How To Spend a Week in Sydney

As Australia’s most populated city, Sydney is also one of it’s most iconic. Locals are passionately proud of what Sydney has to offer and people from all over the world come here to tick it off their list or fall in love with the city so much that they move here permanently – eager for the trademark, laid-back Aussie lifestyle. But Sydney is more than just the hustle and bustle of the squishy city life. It has the cruisey vibes of the beach suburbs to the wild nature of the Blue Mountains, fancy cocktail bars to trendy hole-in-the-wall spots.

Of all the places I’ve ever been Sydney has a little bit of everything for everyone, right at your doorstep. But if you find yourself here for just one week, you can still leave feeling like you got to know the place.

CIRCULAR QUAY: THE HARBOUR BRIDGE + SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

This is probably the most touristy spot that you can find in Sydney. I just got home from being there this Sunday and it was one of the busiest times I’ve ever seen it. But people around here seem to love a good Sunday session so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Plus, there’s a reason it’s so popular. With the Harbour Bridge arching across the water on one side and the architecturally impressive Opera House on the other, the Circular Quay is a treat for your eyes and your camera.

There is no best time to come – any time of day is amazing! I’ve heard that sunrises are beautiful and you can even take a kayak tour for some great views. I’m more of a sunset girl though and love to go when the sky is transformed into a pastel pink. Grab some food or a drink at the Opera Bar and soak it all in. Or, if you’re the adventurous type and don’t feel nauseous with heights like me, you can climb the Harbour Bridge and tick it off your bucket list.

BOTANICAL GARDENS AND CBD

Stick this one in the same day as you visit Circular Quay. You can spend an entire day exploring the CBD, visiting the Opera House and taking a walk through the botanical gardens. The gardens are located just behind and off to the side of the Opera House and are worth a stroll if you have the time and are wanting to spend a full day in the city.

Once you’ve had your fill of plants and flowers you can do a bit of shopping and listen to the buskers on Pitt Street, pop into a museum or art gallery, do a free walking tour of the city and end the day with dinner in Darling Harbour.

A DAY AT THE BEACH: THE BONDI TO COOGEE COASTAL WALK

I was going to put this one in as just spending a day at Bondi Beach, since it’s such a popular tourist attraction, but Bondi is a bit overrated. That being said, it is fun to browse through the many shops and cafes, have a try at surfing or just play in the waves. BUT if you’re at Bondi already then it is the starting point for the beautiful Bondi to Coogee walk, which you can read more about here.

Start the walk at Coogee and finish up at Bondi Beach, spending the rest of the day on the sand and in the water. Or do it the other way around to wind up at Coogee, which I personally think is nicer than Bondi.

DAY TRIP: FERRY TO MANLY

A necessary day trip on your visit to Sydney is an afternoon in Manly. Catch the ferry from Circular Quay which will take you over to the Northern Beach suburb of Manly. The fabulous Manly Corso is a pedestrian-only space with palm trees, light strings and fountains on the footpaths that children love to splash about in. You’ll find lots of people converging here to do a little shopping, eating, drinking or chilling on the benches.

Once you’ve had your fill of exploring you can make your way to Manly Beach to join everyone else lounging on the sand, swimming in the water or playing a game of beach volleyball. If you enjoy a good snorkel in calm waters, you can walk about fifteen minutes and reach Shelly Beach.

If you can time your ferry trip back to Circular Quay at sunset on a clear day, you won’t be disappointed.

MARKETS

Sydney has some fun and ecclectic markets that are worth checking out. If you like stylish, second-hand clothing bargains and delicate handmade jewelry, Glebe Markets should be on your list. Open every Saturday from 10am to 4pm you can happily browse through books, CDs, jewelry and clothes. Grab a coffee or some food from one of the vendors and take a seat on the grass to listen to local musicians strum their guitars.

If you took my suggestion to hit up Manly and you happen to drop in on a Saturday or Sunday you’ll be happy to find Manly Market Place happening. From 9am to 5pm there are loads of handmade goods from candles to paintings, beachy themes and fresh produce.

Carriageworks Farmers Market is apparently award-winning, although I sadly never made it there. But an award-winning farmers market must be a good one, right?

QUIRKY NIGHTLIFE

What ended up being one of my favorite nights out ended up beginning in a hidden bar under the guise of a hot dog stand. Yep. Step through a vintage coca-cola machine and be transported into a retro diner bar complete with boozy soda floats. With every night of the week offering something fun – think movie nights and popcorn or jukebox Thursdays – the Soda Factory is definitely a place worth checking out.

From Soda Factory take your night out to Frankies. Essentially a basement dive bar, you walk into a dimly lit pizza parlour with walls covered in old family photographs and twinkly lights strung all around. You can munch on pizza by the slice or an entire pizza which is probably a good idea because they are delicious and given classy names like The Madonna. Move beyond the pizza and you’ll find a huge room blasting rock music until 4am.

If tropical scenes are more your thing, Cliff Dive on Oxford Street is a tiki bar with a dancefloor, a lot of rum and drinks served out of pineapples and monkey heads. The dancefloor sits beneath a sea of fish and seaweed and they play some seriously dance-worthy tunes.

THE BLUE MOUNTAINS

A day trip outside of the city, the Blue Mountains are a stark contrast to the beaches and city outings we’ve been talking about. For anyone wanting some solid nature, good hiking, waterfalls and mountain views, you can hop on the train for 2.5 – 3 hours and find yourself in the mountains. You can find out more details here but I would definitely consider making the time to visit even if it’s just for a day.

NEWTOWN

Sydney is full of trendy suburbs and by far one of my favorites was Newtown. Popular with uni students and hipsters, Newtown is an interesting spot to spend a day from grabbing brunch, stumbling upon second-hand shops with antique treasures and then magically easing yourself into the evening at one of the many bars or Thai restaurants.

VISIT SPICE ALLEY

One minute you’re in Sydney and the next minute you feel like you’ve fallen down the rabbit hole and landed in Asia. With all types of Asian cuisine from Singaporean to Thai and everyone shoulder to shoulder to find the best dish, Spice Alley is full of thrilling chaos for foodies. So many food stalls sit along narrow laneways that open out into open air spaces with benches and tables – but you might have to fight for one.

It’s hard to say where the best place to eat is in Spice Alley, but I can personally attest to the roti canai from Alex Lee Kitchen and it seemed a pretty popular choice. Whatever you do, be sure to come hungry because you’re going to want to try more than one thing. We hopped from the roti canai to a veggie ramen and then finished off with a strange dessert.

WATSON’S BAY

Located at the very northern tip of Sydney’s Eastern suburbs is Watson’s Bay. You can get here from Circular Quay via ferry or bus. Home to beaches with views out to the city, fish and chip stands, ice cream and a nautical themed bar and restaurant, Watson’s Bay is a beautiful spot to come spend a day or catch a sunset.

You can spend the day relaxing at Camp Cove beach or you can continue walking to do the walk up to Hornby Lighthouse.

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There is so much to do in Sydney to keep you busy from morning til night – so much more than I could share for you to fit in just a single week! If you have more time, Sydney is a great place to base yourself for day trips out to more nature based areas such as the Royal National Park, drives even further up the Northern Beaches, plenty of urban seaside walks and more.

Have you been to Sydney? Did I miss out on something spectacular?