5 Things To Do in Sydney, Australia

Sydney is one of those cities that won us over so quickly! There is so much to do in the city while being surrounded by some of the most beautiful and famous beaches in the world. Whether you have a short layover or just a quick visit you can pack a lot into a little bit of time! Here are 5 things to do in Sydney, Australia!

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Getting from the Airport

Sydney Airport is located about 15 kms from the city. It’s important to note that the Domestic Terminal and International Terminal are separate buildings that require taking a bus to get between the two.

We made that mistake by putting in the wrong one on Uber and had to take the bus to the right terminal. The bus is free though so it’s not a huge deal!

There is a train that can take you directly from the Domestic Terminal of Sydney Airport to the city center. There are automated machines to buy train tickets whether you want a single ticket or multiple tickets. In order to ride the Sydney trains you need an Opal Card which is a reusable card used for public transportation in the city. A single journey ticket cost 40 AUD or $26 USD which is pretty expensive for public transportation.

At the time an Uber directly to our Airbnb cost 33 AUD or $21 USD. So thats the option we picked. It might not always be cheaper due to surge pricing or time of day but its worth looking into before assuming public transportation will be the cheaper transportation.

It’s more expensive to buy a single journey so if you’re going to take more trains and/or public transportation in Sydney you can save some money!

1. Lay Out at Bondi Beach

Bondi Beach is one of the most famous beaches in Australia. It is a beautiful stretch of beach that is large enough for everyone to lay a towel down and enjoy some sun! To either side of the beach the coastline continues with rocky cliffs. If you have time walk out to either side and look back towards Bondi beach for views of the entire beach!

You are bound to spot some surfers out in the distance braving the huge waves. Beware the water can be really intense so if you’re going to swim it’s recommended to swim in the designated swimming area that is patrolled by lifeguards.

The pictures you have probably seen of Bondi Beach include the Bondi Iceburgs Club which is the salt water swimming pool built into the rocks. This well photographed spot draws lots of visitors and really is worth it to see! As large waves crash into the rocks more and more water fills up this large lap pool.

This is definitely a landmark of Sydney and can be visited really easily! You can walk fairly close to the pool and get views looking both towards Bondi as well as out towards the ocean.
An adult ticket to use the pool is 9 AUD or $6 USD which includes use of the pool, showers, sauna and changing rooms.

2. Walk along the Bronte to Bondi Coastal Walk

The Bronte to Bondi Coastal Walk is a beautiful 3 km walk that follows the coastline between these two well known beaches. Along the way you will pass many people running, biking and just enjoying being outside!

We recommend to start this walk at Bronte Beach and then walk north towards Bondi Beach. Bronte Beach is really worth visiting even though its a little less famous than Bondi. There you can find a sandy area as well as a large grassy area where we saw so many people laying out and having picnics. If you’re looking to have a similar experience to the Bondi Iceburgs Club Pool but don’t want to pay the entry fee you can jump into the Bronte Baths for free!

The Bronte Baths is another pool built into the rocks on the one side of Bronte Beach. There is no entrance fee like Iceburgs and yet still it is so similar!
There is a lot of shade at Bronte Beach for those that like a nice shady beach spot!

Past the Bronte Baths is a pathway that leads to nowhere but gets you up close to the eroded rocks that have changed over time from the wind and water. Continuing north the path is a well paved pathway that continues along the coastline to Tamarama Beach. This small beach was not crowded at all if you’re looking for a quieter spot to enjoy some sun. There is also Tamarama Beach Park behind it with toilets, tables and a small shop with drinks and snacks.

Make sure to stop and take some pictures at Tamarama Point which is a scenic lookout spot just past the beach. It gives you views looking out back at all of Tamarama Beach as well as Bronte Beach in the distance.

From there the pathway takes you along Bondi Bay with amazing views the entire time! There are benches to sit if you want to take your time as well as water fountains to fill up your water bottle!

Right around Hunter Park is the end of the pathway around some impressive rocks. This is another really good photo spot! A few more minutes of walking and you’ll be at the Bondi Iceburgs Club Pool!

3. Wander through the Royal Botanical Gardens

The Royal Botanical Gardens are a quiet escape from the busier parts of Sydney! There are so many beautiful plants and flowers that you could easily spend a few hours wandering through this large park. There are tons of signs pointing you in the direction of certain landmarks within the park too. The best part is the Royal Botanical Gardens is completely free to enjoy!

We brought our daypack with some snacks and sat for a while enjoying this spot! If you’re traveling on a budget head to a grocery store beforehand and have a picnic lunch instead of buying lunch at a restaurant! We’ve done this so many times and it always saves us so much money!

4. Visit the Sydney Opera House

From the Royal Botanical Gardens walk to the Sydney Opera House! This is another iconic location in the city of Sydney. From the entrance of the botanical gardens it should only take about 15 minutes if you walk directly.

The building itself its known for its unique structure. You can walk up to the opera house and take pictures or if you’re interested you can catch anything from opera to theater shows to comedy routines on any given day.

From the side of the Sydney Opera House you get unobstructed views looking at the Sydney Harbour Bridge. We were even able to spot people at the top of the bridge doing the bridge climb!

The Opera Bar is a large bar and restaurant that sits on the water right at the opera house. There were so many people sitting and enjoying this outdoor spot although because of the prime location it’s not the most budget friendly option!

5. Eat Some Fish and Chips!

Last but not least you can’t visit Sydney without having some fish and chips! It’s not the only food to try but there are so many fish and chip shops throughout the city. You also can find restaurants that do it affordably so you don’t have to spend a lot to try this delicious meal!

We went to Bondi Road Seafoods and got the battered fish and chips. If you have a preference for type of fish there are plenty to choose from. It cost 12 AUD for an order or $8 USD so we were able to have a delicious dinner for about $16 USD which is not too bad at all!

This place was right by Bondi Beach so once we were done at the beach we were able to walk there in about 10-15 minutes!

Of course there is so much more to see in Sydney but if you only have a few days this is a really doable list of things to see while giving yourself enough time to really enjoy each place! We would love to go back sometime soon and explore this city even more!