Hello dear internet friends. I get asked for a guide to Sydney quite a bit and now finally after Shehla and Faraz’s trip, I was able to prepare a 10 day itinerary decent enough to share with you guys.

Now is this the best guide to Sydney? I honestly don’t think do. I’m not a travel blogger so I’m never going to check out “all the things” or try stuff that “I’m not really into but doing for the experience”. This guide is a collection of things that *I* like to do and are great for someone’s first time visit to this country. So you can either do the whole thing from A to Z or pick and choose things that sound like a fit for the kind of traveler you are.

It does have many of the iconic Aussie things that you should definitely try while you’re here, so definitely not the ‘best one in the world’ but I’d call it a ‘pretty alright Sydney guide’ 😉 Hope you enjoy.

I’ve split the suggested activities by days. For each of them, I’d HIGHLY RECOMMEND, always checking the timings, days before heading out to do them. Often, things are closed before you’d expect them to be (especially a shock for desi people) so to avoid facing a long commute and then the following smack of rejection, check everything the night before so your day’s properly sorted.

LANDING IN SYDNEY

I’d suggest picking up a free Sydney guide at the airport, a SIM card (I always get a local sim whenever I travel, it makes life so easy) and an OPAL card (for using local transport. Some buses/trains work through credit card now but I like making life easy so I’d suggest picking up the card. You can also buy OPAL cards later at convenience stores).

DAY 1

Main Activities: Chill + Visit the Opera House & Harbor Bridge at night (most iconic Aussie landmarks)

Entry Fees: There is no entry fee required for any of the sites mentioned.

Since you’re most probably coming off of a long flight if you’re coming from outside of Australia, you’re going to want to take the first day easy, hashtag jetlag. I’d recommend having a late lazy brunch somewhere in the neighborhood or at your host’s place if you’re staying with someone. Take a walk around the area, get some fresh air.

The Sydney Opera House and The Sydney Harbor Bridge are two of the most iconic Aussie landmarks; personally I think I can never get over them, despite having seen them a bajillion times now. And so I think they deserve a viewing both at night and during the day (especially if you love taking photos).

So for Day 1, head out in the evening to Circular Quay that’s right in the middle of the city. The best way would be to take the evening ferry so you can enjoy a little cruise, and also sail right under the bridge and along the Opera House. If a ferry is not an option, then just take the train or Uber.

Walk around Circular Quay, hang out next to the water. Listen to some live music (if it’s playing). Get pictures next to the Opera House and in front of the Bridge. Do take a walk up the steps of the Opera House, it’s really such a fantastic building. An amazing spot for pictures is Luna Park (about 10 min walk from Circular Quay), entry is free, so if you don’t even take any rides, you can just get some great pictures and come back, lulz. (Please note the ferry stops working at night so if you come to the area by that, you’ll have to go back by Uber, taxi or the train)

Get some dinner (an amazing Thai food suggestion at the end of the post). After dinner you can get drinks at the Opera Bar with a front-and-center view of both the bridge and Opera House (they also have weekend breakfasts).

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DAY 2

Main Activities: Explore the City

Entry Fees: There is no entry fee required for any of the sites mentioned.

Sydney’s City Center (CBD) has lots of activity, is always full of people so this is a great way to do some people watching and walk around a new city to absorb the vibe of the place.

FIRST HALF: A simple walking route that I love taking people through is the following. This is an almost 3 km walk that should take you about 40 minutes in total. However since you’ll naturally be stopping at different points to eat, take pictures, check out stuff, you can easily spend half the day doing this.

Suggested Walking Route: Reach Town Hall Station -> Town Hall -> George Street (Queen Victoria Building) -> Pitt Street (The Strand Arcade) -> Hyde Park -> St Marys Cathedral -> Royal Botanic Gardens

The walking track above takes you through two main streets: George street and Pitt Street. George Street is Sydney’s original high street and is one of the busiest ones in the city centre. The Queen Victoria Building (QVB), which is a heritage listed building, and now functions as a marketplace, is gorgeous and is on George Street. Pitt Street is also one of the most popular streets in the CBD area and The Strand Arcade, also a heritage listed building and also very beautiful, is along this street. You can easily plot these on Google Maps (make a detour to Martin Place as well, if you’d like).

After exploring both streets and these marketplaces, move onto Hyde Park. The park is also right next to St Marys Cathedral. The church is quite beautiful inside so take some time to check it out.

SECOND HALF: Now you can grab a light lunch or some snacks and head to the Royal Botanic Gardens for the second half of your day (or just dine at the café there). These gardens are heritage listed and absolutely gorgeous. Have a small picnic in the grass, get some nice pictures. There is a small train ride near the Opera House entrance to the gardens if you’d like.

There are tons of photo ops around the gardens, especially with the opera house in the background so you can easily spend 2-3 hours just exploring the area, chilling, eating. If you’re interested, buy some honey from the gift shop, it’s said that the bees in the garden gather honey from so many different varieties of flowers, that the taste of it is super unique (I still have to try it!).

You can end the day by taking a walk to Jeffreys Street in Kirribilli. It’s one of the most popular vantage points to get a picture with the Harbor Bridge. It’s about a 25 minute walk, or you could take the ferry or Uber. If you walk, you can actually walk over the Harbor Bridge through their pedestrian walkway. Catch the sunset here and by this point I think you should be tired, because I would be, so grab your dinner of choice and let’s call it a day.

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DAY 3:

Main Activities: Explore ‘The Rocks’ + Whale Watching Cruise

Entry Fees: There is no entry fee required for touring The Rocks. The cruise is ticketed.

FIRST HALF:

Get to Circular Quay and check out the Sydney Opera House during the day. Get some pictures with it. Next, take a walk through The Rocks, where you’ll spend the rest of your morning. The Rocks is right next to the Harbor Bridge by the way and is one of the most historic neighborhoods of the city. There are tons of laneways, heritage spots, oldest pubs, etc. You can join guided tours or follow a free one online (this is what I suggest) or just walk around randomly. I personally love self-guided tours, plus Australia has a fascinating history and a tour of the Rocks will bring so much of it to life. My favorite one is this one.

SECOND HALF:

For the rest of your afternoon, you can do either of two things. If it’s between May – November, head out on a Whale Watching tour (this is the season). It’s a 3-4 hour activity and you get to enjoy an amazing cruise over the ocean and beautiful whale sightings (every time I’ve gone, I’ve seen loads). I always book online, you can check which one sounds best to you, but at the time of writing this Captain Cook is great (Fantasea is also good). Best to not go on the cruise with a full tummy.

If you want a super upclose and high speed experience (which is also more expensive), check out Ocean Extreme.

If it’s December – April , I’d suggest checking out all the other cruise options on Captain Cook (or any website of your choice) to pick the one you’d like most. The ocean is magnificent and I love the water which is why insisting on you taking a cruise in some shape or form for this part of the day.

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DAY 4:

Main Activities: Meet Kangaroos and Koalas

Entry Fees: If you’re going to a zoo or sanctuary, your entry will be ticketed.

You cannot come to Australia and not see kangaroos and koalas so let’s dedicate this whole day to these babies. I still get beyond excited to see them and the very first time? It’s just such a high.

Kangaroos: I really, really recommend seeing kangaroos in the wild, you can always watch from a distance if you’re too scared to approach. They’re in general very mind-your-own-business type and since you’re not going into the very deep wild, most of them are used to having humans in their vicinity. Still, I wouldn’t recommending petting or feeding them (even though people do), they’re wildlife at the end of the day and you cannot judge how they may react. In my experience, they’ve always been super chill, but practice your contact at your own discretion please.

You can see kangaroos in the wild at a few locations that can be reached easily, this article has a good list. I suggest Bobbinhead from this list.

If you feel like taking a slightly longer road trip (that can also be merged with activities coming up next in Day 5 & 6), head to Euroka Campground. There are tons of kangaroos in the wild.

If you don’t want to see them in the wild, then head to any of the zoos/sanctuaries to be able to meet them in a more supervised setting. Wild Life Sydney is a small and good option. Taronga Zoo is also very famous. You can pet the animals, do walkarounds.

Koalas: Koalas are harder to spot in the wild since they are higher up in the trees and sleeping most of the time. I’d suggest going to one of the zoos listed above to see some koalas and get up close with them for pictures, etc.

If you go kangaroo spotting in the wild, and end the day at a zoo for koalas, you’ll be done for the day. But if you go to one zoo for both, you should have some extra time on your hands and can head to Darling Harbor for general chilling, eating. It’s a lively area with lots of dining options, a Chinese garden of friendship, a small ferris wheel, kids activities, marina views, etc. You can also walk to Barangaroo from there, which is a new development where you can eat, shop, hang out.

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DAY 5

Main Activities: Road Trip To Blue Mountains + Exploration

Entry Fees: No entry fee. Pay for the hotel you stay at.

The Blue Mountains are world heritage listed and super iconic to Sydney. They’re about a 90 minute drive from Sydney and are known for the gorgeous scenery, sweeping views, waterfalls, walking trails, etc. The Blue Mountains area is massive and you can spend days exploring so I’ll only mention two main things you can do for your first trip.

For your first day in the Blue Mountains, make sure you have your car booked, and drive down to your hotel (I stayed at a very basic but clean motel called Echo Point Motor Inn, which was less than a 5 minute walk to the Three Sisters, most famous spot in the mountains). You can spend the first day here going to the Three Sisters, walking down to Katoomba Falls (easy one hour return hike) and driving to some of the famous lookout points (Govett’s Lookout is great, Cahill Lookout at sunset is incredible). All these spots are clearly marked on Google Maps. You can also eat at one of the restaurants/cafes with views, like the Milkbar. Things close early so make sure you don’t wait to have dinner till late. The Lookout at Echo Point closes by 8pm and has good food.

I’d also suggest checking out glowworm night tours in the Blue Mountains, but they don’t run the whole year and require advance booking. You can check here.

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Day 6:

Main Activities: Spend the day at Scenic World in the Blue Mountains

Entry Fees: Entry to Scenic World is ticketed

Scenic World is an amusement park of sorts, with exactly three rides, in the Blue Mountains. All the rides are more about the views they offer, and less about the thrill. But they’re incredibly fun for the first time and definitely a must-do.

Scenic World should be a 5 minute drive from your hotel if you’re staying near Three Sisters. Get your tickets and get a suggested itinerary for the day from the reception. We followed the one they gave which was great. Starting with a ride on the Scenic Skyway, walk to Katoomba Falls, then a ride on the Scenic Railway (worth it to wait a little and ride right in the front), then a walk through the rainforest and then a ride on the Scenic Cableway. The ticket is for unlimited rides, so we went on all rides more than once, the first time to just take in the views and the second time for pictures, lulz. The rides are pretty short, FYI.

Once you’re done, drive back to the city. If you finish early, have a couple of hours on hand, and feel like seeing kangaroos in the wild, you can drive to Euroka Campground. This is the one I mentioned in the section for Day 4; Euroka Campground is one hour from Blue Mountains (but your return journey to Sydney will be longer in this case). Kangaroos are there till dusk so only factor this in if you can reach there before the day ends.

ALSO, you can also replace either of the two activities I’ve mentioned for Day 4 & 5 with Jenolan Caves, also in the Blue Mountains. These are gorgeous limestone caves with guided tours, and range from simple to difficult complexity levels. You have to book them online and in advance, see here.

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DAY 7

Main Activities: Beach Day

Entry Fees: None

Australia beaches are famous the world over so let’s keep one dedicated beach day?

First Half: Start the day at Bondi Beach. Do whatever you like doing at the beach, there’s lots to do (water activities like snorkeling, weekends markets, etc). If you want to laze around after your road trip, just grab a blanket and snooze in the sand. Have lunch or drinks at Icebergs Café, probably the most iconic café in Sydney (you must have seen the shot above in tons of art/visuals?). If you’re feeling like taking a nice long walk, one of the most famous walks is the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk that you can take. It’s technically a 6 km walk but with tons to see along the way so should take you longer than a regular 6k walk. Make sure you have water, sunscreen, a light jacket (the coast can feel chilly) and sunnies.

Second Half: Next you can head to another very famous and gorgeous beach in Sydney, Manly Beach. North Head in Manly is very famous for the sunset so you can easily end your day here.

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DAY 8:

At this point, you’ve pretty much seen quite a bit of the iconic stuff around Sydney and you should be fine if you go to another city like Melbourne, or if you only came for a week and are flying back. But if you’re here for a bit more, you can choose to do a day trip outside of Sydney (without an overnight stay) to some of the more popular and very beautiful spots.

There are TONS of options but I’m going suggest three, you can pick any of the following for a day trip:

1. Kuringai Chase National Park: Nearly all national parks are massive and there’s tons to do so you can pick a couple of activities that sound the best to you. I’d suggest driving to West Head Lookout (the view is stunning), do some slow chilling and maybe do a hike from the many available around the area. Bobbinhead that I mentioned above for wild kangaroo spotting is also here. Entry to the park is ticketed. See more here.

2. Palm Beach: One of the most famous northern beaches in Sydney for day trips, you can spend a day here with great views, walk to the Barrenjoey Lighthouse, hike around. You can also take a ferry to Pittwater, where also you can see kangaroos. See more here.

3. Royal National Park: Again, lots to see, gorgeous views. You can explore as much as you want. See more here.

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DAY 9:

You can take this day to do non-touristy things like meet up with any relatives or friends you may have here. Go shopping. Have some desi food if you’d like, Sydney has really great food options (halal is amazing, if that’s what you want, I’m listing some at the end).

If you want shopping recommendations, get some Manuka honey that the region is so famous for and some Aboriginal art for your home (maybe a boomerang).

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DAY 10

Leaving one free day for you to either do any of the things you may have missed doing from the above or just chill. If you’d like to do some slow pace activity, then consider having a picnic at Watsons Bay Reserve with a view of Sydney’s skyline, taking a trip to Wendy’s Secret Garden, going to check out one of the Heritage Houses like Elizabeth Bay House or the Hyde Park Barracks (once they open at the end of the year). Or just to a park, hire some bikes and do some cycling.

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That should be sufficient stuff for you to make your trip to Australia complete 😊

Australia is a gorgeous country and there is beauty and history everywhere. So honestly, even if you don’t follow any ‘iconic’ guide or do the ‘100 best things to do’ kind of thing, you’ll have a good time (just don’t skip the kangaroos).

Before ending I’m going to mention where you can stay, some basic points you should have a look at when planning your trip and some food options. I only eat Halal so any recommendations with meat are from halal restaurants.

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WHERE TO STAY

Just stay anywhere close to the city center. If you feel like spending a little, I can recommend Palisade Hotel in The Rocks. Otherwise, you should be fine booking an IBIS. Whatever you go for, just check reviews, if they have airconditioning and if you’re planning on renting a car, then check for free parking.

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SOME COMMENTS

Aboriginal history in Australia is deep and goes back thousands of years. There are many aboriginal site and ceremonial tours in Sydney that you can explore if you’re interested. They can range anywhere from 3-4 hours to a couple of days. Here is one that you can check out in the Royal Botanic Garden.

Parking isn’t the cheapest in Sydney so if you’re renting a car and going somewhere for a long duration, check if the area has free parking or just take the train or Uber. Some activities (like whale watching) offer a full-day’s parking at nominal costs so you can purchase that too.

For each spot, I’d HIGHLY RECOMMEND, always checking the timings, days before heading out to do them. Often, things are closed before you’d expect them to be (especially a shock for desi people) so to avoid facing a long commute and then the following smack of rejection, check everything the night before so your day’s properly sorted.

Plan your day according to the season. In the summer, days are longer; in winter it’s usually dusk by 5, so your outdoor stuff can be impacted by this.

Apart from the stuff I’ve mentioned lots of seasonal things are also happening. Whenever you’re heading somewhere, check if they have anything special going on so you don’t miss it e.g. Christmas Markets in The Rocks area or Cherry Blossom season in Auburn Botanic Gardens. Also check for festivals happening around the city, like Vivid Sydney happens each year and is a really beautiful light show/installation all across the city that you’ll enjoy seeing.

I haven’t mentioned any kid specific activities. I have no kids so zero experience with that. But many of the activities I’ve mentioned will be enjoyed by them as well. For others, please use the magical powers of Google.

I’m retired at heart, so I have nothing in this guide that’s a little more action-oriented. So no clubbing, partying, bar-hopping options are unfortunately available – please look it up, Sydney has a really good scene as far as I know. Also, I don’t eat fancy at all so no fine dining is mentioned.

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EAT RECOMMENDATIONS

If you’re specific about eating halal/no-alcohol, check the description carefully for everything in each menu.

Here are the places I really like, in no specific order:

Chat Thai in Circular Quay. Non halal but amazing food. I’ve tried the seafood options.

Dare Café in The Rocks. Amazing doner and kebab plates. (Although it was closed the last time I went and somehow right now their site isn’t working, I’ll come back and update).

Kabul Restaurant in Merrylands. Amazing kabuli pulao. I ask for the one with Lamb Kebabs and they’re kind enough to give extra fried carrots and raisins on the side.

Lahori Dhaba. Amazing Pakistani food. Love their halwa puri, paaye (they’re the bomb), nihari (so, so good), papri chaat, kulfi and falooda.

Crinitis in Darling Harbor, Eat Street, Manly (and maybe a few more). Italian and very nice.

Rashays Casual Dining. Great food. Love the Cheesy Garlic Bread, Chicken Schnitzel, Risotto, Chicken Crepes, Buffalo Wings, Veggie Pizza, Pepperoni Pizza, Date Pudding and Pina Colada (minus the alcohol)

Mamak in Chatswood. Malaysian Food. Love their Mee Goreng only though.

The Meat & Wine Co. Not fully halal but some of their menu items are.

Toros Kebab (in a few places). Really good Turkish food.

Sahara Casula. Really great doner.

Universal Burger Co. Love the New York Burger and New Orleans Burger (crispy chicken).

Soul Origin. Halal Chicken only. Love their pasta salads, specifically Chicken Schnitzel Salad and Penne Pesto Salad.

Volcanos on Eat Street. Eat Street has many options, quite a few halal, so you can eat anywhere. Volcanos is good food, not incredible, but for halal, I really like it. The vibe of Eat Street is also really good.

Chubby Buns Burgers. Amazing burgers but operate out of a food truck so not available everywhere. Recommend for pickup or order in via Uber eats (if they deliver in your area). Love the Signature Chubby Burger and the Southern Peri Peri Fried Chicken Burger.

Agha Juice in Merrylands. Good Peshawari icecream and shakes.

Gelato Messina. AMAZING Gelato.

San Churros. LOVE their churros.

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I think I’m done 🙂 If you have any questions, feel free to drop them in the comments please, and I shall try to get back to you if I have the informationz on itz.