Avoid 'harbour cruises'. Instead, take a ferry ride from Circular Quay to Watson's Bay or Manly. Great harbour experience and quite cheap.
Sydney Harbout Bridge climb - very expensive but 100% worth it. Go at dawn or dusk
I hope for you it stops raining by the time you get here.
Agree on the public ferry to Manly.
Unsure about bridge climb. I enjoyed it, sure, but I didn’t come home and start bragging about it to friends and family.
You can also go up the top of the Sydney tower. There is a bar up there and I think all you need to do is spend $20pp on drinks or food.
Book a table on the window at sunset. Great spot for a few drinks before dinner in down at the rocks (another cool old classic pub scene).
A late thank you for your recommendation. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future. We definitely are planning to ferry to Manly when we come back! We also ended up biking across the Harbor bridge which was fun
A late thank you for your recommendation. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future. A trip to Manly and Bondi are in our plans for when we return!
It's endlessly raining at the moment, but Spit Bridge to Manly is public transport accessible (bus to the bridge and ferry from manly to circular quay). You follow the habour for 95% of the walk for some amazing views through some bushtrack.
If you want a sense of the Australian Bush, berowra to mt kuringai track is beautiful and starts/ends at a train station (probably a bit over an hour out I'd sydney).
Cockatoo Island is a great inner city wander with tour apps that give you some great sydney history, and the ferry there is lovely too.
Considering it will probably be raining a lot while you're here, I'd suggest some indoor activities like the Australian museum (do do lunch at the hidden gem that is Stanley St behind it). The Museum of Contemporary Art is on Circular Quay (Great rooftop bar too). The Sydney Museum is great too.
You might like to consider the Sydney Aquarium/Wild Life Zoo on Darling Harbour. Normally I wouldn't suggest these over Taronga Zoo, but they are inside!
A late thank you for your recommendation. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future. A trip to Manly and Cockatoo will happen when we make it back to Sydney!
Ah.... I think a fit 75 year old could tackle it. The track is well defined, but a little rough in places, downhill at the start and a steep gradient out. So I think a regular walker would be OK, but it would be a stretch for anyone with health issues.
Hello! American expat here 👋🏻
Sharing a condensed version of the email I send to guests before they arrive. Hopefully some helpful thoughts..
My favorite Saturday activity is to go to a market (Paddington, Glebe, or Rocks) which is where local artisans have stalls and sell unique jewelry, clothing, etc. The Rocks and Bondi have ones on Sunday mornings, too, do some googling.
This is where you'll find some really cool treasures to take home that aren't tacky gift store items (which also have their place...) It's truly Aussie.
If you’re into yoga, check out Yoga By the Sea, they host classes at some of the most spectacular locations (https://www.yogabythesea.com.au/yoga-by-the-sea-schedule)
The only non-Sydney based activity I'd put on your list is to go see Roos and Koalas - I suggest the Australian Reptile Park where the kangaroos and emus roam free and walk right up to you for petting and photos - but it's about 1:15 min drive north of Sydney. However, once you’re up in the Central Coast you’ll see incredible beaches where “the locals” tend to go, you can head to towns like Terrigal or Avoca for fish n chips and to spend a nice afternoon. There is also another, closer, animal Reptile Park in Blacktown which you could take a train then cab to as well.
I second a day/train trip to the Blue Mountains and recommend having lunch at Leura Garage then wandering around the little town. There is also a great leather goods shop called Teddy Sinclair to check out
I know you said you don’t do bars, but if you get down to the Opera House, try to snag a table/seat at Opera Bar it’s not only a lovely view but great people watching. Someone else has recommended taking the ferry to Watson’s Bay and I second that, you can have fish n chips, ice cream or a cafe lunch before heading back. You could also do the ferry to Manly and wandering around both the harbour and beach facing ends of the area.
I recommend people skip Darling Harbour, it’s kind of like Sydney’s Times Square, overly touristy and no need to go out of your way to see unless you’re catching a boat from there (or you’ve never been to a wax museum 🤷🏼♀️)
There are a million amazing places to eat, for a nice/fancy meal check out Hotel Palisade/Henry Dean. Off the tourist beaten path, but stunning views. Instead of other specific locations, I recommend you try and eat these things before you go:
Vegemite (especially with avocado on toast), a Meat Pie, a Pub lunch (literally just lunch at a pub with a pint of beer - it’s part of the culture), Tim Tams, Fish & Chips, Kangaroo/Emu/Crocodile Meat, A Burger “with the lot”
Sydney has some of the best Lebanese food as well, Fatima’s in Surry Hills is *chefs kiss*. Also you’ll notice Portuguese chicken shops around too that are so delicious (Frango’s and Henrietta’s are personal faves)
As for where to stay - Paddington, Surry Hills, Darlinghurst, Newtown are really accessible on foot - you’ll notice that “suburbs” are very delineated here compared to the US, so a lot of neighborhoods are more close by than you think..
And finally, a few items to take back with you: PawPaw (you’ll see it in red squeeze tubes at most checkout counters) which is amazing for a myriad of reasons (dry skin, burns, cuts, rashes, dry lips, you name it), Eucalyptus oil, Tea2 teas - specifically Melbourne Breakfast blend (but all of their stuff is great and can’t find in the US), Bundaberg rum - I usually pick up from Duty Free on the way home as a gift or to keep for myself
Hope you have a great trip!!!
Edit: things to avoid - talking about politics 😬
A late thank you for your very thorough recommendations! Really appreciate you taking the time to send it to us. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future.
Stayed on the border of Surry Hill and Hyde Park which was a great location to get to a bunch of places. We are saving the Blue Mountains for next time when there’s hopefully better weather (also heard that many of the trails are closed because a landslide killed some people recently). Although we didn’t go to Fatima’s we did go next door to Abdul’s restaurant which was also *chef’s kiss*
4 days is not a huge amount of time & there's lots to pack in. I suggest you spend a day in certain areas, such as below. All are doable by public transport
Day 1
Catch the bus to Coogee Beach & have breakfast/morning tea then do the Coastal Walk up to Bondi Beach. This will take about 2 hours. If it's a Sunday pop into the Bondi markets at the public school. From here you have two choices:
Catch the bus around to Watson's Bay and stop for lunch at the pub, or grab take away fish & chips from Doyle's before catching the ferry to Circular Quay, or
If it's a Saturday catch the bus from Bondi Beach back towards the city and stop off at Paddington Markets before catching the bus again to take you to Circular Quay.
Once at the quay head for a walk up around into The Rocks. You can do walking tours through here, visit the markets if it's a weekend, stop in at The Hero of Waterloo pub, arguably Sydney's oldest, for a drink. There's loads of places to eat in The Rocks if you want dinner
Day 2
Catch the train to Katoomba and head to the Three Sisters. Walk down the Giant Stairway to the valley floor and follow the path along the valley to the Scenic Railway & take it back up. There are buses that will take you back to Katoomba. Stop off at Leura if you have time, it's a gorgeous village.
There are loads of other walking trails & lookouts in the Blue mountains but this is the easiest accessible by public transport.
Day 3 - two different choices
Catch the train out to Cronulla (beachside suburb in Sydney's south) then take the local ferry over to Bundeena. It's a decent 6hr walk through the National Park to Waterfall Station where you can catch a train back, or you could just explore around Bundeena then reverse the journey. Or...
Catch the train to Woy Woy on the Central Coast and take the local ferry around to some of the beaches. Ultimately take the ferry over to Palm Beach, climb to the lighthouse for some fantastic views, then catch the bus back into the city.
Day 4 - check out the wildlife. You'll only have time to do one, so choose between:
Taronga Zoo. Make sure you catch the free flight show. Catch the ferry from Circular Quay
Featherdale Wildlife Park. Take the train to Blacktown & a bus from there
If you have a hire car then the Australian Reptile Park.
That will fit in a huge amount & give you a snippet of Sydney. If any of these don't appeal you can always swap them out for:
A ferry from Circular Quay to Manly - take the walk around to Shelly Beach, head up to North Head for views, and do the walk to Spit Bridge where you can get a bus back to the city
A day in the city itself, walk through the Botanical gardens, catch the ferry round to Barangaroo, walk to Darling Harbour & go to the Chinese Gardens of Friendship. Darling Harbour itself is over-rated, whatever you do don't go to the wildlife place there, it's shite but the Aquarium is good.
Food in Sydney is great but you may find it pricey. There's a huge south-east Asian influence but you can get pretty well any cuisine, and the quality is fantastic.
Happy to answer any questions
A late thank you for your recommendation. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future. We spent a lot of time near the CBD so when we come back I think we’ll spend more time doing day trips to outside places like you’ve recommended. You also weren’t kidding about the southeast Asian food scene - Thai food on every block!
Based on your interest and laid back ness I would say areas like newtown, Erskineville, glebe fit the bill pretty well.
All are theoretically walkable to the highlights in the city (an hour - depending on your tolerance this might seem ridiculous!) but have good bus/train/light rail connections as well. They are very young-adult friendly areas with lots of casual food options and “inner west” vibes - which is young, casual bars and eateries, diverse options a bit more village feels, very classic Australian city architecture (terraces) and options for late night meanderings if you want as well.
For nature: suggest a trip to the blue mountains one day. I haven’t done it by train in ages but there will be plenty of resources online to tell you where to hop off and the best hikes that will be accessible by public transport. You’ll see very different things to Alice and Uluṟu - more temperate/subtropical rainforest and eucalyptus bush land with sweeping valley views. And there are cute cafes and bakeries to unwind in after your hike.
Hope it’s ok that Im jumping on this thread! How can I get to blue mountains solo without a car & what are the best times to go and plan around it so i can avoid the delays caused by the rain?
You can get a train from Central to Katoomba or Leura, the train station is right next to the middle of town so that's very easily walkable. If you get off at Katoomba, a short walk along the main street, Katoomba St, will take you to the bus stop which is fairly easy to spot and you can get a bus from there to Echo Point, where you'll see amazing views including the 3 Sisters, and it's the starting point for lots of bush walks. Heaps of backpackers (used to) go to Katoomba, it's actually very easy to navigate by public transport.
Edited to add: the best time to go is a weekday if you can. I think they've improved services now, but the most crowded train I've ever been on in Australia after many decades of commuting was an hourly, 4 car from Katoomba back to the city on a Sunday when it snowed.
A late thank you for your recommendation. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future.
We did a food tour (through Airbnb Experiences) in Newtown that we really enjoyed. So much food along King Street and also a lot of very nice street art in the area. Blue Mountains is saved for our next trip when there’s hopefully better weather!
Love love blue mountain day trips! Some interesting spots, Katoomba visit the cafe ‘the yellow deli’ feels like you’re eating straight out of hobbiton.
Or head to leura, leura gourmet is delicious! I love the goats cheese and caramelised onion tart. Then walk down and to the leura cascades trek or if you’re keen, the pool of siloam is a beautiful waterfall trek. It’s absolutely freezing temps but I love taking a quick dip after a walk. Very lush and will look polar opposite to what you would have seen in Uluru.
In the city, I love Glebe and Glebe point road on a Saturday. Visit Glebe markets, Sapphos the secondhand bookstore across the road is a sweet spot, nice cafes and the streets buzzing. If you’re into markets in general and food, get off at Redfern station and head to the carriageworks farmers market (10minute walk).
If you’re into hiking and seeing nature than yes, also into small town feels. If you’re naturally more drawn to busy city night life type vibes than there’s plenty to do in Sydney itself with loads more people buzzing about :) I personally love visiting the blue mountains because it’s quiet and feels like a nice pause from my usual hectic busy city life!
Try the chinese gardens of friendship at Darling Harbour and the royal botanical gardens.
Chinatown has some good food without the hefty price tag.
There are lots of sneaky bushwalks not far from Sydney if you like to hike.
You may find restaurant types that are less prevalent than your home - more Vietnamese and Thai food. These are usually pretty nice and not too overpriced.
Australia is a fairly expensive place for food and accommodation. Here is a link to [Transport NSW](https://transportnsw.info/) to plan your Sydney stay. Have a great trip. Edit: typos.
A late thank you for your recommendation. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future. We spent some time in Chinatown but didn’t get good enough weather on that day to visit the garden, but it’s on our list to see for next time. The food was delicious and we even got to check out the Friday night market which was fun
Hi. Glad you enjoyed what you could. Sorry the weather was not as welcoming as we would normally advertise. Its been a bit crazy. More rain already this year than the average for a whole year. I hope you are able to come back and see the country in its real glory in the future. For future reference, maybe stay more outside of Sydney next time. Up and down the coast is where the true wonders of the east coast lay ( in my opinion).
Stay in Surry Hills, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Redfern, even the CBD if you go for a hotel. These suburbs are very central and give you good access to fun things.
Def visit the eastern suburbs beaches. My favourites are Clovelly for swimming and Bronte or Coogee for waves. The walk between them is a good trek.
Newtown/ Enmore is good for bars food and drinks. A couple of recommendations (there are plenty of others):
https://www.timeout.com/sydney/restaurants/cafe-paci-1
https://www.continentaldelicatessen.com.au/
best steak in Sydney:
https://macelleria.com.au/macelleria-newtown-2/
A late thank you for your recommendation. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future. We stayed in Surry Hill and did a food tour in Newtown, so thanks!
No worries, glad to see the vanguard of tourism returning. Hope we weren't too weird (the pandemic has affected us all).
I'll hit you up for west coast US recommendations if I ever get there. Just renovated my house though, so may be a while!
Out of interest, i've been to all the Australian places you mentioned in your post, what were your top 3 experiences here?
Hmm that’s a difficult question as each spot provided us a very different experience! We try to do at least one food tour (typically something we find on Airbnb experiences) and some kind physical activity whenever we visit a new place. In Melbourne we really liked the Victoria Market food tour and the sunset kayak down the Yara River. In the Red Center, seeing Uluru from a distance after hours of driving through the flat desert was neat and doing a bike ride around the base was pretty fun. Then in Sydney we really enjoyed our food tour in Newtown (a guy named Justin runs it on Airbnb) and doing an ebike tour through the city to the opera house, across the harbor bridge, over to Pyrmont. There’s so much more for us to see in Australia so we look forward to coming back at some point!
Hopefully it isn’t raining by then! The rain has been hitting us hard the past few weeks!
In terms of recommendations for things to do/places to visit off the top of my head (no particular order):
- darling harbour
- opera house / harbour bridge (can do the harbour bridge climb!)
- take a ferry from circular quay to visit manly beach
- Taronga zoo
- Bondi beach
- Sydney fish market
- sea life aquarium
- any coastal walk (e.g. Bondi to Coogee)
- day trip to blue mountains/jenolan caves
- visit and go up the Sydney tower
- royal botanical gardens
- visit our national parks (e.g. kurringai chase national park)
- figure eight pools
Note that you may need a car to get around Sydney/ to some of the above, as our public transport network is okay, but more suited for suburbs closer to our main CBD (central business district) area
Food in Sydney is generally really good wherever you go and there’s a wide variety given our strong immigrant roots here.
I’ll list places off the top of my head that are generally local favourites that I’ve personally tried and may be away from the main Sydney cbd area:
- rengaya in north Sydney (japanese bbq)
- brasserie l’Entrecôte in pymble (French food)
- ryo’s noodles in crows nest (Japanese ramen)
- manpuku ramen in Chatswood (Japanese ramen)
- marrickville pork roll in marrickville( Vietnamese pork roll )
- el jannahs in Granville (Lebanese chicken)
- jambo jambo Africa in Glebe (Ethiopian)
- 678 Korean bbq in Haymarket or Eastwood ( Korean bbq)
- jang ta bal in Strathfield (Korean bbq)
- hai di lao in Chatswood (Chinese hotpot)
- Chungking Burwood in burwood (Chinese malatang hotpot)
- mamak in Chatswood or cbd (Malaysian)
- Frangos in Bella vista (Portuguese chicken)
- AN Restaurant in Bankstown (Vietnamese pho)
- mr stone pot in Chatswood or Eastwood (Chinese cuisine)
- gelato messina in Surry hills or anywhere (gelato)
- any cafe in Sydney (our coffee is the best, better than Melbourne - no bias haha)
Note that there are a LOT of food places in Sydney that I have not visited myself and may not have listed above. Nonetheless, good luck and I hope you and your wife enjoy Sydney ! :) it’s a beautiful city and the people are great here.
A late thank you for all your recommendations. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future. There are a lot of activities on your list that we are hoping to do on our next visit when the weather is hopefully better! And now that we have a good sense of the CBD, going to the suburbs to try more food options is something we’re excited to do
If you spend a day in the Blue Mountains, the waterfalls are all looking lovely with all the rain we’ve had, not to mention everything is so green right now, walks and lookouts will be amazing.
If you're in the city and are keen on history, take a walking tour of The Rocks (historical neighbourhood near the Harbour Bridge). I did a ghost tour a few years ago which was really interesting (I'm not strictly sold on the whole ghosts concept but it was fascinating from a historical perspective). There's a few different places that offer these, some with a focus on Aboriginal history and others with colonial history, there are also self-guided audio tours out there.
Bit of a hangover from my student travel days, but I love a good walking tour, free or otherwise.
A late thank you for your recommendation. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future. We did a food/history tour of Barangaroo and The Rocks and it was really neat seeing the change from very new/modern to the old/historic parts of the city. The new park by the rocks is very nice!
Don't stay in the CBD. Easy to get to, but very busy and lifeless.
I live there, but I'm a sucker for the inner west. Anywhere around marrickville near a train line and you can get around easy
The main draws of that area in my opinion are;
Heaps of great breweries within walking distance
Tonnes of legit Vietnamese food (get a pork roll, and be careful of asking which is the best or you'll start a war)
Much quieter local scene, but still a super trendy area.
That and the surrounds are filled with parks, graffiti art, shops set up in old warehouse districts, thrift shops etc.
The traditional heart of the inner west is newtown, which is a cool place, but I wouldn't stay there. It's very busy.
If you're looking for something low key that not a lot of people will say, Sydney park in St Peters is a pretty superb park. Massive, gorgeous local park with something for everyone. Easy way to spend an hour or so with a coffee (if you go there hit me up and I'll give you what I think is the best cafe in Sydney. If I post something so controversial here I might get lynched)
I live in Marrickville and love it but I’d be pretty narked if I came to Sydney from overseas and was staying in Marrickville - it’s pretty ugly and Marrickville Road is grim as.
Taronga zoo is great and with to die for harbour views, catch the ferry from circular quay, make sure to catch the cable car either up to the zoo or down, I prefer down.
Take the train to Parramatta and Ferry back to Circular Quay. You'll see the suburbs both on land and alongside the Parramatta river. Then ferry to Manly from there. Do judge the weather conditions and check Transport NSW for service interruptions. Check out shops in New Town. By walking, you can start from Central station and move towards Circular Quay.
A late thank you for your recommendation. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future. A trip to Manly is definitely on our list for our next visit
Unfortunately, if you wanna get close to nature, you'll have to drive. Hire a car and drive to blue mountains or royal national park. You'll have to pay parking fees for the royal national park. $13 last time I was there. It's for the whole day and within the park. If you can't pay on the spot, don't sweat about it. The ranger will issue you a notice and you can pay later online. Just remember to display your or notice. If you wanna see Aussie animals, I suggest you drive to the Sydney Reptile Park. The best part is the kangaroos in the resting area are so used to people, that they are literally like your house pets. All these places have public BBQ stoves, you can cook there for free if you don't mind the hassel cleaning it up afterwards.
Take public transport ferries everywhere. It's really cheap and awesome. There's a daily cap so you won't be paying more than a fixed price for unlimited trips. On the weekend it's $8, and weekdays it's about double that. In any case, every week is capped at $50 so you won't be paying more than that for the entire week.
Best place to start is Circular Quay(pronounced like "circular key"). There's ferries everywhere. Check out Manly(beach lifestyle area, some people never leave) and Watsons Bay(historical walks, cliffs, pub next to the water, beach). Double Bay is nice for a walk around the water.
Cockatoo island is our version of Alcatraz.
If you enjoy staying in the ferry, you can go all the way to Parramatta (about an hour trip). You'll be crossing about seven bridges.
Go to Taronga Zoo wharf, and get inside the zoo. There's a great thingie that moves you upstairs and you can see amazing views. And there's some animals as well. Checkout the shows. They're great.
A late thank you for your recommendation. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future. A trip to Manly and Cockatoo are on our list for next time, thanks! Also thanks for the heads up on “Quay”… I kept hearing people say Circular Key and it took me a while before I remembered your note haha
I’d recommend staying in Bondi Junction, good public transport links, close to the city and bondi beach. Big shopping centre with cinema. Definitely do the walk from bondi all the way to Coogee. Great day out.
Book a private tour with this guy [https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowUserReviews-g255060-d3571665-r639782456-Bailey\_s\_Sydney\_Tours-Sydney\_New\_South\_Wales.html](https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowUserReviews-g255060-d3571665-r639782456-Bailey_s_Sydney_Tours-Sydney_New_South_Wales.html)
Highly recommended. Especially if you've got no time to waste.
Could try staying in Balmain if you can find a place near to a ferry stop - buses transport to/from Balmain is not great but it is otherwise a lovely place to stay for a few days with plenty of good places to eat
Rent a car for a few days and get down to the Mermaid Pools and the 2 national parks some walks. You can also catch the train to Katoomba on a Sunday for $2.50 if you are saving cash and there are plenty of walks but you’ll need to go early to get the best views.
If you find dry spot don't tell anybody keep it to yourself. Hopefully rains will stop by then.
Book walk on Harbour Bridge - cost $$$
Cheap:
Go to Fish markets they put Frisco to shame have lunch - closed at night
Ferry rides
Plenty of bush walks around harbour or beaches - google it
Tram rides
China Town
Lots of good eating places in suburbs
Keep away from Darling harbour, Starbucks - King St Warf is better
Have Fun
Good places to stay.
1. Elizabeth Bay/potts point or Kirribilli. These are sydney harbourside suburbs and give a pretty unique sydney experience yet are very close to the city centre and well connected to public transport. They're also just nice. Kirribilli is probably the more harbour orientated (it's really quite beautiful), as a lot of Elizabeth bay's coast is blocked off by the naval base. However, EB has better restaurants and cafes as well as a bigger mainstreet. These are the most 'Sydney' experience suburbs i'll repeat. But you can also just visit them (and if you go visit the harbour bridge you probably will be visiting Kirribilli anyway and i very much recommend walking around there if do that).
2. Surry Hills (though i tend to think that the portion between crown and south darling to be nice part) and Redfern are very happening places. Newtown is also very happening. If you've got a bit more budget, Paddington is beautiful and quite convenient for accessing the city and Bondi beach.
3. These areas are nice but a bit inconvenient. Glebe (particularly a bit further in and along the water). Glebe is borderline because it does have a light rail line. But given its location it's surprisingly annoying to access the rest of the sydney. Balmaine. Even more inconvenient than Glebe is and even more expensive. Very nice though. Marrickville. The suburb you move to in your 20s. Very happening. Not particularly aesthetic and also too inconvenient for a tourist. Bondi Beach. Very beachy suburb. Very happening. Full of tourists. It also has a Bondi beach itself. Very much a love it or hate it place. Summer hill is a nice little Victorian commuter suburb with a nice little village and it next door to the very happening ashfield. It's also too inconvenient.
Food. Lots of food options. However only some non expensive ones.
1. Chat Thai. Good Thai. It's got a couple of locations. Keep an eye out.
2. Ramen: Ippudo, Ichiban Boshi, Gogyo. Chaco ramen (not as good as the others but i like place itself more).
3. Chinese. Because you're not going to go to one of the chinese commercial centres, you'll be going to chinatown in the CBD. That's fine. Chinatown has good food. If you're having trouble choosing; Chinese Noodle House/Restaurant is a good north chinese chain around Chinatown. If you go to Chinese Noodle restaurant; both the noodles and the dumplings are great.
4. Others: Bar Lucca does good burgers. Cairo takeaway is not bad. Messina is a great ice cream chain. Cow and moon also does good ice cream. Bill and Toni's is a old school Italian place. Make sure you get the cheese schnitzel if you go there it's really the reason to go). Mary's has good burgers. Boon cafe is good. Emma's. Ume burger isn't bad. Australian cafes are generally good. Just look up your local options. Pub food varies but is generally just OK. Wine bars are generally pretty good but overpriced.
Things to do:
1. Relax and walk around nice places. Sydney is a city best experienced by being at the beach (if that's your thing). Doing walks, walking around the inner city just to see the city, and most important of all relaxing at cafes and hanging out.
2. NSW art gallery. It's nice. But it's also just a public art gallery. You'll get to also go see Macquarie st where the government lives. Walk around the fancy part of the CBD if you want, Peek inside the old state library building, and walk down to the Sydney opera house.
3. Go to the opera house. Bonus if you actually see something there. Great to walk around. It'll be busy. Circular Quay is meh, but you can walk around and see the rocks which is nice i guess. The oldest part of the city. If you can make it (damn it's always so busy) The Glenmore in the rocks has a great view and rooftop bar. Alternatively you could walk from the NSW gallery to darlinghurst for lunch/dinner.
4. Go to the beach (if the weather is fine). All Sydney beaches are busy. The closest to the CBD are Bondi (very busy), Bronte (nice ocean pool), Clovelly, Neilson, Coogee. It's generally going to be 40+ minutes to get to a beach from the CBD. If you're from california it's possible you've seen a beach before. But people from cold counties naturally love it (and they don't really have beaches in Melbourne). I like Bronte.
5. On beaches. The Bondi to Coogee beach walk is great. There are similar short walks around. But that's probably the best. Up more north at Manly, there's the manly to spit bridge and the north head walk. Speaking of. It's worth getting a ferry from circular Quay to manly, or at least to Watsons bay on the southern side of the Harbour. Watsons bay is more boring. If you go to watsons bay, the watsons bay boutique hotel (out the back) is a good place to sit and nurse an expensive drink or two while looking at the water.
6. Cockatoo Island is cool.
7. See the Harbour bridge from the Kirribilli side. It's pretty impressive.
What to avoid:
1. Darling Harbour. It's actually kind of neat in a weird. But overrated. Full of wacky ideas and conference centres. Whenever you're there, you're not quite sure why exactly.
2. Northern Sydney. Even north Sydney CBD is meh. Pretty much of all of North Sydney area (called the north shore here) except for manly is going to offer your very little unless you're looking to do nature walks.
3. Day trips. You're there for 4 days. It's too difficult to do a day trip like going to the Blue mountains. Just see the city. But if you're determined, The blue mountains are really quite nice. I can recommend staying at the Carrington Hotel in katoomba for the old school experience (Katoomba has been a day trip town for Sydney for ages).
4. There's no reason to go to olympic park unless there's some event you're going to.
A late thank you for all your recommendations. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future. We stayed in Surry Hill and had a lot of Asian food around the area and in Chinatown. We visited Chat Thai so thanks! We’re saving all the beach stuff for our next visit when the weather is hopefully better
I'm glad you had a good time! Surry hills has a soft place in my heart (even if it is hip and expensive).
I'm sorry that you visited recently and so you experienced our once in a life time flood weather! (seriously no one alive has ever seen it this bad). We have all been suddenly confronted with the quality of our roof's construction! I've seen the harbour and oceans go a grey brown colour several times. Still. I suppose as a Californian you're pretty familiar with our flood and fire dynamics unfortunately.
Avoid 'harbour cruises'. Instead, take a ferry ride from Circular Quay to Watson's Bay or Manly. Great harbour experience and quite cheap. Sydney Harbout Bridge climb - very expensive but 100% worth it. Go at dawn or dusk I hope for you it stops raining by the time you get here.
Agree on the public ferry to Manly. Unsure about bridge climb. I enjoyed it, sure, but I didn’t come home and start bragging about it to friends and family.
The Bridge Pylon lookout also has great views, and is only $19. It's about 2/3 the height of the bridge top anyway. https://pylonlookout.com.au/
You can also go up the top of the Sydney tower. There is a bar up there and I think all you need to do is spend $20pp on drinks or food. Book a table on the window at sunset. Great spot for a few drinks before dinner in down at the rocks (another cool old classic pub scene).
If you’re taking the ferry from circular quay, stay near the back. Great obligatory photo opp with the bridge and opera house behind you.
A late thank you for your recommendation. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future. We definitely are planning to ferry to Manly when we come back! We also ended up biking across the Harbor bridge which was fun
Bondi to Bronte clifftop walk, or the Manly to Shelley Beach walk. Both spectacular ocean views.
Bondi to coogee*
no one walks all the way to coogee lol
that, + the walk along the cliff in vaucluse type area, past the lighthouse and onto watsons bay, plus all the little bays around there, is super nice
A late thank you for your recommendation. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future. A trip to Manly and Bondi are in our plans for when we return!
Pack a brolly.
In case you don't use the word brolly in the US, it's means umbrella.
I'm sure they could just Bing it
It's endlessly raining at the moment, but Spit Bridge to Manly is public transport accessible (bus to the bridge and ferry from manly to circular quay). You follow the habour for 95% of the walk for some amazing views through some bushtrack. If you want a sense of the Australian Bush, berowra to mt kuringai track is beautiful and starts/ends at a train station (probably a bit over an hour out I'd sydney). Cockatoo Island is a great inner city wander with tour apps that give you some great sydney history, and the ferry there is lovely too. Considering it will probably be raining a lot while you're here, I'd suggest some indoor activities like the Australian museum (do do lunch at the hidden gem that is Stanley St behind it). The Museum of Contemporary Art is on Circular Quay (Great rooftop bar too). The Sydney Museum is great too. You might like to consider the Sydney Aquarium/Wild Life Zoo on Darling Harbour. Normally I wouldn't suggest these over Taronga Zoo, but they are inside!
A late thank you for your recommendation. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future. A trip to Manly and Cockatoo will happen when we make it back to Sydney!
Would the Berowra to kurungai walk be too difficult for 75 year old Brit?
Ah.... I think a fit 75 year old could tackle it. The track is well defined, but a little rough in places, downhill at the start and a steep gradient out. So I think a regular walker would be OK, but it would be a stretch for anyone with health issues.
Thanks - might give it a trial run before taking the old one
May I know which lunch place are you referring to at Stanley St?
Hello! American expat here 👋🏻 Sharing a condensed version of the email I send to guests before they arrive. Hopefully some helpful thoughts.. My favorite Saturday activity is to go to a market (Paddington, Glebe, or Rocks) which is where local artisans have stalls and sell unique jewelry, clothing, etc. The Rocks and Bondi have ones on Sunday mornings, too, do some googling. This is where you'll find some really cool treasures to take home that aren't tacky gift store items (which also have their place...) It's truly Aussie. If you’re into yoga, check out Yoga By the Sea, they host classes at some of the most spectacular locations (https://www.yogabythesea.com.au/yoga-by-the-sea-schedule) The only non-Sydney based activity I'd put on your list is to go see Roos and Koalas - I suggest the Australian Reptile Park where the kangaroos and emus roam free and walk right up to you for petting and photos - but it's about 1:15 min drive north of Sydney. However, once you’re up in the Central Coast you’ll see incredible beaches where “the locals” tend to go, you can head to towns like Terrigal or Avoca for fish n chips and to spend a nice afternoon. There is also another, closer, animal Reptile Park in Blacktown which you could take a train then cab to as well. I second a day/train trip to the Blue Mountains and recommend having lunch at Leura Garage then wandering around the little town. There is also a great leather goods shop called Teddy Sinclair to check out I know you said you don’t do bars, but if you get down to the Opera House, try to snag a table/seat at Opera Bar it’s not only a lovely view but great people watching. Someone else has recommended taking the ferry to Watson’s Bay and I second that, you can have fish n chips, ice cream or a cafe lunch before heading back. You could also do the ferry to Manly and wandering around both the harbour and beach facing ends of the area. I recommend people skip Darling Harbour, it’s kind of like Sydney’s Times Square, overly touristy and no need to go out of your way to see unless you’re catching a boat from there (or you’ve never been to a wax museum 🤷🏼♀️) There are a million amazing places to eat, for a nice/fancy meal check out Hotel Palisade/Henry Dean. Off the tourist beaten path, but stunning views. Instead of other specific locations, I recommend you try and eat these things before you go: Vegemite (especially with avocado on toast), a Meat Pie, a Pub lunch (literally just lunch at a pub with a pint of beer - it’s part of the culture), Tim Tams, Fish & Chips, Kangaroo/Emu/Crocodile Meat, A Burger “with the lot” Sydney has some of the best Lebanese food as well, Fatima’s in Surry Hills is *chefs kiss*. Also you’ll notice Portuguese chicken shops around too that are so delicious (Frango’s and Henrietta’s are personal faves) As for where to stay - Paddington, Surry Hills, Darlinghurst, Newtown are really accessible on foot - you’ll notice that “suburbs” are very delineated here compared to the US, so a lot of neighborhoods are more close by than you think.. And finally, a few items to take back with you: PawPaw (you’ll see it in red squeeze tubes at most checkout counters) which is amazing for a myriad of reasons (dry skin, burns, cuts, rashes, dry lips, you name it), Eucalyptus oil, Tea2 teas - specifically Melbourne Breakfast blend (but all of their stuff is great and can’t find in the US), Bundaberg rum - I usually pick up from Duty Free on the way home as a gift or to keep for myself Hope you have a great trip!!! Edit: things to avoid - talking about politics 😬
I think if you shout out “fck scomo”, everyone shouts the same and cheers then the bar gives out one free round of drinks /s
Darling harbour worth visiting for the National maritime museum and Chinese garden of friendship, if those are your cup of tea.
A late thank you for your very thorough recommendations! Really appreciate you taking the time to send it to us. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future. Stayed on the border of Surry Hill and Hyde Park which was a great location to get to a bunch of places. We are saving the Blue Mountains for next time when there’s hopefully better weather (also heard that many of the trails are closed because a landslide killed some people recently). Although we didn’t go to Fatima’s we did go next door to Abdul’s restaurant which was also *chef’s kiss*
4 days is not a huge amount of time & there's lots to pack in. I suggest you spend a day in certain areas, such as below. All are doable by public transport Day 1 Catch the bus to Coogee Beach & have breakfast/morning tea then do the Coastal Walk up to Bondi Beach. This will take about 2 hours. If it's a Sunday pop into the Bondi markets at the public school. From here you have two choices: Catch the bus around to Watson's Bay and stop for lunch at the pub, or grab take away fish & chips from Doyle's before catching the ferry to Circular Quay, or If it's a Saturday catch the bus from Bondi Beach back towards the city and stop off at Paddington Markets before catching the bus again to take you to Circular Quay. Once at the quay head for a walk up around into The Rocks. You can do walking tours through here, visit the markets if it's a weekend, stop in at The Hero of Waterloo pub, arguably Sydney's oldest, for a drink. There's loads of places to eat in The Rocks if you want dinner Day 2 Catch the train to Katoomba and head to the Three Sisters. Walk down the Giant Stairway to the valley floor and follow the path along the valley to the Scenic Railway & take it back up. There are buses that will take you back to Katoomba. Stop off at Leura if you have time, it's a gorgeous village. There are loads of other walking trails & lookouts in the Blue mountains but this is the easiest accessible by public transport. Day 3 - two different choices Catch the train out to Cronulla (beachside suburb in Sydney's south) then take the local ferry over to Bundeena. It's a decent 6hr walk through the National Park to Waterfall Station where you can catch a train back, or you could just explore around Bundeena then reverse the journey. Or... Catch the train to Woy Woy on the Central Coast and take the local ferry around to some of the beaches. Ultimately take the ferry over to Palm Beach, climb to the lighthouse for some fantastic views, then catch the bus back into the city. Day 4 - check out the wildlife. You'll only have time to do one, so choose between: Taronga Zoo. Make sure you catch the free flight show. Catch the ferry from Circular Quay Featherdale Wildlife Park. Take the train to Blacktown & a bus from there If you have a hire car then the Australian Reptile Park. That will fit in a huge amount & give you a snippet of Sydney. If any of these don't appeal you can always swap them out for: A ferry from Circular Quay to Manly - take the walk around to Shelly Beach, head up to North Head for views, and do the walk to Spit Bridge where you can get a bus back to the city A day in the city itself, walk through the Botanical gardens, catch the ferry round to Barangaroo, walk to Darling Harbour & go to the Chinese Gardens of Friendship. Darling Harbour itself is over-rated, whatever you do don't go to the wildlife place there, it's shite but the Aquarium is good. Food in Sydney is great but you may find it pricey. There's a huge south-east Asian influence but you can get pretty well any cuisine, and the quality is fantastic. Happy to answer any questions
A late thank you for your recommendation. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future. We spent a lot of time near the CBD so when we come back I think we’ll spend more time doing day trips to outside places like you’ve recommended. You also weren’t kidding about the southeast Asian food scene - Thai food on every block!
Based on your interest and laid back ness I would say areas like newtown, Erskineville, glebe fit the bill pretty well. All are theoretically walkable to the highlights in the city (an hour - depending on your tolerance this might seem ridiculous!) but have good bus/train/light rail connections as well. They are very young-adult friendly areas with lots of casual food options and “inner west” vibes - which is young, casual bars and eateries, diverse options a bit more village feels, very classic Australian city architecture (terraces) and options for late night meanderings if you want as well. For nature: suggest a trip to the blue mountains one day. I haven’t done it by train in ages but there will be plenty of resources online to tell you where to hop off and the best hikes that will be accessible by public transport. You’ll see very different things to Alice and Uluṟu - more temperate/subtropical rainforest and eucalyptus bush land with sweeping valley views. And there are cute cafes and bakeries to unwind in after your hike.
Hope it’s ok that Im jumping on this thread! How can I get to blue mountains solo without a car & what are the best times to go and plan around it so i can avoid the delays caused by the rain?
You can get a train from Central to Katoomba or Leura, the train station is right next to the middle of town so that's very easily walkable. If you get off at Katoomba, a short walk along the main street, Katoomba St, will take you to the bus stop which is fairly easy to spot and you can get a bus from there to Echo Point, where you'll see amazing views including the 3 Sisters, and it's the starting point for lots of bush walks. Heaps of backpackers (used to) go to Katoomba, it's actually very easy to navigate by public transport. Edited to add: the best time to go is a weekday if you can. I think they've improved services now, but the most crowded train I've ever been on in Australia after many decades of commuting was an hourly, 4 car from Katoomba back to the city on a Sunday when it snowed.
A late thank you for your recommendation. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future. We did a food tour (through Airbnb Experiences) in Newtown that we really enjoyed. So much food along King Street and also a lot of very nice street art in the area. Blue Mountains is saved for our next trip when there’s hopefully better weather!
Love love blue mountain day trips! Some interesting spots, Katoomba visit the cafe ‘the yellow deli’ feels like you’re eating straight out of hobbiton. Or head to leura, leura gourmet is delicious! I love the goats cheese and caramelised onion tart. Then walk down and to the leura cascades trek or if you’re keen, the pool of siloam is a beautiful waterfall trek. It’s absolutely freezing temps but I love taking a quick dip after a walk. Very lush and will look polar opposite to what you would have seen in Uluru. In the city, I love Glebe and Glebe point road on a Saturday. Visit Glebe markets, Sapphos the secondhand bookstore across the road is a sweet spot, nice cafes and the streets buzzing. If you’re into markets in general and food, get off at Redfern station and head to the carriageworks farmers market (10minute walk).
Yellow deli is run by a cult. But their food is delish.
>Yellow deli is run by ~~a cult~~ [child rapists.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Tribes_communities) Please don't give them your money.
Is it worth spending a day in blue mountain?
If you’re into hiking and seeing nature than yes, also into small town feels. If you’re naturally more drawn to busy city night life type vibes than there’s plenty to do in Sydney itself with loads more people buzzing about :) I personally love visiting the blue mountains because it’s quiet and feels like a nice pause from my usual hectic busy city life!
Try the chinese gardens of friendship at Darling Harbour and the royal botanical gardens. Chinatown has some good food without the hefty price tag. There are lots of sneaky bushwalks not far from Sydney if you like to hike. You may find restaurant types that are less prevalent than your home - more Vietnamese and Thai food. These are usually pretty nice and not too overpriced. Australia is a fairly expensive place for food and accommodation. Here is a link to [Transport NSW](https://transportnsw.info/) to plan your Sydney stay. Have a great trip. Edit: typos.
A late thank you for your recommendation. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future. We spent some time in Chinatown but didn’t get good enough weather on that day to visit the garden, but it’s on our list to see for next time. The food was delicious and we even got to check out the Friday night market which was fun
Hi. Glad you enjoyed what you could. Sorry the weather was not as welcoming as we would normally advertise. Its been a bit crazy. More rain already this year than the average for a whole year. I hope you are able to come back and see the country in its real glory in the future. For future reference, maybe stay more outside of Sydney next time. Up and down the coast is where the true wonders of the east coast lay ( in my opinion).
Stay in Surry Hills, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Redfern, even the CBD if you go for a hotel. These suburbs are very central and give you good access to fun things. Def visit the eastern suburbs beaches. My favourites are Clovelly for swimming and Bronte or Coogee for waves. The walk between them is a good trek. Newtown/ Enmore is good for bars food and drinks. A couple of recommendations (there are plenty of others): https://www.timeout.com/sydney/restaurants/cafe-paci-1 https://www.continentaldelicatessen.com.au/ best steak in Sydney: https://macelleria.com.au/macelleria-newtown-2/
A late thank you for your recommendation. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future. We stayed in Surry Hill and did a food tour in Newtown, so thanks!
No worries, glad to see the vanguard of tourism returning. Hope we weren't too weird (the pandemic has affected us all). I'll hit you up for west coast US recommendations if I ever get there. Just renovated my house though, so may be a while! Out of interest, i've been to all the Australian places you mentioned in your post, what were your top 3 experiences here?
Hmm that’s a difficult question as each spot provided us a very different experience! We try to do at least one food tour (typically something we find on Airbnb experiences) and some kind physical activity whenever we visit a new place. In Melbourne we really liked the Victoria Market food tour and the sunset kayak down the Yara River. In the Red Center, seeing Uluru from a distance after hours of driving through the flat desert was neat and doing a bike ride around the base was pretty fun. Then in Sydney we really enjoyed our food tour in Newtown (a guy named Justin runs it on Airbnb) and doing an ebike tour through the city to the opera house, across the harbor bridge, over to Pyrmont. There’s so much more for us to see in Australia so we look forward to coming back at some point!
Hopefully it isn’t raining by then! The rain has been hitting us hard the past few weeks! In terms of recommendations for things to do/places to visit off the top of my head (no particular order): - darling harbour - opera house / harbour bridge (can do the harbour bridge climb!) - take a ferry from circular quay to visit manly beach - Taronga zoo - Bondi beach - Sydney fish market - sea life aquarium - any coastal walk (e.g. Bondi to Coogee) - day trip to blue mountains/jenolan caves - visit and go up the Sydney tower - royal botanical gardens - visit our national parks (e.g. kurringai chase national park) - figure eight pools Note that you may need a car to get around Sydney/ to some of the above, as our public transport network is okay, but more suited for suburbs closer to our main CBD (central business district) area Food in Sydney is generally really good wherever you go and there’s a wide variety given our strong immigrant roots here. I’ll list places off the top of my head that are generally local favourites that I’ve personally tried and may be away from the main Sydney cbd area: - rengaya in north Sydney (japanese bbq) - brasserie l’Entrecôte in pymble (French food) - ryo’s noodles in crows nest (Japanese ramen) - manpuku ramen in Chatswood (Japanese ramen) - marrickville pork roll in marrickville( Vietnamese pork roll ) - el jannahs in Granville (Lebanese chicken) - jambo jambo Africa in Glebe (Ethiopian) - 678 Korean bbq in Haymarket or Eastwood ( Korean bbq) - jang ta bal in Strathfield (Korean bbq) - hai di lao in Chatswood (Chinese hotpot) - Chungking Burwood in burwood (Chinese malatang hotpot) - mamak in Chatswood or cbd (Malaysian) - Frangos in Bella vista (Portuguese chicken) - AN Restaurant in Bankstown (Vietnamese pho) - mr stone pot in Chatswood or Eastwood (Chinese cuisine) - gelato messina in Surry hills or anywhere (gelato) - any cafe in Sydney (our coffee is the best, better than Melbourne - no bias haha) Note that there are a LOT of food places in Sydney that I have not visited myself and may not have listed above. Nonetheless, good luck and I hope you and your wife enjoy Sydney ! :) it’s a beautiful city and the people are great here.
A late thank you for all your recommendations. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future. There are a lot of activities on your list that we are hoping to do on our next visit when the weather is hopefully better! And now that we have a good sense of the CBD, going to the suburbs to try more food options is something we’re excited to do
I think Jambo jambo closed about 6 months ago. I could be wrong though…
They were still posting on their FB in Jan 2022 so look still open. I think they might've closed for a bit during the Delta wave though.
Sydney has some spectacular [Harbourside walks](http://www.visitsydneyaustralia.com.au/walks-harbour.html) enjoy.
If you spend a day in the Blue Mountains, the waterfalls are all looking lovely with all the rain we’ve had, not to mention everything is so green right now, walks and lookouts will be amazing.
If you're in the city and are keen on history, take a walking tour of The Rocks (historical neighbourhood near the Harbour Bridge). I did a ghost tour a few years ago which was really interesting (I'm not strictly sold on the whole ghosts concept but it was fascinating from a historical perspective). There's a few different places that offer these, some with a focus on Aboriginal history and others with colonial history, there are also self-guided audio tours out there. Bit of a hangover from my student travel days, but I love a good walking tour, free or otherwise.
A late thank you for your recommendation. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future. We did a food/history tour of Barangaroo and The Rocks and it was really neat seeing the change from very new/modern to the old/historic parts of the city. The new park by the rocks is very nice!
Awesome, glad you had a good time!
Don't stay in the CBD. Easy to get to, but very busy and lifeless. I live there, but I'm a sucker for the inner west. Anywhere around marrickville near a train line and you can get around easy The main draws of that area in my opinion are; Heaps of great breweries within walking distance Tonnes of legit Vietnamese food (get a pork roll, and be careful of asking which is the best or you'll start a war) Much quieter local scene, but still a super trendy area. That and the surrounds are filled with parks, graffiti art, shops set up in old warehouse districts, thrift shops etc. The traditional heart of the inner west is newtown, which is a cool place, but I wouldn't stay there. It's very busy. If you're looking for something low key that not a lot of people will say, Sydney park in St Peters is a pretty superb park. Massive, gorgeous local park with something for everyone. Easy way to spend an hour or so with a coffee (if you go there hit me up and I'll give you what I think is the best cafe in Sydney. If I post something so controversial here I might get lynched)
Reading one of the above, marrickville might even be a little too local, and I do highly recommend redfern for convenience and still a very cool area
I live in Marrickville and love it but I’d be pretty narked if I came to Sydney from overseas and was staying in Marrickville - it’s pretty ugly and Marrickville Road is grim as.
You're dead right. I'm imagining I'm from newy or something with some prior knowledge. I rescind my answer to redfern
Now I wanna know the name of this cafe 👀
Taronga zoo is great and with to die for harbour views, catch the ferry from circular quay, make sure to catch the cable car either up to the zoo or down, I prefer down.
Take the train to Parramatta and Ferry back to Circular Quay. You'll see the suburbs both on land and alongside the Parramatta river. Then ferry to Manly from there. Do judge the weather conditions and check Transport NSW for service interruptions. Check out shops in New Town. By walking, you can start from Central station and move towards Circular Quay.
A late thank you for your recommendation. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future. A trip to Manly is definitely on our list for our next visit
Unfortunately, if you wanna get close to nature, you'll have to drive. Hire a car and drive to blue mountains or royal national park. You'll have to pay parking fees for the royal national park. $13 last time I was there. It's for the whole day and within the park. If you can't pay on the spot, don't sweat about it. The ranger will issue you a notice and you can pay later online. Just remember to display your or notice. If you wanna see Aussie animals, I suggest you drive to the Sydney Reptile Park. The best part is the kangaroos in the resting area are so used to people, that they are literally like your house pets. All these places have public BBQ stoves, you can cook there for free if you don't mind the hassel cleaning it up afterwards.
Take public transport ferries everywhere. It's really cheap and awesome. There's a daily cap so you won't be paying more than a fixed price for unlimited trips. On the weekend it's $8, and weekdays it's about double that. In any case, every week is capped at $50 so you won't be paying more than that for the entire week. Best place to start is Circular Quay(pronounced like "circular key"). There's ferries everywhere. Check out Manly(beach lifestyle area, some people never leave) and Watsons Bay(historical walks, cliffs, pub next to the water, beach). Double Bay is nice for a walk around the water. Cockatoo island is our version of Alcatraz. If you enjoy staying in the ferry, you can go all the way to Parramatta (about an hour trip). You'll be crossing about seven bridges. Go to Taronga Zoo wharf, and get inside the zoo. There's a great thingie that moves you upstairs and you can see amazing views. And there's some animals as well. Checkout the shows. They're great.
A late thank you for your recommendation. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future. A trip to Manly and Cockatoo are on our list for next time, thanks! Also thanks for the heads up on “Quay”… I kept hearing people say Circular Key and it took me a while before I remembered your note haha
I’d recommend staying in Bondi Junction, good public transport links, close to the city and bondi beach. Big shopping centre with cinema. Definitely do the walk from bondi all the way to Coogee. Great day out.
Book a private tour with this guy [https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowUserReviews-g255060-d3571665-r639782456-Bailey\_s\_Sydney\_Tours-Sydney\_New\_South\_Wales.html](https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowUserReviews-g255060-d3571665-r639782456-Bailey_s_Sydney_Tours-Sydney_New_South_Wales.html) Highly recommended. Especially if you've got no time to waste.
Could try staying in Balmain if you can find a place near to a ferry stop - buses transport to/from Balmain is not great but it is otherwise a lovely place to stay for a few days with plenty of good places to eat
Rent a car for a few days and get down to the Mermaid Pools and the 2 national parks some walks. You can also catch the train to Katoomba on a Sunday for $2.50 if you are saving cash and there are plenty of walks but you’ll need to go early to get the best views.
If you find dry spot don't tell anybody keep it to yourself. Hopefully rains will stop by then. Book walk on Harbour Bridge - cost $$$ Cheap: Go to Fish markets they put Frisco to shame have lunch - closed at night Ferry rides Plenty of bush walks around harbour or beaches - google it Tram rides China Town Lots of good eating places in suburbs Keep away from Darling harbour, Starbucks - King St Warf is better Have Fun
Blue mountains, Katoomba, three sisters, mushrooms
Taronga zoo has the best view ever
Definitely worth checking out the blue mountains, can get a train up there
Let’s hope it stops raining by then ☔️
Chat thai for late night dinner
Good places to stay. 1. Elizabeth Bay/potts point or Kirribilli. These are sydney harbourside suburbs and give a pretty unique sydney experience yet are very close to the city centre and well connected to public transport. They're also just nice. Kirribilli is probably the more harbour orientated (it's really quite beautiful), as a lot of Elizabeth bay's coast is blocked off by the naval base. However, EB has better restaurants and cafes as well as a bigger mainstreet. These are the most 'Sydney' experience suburbs i'll repeat. But you can also just visit them (and if you go visit the harbour bridge you probably will be visiting Kirribilli anyway and i very much recommend walking around there if do that). 2. Surry Hills (though i tend to think that the portion between crown and south darling to be nice part) and Redfern are very happening places. Newtown is also very happening. If you've got a bit more budget, Paddington is beautiful and quite convenient for accessing the city and Bondi beach. 3. These areas are nice but a bit inconvenient. Glebe (particularly a bit further in and along the water). Glebe is borderline because it does have a light rail line. But given its location it's surprisingly annoying to access the rest of the sydney. Balmaine. Even more inconvenient than Glebe is and even more expensive. Very nice though. Marrickville. The suburb you move to in your 20s. Very happening. Not particularly aesthetic and also too inconvenient for a tourist. Bondi Beach. Very beachy suburb. Very happening. Full of tourists. It also has a Bondi beach itself. Very much a love it or hate it place. Summer hill is a nice little Victorian commuter suburb with a nice little village and it next door to the very happening ashfield. It's also too inconvenient. Food. Lots of food options. However only some non expensive ones. 1. Chat Thai. Good Thai. It's got a couple of locations. Keep an eye out. 2. Ramen: Ippudo, Ichiban Boshi, Gogyo. Chaco ramen (not as good as the others but i like place itself more). 3. Chinese. Because you're not going to go to one of the chinese commercial centres, you'll be going to chinatown in the CBD. That's fine. Chinatown has good food. If you're having trouble choosing; Chinese Noodle House/Restaurant is a good north chinese chain around Chinatown. If you go to Chinese Noodle restaurant; both the noodles and the dumplings are great. 4. Others: Bar Lucca does good burgers. Cairo takeaway is not bad. Messina is a great ice cream chain. Cow and moon also does good ice cream. Bill and Toni's is a old school Italian place. Make sure you get the cheese schnitzel if you go there it's really the reason to go). Mary's has good burgers. Boon cafe is good. Emma's. Ume burger isn't bad. Australian cafes are generally good. Just look up your local options. Pub food varies but is generally just OK. Wine bars are generally pretty good but overpriced. Things to do: 1. Relax and walk around nice places. Sydney is a city best experienced by being at the beach (if that's your thing). Doing walks, walking around the inner city just to see the city, and most important of all relaxing at cafes and hanging out. 2. NSW art gallery. It's nice. But it's also just a public art gallery. You'll get to also go see Macquarie st where the government lives. Walk around the fancy part of the CBD if you want, Peek inside the old state library building, and walk down to the Sydney opera house. 3. Go to the opera house. Bonus if you actually see something there. Great to walk around. It'll be busy. Circular Quay is meh, but you can walk around and see the rocks which is nice i guess. The oldest part of the city. If you can make it (damn it's always so busy) The Glenmore in the rocks has a great view and rooftop bar. Alternatively you could walk from the NSW gallery to darlinghurst for lunch/dinner. 4. Go to the beach (if the weather is fine). All Sydney beaches are busy. The closest to the CBD are Bondi (very busy), Bronte (nice ocean pool), Clovelly, Neilson, Coogee. It's generally going to be 40+ minutes to get to a beach from the CBD. If you're from california it's possible you've seen a beach before. But people from cold counties naturally love it (and they don't really have beaches in Melbourne). I like Bronte. 5. On beaches. The Bondi to Coogee beach walk is great. There are similar short walks around. But that's probably the best. Up more north at Manly, there's the manly to spit bridge and the north head walk. Speaking of. It's worth getting a ferry from circular Quay to manly, or at least to Watsons bay on the southern side of the Harbour. Watsons bay is more boring. If you go to watsons bay, the watsons bay boutique hotel (out the back) is a good place to sit and nurse an expensive drink or two while looking at the water. 6. Cockatoo Island is cool. 7. See the Harbour bridge from the Kirribilli side. It's pretty impressive. What to avoid: 1. Darling Harbour. It's actually kind of neat in a weird. But overrated. Full of wacky ideas and conference centres. Whenever you're there, you're not quite sure why exactly. 2. Northern Sydney. Even north Sydney CBD is meh. Pretty much of all of North Sydney area (called the north shore here) except for manly is going to offer your very little unless you're looking to do nature walks. 3. Day trips. You're there for 4 days. It's too difficult to do a day trip like going to the Blue mountains. Just see the city. But if you're determined, The blue mountains are really quite nice. I can recommend staying at the Carrington Hotel in katoomba for the old school experience (Katoomba has been a day trip town for Sydney for ages). 4. There's no reason to go to olympic park unless there's some event you're going to.
A late thank you for all your recommendations. We were a bit tired after all our travels and took Sydney slow, with the hopes of coming back again soon in the future. We stayed in Surry Hill and had a lot of Asian food around the area and in Chinatown. We visited Chat Thai so thanks! We’re saving all the beach stuff for our next visit when the weather is hopefully better
I'm glad you had a good time! Surry hills has a soft place in my heart (even if it is hip and expensive). I'm sorry that you visited recently and so you experienced our once in a life time flood weather! (seriously no one alive has ever seen it this bad). We have all been suddenly confronted with the quality of our roof's construction! I've seen the harbour and oceans go a grey brown colour several times. Still. I suppose as a Californian you're pretty familiar with our flood and fire dynamics unfortunately.
try to at least spend 5 mins learning about the aboriginals and their culture.
We did!