Sydney is an incredible city with SO much to do! If you’re wondering how to spend 5 days in Sydney, check out this itinerary which will let you experience all sides of the city. From modern city centers, to historic buildings to the stunning beaches. Keep reading to find out more!
Where to stay
Central Business District
One of the best areas to stay in Sydney is obviously the city center. Here, you’ll be close and within walking distance to some of the most important attractions such as the Opera House or The Rocks. It’s also a good starting point for all other areas you’ll want to visit during your stay.
There are plenty of hotels and hostels to choose from, in every price range. Find below some suggestions:
Budget: YHA Sydney Harbour
Mid-range: Hyde Park Inn
Luxury: Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Harbour
Bondi
If you’re looking for a beachy vibe, then the Bondi Beach area is where you want to stay! There is always something happening, and plenty or bars and restaurants for going out.
Budget: Wake Up! Bondi Beach
Mid-range: Hotel Bondi
Luxury: Hotel Ravesis
How to get around
First off you need to be aware, that Sydney is HUGE! Not only by the number of inhabitants, but also in the area it is spread out! In my other posts I’m usually a huge advocate for walking everywhere. But here, I really have to say there is no way you’ll get around using motorized vehicles…
Bus
Sydney has a great public transportation network. You can pretty much get to every part of town by some public mean of transportation. For the main attractions, buses run quite frequently and are very reliable. You can pay as you go directly with your credit card, which makes the public transport super easy to use! However, you also need to be aware that it may take significantly longer than if you were to take a car and drive there, since buses often take detours and stop many times along the way.
Ferry
Taking a ferry in Sydney is almost an attraction in itself and definitely a must do! One of the most famous routes is the ferry ride from Manly to Circular Quay, or from Taronga Zoo to Circular Quay. These routes will give you fantastic views onto the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge from a completely different perspective! It’s truly a great sight.
Besides that, there are also many other ferry routes that connect the city center to many of Sydney’s coastal areas.
Here again, you can use your credit cards directly to pay for the rides!
Car
If you feel comfortable driving in big cities, a rental car might give you the most flexibility. However, I do have to warn you that the parking situation is really challenging! If you want to go to the beaches, finding a parking spot will be very difficult, especially on weekends! Overall, I think if you plan on staying in the city, I don’t think you need a car of your own. You’ll be fine with using public transportation.
Uber
And just for completeness’ sake, I need to mention that Uber is available in Sydney. In case a location seems too complicated or unpractical to reach, this might be a good option. It’s just as fast a driving yourself, but without the hassle of parking.
How many days do I need in Sydney?
I would say you need at least five full days in the city itself to truly get a feeling for all the different areas. Anything less, you’ll need to sacrifice and miss out on certain things. Even if you try to squeeze in as much as possible, because Sydney is so geographically spread out, there is no way you can see it all in less than five days!
If you want to head out of the city and explore the surroundings as well, you may want to add another 2-3 days to your trip. You’ll find some suggestions for popular day trips at the end of the itinerary.
HOW TO SPEND 5 DAYS IN SYDNEY
Day 1
9 am – Breakfast
Find a cozy spot along the water or in The Rocks and enjoy your breakfast. We had a bite at La Renaissance in The Rocks, a cute little bakery with lovely pastries, cakes and sandwiches.
10:30 am – Opera House
Time to explore the opera house. Take your time to completely walk around it and observe it from every possible angle. Sit down, enjoy the views and take as many pictures as you want and need 😀 From the Opera House, you’ll also have an amazing view of the Harbour Bridge to your right. This is when you’ll know you’ve really arrived in Sydney.
11:30 am – The Rocks
After seeing enough of the Opera House, head (back) over to The Rocks. This is one of the oldest areas of Sydney, with lots of history. Take your time to walk around the area and just take in the distinct architecture that you won’t find anywhere else in the city. You’ll also find several art galleries and smaller boutiques, as well as many restaurants here.
Personally, I chose to have lunch at the Lord Nelson Brewery, which is one of the oldest pubs in Sydney. If not here, you definitely need to visit a classic aussie pub at some point during your stay!
2:30 pm – Observatory Hill and/or Harbour Bridge Climb
After your lunch break, head up to Observatory Hill. Among the Sydney Observatory (obviously), there is a lovely park on the hill with some great views over the city.
Alternatively, if you’re looking for something a little more adventurous, you can do the Harbour Bridge Climb. This activity will take you to the top of the bridge, completely supervised and safe, of course! For more information on this check out the official website here!
3:30 pm – Barangaroo
Next, it’s time to walk over to Barangaroo. This is a very new area in Sydney, with many modern high rises and cool restaurants. Spend some time walking around the area and taking in the views.
When you’re ready, pick one of the many restaurants for dinner and or drinks and enjoy a chill evening.
You also HAVE to try the Rivareno ice cream. It’s one of the best I’ve ever had!!
Day 2
9 am – Breakfast at Coogee Beach
Start your beach day the right way – namely with a breakfast on the beach. Pick one of the many cafés along the shore near Coogee Beach and enjoy the views.
10 am – Coogee to Bondi Walk
Once your body is well fueled, it’s time to get active. You’ll start your roughly two hours coastal walk from Coogee Beach to the world-famous Bondi Beach. Along the way, you’ll pass multiple smaller beaches and you’ll get to soak in the stunning ocean views throughout the entire walk. For detailed instructions check out the information here.
1 pm – Bondi Beach
You made it, welcome to Bondi Beach! After your very active morning, it’s time to relax for a little. Spend the rest of the afternoon on Bondi Beach, either swimming, tanning, shopping or dining. If you’re still feeling active, you can try surfing!
6 pm – Dinner in Watsons Bay
Once you’re getting hungry again, head over to Watsons Bay for dinner. On today’s menu: Fish and Chips! You can head to Doyles, a well-established classic. Or, if you prefer a more casual dinner, you can visit the Beach Club at Watsons Bay Hotel.
Day 3
9 am – Breakfast
Today it’s time to head back into the city center! To start your day, choose one of the many cafés to start your day.
10 am – Explore the city
Now it’s time to start exploring. There are several streets and buildings that you must hit during your time in the city center. For example:
- The Queen Victoria Building
- The Strand Arcade
- George Street
- Pitt Street
- The Strand Arcade
- Sydney Town Hall
1 pm – Darling Harbour
For lunch, head over to Darling Harbour. Darling Harbour is, as the name suggests, a cute little harbour area with tons of restaurants right by the water. Pick one that speaks to you (there is of course lots of seafood, but you can also find steakhouses and other cuisines) and enjoy your lunch!
3 pm – Sydney tower
In the afternoon, it’s time to get an aerial view of Sydney! Make your way to the Sydney Tower Eye, and head up to the Observation Deck. The views will stun you!
6 pm – Dinner in Surry Hills
Today, you’ll end your day in Surry Hills. From the city center, make your way through Hyde Park, towards the St. Mary Cathedral and beyond until you reach Surry Hills. This is once again an area with lots of restaurants, bars and even nightclubs.
We had dinner at The Winery. I can highly highly highly recommend this place. The garden is beautiful and the food is very good. You’ll have a blast here!
Day 4
9 am – Breakfast at The Boathouse
Today is going to be another beach day, mostly! To start the day off right, head to Shelly Beach and have a good, healthy breakfast at The Boathouse.
10 am – Enjoy Manly
From Shelly Beach, it’s only a short walk over along the coast to reach Manly Beach. Once you arrive, spend the next couple of hours exploring the shops on the Manly Corso, or simply enjoy y relaxing beach day. Once again, if you’re feeling active, you could try surfing on this beach!
12 pm – Lunch at New Brighton Hotel
Once you get hungry, a great lunch option in Manly is the New Brighton Hotel. You know why? They have a roof terrace with ocean views!
1 pm – Chill by the beach OR DO THE Manly to Spit Walk
If you want to get really active, you could start the Manly to Spit Walk. This is another great Sydney coastal walk. If you want to do the whole stretch, it’ll take you anywhere between 3-4 hours. So be prepared!
Day 5
9 am – Explore Mosman
Today is your last day in Sydney, and you’ll be spending it in Mosman! Start by having a nice breakfast at Chaos Café, located right at the beginning of Mosman.
Spend the rest of the morning walking around Mosman, taking in the architecture and visiting some of the many boutique stores.
12 pm – Balmoral BEACH
Next, head down to Balmoral Beach. If feel like chilling for a bit, stay put here for a while. There are also several cafés and nice seafood restaurants, in case you fancy a light lunch or snack.
2:00 pm – Taronga Zoo
After your brief stop at the beach, it’s time to visit Taronga Zoo! This is hands down one of the best zoos in the entire world, in my opinion. Not only will you get to see some of Australia’s most iconic animals, such as koalas, kangaroos, wombats, tassie devils, and so many more! But you will also get incredible city views from the zoo’s location! Killing two birds with one stone 😉
Once you feel like you’ve seen it all, take the ferry back to the city 🙂 The departure is right by the zoo exit.
6 pm – Dinner and drinks around the Opera HOUSE
While it might feel very touristy, I’d recommend to spend your last evening around the most iconic Sydney sights. There are plenty of bars and restaurants right next to the Opera, or across the quay near The Rocks.
I’ve heard that Whalebridge and Luna Lu have great food!
DAY OR MULTI DAY TRIP DESTINATIONS
Lastly, as I already mentioned at the beginning of the blog post, there is also so much more to see in Sydney’s immediate surroundings. Here are my recommendations for a day or multi day trip from Sydney.
The Blue Mountains
The Blue Mountains are a mountain range about an hour drive, or 2.5 hour train ride out of the city center.
Some of the things worth seeing in the blue mountains include:
- Echo Point Lookout and The Three Sisters
- Leura
- Katoomba city and Katoomba falls
If you have the time, you could definitely spend 2-3 days in the area to really see everything! If this is not doable in your available time, don’t worry, it’s also a great day trip destination! In this case, however, I do recommend to either self-drive or go with a tour, since the train is a lot slower and will cost you valuable time…
Hunter Valley
Located in the North of Sydney, The Hunter Valley is one of Australia’s major wine regions. So of course, if you decide to visit, wine tasting will be one of your main attractions. We personally (upon recommendation of my wine loving cousin) visited the following wineries/restaurants:
- Tyrrell’s : A winery with tradition! The hosts were very knowledgable and we had a lot of fun here!
- Pepper Tree Wines: This was my favourite winery! They have a lovely outdoor tasting area, and the hospitality here was great!
- éRemo: A beautiful spot to have lunch, with a vast garden in the back. When we were there, kangaroos were even chilling and hopping in the yard!
That’s it, this is how you spend 5 (or more) days in and around Sydney! If you’re looking to extend your Australia trip and are looking for some inspiration, check out my other Aussie posts here!