forces of light, water and fire.

An hour and a half west to Lavington near Albury, Giilangyaldhaanygalang - Wiradjuri Storytellers offers On-Country experiences in the local area, including guided tours of the Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk and cultural immersion at Mungabareena Reserve Aboriginal Place.

Go west to meet the Outback's Traditional Custodians

Immerse yourself in Aboriginal culture in major towns throughout the vast Central West plains of Country NSW. 

Feel lucky to receive the breadth of knowledge shared by Gerald Power of Indigenous Cultural Adventures in the renowned wine region of Orange. His food-focused Bush Tucka Garden Tasting cultural tours begin in a local bush tucker garden before venturing out of town to visit ceremonial grounds and other significant sites.

Surrender to the open road to Outback NSW and explore Mutawintji National Park, less than three-hours' drive from the outback city of Broken Hill, where the Mutawintji Cultural Festival celebrates the region's extraordinary Aboriginal heritage.

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