Published on Dec, 2022
My husband and I were looking for a day trip from Sydney to Canberra and found Daily Sydney Tours website online. Having booked many other trips in the past, we are fairly cautious of choosing the right travel company to fit our needs. From the get go, we were very impressed. We got immediate tailored responses to our questions and the opportunity to make suggestions to help shape our trip.
On the morning of the tour, Korhan was waiting for us outside our hotel in the centre of Sydney and instantly made us feel comfortable. The car was gorgeous, spacious and perfectly air conditioned. We started our drive to Canberra and got chatting which changed the dynamic from the standard tour guide experience and instead we were made to feel like we had known each other for years. Korhan took an interest in us, our home country (Scotland), our culture and our interests/what we hoped to see on the trip. As we had mentioned a desire to see Australian wildlife, we regularly slowed down to see animals in their natural habitats and were given informative facts about them.
We stopped midway between Sydney and Canberra at Goullburn and went to the wonderful Trappers Bakery for some delicious coffee and baked treats before continuing on our journey. Our next stop was Mount Ainslie for a stunning lookout over Canberra. Again Korhan shared the history of the capital, how it was built and facts about the architecture etc. which really set the tone for the rest of the trip. Following Mount Ainslie, we were taken to the War Museum where all entrance tickets etc were taken care of and again we were walked round and given some amazing facts about the ANZAC’s and their invaluable contribution to the war efforts. We were also given free time to walk round at our leisure and take real time to appreciate the exhibits before going for some lunch in the centre of town.
The whole trip flowed naturally and never felt rushed as some other trips have. We were always asked if we would like more time or if we wanted to see anything else which was really refreshing and felt like our wishes were really being considered.
Our next stop was extremely lucky and a very special experience which we feel privileged to have been part of. We were taken to the parliament building and walked round before being asked if we wanted to sit in on prime ministers questions which we gratefully accepted. We sat for around half an hour listening to the Australian government officials and prime minister debating important topics that shape Australia. This has become a highlight of our holiday that we will not forget. After parliament, we were driven around the various countries embassy buildings and shown the UK embassy which again felt very tailored to our backgrounds and made the trip more relevant to us.
Lastly we went to the Royal Mint and watched currency being made whilst being given some background on the history behind it. We even got a chance to make our own coin which will be kept and treasured as a keepsake.
Overall, we cannot recommend Daily Sydney Tours and specifically the Canberra day trip enough. Korhan has a real passion for sharing the history and traditions or Australia with his guests whilst making sure everything he shares is relevant to his them. This has been by far the best tour we have ever had the pleasure of being on and one not to be missed by anyone. Korhan even took time on the trip home to share insight on his own culture and background whilst also sharing more history on Australia and it’s indigenous people which was amazing to learn about.
We cannot thank the team enough for helping to give us a special, tailored experience that we will never forget.