The Best Starting Itinerary for Visiting Sydney, Australia

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Sydney, Australia is the most iconic city of this enormous country and potentially the world, anchored around the iconic landmarks of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. These landmarks define the skyline of the city. Beyond the icons, the city has a strong beach culture, making it a unique balance between coastal and urban lifestyles. There is so much to explore!

If you are interested in some of the logistics of visiting Mexico City, check out this article that walks you through the details you may need to know.

The Starter 4-Day Itinerary to Visiting Sydney, Australia

The following itinerary is intended to be a starting point for visiting Sydney. It allows you to balance between seeing the icons and taking in the beautiful coastline within and around Sydney. You should tailor the itinerary to your own interests. The first two days of this itinerary are designed to see the aspects of the city that are the most known and popular while the last two days start to dive into lesser visited activities.

We also know that this itinerary has a lot of walking. You will see that Sydney is an incredibly active city where people are constantly running and focusing on their health and wellness. That being said, if walking isn’t for you, consider spending more time sitting and watching the different icons from the harbor, going on ferry rides, relaxing at the beaches, and more to take in what the city has to offer.

MORNING

LUNCH

AFTERNOON

DAY 1

Free walking tour of Sydney’s Central Business District

Get lunch in the Rocks neighborhood (where the walking tour ends)

Walk across the Sydney Harbor bridge. Start the walk by climbing the pylon at the start of the bridge

DAY 2

Take a bus to Coogee and walk from Coogee to Bondi

Get lunch in Bondi and take in the beautiful pools and beach

Take the bus from Bondi back to the circular quay. Visit the interior of the Sydney Opera House

DAY 3

Take a bus to Split and walk from Split Bridge to Manly Beach

This is a long walk so bring a snack or sandwich and eat on one of the cute beaches along the trail

Walk around Watsons Bay to see the cliffs of Sydney and enjoy the views of the city

DAY 4 (Optional)

Visit Blue Mountains National Park with a group or independently

If you are going on your own, you can get lunch within the park or bring food from the city. The tour group provides lunch

Continue to explore the Blue Mountains and head back to Sydney.

Day 1: Getting a Lay of the Land

Free Walking Tour of Sydney Central Business District

To start your time in Sydney, a free walking tour of the Central Business District and the Rocks will give you a good introduction to the history and culture of the city and take you through some of the important areas of Sydney’s center. The tour with I’m Free goes through the major sights and also gives you a good jumping off point for visiting some of the other parts of Sydney.

The tour ends near the Circular Quay of Sydney’s harbor, adjacent to the Rocks neighborhood. You can walk through the neighborhood to find a nice place to grab lunch. Pubs are common places within the neighborhood to grab some food, including fish and chips, chicken schnitzel (schnitty), or chicken parmesan (parmie).

The Sydney Harbor Bridge

After lunch, you will be in the perfect place to check out the Sydney Harbor Bridge. There are three different options for experiencing the best views from the bridge that range in experience and budget.

Crossing the Bridge by Foot

The Sydney Harbor Bridge is one of the icons that define Sydney’s skyline. Crossing it by foot is a great way to experience the bridge and see the beauty of Sydney around you. It is a great way to see the Sydney harbor and bay with all the boats moving through with the city surrounding it.

Going up the pilon

On the southside of the bridge, there is one pilon that can be climbed. For $30 AUD, you can visit a museum that explains more about the construction of the bridge and get to the top of the pilon where you will have 360 views of the entire city and harbor.

The famous bridge crossing - going up and over

One famous way to cross the bridge is to climb over the top of the bridge. The 1.5 hour option (the shorter option) costs $200 AUD and gives you a bucket-list experience with an incredible view. There are a few things to note about this experience. You cannot take your phone or camera onto the bridge with you but there will be a photographer who will do the experience with you. However, you will have to pay additional money to get those photographs. (We think that climbing up the pilon gives you a similar view but you get to keep your phone and take your own photos.)

After crossing the bridge, consider grabbing dinner in the Central Business District or in Sydney’s Chinatown and explore the international cuisine that adds so much richness to this city.

Where to Stay in Sydney

The Rocks

For those who want to be in the center of the tourism...

A historic neighborhood adjacent to the icons of Sydney and where most tourists stay.

Central Business District (CBD)

For those who have loyalty to a hotel brand...

A business district adjacent to the Circular Quay and full of international hotel brands.

Darlinghurst / Surry Hill

For those who are looking for character...

The first neighborhood outside of the city center full of boutique cafes and restaurants.

Day 2: Exploring the Beach Culture of Sydney

Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach

To get to Coogee Beach from the Central Business District, you can take a bus from the Circular Quay to the start of the walk. (You can pay for the bus with a tap-capable card or purchase a public transportation card at a metro or ferry station. You can only use one card per person.)

The walk between Coogee and Bondi is one of the most popular walks for local Sydney residents who live in the region. It is a beautiful walk along the coast that takes you through different neighborhoods and coves, allowing you to see some of the incredible coastal homes and beaches that give Sydney so much character. As you see pools or beaches, feel free to hop into the water to refresh yourself. (People walk along this pathway in bathing suits with cover ups so do not worry about if your clothes are wet as you are continuing along the path.) Most of the pools are free for anyone to use and you can leave your items on the side while you hop into the water without worrying. (Make sure to not bring anything too valuable!)

Note: When walking in Sydney, similarly to driving, people walk on the left side of the pathway and pass slower walkers on the right.

The pools along this walk are the Wylie Baths, the McIver’s Ladies Baths (for women and children only at Coogee Beach), the Giles Baths, the Bronte Baths, and the Icebergs (the most famous baths located at Bondi but they do have an entry fee). After walking along the coast, spend some time at Bondi, either at the Icebergs or on the expansive beach. You can also check out the shops along the beachfront and grab lunch at one of the many restaurants here.

From Bondi Beach, you can take a bus to get back to the Central Business District of the city.

The Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is the icon at the front of the harbor or Sydney. When visiting the city, it is hard to miss as it can be seen from so many different viewpoints. (If you start your visit with the free walking tour mentioned above, you will see the opera house at the end of the tour.)

The Free Option: If you are interested in seeing the interior of the opera house, you can actually go into the lobby of the building for free, where you can find the ticket office, a small cafe, and the restrooms. This is a great option to see what it looks like inside without paying for a show or a tour.

The opera house provides daily tours that allow you to go into some of the different halls, as long as they are available to enter. With this tour, you will get more information about the history and architecture of the building. However, the interior was not as impressive as the iconic exterior until it was recently renovated during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you just want to see the interior and are not necessarily interested in the architectural facts, then you can find a show that you want to see and enter the opera house to see the show.

Day 3: Exploring the Landscapes around Sydney

Spit Bridge to Manly Beach

If you are looking for a hike that takes you to some of the more isolated and local beaches of Sydney, then this is the hike for you. This 6 mile walk winds you along the coast of the bay, giving you great views of the city and cliffsides that are so emblematic of Sydney’s harbor. To start the hike, you can take a bus to Spit Bridge. We like to use this map on AllTrails to make sure that we are on the right route. If you pay for AllTrails+, you can download the map for the hike and follow the trail without data or service to make sure you are on the right trail. At the end of the hike, you can enjoy the pool at the end of Manly Beach.

To get to the next destination, Watsons Bay, you can take a ferry from the Manly docks. The ferries have beautiful views of the city so you can take them all in.

Watsons Bay Lighthouse and Gap Bluff Walk

This small walk from Watsons Bay, linked here on AllTrails, gives you great views into the immense cliffs that fall into the ocean outside of Sydney and views of the Sydney skyline in the distance. It’s a smaller walk (out of all the walks on this list) but takes you to the edge of where the city meets the ocean outside of the bay.

After seeing the cliffs, you can walk to the lighthouse at the end of the small peninsula and get some great views of the Sydney skyline.

Finally, to return to the Central Business District, you can take a ferry from Watsons Bay to the Circular Quay. If you time it up right, you can even catch the sunset over the city.

Different Ways to Get Around Sydney

Public Transportation

The public transportation system includes buses, metros, and ferries. You can pay for the services with a credit card with tap capabilities or a card called Opal where you can load money onto the card. You can only use one card per person so if you are traveling with multiple people on one credit card, you will need to purchase Opal cards and load money onto them. You can purchase these cards at any metro or ferry station, such as at the airport.

Walking

Walking is the best way to explore neighborhoods, appreciate the coastline, and take in all the views. When combined with public transportation, you can get anywhere in the city.

Day 4: Exploring the Nature Around Sydney

The Blue Mountains are a mountain range located 50 kilometers outside of Sydney. The area is full of dramatic landscapes, trees, waterfalls, cliffs, and valleys that can be explored through hikes or at different viewpoints. The mountains got their name due to the blue haze from the oil that is emitted by the abundant eucalyptus trees. The area can be explored independently (with public transportation or by renting a car) or with a tour group where you will get more information about the region.

Visiting the Blue Mountains With a Tour Group

Visiting the Blue Mountains with a tour group is a convenient way to explore this unique mountain range. We recommend using Coast Warriors for your tour in this region. Their itinerary is comprehensive, visiting some of the most popular sites in the park while also guiding you through a hike and explaining this unique ecosystem.

On this tour, designed and led by a local of the Blue Mountains, you will get picked up from the Central Business District of Sydney. Your first stop will be at the local town of Glenbrook, one of the unique and quaint towns within the Blue Mountains. Next, you will get to go to a lookout where you will overlook the Jamison Valley.

Then, the tour goes to a nature hike to Wentworth Falls, which takes 2 hours with a relatively challenging set of stairs. You will get beautiful views of different cliffs as you make your way to and from the waterfall. The guide will point out unique flora and fauna of the region throughout the hike. After the hike, you will get a picnic lunch of sandwiches that caters to dietary restrictions.

Ultimately, you will stop at the town of Katoomba further up in the mountains where the famous Three Sisters rock formations are located. You will get some time to visit these formations and explore the town. Overall, the tour is comprehensive and gives a great overview of the culture and environment of the Blue Mountains.

Visiting the Blue Mountains on Your Own

If you want more independence to visit the Blue Mountains, there are ways to explore the area without a tour group. Having a car allows you to drive to the different hikes of the region and visit the towns throughout the mountains that have so much character. And consider spending a long weekend in one of these towns to get the most out of the Blue Mountains lifestyle and absorb the culture.

If you do not have a car, you can also get to the Blue Mountains by taking a train from the central train station to Katoomba. Katoomba is where the famous Three Sisters rock formation is located and is considered the heart of tourism within the Blue Mountains. From just this town, there are a number of different hikes that you can do that allow you to see rock formations, waterfalls, cliffs, etc. You can explore some of the different hikes on AllTrails, a website that documents different hiking trails around the world.

If you want to see more of the region and focus on seeing some of the different viewpoints, then you can consider using the Blue Mountains Explorer Bus, which includes a hop on-hop off service. Their website has some different itineraries that can help you plan your day in the park based on your interests.

Other Ways to Take in the Views of Sydney

Sydney is known for its unique skyline, including the famous opera house and harbor bridge. There are different ways to get unique vistas of the harbor and the icons that define the city. These are not included in the itinerary above and can be added to your experience in the city.

The Westfield Tower

Have you seen the tall skinny tower with the saucer on top? The one that looks like the tower in Seattle or Toronto? Well you can go up that tower to get a 360 view of the city from one of the highest viewpoints. The tower is located above the Westfield shopping mall in the CBD of Sydney. To get there, you need to enter the mall from any location and use the touchscreen maps within the mall to help direct you to the tower. You will need to purchase a ticket to go to the top but the view is worth it. Around the entire tower, there are tablets with information about the different buildings that you can see from that angle. If you have an extra hour while in the CBD, then consider going to the top of the Westfield Tower.

Sydney Observatory Park

The Sydney Observatory Park is located in the Rocks and gives an unexpectedly great view of the Sydney harbor. If you find yourself in the Rocks, make your way to the gazebo of this park to get a great view.

Walk from The Circular Quay to Mrs. Macquarie's Chair

The walk along the waterfront from the Circular Quay to Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair gives you a beautiful view of the harbor and the Opera House against the skyline and harbor bridge. It also takes you towards the Royal Botanic Gardens where you can wander within a beautiful park.

Other Things to Do In and Around Sydney

Looking for even more to do in and around Sydney? Here are a few more options to look into for your time in the city.

Hunter Valley Wine Tasting

Do you love wine or are interested in the production and flavors that make up the complexity of wine? Then you may want to spend a day exploring the Hunter Valley. This is one of the most famous and popular wine regions in Australia and is only 2-3 hours away from the city. The region is also home to delicious food, which pairs perfectly with a great glass of wine. You can read more about visiting this region independently or with a tour here.

Sea Life

Sea Life is Sydney’s downtown aquarium, a popular destination for families to see many varieties of fish, shark, and other marine animals in beautiful displays and habitats. It may be known for the tunnels that go through the different aquarium cases, which are among the largest in the world. You can see sharks and rays swim over and alongside you as you travel through these tunnels. They even have a dugong (manatee) that has not been able to rehabilitate to the wild.

Sea Life is a popular attraction for families who visit Sydney. If you are looking to go, we recommend purchasing tickets in advance at the Sea Life website and choosing an entrance time that is early in the morning when the crowds will be the smallest.