Of course you HAVE to check out Sydney Harbour/Circular Quay!  It’s home to the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera house, it wouldn’t be a trip to Sydney without seeing them!  Some people say it’s expensive and overrated, but I love the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb, I’ve done it twice now!

If the city is too busy for you and you need some fresh air, hop on a bus to the Northern Beaches. You will find stunning beaches, at least as beautiful as the famous Manly Beach and Bondi Beach, but without the crowds of tourists. If you can make it all the way to Palm Beach and the Barranjoey Lighthouse, you will get perfect coastal views on the ocean and the nearby national park.

The one-kilometre-long beach may be Australia’s most famous beaches. In the Aboriginal language, Bondi means “water breaking over rocks”. They claim Bondi Surf Club, founded in 1907, was the world’s first surf lifesaving club. So no need to say that surfing is a favorite activity there. However, many visitors also go there to enjoy the dramatic coastline from foreshoreway corridor from Bondi to Coogee.

The one-kilometre-long beach may be Australia’s most famous beaches. In the Aboriginal language, Bondi means “water breaking over rocks”. They claim Bondi Surf Club, founded in 1907, was the world’s first surf lifesaving club. So no need to say that surfing is a favorite activity there. However, many visitors also go there to enjoy the dramatic coastline from foreshoreway corridor from Bondi to Coogee.

A lovely way to spend a memorable few hours with your partner is to cruise Sydney Harbour. 

Glam up and go on a bar crawl of cool bars around the CBD, Surry Hills and Darlinghurst.

If the city is too busy for you and you need some fresh air, hop on a bus to the Northern Beaches. You will find stunning beaches, at least as beautiful as the famous Manly Beach and Bondi Beach, but without the crowds of tourists. If you can make it all the way to Palm Beach and the Barranjoey Lighthouse, you will get perfect coastal views on the ocean and the nearby national park.

Sydney’s CBD, Central Business District is fairly modern and contains numerous skyscrapers, although there are some existing old buildings and churches. Just a short walk away from the CBD, however, is the historic and interesting Circular Quay. I found this an excellent starting point to discover some of the city’s highlights like Hyde Park, the gorgeous Royal Botanic Gardens, and of course the Opera House.

Sydney Harbor Bridge | Sydney Opera House | Walking Tour | Royal Botanic Gardens | Luna Park Sydney

If the city is too busy for you and you need some fresh air, hop on a bus to the Northern Beaches. You will find stunning beaches, at least as beautiful as the famous Manly Beach and Bondi Beach, but without the crowds of tourists. If you can make it all the way to Palm Beach and the Barranjoey Lighthouse, you will get perfect coastal views on the ocean and the nearby national park.

Australia Day (January) is the best day of the year to soak up the atmosphere around the city and harbour.

The Taronga Zoo, located across the harbor from the Circular Quay, is wonderful.  Here they have a huge range of Australia animals as well as lions, tigers, komodo dragons, and Asian elephants.  The best part of the zoo is the ferry ride to get there and the view back to Sydney.

Cockatoo Island is Sydney Harbour’s largest island that played a significant role in Sydney’s history.

Heading into Sydney I checked into Ovolo 1888, a boutique hotel most commonly referred to as the ‘Instagram Hotel’, located just a block from bustling Pyrmont.

Feeding the Kangaroos and Koalas is a great experience when you are in Sydney! You can have that fun experience in Taronga Zoo Sydney and Wild Life Sydney. They are in the heart of the city and easy to get to.

The Travel Tart: Hi Sophie, thanks for the chat. For those who are reading this from outside of Australia, can you please give a quick description of Dymocks Booksellers. Okay, the name gives away what they do, but I’m after a bit more!

So far, the focus of this itinerary has been in showing you the part of Sydney that lies south of Port Jackson Bay. But Sydney doesn’t stop abruptly at the waterfront, there’s plenty more to be seen on the far side of the water. You don’t really need an excuse to take a ferry out onto the water, but if you want one, here are some places on Sydney’s North Shore that you’ll no doubt want to see.

Located in Angel Place, this hidden treasure was originally a temporary art exhibit. It rapidly became so popular with locals that it was left in place.

You can hire out kayaks from either Kirribilli or Neutral Bay Beach. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do as I used to run along the harbour early in the mornings and always saw people going out for a paddle.

If you’re after a cute way to get to Royal National Park, this is it. At Cronulla Wharf, you board the vintage green and yellow, cute face boat and take a seat on the wooden bench seats.

Spend your last day leisurely exploring the hip inner-city suburbs of Paddington, Surry Hills or Newtown. Wander down Oxford Street to Sydney’s fashion strip known as ‘The Intersection’, where you’ll discover premium Australian labels including Bassike and Camilla and Marc.Jump on a train to central and Surry Hills is just a short walk from there.  Enjoy a feast at the favs like Chin Chin and Nomad – note you will need to book, as these places can get very busy, especially on weekends. If you are on a budget enjoy a .....casual pub meal at Trinity Bar or the Clock Hotel on Crown Street. Show less

Our last few days back in the capital city were spent at Pennys house in New Town to the north. We planned a restful, almost lazy, stay where we would just be able to have the odd walk and generally get ready for the journey to New Zealand. There wasn’t a lot to do but we decided to just sit back and take five, or ten.

Whale Beach Deli (Whale Beach) – ran by The Boathouse group, Whale Beach Deli is a lovely little place you can sit outside and enjoy a coffee and a bite to eat.