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.

      
 Excellent4.9173 reviews
 4.9
 Excellent173 reviews
  Write a review 
 
 
 
    
 
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Gaye Ponting 
 0 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 
 1 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.
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   James Biggam 
 5 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Just completed the five day Budawangs traverse and loved it. Maddie and Tom made this premier hike accessible to a noob.
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   anonymous 
 5 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. The guide was , positive, kind and supportive. Willing to go above and beyond to ensure we were comfortable whilst keeping us on schedule, hydrated , nourished and smiling. The artist was an inspiration and also very kind   Sharing skill and bringing  time to a standstill while we could embrace and capture the beauty of the scene we were painting
The company , TAG, were also organised supportive and quick to reply. The equipment and clothing is of high quality and suited the environment. I was always warm at night .  That’s a miracle for me!  I would easily go again on another’ paint and hike’
with TAG.
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Julie Curran 
 6 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +2
Wonderful experience doing 5 day Budawangs hike with Adventure Genie.The hike itself is remote and beautiful.Our campsite on our last night had the most spectacular views.Maddie and Tearloch looked after us well, cooking delicious meals,we had so much food,no chance of going hungry.This trip is excellent value as so much gear ( and it’s very high quality) is supplied.This included backpacks,hiking poles,tents sleeping bags,rain jackets and pants,warm clothing,sunglasses headlamps,sunscreen,even chargers.As someone who has done a lot of multi day hiking,I’ve never had to take so little of my own gear,it was great.Thank you,would love to do another hike with Adventure Genie.They  are fantastic
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   BELINDA PORCHERA 
 6 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +2
Great Aussie hiking company ,they are very experienced , friendly , encouraging , helpful from the very beginning  ,their knowledge is endless .Whether you’re a first time multi-iday hiker with no equipment to very experienced with your own ,Adventure Gene can help fill the gaps supplying quality equipment and great food for your hike
Make the first move and call adventure gene You’ll have the best time
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Deb Fisher 
 6 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
Just finished a 4-day hike & paint with The Adventure Gene/TAG and they were AMAZING! They truly did supply EVERYTHING - except the clothes we wore and extra socks and undies - and the gear was light and top quality. The guides were fantastic and I've never been so well-fed camping.  Thanks,  TAG team!
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Jacqui Warden 
 6 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I recently adventured into the Budawangs with The Adventure Gene. What a great experience, from the initial communication, the preparation session and the actual experience. The gear was sorted with everything we needed and made for the lightest pack I have needed to carry on a multi-day hike. The guides, Maddy and T were fabulous and led a group of us through wilderness, making sure we were comfortable and safe at all times. They preorganized 'moody' weather, light rain and brilliant sunshine to add to our experience. And the food was great, tasty and plenty of it! What more could you ask for? I would not hesitate to recommend TAG as a leader in their field of outdoor adventures.
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Merran Dunn 
 7 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I have just returned from a 5 day hike in the Buddawangs with The Adventure Gene. This is the second hike l have done with them ! Both have been fantastic! Challenging, fun, social and educational. I took only what  was  recommended , nothing more and it was perfect. Despite some miserable weather for the first couple of days and therefore getting soaking wet whilst walking, l was warm and comfortable in my tent and had adequate clothing.
Our guides, Maddie and Tearloch were guiding us  not just along the route , but also allowing our group to develop its own dynamics. They were  fun, but you never doubted  how seriously they took safety, nutrition, equipment and their role in making it a great experience.
Everything  was well organised but really relaxed. These people really know their stuff and do all the preparation  except your personal fitness . This  is a serious hike, so take the training seriously and you'll love it. I did.

Merran
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Amanda “Mazza” Lovegrove 
 11 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I recently did a four-day snow hiking trip in the Snowy Mountains with Adventure Gene, and I honestly couldn't recommend it highly enough.

We had some pretty wild weather, including torrential rain on the second day, which turned to snow overnight. Maddie and Tearloch were fantastic throughout the whole trip and adapted everything around the weather while keeping us safe and still making sure we had a great experience.

One of the things that attracted me to book the trip was being able to try out thousands of dollars' worth of specialised snow camping and hiking gear supplied by Adventure Gene. Being able to actually use everything in real conditions was fantastic — and it definitely helped me work out what gear I wanted for myself! I've since bought quite a few of the things I used, including the same Wippa backpack and Sea to Summit Spark sleeping bag.

The guides also showed us how to use the Garmin inReach, which gave me the confidence to buy my own and, more importantly, know how to use it properly when I'm out hiking.

The other people on the trip were lovely and it was great meeting and sharing the experience with such a nice group.
The biggest thing I took away from the trip was confidence. I now feel much more comfortable heading out on my own, including into snow and more remote areas. I learnt so much about the gear, planning, navigation and just dealing with whatever the weather throws at you.

I'd definitely recommend Adventure Gene to anyone wanting to get into snow hiking or build their confidence in the outdoors. It was an awesome four days and an experience I'll remember forever, thank you so much!