Paint & Hike Trips

The perfect creative escape – no painting or hiking experience necessary.

The Adventure Gene Difference

World Class Gear & Clothing

Our Ultralight Comfort System™ is designed to keep you warm, dry, safe and happy.

Beginner Friendly

No previous experience is required. Whether you’re a beginner painter, a first-time camper, or an expert in both, all are welcome.

Expert Guides

Led by both an expert hiking guide and a professional artist, you’ll be fully supported the entire time.

Small Groups

We only provide small group experiences. With 2 guides and up to 10 guests, you’ll be well looked after and can walk at your own pace.

Wilderness Immersion

Spark your creativity with an escape into the Aussie bush. Designed for hikers and artists alike, this is the ultimate creative retreat.

Our Paint & Hike Trips

Paint & Hike: Blue Waterholes

Combine relaxation with adventure in Kosciuszko National Park. Discover your artistic side as you paint the Snowy High Plains, explore limestone gorges, and swim in waterholes.

Scheduled Departures

Paint & Hike: Sapphire Coast

Spark your creativity on this coastal journey along the Sapphire Coast. Enjoy painting workshops led by a professional artist, swim at secluded beaches, and discover the dramatic geology of this stunning coastline.

Scheduled Departures

New departure dates coming soon. Sign up to be the first to know!

Need help choosing a trip?

All of our Paint & Hike trips are beginner friendly. You do not need any previous hiking or painting experience. We make planning simple by providing premium ultralight gear and clothing, all art supplies, nutritious food and private transport from Canberra.

The trip you pick will primarily depend on the location you would like to visit.

Blue Waterholes

Set in the remote northern reaches of Kosciuszko National Park, our Paint & Hike: Blue Waterholes immerses you in the rugged beauty of the Snowy Mountains.

You’ll experience a mix of single-track, fire roads, and off-track walking, making it a great option for those who are keen to learn some off-track navigation.

We visit historic alpine huts, explore Murray Cave (optional side trip), and swim in Blue Waterhole. When it’s time to kick back and paint, you’ll capture rustic huts, twisted snow gums, and sweeping mountain vistas.

Sapphire Coast

Tracing the shoreline of the remote Sapphire Coast, our Paint & Hike: Sapphire Coast immerses you in the vibrant coastal beauty of southern New South Wales. You’ll experience pristine beaches, rocky single track, hiker-only campsites, and ocean sunrise views.

When it’s time to bring out the paint brushes, you’ll capture tranquil blue bays, delicate seashells, and the iconic historic lighthouses that mark the start and finish point of the walk.

Map

Get a quick visual overview of the Paint & Hike routes we explore.

Brochure

Everything you need to know about our Paint & Hike trips.

Paint & Hike Trip Calendar

Check out our trip calendar for a visual overview of all upcoming Paint & Hike trips!

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FAQs

Curious about our Paint & Hike trips? We’ve answered our most common questions to make planning your adventure stress-free.

I'm new to hiking, are these trips suitable for beginners?

Yes! You don’t need any prior hiking experience to join us. We provide a detailed pre-trip preparation package, and our guides will teach you everything you need to know. The only prerequisite is your physical fitness. It is essential that you are capable of carrying a 10kg pack for 2-4 hours over uneven terrain.

What art abilities do you cater for?

Our trips are designed for all levels of painting experience. Whether you haven’t held a brush since primary school or you’re a professional artist with an established practice, you are completely welcome here. Our artist guides will tailor their workshops to ensure you get the level of support or freedom you need.

Where do your Paint & Hike trips go?

We offer our Paint & Hike trips in two remote locations: the Snowy Mountains (Kosciuszko National Park) and the Sapphire Coast (Beowa National Park). While both adventures share the same duration and difficulty level, the landscapes (and what you’ll paint), are quite different.

Blue Waterholes (Snowy Mountains): A remote alpine escape with off-track walking, swim holes, mountain views and historic alpine huts.
Light to Light (Sapphire Coast): A vibrant wilderness coastal journey with winding single track, beach walking, spectacular wildflowers and ocean sunrises.

How much hiking and painting do you do?

On a typical day, you can expect about 2-3 hours of hiking and up to 3 hours of guided painting workshops. You’re always welcome to keep painting during your downtime at camp.

Am I fit enough?

All of our Paint & Hike trips require you to carry a 10kg pack for extended periods over uneven terrain. To ensure you are ready, you will need to do some training before the trip. We highly recommend engaging in at least 2 hours of physical activity each week, such as running, cycling, swimming, team sports, or hiking up and down hills. Walking on flat pavement is not adequate preparation.

In addition, you should aim to complete at least 2 practice walks carrying a 10kg pack for 2-3 hours (including breaks) before we depart.

What do I need to bring?

We provide all the gear, outer-layer clothing, and painting equipment as part of our Ultralight Comfort System™. This includes (but is not limited to) tents, sleeping bags, hiking packs, hiking poles, down jackets, down pants and fleece layers.

The only things you need to bring are your base layers and personal items:

Long-sleeve shirt and hiking pants
Shoes (either trail runners or hiking boots)
Socks and underwear
A hat and sunglasses

What’s included in the trip price?

Included in the trip price is the following:

Use of world-class ultralight gear and clothing
All painting supplies
Cooked meals, snacks, and hot drinks (excluding breakfast on Day 1 and dinner on the last day)
Return transport from Canberra
1 professional artist guide and 1 expert hiking guide (a 1:5 guide-to-guest ratio)
Pre-trip support and a detailed preparation package (including packing video)

What group sizes can I expect on a trip?

All trips are intentionally small, with up to 10 guests, accompanied by 2 guides. This ratio ensures a personal, comfortable, and well-paced experience.

Who will be guiding me?

All of our hiking guides are highly experienced in navigating the Australian backcountry. While each guide brings their own unique style and interests to the trail, they all share a commitment to being supportive, knowledgeable, and ensuring your trip is one to remember.

Similarly, our artist guides are professional artists who are passionate about capturing the wilderness. While each artist has their own preferred medium and creative approach, they are all dedicated to providing patient, tailored instruction to ensure you feel inspired and supported, regardless of your experience level.

We will let you know who your guides are about a month before departure, though please note this can occasionally change on short notice.

What happens when it rains?

All of the gear and clothing we provide is high-quality and designed to ensure you stay warm, dry and comfortable throughout the trip.

On our Blue Waterholes trip, we camp near a hut each night, providing the perfect backup space to hold our painting workshops under the shelter of the veranda if the weather turns. For the Light to Light Walk, and on the trail in general, our guides carry group shelters that can be set up quickly. This allows us to create a dry, protected space to continue painting.

Are there toilets?

On the Light to Light Walk, there are drop toilets at every campsite stay at along the trail. For our Blue Waterholes trip, there are drop toilets at 2 out the 3 huts we camp next to, and at the start and finish.

Outside of these times, a trowel is used to bury waste. This is something our guides will teach you how to do on Day 1.

I still have questions?

We know preparing for a trip brings up plenty of questions! Email or call us, and one of our senior guides will be more than happy to answer them.

Our trusted gear suppliers

Reviews

Browse our verified Google reviews to see what others are saying about our trips.

      
 Excellent5.0181 reviews
 5.0
 Excellent181 reviews
  Write a review 
 
 
 
    
 
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Miriam Blackburn 
 1 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +1
Great paint and hike walk in the Snowy Mountains. Great guides and ok to be a beginner painter. Had not camped for many years, it was fun to learn about microlight camping
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Cassie Woolley 
 2 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
I booked this tour very much at the last minute, and the only way I could even contemplate it was if I knew I didn't have to then run around and collect piles of hiking and camping gear. I rocked up to day 0 (prep day) and found an exceptionally organised team waiting. They had all of the ultra light gear ready for us to learn about and pack into a hiking pack (also provided). We went upstairs and were kitted out with fleece, down and rain layers as well as accessories like gaiters, buffs and gloves. Back downstairs we packed our own snacks from a wide range of nuts, dried fruit, lollies, chocolate, chips, muesli bars and hot drink supplies.
The organisation and good vibes continued throughout the trip. Our guide Maddie was positive and supportive and led us on quite an adventure over 4 days. We all carried a share of the group meals, which were filling and tasty. I am vegetarian and that was no problem either. One of my concerns was that I would be cold, especially at night. It was chilly when the sun went down with some winds that came up that week but the sleep system was amazing and I was toasty in bed.
The route was a great variety of canyons, plains, caves, forests, and wetlands. I also enjoyed visiting the historical huts, in particular the one with the newspaper from the 1940s lining the walls.
If you are looking for an adventure in a supportive environment with top notch gear supplied, I can highly recommend Maddie and The Adventure Gene.
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   alison taggart 
 3 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. A really wonderful experience. Very calming. The amount of walking to painting was well balanced. The guides were very supportive, they provided everything we needed.
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Angie Lucena 
 5 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. The Paint and Hike tour I did with The Adventure Gene was fantastic. 4 days of not too difficult hiking in the Kosciusko National Park with loads of time for our painting. Maddie our hiking guide was lovely and very helpful. Sophie our painting guide gave so much encouragement and some great tips. I went with a friend but 5 of the 9 women on our tour had come by themselves.

The equipment they provided was excellent. Best camping mattress I’ve ever slept on! I was warm and comfortable at all times, even when the temperature dropped into the minuses overnight and I had to shake the ice off my tent. Maddie did a great job cooking - tasty, filling meals and we even had dessert every night.

The tour will suit everyone who is moderately fit - but you do need to do some training. I’m 61 and go to the gym often and  run, I had no problems. My friend is older and not very fit and was very proud that she made it.
There is a lot of emphasis on the painting aspect of the hike. The views are spectacular and offer lots of beautiful painting subjects. I’m not a great painter but feel I’ve come away with better ideas and techniques.
I couldn’t recommend The Adventure Gene highly enough.
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Jackie McKay 
 9 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. My Budawangs Traverse experience with The Adventure Gene (TAG) met all my expectations and more!

Exploring this part of Australia’s incredible landscape and discovering its hidden treasures was truly eye-opening and unforgettable.

I love hiking and exploring, but I’d never experienced an overnight trek before. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I knew I could rough it, but I like to be warm and I definitely don’t like being hungry! These were two of my biggest concerns, and TAG absolutely nailed it. I’m hooked!

I’ve come away with so much more than just an amazing experience. I’ve gained the knowledge, skills and confidence to tackle future walks, treks and adventures. I now have practical tips, delicious meal recipes, snack ideas, and firsthand experience with lightweight gear and recommended products—all while learning how to manage pack weight.

Throughout the trek, I was warm, well-fed and felt confident and in control, all while being completely in awe of Australia’s breathtaking landscapes.

I couldn’t recommend this adventure more highly! If you love hiking, want to take your adventures to the next level, or are curious about overnight trekking, TAG is the way to go.

Thank you, TAG, for an incredible experience and for equipping me with the confidence and knowledge to keep exploring!
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Shari Lofthouse 
 9 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. A wonderful experience across beautiful country, with a wonderful experienced guide.  Very well organised  and managed, great gear to test out. Can thoroughly recommend!
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Rachel Wright 
 10 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +2
Paint and Hike from Blue Waterholes was an incredible trip! The company, the views, the food and the gear was amazing. Great for a beginner hiker and an amateur artist, and special thanks to Tearloch, head guide (and head of laughs) and Sophie for her artist tips and tricks.
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Virginia McLaren 
 17 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +2
Budawangs 5 day hike. 2nd-6th October. Tom and Maddie had thought of everything for our comfort, and prepared us extremely well. Their attention to detail is exceptional. They're kind and caring with excellent leadership skills.
Ultra light gear was of the highest quality. Yummy,  nutritious food was plentiful and prepared for us. The wilderness experience of the Budawangs is quite spectacular. Such diversity with scrubby bushland,  majestic rocky outcrops, lush rainforest  with mossy valleys, soaring escarpments and beautiful sunsets.
Thank you for a wonderful experience.
Will definately be doing another hike with them.
Virginia.
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Gaye Ponting 
 20 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. What a fabulous  5 days of walking in a wonderful environment. Our guides Maddie and Tom were energetic, knowledgeable,friendly,thoughtful and fun! They shared their experiences with the group. I have learnt many tips and tricks for my future hikes. The landscape was spectacular.  The food was superb nourishing and tasty. Then there is the lightweight equipment,clothes,gear.Worked wonderfully well in the rain and sun!!Tick, tick, tick!! Also the people in our group were all lovely, friendly, and helpful.❣️❣️❣️🤸‍♀️
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Ellen Egan 
 21 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +2
I cannot recommend a trip with The Adventure Gene more highly. I’d never overnight hiked and it had been 25 years since I’d camped. The TAG team taught me so much over the course of 5 days - I’ve gained confidence and skills that go far beyond setting up a tent in the rain! TAG have a brilliant philosophy and are doing something really special - if you want to get out into Australia’s stunning national parks but need some guidance and encouragement to get there, this is the way to go.