Private Mount Kosciuszko Tour
Four days from Sydney to Australia's highest peak, with driver-guide included.Sydney to Australia's highest peak
This is one of my Great Australian Road Trip tours — a private, fully guided journey from Sydney to the summit of Mount Kosciuszko. I pick you up from your Sydney hotel and head southwest through the Southern Highlands to Canberra, then on to Thredbo to explore the Snowy Mountains high country. The big day is the climb — the chairlift to Eagles Nest, and the summit walk, weather depending. From there we make our way back to Sydney, picking up anything missed on the way out. Accommodation along the route is your own booking, but I'll guide you toward the right hotels for each night — the Novotel or Crown in Canberra, and Thredbo Alpine Hotel for your two nights in the mountains, subject to availability.
Highlights
- Private door-to-door departure and return from Sydney
- The historic Southern Highlands, including Berrima
- Australia's capital, Canberra
- Two nights in the Snowy Mountains at Thredbo
- Thredbo, Australia's highest ski resort
- Chairlift to Eagles Nest, the starting point for the summit climb
- The 12km round-trip walk to the summit of Mount Kosciuszko, 2,228 metres
- Lake Jindabyne along the way
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1 — Sydney to Canberra via the Southern Highlands
I'll meet you at your Sydney hotel and head southwest into the Southern Highlands, taking in townships including Mittagong, Bowral and historic Berrima, with a lunch stop at Australia's longest continuously licensed inn (own expense). From there it's on to Goulburn, Australia's first inland town, for a brief stop near the Big Merino, then past Lake George into Canberra for an afternoon covering Mount Ainslie, the Australian War Memorial, a scenic drive through the capital, the Museum of Democracy at Old Parliament House and Parliament House itself. We depart Sydney at 8:00am and arrive in Canberra around 4:00pm, where you'll check into your own accommodation for the night — I recommend either the Novotel or the Crown.
Day 2 — Canberra to Thredbo
After breakfast we cover anything missed the day before, then head south towards the Snowy Mountains. We stop in Cooma to visit the Hydro Electric Scheme museum and learn about the dam and water systems that power the high country, along with other local attractions. We arrive in Thredbo around 4:00pm, where you'll check into your own accommodation for the next two nights — I recommend Thredbo Alpine Hotel, subject to availability.
Day 3 — the summit
After breakfast your chairlift passes to Eagles Nest are ready and waiting. From there, depending on fitness level, it's a 12km round-trip walk to the summit of Mount Kosciuszko — Australia's highest peak — or a shorter 4km round trip for a closer view without the full climb. This part of the tour is weather dependent. Afterwards there's time to wander through Thredbo village before the evening.
Day 4 — Thredbo to Sydney
We return to Sydney via the Southern Highlands, with stops at Bundanoon, Exeter and Fitzroy Falls along the way — approximately 450km for the return leg, with an arrival back at your hotel around 6:00pm.
Two ways to do this trip
The full version runs four days and three nights, taking in Canberra and the Southern Highlands on the way through. If time is tighter, I can run a shorter three-day, two-night version that heads more directly to Thredbo, skipping the Canberra and Southern Highlands stopover. Get in touch and I'll price whichever suits your schedule.
Where to stay
Accommodation is your own booking, but I'll always guide you toward the right choice. Night one is in Canberra, where I recommend either the Novotel or the Crown. Nights two and three are based in Thredbo, subject to availability — it's the nicer of the two Snowy Mountains villages to actually spend your evenings in once the day's touring is done, and my pick for this trip. Thredbo Alpine Hotel is my go-to recommendation there. I'll confirm all of this with you once your booking is approved, well before you need to lock in your own reservations.
How to Book your Private Tour
This tour runs October - May (outside our ski season). Get in touch to customise your itinerary.
Contact Me Directly and I'll do my best to make it work.
Images
Images from Mount Kosciuszko National Park summit walk.
Pricing and availability
The four-day, three-night tour starts from $5,000 for 2 passengers, covering the private vehicle and driver-guide, national park entry under my NPWS commercial operator's Eco Pass, and Thredbo chairlift passes for the group. Additional passengers are $500 each, up to a maximum of 5 travellers. Accommodation and meals are arranged separately by you — I'm happy to suggest options along the route based on your preferences and budget. This is a round-trip tour, which keeps the cost contained compared with a one-way itinerary. The tour runs during the warmer months, October to May, and involves a genuine full day of walking — I'd rate the fitness demand at 5 out of 5. Dress for the cold regardless of season, as alpine weather can turn even in summer.
What's included
- Private vehicle and driver-guide for up to 5 passengers
- National park entry via my NPWS commercial operator's Eco Pass
- Thredbo chairlift passes, arranged in advance for the group
- Bottled and cask water for the duration of the tour
What's not included
- Accommodation for the duration of the tour
- All meals and beverages
- Personal expenses
Not a fixed route
Everything above is a proven round-trip shell — Sydney out, Sydney back, no dead-leg cost built in. If you've got more time, I can extend the high country leg into a longer round trip through the Victorian High Country before looping back to Sydney, at a similar per-day rate to this tour.
If you'd rather push all the way through to Melbourne — with day touring around the Great Ocean Road, the Twelve Apostles and Phillip Island's penguins — that becomes a one-way tour rather than a round trip. Because the vehicle and I need to return to Sydney afterwards without a paying group aboard, one-way tours are priced differently to account for that return leg. Tell me which direction you're leaning and I'll put together options for both.
If the weather turns
Alpine regions can be hazardous even in summer, and NSW authorities reserve the right to close access to summit walks at short notice. This is outside my control, but I'll always do everything I can to get you to the peak. High wind in particular can affect chairlift access — if that happens, I'll offer an alternative departure from Charlotte Pass instead, which involves a longer 9.5km walk each way.
Mount Kosciuszko tour FAQs
Do you offer private tours outside NSW?
Yes — while most of my day tours run within NSW, my extended tours regularly cross into the ACT, Victoria and Queensland. This Mount Kosciuszko tour reaches into the ACT, and it can be extended further south into Victoria and Melbourne, or connected with other extended tours covering Broken Hill, the Victorian High Country and the Queensland coast up to Cairns.
How much does the Mount Kosciuszko tour from Sydney cost?
The four-day, three-night version starts from $5,000 for 2 passengers, covering the private vehicle and driver-guide, national park entry under my NPWS commercial operator's Eco Pass, and Thredbo chairlift passes arranged for the group. Additional passengers are $500 each, up to a maximum of 5. Accommodation and meals aren't included — I'll recommend hotels, but bookings are your own arrangement. The shorter three-day, two-night option is priced individually — get in touch and I'll confirm.
Where should I stay on this tour?
Night one is in Canberra, where I recommend the Novotel or the Crown. Nights two and three are in Thredbo, subject to availability, at Thredbo Alpine Hotel — my pick for the nicer of the two Snowy Mountains villages to spend your evenings in. Accommodation is your own booking, but I'll confirm my recommendations with you once your tour is booked, ahead of when you need to lock hotels in.
From personal experience, altitude can affect some guests on the first night in Thredbo, which sits at around 1,300 metres — breathing difficulties overnight aren't uncommon before you've acclimatised. If you have any history of altitude sensitivity, I'd recommend Jindabyne instead, which sits lower and tends to suit most people more comfortably.
Can I book this tour online?
You can submit a booking online, but it's placed as subject to approval rather than confirmed instantly — this trip involves seasonal accommodation and chairlift access that I confirm before locking anything in. Once I've approved your booking, I'll send through my recommended hotels for each night so you can book your own accommodation with confidence.
Can this tour be extended into Victoria or all the way to Melbourne?
Yes. I can extend this into a longer round trip through the Victorian High Country at a similar per-day rate, or push all the way through to Melbourne with day touring around the Great Ocean Road and Phillip Island. Melbourne is a one-way itinerary rather than a round trip, so pricing works differently to account for the return leg — I'll put together options for both if you're interested.
How fit do I need to be for the summit walk?
The full walk to the summit is a 12km round trip and I'd rate it 5 out of 5 for fitness demand — it's a genuine full day of walking in high altitudes, though not technical climbing. A shorter 4km round-trip option is available if you'd prefer a closer view without the full climb.
What happens if the weather closes the summit walk?
Alpine conditions can close summit access even in summer, which is outside my control. If high wind affects the Thredbo chairlift, I'll offer an alternative departure from Charlotte Pass instead, involving a longer 9.5km walk each way to reach the summit. In any case we will follow directions of the local national parks staff to ensure safety.
When does the Mount Kosciuszko tour run?
This tour operates during the warmer months, October to May. Even then, alpine weather can shift quickly, so I'd recommend dressing for the cold regardless of the season and building a little flexibility into your dates where possible.
Enquire about this tour
Submit a booking and I'll confirm it as soon as I've checked availability for the season. Tell me your preferred dates and group size — including whether you'd like the round trip, an extension into Victoria, or the one-way run through to Melbourne — and I'll approve your booking and send through my hotel recommendations for each night.