Byron Bay is loved amongst locals and tourists alike for the beachy bohemian heaven that it is. Surrounded by tropical-looking beaches and suburbs that look like they are still in the 70s, we love a good trip to this laid-back town! Byron Bay is home to many fantastic hotels, breweries, shops, brunch spots and much more! But did you know that it is also filled to the brim with epic day trips? We love exploring the Byron Bay area so much that we've made a list of five epic Byron Bay Day Trips. Keep on reading!
1. Explore the Hinterland suburbs!
With dreamy names such as Mullumbimby, Newrybar and Bangalow, these hinterland towns are a photographers dream. While none of them are particularly big in size, their Instagram footprint is beyond anything you've seen before. You see, these little towns are filled with photogenic brunch spots such as Harvest Newrybar and WOODS in Bangalow and many cute little nooks to explore and hang out. Brunch is not the only activity in these popular hinterland suburbs, a day trip from Byron Bay to these formerly sleepy towns is filled with wonderful moments.
Want to combine these hinterland locations with a few epic Byron Bay Breweries? Enquire about our Byron Bay Brewery Tours today!
Newrybar Merchants, one of Byron Bay’s favourite local spots (Photo by Marijs Vrancken)
Newrybar's main location is just a street, so keep your eyes peeled for the turnoff! Newrybar was put on the map with Harvest Newrybar, the restaurant we already mentioned above, and the hard-to-resist stores Newrybar Merchants and Driftlab. Head here for the best homeware the area has to offer and a memorable dining experience. Our favourite spot? The local general store! It's just such good value!
Bangalow is home to many of the locals that we love to Insta-stalk. This town is both functional and a great place to explore. Start your Byron Bay day trip with breaky in WOODS, pick up a new outfit in Assembly Label and enjoy the local art at the next-door gallery. Do you have excellent timing and are you in Bangalow on the 4th Sunday of the month? Make sure to plan in a stop at the local market for more artisan locally-made products, boho clothing and lots of delicious food!
Last but not least, Mullumbimby is a regular on our Byron Bay day trips, located just 15 min drive from the Byron Bay centre. This bubbly town is a shopping heaven and, big surprise, also home to many great foodie spots. We love having eggs on sourdough with a coffee at Punch & Daisy and picking up a pizza slice at the locally famous Milk and Honey. Want to have a good craft beer with your pizza? Punch & Daisy also stocks one of our favourite Sydney Craft Beers, The Grifter Brewing Co.!
2. Jump in a local waterfall!
There are plenty of waterfalls to explore on one of these epic Byron Bay day trips! Minyon Falls is a much-loved waterfall with a swimming hole at the bottom of the waterfall. On a hot summer's day, you are guaranteed to bump into a few people from your hostel or accommodation as it is the perfect place to cool off!
A smaller and lesser-known waterfall is Killen falls. Located close to Newrybar, it is a short hike down from the car park where you are greeted by a swimming hole with a picturesque little waterfall. We love visiting both waterfalls and finishing the day trip at one of the Byron Bay Breweries on the way back home to Byron Bay!
Blogger Marijs from Rooftop Antics at Killen Falls, an epic waterfall to visit from Byron Bay
3. Go Kayaking with Dolphins
Say what? Oh yeah, this is a thing. The location of Byron Bay is perfectly suited as a home for many marine mammals. Visitors to Byron Bay frequently spot whales when they are in season and it is not uncommon for dolphins to join the surf line-up! So why not head out on a day trip from Byron Bay to go and kayak with these curious creatures. They are spotted so often that you are even guaranteed sightings or you can go back out the next day!
See dolphins in Byron Bay from a kayak! Photo by Jen Milius
4. Learn How to Surf
It's hard to spend any time in Byron Bay and not get tempted to get on a surfboard! It is, after all, a quintessential Aussie activity and it's a perfect Byron Bay day trip. There are many local surfing schools that offer lessons at one of the local Byron Bay beaches or on a surf break close by. We recommend starting off on one of the larger foam boards if it's your first go at it, but if you're a bit more confident, try asking for a smaller surfboard! Make sure to avoid the super busy line ups as Byron Bay is home to many great surfers which aren't always too happy with beginners interrupting their wave party.
Byron Bay is one of the best places to learn how to surf! Photo by Kate Darmody
5. Go on a Byron Bay Brewery Tour
Over the past few years, Byron Bay has been put on the map in the craft beer brewing game. If you're new to our website, you might not know that we organise Sydney & Hunter Valley Craft Beer Tours. That means that we are slightly obsessed with finding the best craft breweries in Sydney and surroundings and have now also branched out to Byron Bay! Read more about our memorable Byron Bay Brewery Tours here!
Photo by Tim Bennett
Stone & Wood Brewery is the first Byron Bay brewery that caught our attention and with good reason! Most famous for their Pacific Ale, their handcrafted beers include a great assortment of ales, crisp lagers, and a few epic pale ales! You can even go on a behind-the-scenes brewery tour and discover just what makes their craft beers so special.
But Stone & Wood isn't the only brewery in the Byron Bay area. In fact, there are plenty of breweries around to fill a Byron Bay day trip! As most of them are located outside of the Byron Bay centre, we recommend visiting them on a mini road trip! If you plan carefully or hop on one of our future tours, you can even combine a waterfall tour with a visit to a hinterland town and a schooner at a craft brewery on your Byron Bay Day Trip.
Photo by Barbara Rezende
Cover Photo by Shubham Sharma
