If you’re in – or soon to be travelling to – Sydney during summer, then you’ve timed your trip well! In the summertime, the days are long and lead into warm, balmy evenings; the beaches and ocean pools become a hub for locals and tourists alike; and there is always something to do.
Below, we’ve rounded up 8 things to do in Sydney during the summer. Have a read, then get ready to slap on your SPF and start exploring!
Take a dip in the countless beaches and pools that surround the city
Flying into Sydney, and you’ll notice pretty quickly that it’s a city surrounded by water. The beaches and swimming pools here are your ultimate zones for chilling out and soaking up the sun, and with dozens lining the coast and inner-city harbour, you have every reason to grab your togs (bathers) and get swimming!
P.S. We’ve wrapped up our favourite swimming spots over here, with a trusty pre-pinned Google map that you can save to your own device.
Get active on a coastal walk
For those with new year resolutions in the ‘getting active’ realm, you’re in the right place spending summer in Sydney. Stunning coastal walks are everywhere in Sydney, which means you’ll hardly notice the thousands of steps you’re clocking up. Win win!
Keen? Check out 4 of the best coastal walks in and around Sydney.
Grab your picnic goods and settle in at Sydney’s public gardens.
Pick up some picnic goods, and then take a seat within the 30-hectare Royal Botanic Gardens or the less well-known (and aptly named) Wendy’s Secret Garden. Whichever you’re at, you can soak up some pretty special views of the Bridge and Sydney Harbour.
Catch waves and go surfing
A trip to Bondi or Manly, and you’ll realise that Sydney is a surfer’s paradise. There’s free surfboard hire at Wake Up! Bondi, so you have no excuse not to add this new skill to your repertoire! Looking for surf lessons? Check out Surf Camp, who’ll take you from Wake Up! Sydney to 7-Mile Beach for a 2-day surfing getaway.
Experience Aboriginal culture with a Heritage Walk
Learn about the Cadigal people – the traditional owners of the Sydney city area – with a guided walk in the Royal Botanic Gardens. You’ll discover how the Indigenous people used local plant life to thrive, their culture and practices and depending on the season, you may get to try traditional Bush foods along the way.
Get involved in Mardi Gras Festival
Sydney comes alive for our annual Mardi Gras Festival, celebrating LGBTQI pride. At Oxford Street, you’ll be joined by around 500,000 party-goers who line the streets and almost every balcony to revel in the Mardi Gras Parade. Many bars + clubs also put on special events so you can revel in the rainbow delight.
Hot tip! Keep an eye out for Side Bar… if their Mardi Gras Glitter Party from last year is anything to go by, you are set for a brilliant night!
Watch A Movie Under The Stars
Your popcorn tastes that much better at an outdoor cinema, and fortunately there’s a few to choose from in Sydney over the summer! The Moonlight Cinema in Centennial Park runs until 29 March 2020, the Open Air Cinema in Bondi which sprawls over the lawn at the Bondi Pavillion will run from Feb 6 to March 15 2020, and the Outdoor Bed Cinema (where yes, you have a queen size bed with LED-lit bedside tables) will be in Sydney’s Entertainment Quarter from 17 January to 8 March 2020.
Explore Sydney with Wake Up’s Free Activities
Between the Wake Up! Sydney Central and Wake Up! Bondi locations, there are so many free activities for you to take advantage of, all while soaking up the summer sun. Take your pick – or do them all! – out of guided city tours, a day out at the Glebe Markets, personal training at the park, rooftop yoga sessions, beachside bootcamps, and much more.
You can check out the Sydney activity schedule here and our Bondi lineup of activities here!
*Feature image credit: @meanwhileinawesometown (IG)