Planning your Sydney adventure and wondering what you really shouldn’t miss? We asked the people who know the city best – the Wake Up! crew who live, work, party, swim, wander and explore this city every day – to share their all-time favourite things to do in Sydney. The kind of experiences and things to do they’d share over WhatsApp, not find through an algorithm.
From cliffside ocean pools and hidden harbour coves, to jazz bar crawls, cultural hangouts, sunsets that hit different, nightlife, and weekend adventures, this is your locals-only guide to Sydney. Whether you’re a backpacker just arriving in Australia, planning your first weekend here, or searching for the most unique things to do in Sydney, you’ll find something to add straight to your bucket list.
To make it easy, we’ve broken this guide into 5 sections:
- Sydney’s Outdoor Adventures, Swimming, Walks & Nature
- Exploring Sydney’s Neighbourhoods, Markets & Culture
- Nightlife, Bars, Music & Social Vibes: The Spots We Love
- Food, Drinks & Local Favourite Sydney Eateries
- Sports, Fitness & Social Activities in Sydney
We genuinely love this list of experiences and adventures, and we hope you do too. Let’s get started!
Outdoor Adventures, Swimming, Walks & Nature
Nora: On a warm day, head to Price Alfred Park swimming pool. It’s just a short walk from Wake Up! Sydney Central.
Holly: Head to Manly, where you can’t go past Shelly Beach for snorkelling and the Fairy Bower Sea Baths for a swim. Afterwards, stop in at The Boathouse for an ice cream or The Bower Manly for breakfast or lunch.
Hanna: Weekend trips to the Blue Mountains. You can easily catch the two-hour train from Central Station (opposite Wake Up! Sydney) to Katoomba. From there, use public transport or the Mountains Explorer Hop On Hop Off Bus
Cerys: Have a city swim at the newly refurbished Marrinawi Cove. It has great views of the Harbour Bridge.
Holly: Do the Spit to Manly walk through the National Park. Stop off at Bote at Manly Boat Shed for harbour hangs, before cooling off for a swim at Delwood Beach. It feels like a hidden cove in the harbour.
Liv: Take a picnic to enjoy at Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden or Cremorne Reserve.
Amy: Swimming at outdoor pools. Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool and McCallum Pool (which has the BEST views!).
Holly: If you’re staying in Bondi, catch the bus or walk 12km to Watson’s Bay (it’ll take about two hours). Then hop on the ferry over to Manly (it takes 15 minutes). Return, or come back via Circular Quay and the city for a big loop.
Nora: My secret spot is Wylie’s Baths in Coogee Beach.
Megan: Go Cliff diving at The Leap in Botany Bay, or Jerusalem Bay in Hawkesbury River.
Conor: Hire a boat with Manly Boat Hire, no license required!
Hanna: Watch the sunset at Observatory Hill.
Holly: Hire a kayak or paddleboard at Manly wharf, through Manly kayak centre. Or join a kayak tour that takes you to a lookout in the Sydney Harbour National Park, and across the Harbour.
Sonya: In Manly, do a loop through the Sydney Harbour National Park. You’ll set off from Shelly Beach, and it brings you back down to Manly Wharf. It takes about an hour and you’ll need shoes, but good views at the top!
Join the many other travellers who take part in Wake Up! Sydney’s complimentary guided walks.
Exploring Sydney’s Neighbourhoods, Markets & Culture
Cerys: Meander through Newtown, in and around King Street, for graffiti and thrift shopping.
Olivia: The Australian Museum is my pick! They often host really great exhibitions and experiences (they had a David Attenborough Great Barrier Reef Dive in VR a while back, which was awesome), as well as hands-on workshops too (like First Nations jewellery making).
Dan: Wander through the Manly Markets on Saturdays. (Or better yet, join our complimentary Manly Beach Tour).
Roshy: Sunset at Westfield Tower to soak in the city views.
Liv: I love picking a suburb like Paddington, Surry Hills, and Glebe, with no specific itinerary other than exploring on foot to discover the shops, cafes, and cool architecture that make each suburb unique.
Nightlife, Bars, Music & Social Vibes
Amy: A proper jazz bar crawl. My favourites: Curtain’s, Caterpillar Club, Baxter’s Inn.
Roshy: Rodeo Night at Side Bar (followed by a big debrief at Roy’s the next day).
Megan: Sydney Harbour open-air outdoor cinema when the weather’s good.
Conor: Can’t go wrong with a session at Coogee Pavilion (’The Pav’).
Alex: Pool competitions across Sydney. Just Google “pool comps Sydney” to join.
Roshy: Join a weekend pub crawl (shoutout to Wake Up! Sydney’s pub crawl).
Sonya: Margs (and then more margs) at Salty’s Bondi.
Meet fellow travellers at Wake Up! Sydney’s social nights – including Wine & Cheese, Trivia Night and Pub Crawls.
Food, Drinks & Local Favourites
Nora: For my fellow coffee lovers, please go on a Coffee Factory Tour (or take a latte art class or a coffee tasting experience) at The Grounds Coffee Factory.
Sam: Yo-chi is a non-negotiable! There’s a few around Sydney, don’t miss it!
Holly: Grab Felons Manly Fish & Chips, it’s a new one at the wharf in Manly. You can grab a spot on the seating overlooking the water and order drinks from the QR code. Or, just sit there and enjoy the view as it’s public seating.
Grab something to eat at one of these 40+ venues on our hit list!
Dan: Hungover? The Hangover Stack at Roy’s (ground floor of Wake Up! Sydney Central) is legendary.
Dan: End the day with a BBQ at Prince Alfred Park with friends.
Megan: Domino’s Pizza Tuesdays. Trust me.
Food and drinks in the CBD. Lucky enough, we also have a list of some of our favourite Sydney CBD spots to eat and drink.
Sports, Fitness & Social Activities
Alex: 5-a-side football at Moore Park on Wednesday nights. Anyone can join, no friends needed!
Liv: Join a run and/or swim club, like Bondi Salties who are so welcoming. Or you could join a Parkrun like Centennial Parkrun (these are free, weekly 5km timed runs which you can run, walk and do at your own pace in a social environment).
Alex: Quick 9-hole at Moore Park Golf Club on Sundays.
Alex: When footy season starts, watch a game of AFL at the SCG (Sydney Swans) or an NRL match at Allianz Stadium (Rabbitohs).
Jump into a cold plunge or settle into the custom-made barrel sauna at Wake Up! Bondi Beach’s, part of its complimentary wellness space for guests.