Sometimes it feels like all the best getaways are reserved for couples or families. But what if you want to escape the city for a week with a bunch of mates or extended relos? With the winter right around the corner, and the rest of 2024 to sort out those much-needed mini breaks with your mates, it's time to get planning.
In 2024, Airbnb has also made booking group trips even easier, with a host of fun new features in the Airbnb app. Create shared wishlists, start a group chat, and, if you're the one doing the organising, invite your friends to the trip with digital postcards of your destination, illustrated by artists from around the world. Everyone joining the trip will get all the necessary details including the full address, Wi-Fi password, and check-in instructions, which means you do less heavy lifting.
To get you started, we’ve rounded up the best Airbnbs for large groups throughout NSW. All of them are an easy drive from Sydney and each can house at least six guests. Sorted.
The Dawn
Callala Beach | 12 Guests
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Located just 50 metres from the pearly white sands of Callala Beach, this freshly renovated home is perfect for a family-style group getaway. With space for up to eight adults and four children, the layout of "The Dawn" is perfect for families travelling with kids.
You can enjoy designer appliances, the indoor fireplace and outdoor firepit, and sundowners on the upstairs deck with dreamy ocean views. Meanwhile, the rest of the fam can enjoy the backyard and games room, which includes a foosball table board games, and yard games. There are even kayaks for some beach paddling too.
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The Hatch
Huskisson | 8 Guests
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This three-bedroom coastal retreat is a short stroll from the famous white sands of Husskison and Jervis Bay. There's a spacious dining room, lounge room, and leafy courtyard—complete with a bubbling hot tub—for you and your mates to hang out and unwind after a day exploring the great outdoors.
The Hatch is also close to all of Huskisson's best local amenities—from the pub to the cinema, restaurants, and more—so you can leave the car at home and walk everywhere.
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Turon Gates Sunvale Lodge
Capertee | 8 Guests
Image credit: Turon Gates | Supplied
Set on 6,000 acres of beautiful bushland in the Blue Mountains, Turon Gates is an eco-retreat dotted with glamping tents, cottages, and camping spots. Sunvale is their luxury lodge—a sweeping home that sleeps up to eight guests with spectacular views across the valley.
You and your crew will be treated to four large bedrooms, supersized bathrooms, an entertainer's kitchen for stunning group dinners, a crackling fireplace, and sprawling balconing topped with a timber-panelled hot tub. Each room has a four-poster bed with panoramic views, meaning no one in your group has to go for second-best. During your stay at Turon Gates, you can arrange horse rides, varied hiking trails, canoeing, swimming, and trout fishing in crystal clear Turon River waters.
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Vintage Steel
Hinton, Port Stephens | 16+ Guests
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This enormous converted warehouse has everything you need for a top-tier group getaway. Situated in the Port Stephens hinterland, it's close to Newcastle's beaches and Hunter Valley wineries, while also being a short stroll away from a local country pub nestled on the Paterson River.
There are eight bedrooms and three bathrooms set across multiple levels. You'll also get to fire up the custom pizza oven and take a dip in the private plunge pool. If your group includes four-legged friends, Vintage Steel is pet-friendly too.
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Zensi Retreat House
Mudgee | 10 Guests
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For a luxurious option, take a peek at the house at Zensi Retreat in Eurunderee in Mudgee. This stunning architecturally designed property has wellness at its heart—and spectacular amenities to match. Not to mention, you're in the heart of the Mudgee wine region, making it the perfect spot to base yourself for a luxe wine weekend.
Sleeping up to 10 across four beautiful bedrooms, you'll have access to a sauna, a sunken plunge spa with room for eight, a fully equipped yoga studio with calming views across open plains, a heated swimming pool, a plus-size kitchen, an indoor fireplace, and a helipad, just in case you want to arrive by helicopter, of course.
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The Shed
Gerroa | 8 Guests
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With sweeping views of the ocean and the surrounding farmland, The Shed in Gerroa is a gorgeous south coast escape. Just 90 minutes south of Sydney, near the charming beach towns of Gerringong, Werri, Berry, and Kiama, this eight-person stay features a 3.5-metre plunge pool, a double-sided open fireplace, and expansive outdoor grounds with a fire-pit and 10-person alfresco dining table.
Highlights from The Shed’s stunning interiors include 5.5 metre high ceilings, polished concrete floors, and expansive glass windows, kitted out with a smart TV, PlayStation, and espresso machine. The hosts also offer in-house catering options(!), from ‘sit and share’ drop-off meals, to a ‘communal feast’ with a fully styled table and seasonal local produce.
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Mulberry Cottage
Hunter Valley | 8 Guests
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If a group trip to the Hunter is on the cards, this charming cottage at the Audrey Wilkinson vineyard in Pokolbin is perfect. Surrounded by vines and 360-degree views of the Brokenback Ranges, the home sleeps up to eight across four bedrooms.
You're a stone's throw from the Audrey Wilkinson cellar door and perfectly positioned to explore more of the region's great vino too.
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Whispering Waters
Soldiers Point | 6 Guests
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Whispering Waters, named for its earshot distance from the beautiful Wanda Beach, is a sparkling new waterfront apartment with panoramic coastal views. The home’s centrepiece is its huge, covered entertaining balcony, which looks straight out over the water.
Guests have free roam of a spacious welcoming lounge, three king-bed ensuite rooms, and eight-seater dining tables both inside and outdoors. The location’s not bad either: Whispering Waters is a short stroll from the beach, popular local spots Kangaroo Point and Soldiers Point Marina, and fine dining at Rick Stein’s Bannisters.
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Black Star
Kangaroo Valley | 8 Guests
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Boutique luxury residence, Black Star, is a five-acre property in the woodlands of Kangaroo Valley. Boasting unrivaled views of Barrengarry Mountain, the home has towering floor-to-ceiling windows to frame the surrounding mountains and valleys.
The interiors are punctuated with heaps of unique features, such as the living room’s Chevalier glass box log fire, bi-fold doors that open to a wraparound exterior deck, and a mezzanine bedroom for extra guests. Beyond soaking up the views and heating up the barbie, guests can take a swim in the recently added swimming pool, and the hosts can arrange a private chef or massage during your stay.
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Sky Ridge
Kangaroo Valley | 8 guests
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A zen retreat like no other, Sky Ridge is an eco-lodge built high on Mount Scanzi at the centre of Kangaroo Valley. Part of a series of designer homes in the valley, this black barn is entirely solar-powered and off the grid.
Sky Ridge has an industrial aesthetic, constructed with steel, glass, and polished concrete floors, but with retractable glass doors on three sides of the open living room, and giant sliding windows in each of the four queen bedrooms, the house is designed to be at one with the valley that surrounds it. The hosts have recently added a brand new yoga deck with exquisite panoramic views, and they can also arrange a personal chef to cook for your group during your trip.
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Coco At Culburra
Culburra Beach | 6 Guests
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If you’re after an old-school beach shack, Coco at Culburra is the place for you. The 1950s house is a throwback to simple seaside living, while its recent renovation has seen it upgraded with modern creature comforts. Guests here are within walking distance of some of the South Coast’s finest hidden gems, including Warren Beach, Culburra Beach, and Tilbury Cove.
With a roomy outdoor deck and dining area, heaps of surf beaches, protected swimming coves, and a stunning lake at your doorstep, Coco at Culburra is a perfect group stay whether you’re staying in or heading out.
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Palm Pavilion
Church Point | 8 Guests
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Built on the edge of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Palm Pavilion is a slice of tropical wilderness just 45 minutes from Sydney’s CBD.
With floor-to-ceiling windows offering stunning views straight into the lush green surroundings, this award-winning, boutique container house is a tranquil oasis tucked within some of the state’s most beautiful nature. Guests can help themselves to Palm Pavilion’s ample supply of games, cooking and baking facilities, and the outdoor swimming pool.
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LegaSea Lodge
Shellharbour | 10 Guests
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LegaSea Lodge is a beachy getaway exactly one minute’s walk from the ocean. With balconies offering uninterrupted views of the harbour, the lodge has a bunch of dreamy amenities for your perfect coastal retreat. Guests can enjoy a private plunge pool, BBQ, smart TV, portable speakers, and a heated outdoor shower to wash off the sand after a day at the beach.
Shellharbour Village is a beautiful seaside town, with a bunch of cafes, restaurants, and speciality shops. LegaSea Lodge is close to snorkelling and diving hotspots at Bushrangers Bay Aquatic Reserve and Bass Point Reserve; beautiful hiking trails at Macquarie Pass National Park; and one of Australia’s few National Surfing Reserves at Killalea.
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Pia’s Paradise
Kiama | 9 Guests
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Another oceanfront retreat to Sydney’s south, Pia’s Paradise enjoys a prime location on the picturesque coastline of Kiama.
The outside dining area features a BBQ and fire pit, and with views of the surrounding ocean, beaches, and farmland, it’s the perfect place for arvo drinks or an evening feast. There’s also a private cubby house for kids to explore, and the property is within easy walking distance of the famous Kiama blowhole, as well as a strip of cafe and boutique shops.
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For more of the best stays in NSW, check out:
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