A week in Sydney!

For those of you venturing to Australia, this is the first stop on the list for many travellers and I can say it is well worth the visit! It is the most popular international airport to land into in Australia so why not stay a while and make the most of this beautiful, vibrant city.

If you are planning a trip here but seriously not sure where to start or even just dreaming of bringing your travels here and feel spoilt for choice just take a read below..

I have compiled a one week itinerary for your stay in Sydney, to pack in as many highlights as possible and allow you to feel like you’ve truly experienced the amazing Australian city. I am here to let you see that Sydney is not just a giant concrete jungle, but to allow you to open up your eyes to all the beauty that this wonderful place has to offer.

Personally I stayed in Sydney for a lot longer than a week; about 3 months in total, I honestly just loved the place right from the start and maybe now you’ll see why!

Okay, let’s see...

Day 1

I‘d start the week off by exploring the city on foot and checking out the world famous iconic sights, which are all within the CBD (central business district). The obvious one of course being the Sydney Opera House, right next to the iconic Harbour Bridge.

These are located on Circular Quay which is so lovely to walk around, often bustling with tourists and plenty of touristy gift shops, eateries and bars and quite often street performers too.

A great stop is the Opera Bar; I enjoyed a delish glass of rosé here one evening! Expensive, but just look at where you are! Why not treat yourself?!

If you are feeling energetic then take a walk across the Harbour Bridge; takes a lot longer than you’d think and you get to witness Sydney from across the water which looks spectacular!

Very close by are the Royal Botanic Gardens, and this is probably my absolute favourite place to be in Sydney.

I’d suggest a wander around the park, marvelling at all it‘s tropical beauty, and then find a sweet spot to chill and relax. I often sat or lay here, with the Opera House and the glistening blue waters in perfect view. You can walk around the pathway towards Mrs Macquarie‘s Chair and snap some pretty shots with the bridge and opera house in the background; sunset is a perfect time for this!

Day 2

For your second day I would recommend doing the Coogee to Bondi coastal walk. You can catch a bus to Coogee, a pretty coastal suburb of Sydney, and start the cliff top walk there. It is about 6km long and features absolutely stunning views, many beaches and bays, parks, cliffs and rock pools. I honestly never got over the natural beauty of these places!

You can wander along at your own pace, stopping off for a swim if you fancy it, or just a rest and chance to eat as there are many cafes, takeaways, restaurants and bars along the way. Once you reach Bondi I’d definitely chill out on Bondi Beach for a bit; it is stunning.

And if you’re a pro at surfing then this is definitely the beach to do it on! You can check out Bondi Icebergs Pool, a swimmimg pool overlooking the ocean, and there is a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream cafe which you just have to check out!

From Bondi you can either catch a bus back to the CBD, or be crazy like I was and re do the walk backwards and get the bus again from Coogee.

Day 3

For day three you should catch the ferry from Circular Quay across to Manly and spend the day there. The ferry ride is a major part of the fun so this is a must do! It takes around 45 minutes to get there but you get amazing views of Sydney and the iconic sights from across the water.

Once you reach Manly you will see how laid back and chíc the little suburb is, and only a short walk from the terminal (Manly Wharf) is Manly Beach. Just walk from the wharf up the lively boulevard and you’ll reach the beach.

A really stunning beach to lay around on for a while and dip in and out of the sea, and again; amazing for surfing if you’re into that!

You can wander around the cute little streets, the many many cafes, restaurants and bars, and definitely pop in to Yogurtland... this became my obsession when I was here...who doesn’t love frozen yoghurt?!

I would recommend returning on the ferry just before sunset, as this will allow you to capture some seriously stunning pics of the Sydney skyline and harbour bridge with a view from the water.

Day 4

Start today off by taking a stroll through the city centre and check out Darling Harbour. I love this place so much and there is always a lot going on. So many cafes, restaurants and bars to choose from as well as a shopping centre, or just sit and chill by the water and watch people come and go.

Also beautiful by night!

Sydney’s Hard Rock Cafe is situated here and I’d recommend going during their happy hour as you can get great deals on otherwise very expensive cocktails!

Very close by is Chinatown, and this should be visited! Take in all the amazing smells of the food as you wander through, and a must stop is Emperor’s Garden Cake and Bakery where they sell the most incredible food.

And you will not want to miss the cream puff window right next door where they sell this tiny but delicious hot dessert at only 35c each, yes I became addicted.

After you’ve possibly stuffed yourself silly, make your way to Hyde Park which is one of Sydney’s best parks in my opinion. Explore the park, take a look at the Anzac memorial and find a quiet spot to relax for a while. I often enjoyed jogging through this park!

If you’re feeling like eating out in the evening then Chat Thai is worth paying a visit; a delicious authentic Thai restaurant situated in Chinatown. It was recommended to me so I went with a group of friends and was not disappointed!

Day 5

Today is another beach day, oh yes! And this one is not to be missed. Take a bus, or drive, up to Palm Beach which is located in the Northern Beaches region of Sydney, and is Sydney’s northernmost beach. Yes it‘s a bit of a mission to get there, but it sure is worth it! It is such a beautiful and peaceful suburb, so tropical looking and literally dotted with palm trees everywhere!

Stroll along the stunning beach, sunbathe and swim in the sea. And if you have the energy you can climb and hike the steep pathway up to Barrenjoey Lighthouse, and you’ll find the view from the top is seriously worth the effort! Stop and take plenty of pics and overlook the Pacific Ocean while you take a well needed rest.

By the end of the day you will definitely be feeling tired so perhaps have a chilled night in!

Day 6

Here‘s another day trip recommendation; travel a bit further afield to Sydney’s Royal National Park and find the figure 8 pool! I joined a group tour to do this which included all my transport there and back in a minibus and a guided tour, and to be honest I would have struggled to find my way down to the rock pools without the guides.

It is a beautiful place, lots of hiking involved and I managed to spot some wild wallabies there

which was amazing!

Definitely jump into the figure 8 pool, but be aware it is bloody freeeezing! You can explore all the rock pools in that area and walk along Burning Palms Beach. It makes for a really great day out, if not tiring but well worth it! And your figure 8 pool pic is definitely something to tick off the bucket list!

Day 7

As it‘s the last day we’ll make it more of a chilled one. I’d suggest checking out Victoria Park which is just on the edge of the CBD and also has an outdoor pool if you feel like swimming. I enjoyed many hours chilling in this park, it’s really beautiful!

You can then walk along City Road until you reach Newtown, a small suburb full of quirky pubs and cool bars making it a great place to day drink! You can quite easily drink a few hours away here and hopefully enjoy the sunshine in the pub/bar gardens. A great little pub is the Salisbury Hotel, so friendly, a great garden and really good food and drinks deals.

I lived here for 8 weeks during my travels so I know Newtown really well; we paid Thai Pothong a visit one evening, which is supposed to be the ‘best Thai restaurant in Sydney’ and it did not disappoint! Fairly pricey but worth it, so you could check this out if you want to treat yourself.

My final suggestion would be to end your stay in Sydney on a high... check out Sydney’s O Bar and Dining, a restaurant/cocktail bar situated on the 47th level of a high rise building in the CBD. That’s not all; the circular bar slowly rotates round so you can experience spectacular 360 views of the stunning city while you sip away. And the views at night are incredible, with the city lit up and overlooking the Opera House and Harbour Bridge; you will not want to miss your chance to witness this!

A perfect way to end your perfect stay!

Sydney is an incredible city so full of treasures, some bold and well known and others hidden, waiting to be found! I really hope you love this amazing city as much as I do! Thanks for reading and now go enjoy :)