What to do in Sydney, Australia: the perfect itinerary

What to do in Sydney, Australia – The perfect itinerary

Where? Sydney, Australia.

Because? I was very lucky to spend a really fun week in Sydney, one of the most interesting cities in Australia.

Where to stay?
It depends on how much time you have. If you only have a few days, I would recommend hotels in and around Circular Quays, Harbor Front and The Rocks area. All of them are within walking distance of most major attractions.

Here is my guide on What to do in Sydney, Australia – the perfect itinerary.

How much time do you need? It is possible to see most of the city in a couple of days. In a week you will gain deeper insight. But in my opinion, 5 days is the perfect length of stay.

If you have around 5 days or a week in the city, I would recommend dividing your time between the city and the beach. So, stay 2 or 3 nights in the central city area and then 2 or 3 nights in the Bondi/Brontë beach area.

That way, you can also enjoy the incredible beach lifestyle that Sydney has to offer.

These are some of my Favorite hotels in Sydney.

Here’s my guide to Sydney, Australia – the perfect itinerary

Whenever I visit a new place, hanging out with the locals is always the best way to discover what a city really has to offer. And since I was staying with my local friends, born and raised in the city, I took their advice on the best places to explore.

Sydney is a beautiful city located mainly around the harbour, home to the iconic Opera House, which is also just a 10-minute walk from the Harbor Bridge. Throughout the walk you will get spectacular views of both architectural gems.

The city also offers amazing restaurants, fun nightlife, and of course, the famous beaches. It is the perfect combination of city and beach. I have definitely fallen in love with Sydney.

In terms of getting around, it is a fairly small city and very easy to get around. It’s very easy to cover in a couple of days, especially if you hop on and off one of the open tour buses.

Get on board

One of my favorite ways to discover any city and get my bearings, as well as learning a bit of local history, is to take a trip on one of the famous hop-on hop-off tour buses.

So, on my first day in the big city, I decided to hop on the city’s red line open-top bus (which takes about 2 hours, if you stay there the entire time), longer if you get off to visit a place of interest.

And on the second day, I boarded the Blue Line bus, which takes in the most scenic route along the coast and Sydney’s famous beaches, including Bondi and Brontë.

It’s probably worth getting off at Bondi and taking a walk along the beach, as it’s one of the most famous in the world. And I can see why. The sand is super soft and golden, and the water is turquoise, blue, and sparkles in the sun.

So my recommendation would be to complete the two-hour bus route and you will get an excellent overview of the layout of the different areas of the city. Includes lots of historical references and fun facts about Australia. Anyway, it stops at key points like the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge.

Here is the link to Book tickets for the bus tour and other Sydney attractions.

Sydney Harbor Bridge and Sydney Opera House.

Probably the most iconic scene you are likely to see on your trip to Sydney. Head to Circular Quays station and from there you can walk 10 minutes in either direction to the Harbor Bridge or the Opera House. You can get beautiful photos of both of you along the way.

Take a short walk in the park under the bridge. Maybe have a drink at one of the cute cafes in The Rocks area. Then walk back along the harbor towards the circular docks, to the Opera House. This walk takes only about 15 minutes and is a lovely scenic route.

Once you arrive at the iconic Sydney Opera House, enjoy the incredible architecture outside and also the mid-century modern architecture inside, which is spectacular.

As an Instagramer I hired a photographer. His name was @Candid_Chaser and we did a one-hour photo shoot, which cost $220. It provided me with the most beautiful Instagram-ready photos of iconic sites.

It’s always good to shoot with local photographers, because they know the best angles, locations, and times when there are fewer people.

In this case, mornings are usually quieter if you want to take a quiet walk and take photos with fewer tourists. At lunchtime, things start to get much busier.

Opera bar at sunset

One of the most beautiful times of day to visit the Sydney Opera House is at sunset. I highly recommend getting a table about an hour before sunset at the Opera Bar. It has the best views of the city plus great live music, cocktails and a delicious menu.

It is a perfect place from which to see the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge in one go.

Bondi and Brontë Beach

One of Sydney’s most famous attractions is Bondi Beach. And perched next to the beach are the famous Iceberg Pools. This is a famous swimming pool located on the seashore, where bathers can swim safely in the salty sea water.

One of the best ways I found to discover this exceptional coastline was by doing the Bondi Brontë Beach Walk. I was lucky enough to do the walk with a Sydney local and my friend @miss_gunner. She recommended that we start with the Icebergs, which are beautiful to look at and observe from above.

It’s not that hot for swimming though, so we started the walk at Bondi Beach, passing the icebergs and taking the beautiful coastal walk. It takes about an hour and ends at Brontë Beach.

There are also “pools” in Brontë, which is a much nicer and less formal place to swim and is attended by locals. Admission is also free. The water is warmer and there is a much more relaxed atmosphere at the Brontë pools.

surf

If you like surfing or fancy a beginner’s lesson, Bondi Beach is famous for being one of the best beaches in the world for surfing. There are several surf schools (and lifeguards!) along the entire beach, just come in and ask.

Take the ferry

If you have a few extra days in Sydney, another great way to see the city is from the water. Take the ferry across the river from Circular Quays to Luna Park or Mason Quays. The view from this side of the river is an alternative and equally spectacular angle from which to view the city. And it’s not as busy as the more touristy areas of Circular Quay.

Grab some ice cream, take a walk in the park, and then take a five-minute ferry (which costs $2) across the water. Or even visit Luna Park, which is a super cute retro theme park.

Alexandria Grounds

One of my favorite places in Sydney was the Grounds of Alexandria. This is a really fun garden and restaurant concept that is totally Instagram-ready. Every season they update the decoration to become an Instagram paradise.

From the winter wonderland, Valentine’s theme with red roses to the fall pumpkin patch or Halloween haunted house, the displays are fantastic. Visit for lunch onwards, but save a little extra time to wander the gardens and pretty stalls.

The Grounds water fountain and chandeliers.

Night out at Kings Cross

Sydney has several fun options for a night out. I would recommend visiting Spice Alley for some great Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese and Asian street food.

You can choose which country each person wants to eat in and then sit at the outdoor group tables with your friends. The food is fantastic and the prices are very affordable.

King’s Cross is famous as Sydney’s “departure” area. The streets are full of fun bars and restaurants. It used to be the old red light district, so be careful which doors you enter through!

play with a koala

If you fancy meeting kangaroos and koalas, and even petting them, you can head to Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park, to get up close to the animals and even pet some of them.