ICMM partners program and post conference tours
Published
Partners Program
The Partners Program has been carefully curated to reveal the best that Sydney has to offer.
Attendance at the Congress as a partner provides a unique opportunity to obtain a curated insight into the cultural and maritime traditions of Sydney.
In addition to attendance to the four formal events – opening ANMM reception, conference dinner, Australian Museum reception, the official Sydney Harbour based field study day, there will be 4, catered half day volunteer guide led tours.
Day 1 - Woolloomooloo and beyond
Departing ANMM by Ferry this guided tour will take in the Sydney Opera House, the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Art Gallery of NSW, and the historic buildings of Macquarie Street followed by free time. This experience will include a tour of the native garden section of the gardens.
Day 2 - Eastern suburbs coastal walking tour
Departing from ANMM by coach, partners will be able to take in the spectacular Eastern Suburbs coastal scenery on an easy to moderate 2 – 3-hour walk, complete with stops at beachside cafes and the famous Macquarie Lighthouse at South Head.
Day 4 - A visit to the Three Sisters
Departing ANMM by coach, partners will explore the cultural and environmental attractions of the Blue Mountains over a full day. In addition to visiting several temperate gardens, participants will enjoy breathtaking views from Katoomba, Wentworth Falls and Leura.
Day 5 - A morning with Australian native animals
The world-famous Taronga Park Zoo is only a short ferry ride from ANMM. Partners will be provided with an opportunity to get up close to a range of native Australian marsupials and birdlife.
More attractions in Sydney and beyond
Post Congress tours
These unique tours have been developed in partnership with maritime museums across the country.
Delegates can arrive and depart from a range of international airports including Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth. This provides some cost-effective opportunities to visit destinations outside New South Wales.
The locations of key maritime museums can be found at the Australian Maritime Museums Council website.
Depending on demand, the following post congress tours will be available.
Spice, Spirits and Shipwrights: Culture and Coastlines of Sulawesi
Indicative cost Aus $5,500 + tax + airfares
Tour leader Jeffrey Mellefont is a research associate of the Australian National Maritime Museum. He has published widely on Indonesian maritime traditions, speaks Bahasa Indonesia and is an experienced tour leader. This tour will focus on traditional boat building, providing a rare opportunity to visit key sites in the region. It will start and end in Jakarta. For the tour to proceed it will require a minimum of 10 participants. Note that you may need a visa to travel to Indonesia and we are unable to assist with visa applications.
A weekend away at the bush capital
Indicative cost. $750.
With an early start from ANMM on Saturday, September 19, participants will be able to take in the countryside between Sydney and Canberra with a stop at the outstanding National Trust of Australia (NSW) property, Retford Park. Visits in Canberra will include afternoon tea at Parliament House, a general tour of the city and tours of the Australian War Memorial and the National Museum of Australia. Note that the cost includes transport, accommodation and museum entry but does not include meals.
Four days in Southern Tasmania
Indicative cost $1500 + airfares.
A partnership with the Tasmanian Maritime Museum and the Australian Wooden Boat Festival, providing delegates with the opportunity to tour key maritime locations in Southern Tasmania, including Bruny Island / D’Entrecasteaux Channel, the Tasmanian Wooden Boat Centre (Huon River) and historic maritime Hobart.
The cost of the tour includes accommodation, entrance fees, local transport and guiding. Note that meals are not included.
Great Barrier Reef
Indicative cost $1500 + airfares.
This five-day tour provides the opportunity to learn about First Nations and European maritime culture in northern Australia. Starting and ending in Townsville, participants will visit the Queensland Museum of the Tropics, Townsville Maritime Museum and Magnetic Island, which is renowned for its natural beauty and is the site of northern Australia’s largest colony of koalas. The cost of the tour includes transport in and around Townsville, the ferry between Townsville and Magnetic Island and entrance fees. It does not include meals or air travel from Sydney.
Explore Western Australia and swim in the Indian Ocean
Indicative cost $1500 + airfares.
Delegates who are departing Australia via Perth can enjoy the hospitality and world-famous expertise of colleagues in WA. In partnership with the WA Museum, delegates will be able to get behind the scenes at the WA Maritime Museum and the Shipwreck Museum and enjoy the delights of historic Fremantle and the laid-back lifestyle of Perth over four days. Note that the cost covers accommodation, transport and museum entry fees but does not include meals or air travel.
WA Maritime Museum
Courtesy of the Western Australian Museum.
WA Shipwrecks Museum
Courtesy of the Western Australian Museum.
Batavia Gallery
Courtesy of the Western Australian Museum.
Registrations open later this year
Contact us
If you have questions or comments about the International Congress of Maritime Museums, hosted in Sydney in September 2026, please contact the team at the Australian National Maritime Museum by email at ICMM2026@sea.museum
