Guide to Sydney, Australia
The Sydney Hilton
Let's start with where to stay. After about 24 hours of travel, we lugged all our bags to the hotel to drop off and freshen up. If you're traveling to Sydney, I'd highly suggest the Sydney Hilton. It's in a great location right by the Queen Victoria Building. The QVB is a shopping and food hall full of local as well as high end shopping. Surprisingly, tons of luxury brands lined the streets of Sydney with one of the largest shopping scenes I've ever seen!
Unfortunately, the weather while we were in Sydney was fair...at best. It started raining the day we arrived and then the sun came out a few hours before we left. This put a damper (I'm sorry - I had to do it) on what all I had planned for us, but we still had a blast exploring the city.
The Opera house is not only Sydney's most iconic landmark, but also one of the most recognizable in the world. Going to Sydney and not seeing the Opera house is like going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower - you just cant do it! You can take a tour of the Opera House, grab a drink at the bar or see a show. Check out whats showing here!
We saw Six: The Musical and it was FANTASTIC. The musical was a history lesson of Henry the VIII's six wives and their tales of marriage, scandal, and death - in a satire. While it was in the smallest concert hall in the Opera House, we loved how quaint and intimate it was for viewing. With seating for about 400 people, the sound and theatrics were incredible. Afterward the show, we grabbed a night cap at the bar and looked out over the water.
This was suggested by the hotel concierge and was by far the best meal we had in the city. The restaurant is walking distance to the Opera House and was the perfect stop before our 8 pm showing.
Bronte to Bondi Beach Walk
Everyone in Sydney talks about this path along the coast. There's a trek from Bondi Beach all the way to Coogee is about 6km. My suggestion is to start at Bronte Beach and do the walk to Bondi. This walk is about 3.5km and you'll be walking along the coast towards some of the most beautiful views I've ever seen. If you start at Bondi, it's still gorgeous, but walking south to north gives the best views. Click here to see the path and map out your adventure.
The Icebergs Pool
If you do the walk from Bronte to Bondi on a hot day, you can cool off by taking a dip in this natural pool built into the cliffs overlooking the shore of Bondi Beach. With this pool being so close to the water, it's a true infinity pool where the oceans crash over the edge to fill the pool. It's a private club, but only cost $7 for a visitor pass.
The Manly Ferry is a cheap and easy way to sail through the harbor from Sydney to Manly Beach. If you want something slightly more private and romantic, I'd suggest finding a sailboat tour that will be either a smaller group or private sail on the water. Since I was with my parents, we opted for the cheaper, less romantic route. The Ferry still take you right past the Opera House, which gave us the best view for pictures. {Quick Tip: If you are sensitive and get carsick/seasick easily, I'd suggest taking dramamine. The ride is only about 30 minutes, but the water can be choppy.}
Once the sun came out in Manly we were able to take in the sun, sand and surfers. We stopped along several bars and found the best place, Hotel Steyne. They had an awesome beer selection and the best fresh, fried seafood I've ever had! The Hotel is huge with lots of indoor, outdoor and rooftop (covered and uncovered) seating. I highly recommend stopping in if you end up at Manly Beach!
We only spent a few days in Sydney as it was an entry point into the country. We loved everything the city had to offer and I'd love to go back and spend more time there. Some other things we loved about the city was how fresh the food was, how walkable the city is and the great transportation system.
Check out my Guide to Melbourne and the South Island of New Zealand!