Sydney under a week

Things to Do

1. Manly Beach

Take the ferry from the Harbor (Circle Quay). There are multiple ferry ports, so look for the platform that goes to Manly. They have a ferry leaving almost every thirty minutes. The trip costs about 5AUD and takes about 30 minutes. Manly is accessible by bus or car, but I highly recommend going by ferry - you get the best view of the Opera House by doing so and it's a lovely little ride. 

Manly beach is a beautiful surf spot, if interested you can easily rent boards. 

Take a walk along the beaches up to Shelly beach. In the summer (Nov-Feb) it will be packed with people sunbathing, snorkeling, swimming, surfing, and enjoying the 10+ UV rays. Next to Shelly beach is a restaurant called "The boat house Shelly beach", I recommend cooling down here with a beer, smoothie, and snacks. 

If you are still in Manly during the evening, you may see Penguins. 

2. The Coastal Walk (Bondi to Coogee vice versa)

The Sydney coastal walk takes about 2 hours and covers 6km or 3.8miles. This is a walk, not a hike; some people do it in tennis shoes, flip flops, etc. I do recommend good shoes because there are a lot of inclines and declines. In the summer, I recommend bringing your swimwear as there are plenty of pools along the coast where you can take a quick cool down break. There are a few cafes and restrooms along the walk. If you end your walk in Coogee, I recommend stopping at the Coogee Pavilion for a good coffee. If you end your walk in Bondi, I recommend an ice-cold beer from the Bondi icebergs. 

3. Bondi Beach Day

Rent surfboards, or find yourself a spot on the Bondi Beach to swim, watch surfers, or play sand volleyball. At some point walk up to the Bondi Icebergs. Entrance fee for the pool is about AUD7. Afterwards, go upstairs for a beer, coffee, snacks and sit outside for a view of the famous icebergs. 

4. Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains is a world heritage site an hour drive out from Sydney. I visited the mountains by train and by a tour group. There are pros and cons to both. I think renting a car will be your best option, but you can also go by train, which will take 2 hours one way. Once you arrive at the Blue Mountains getting around isn't so bad. They have a hop on, hop off bus that makes it easy to access multiple trails and hikes. With a tour, I felt that it was more structured and I was able to see more without worrying about missing the last train. However, with a tour, you lose flexibility in what you want to do and the ability to stay at a spot longer or shorter. 

Bars

1. Opera House 

Head to the Opera House before sunset. It is really lively in the evenings, with lots of people, live music, bars. My friends and I often enjoyed drinks by the opera house to catch the sunset over the water. I highly recommend this ritual. 

2. Coogee Pavilion

The Coogee pavilion is a lovely coffee shop for remote workers and students in the morning, and in the evenings, the upstairs will open and turn into a night club. The venue is a good size, with multiple bars, dance floor, and a terrace. People are friendly, and it attracts a young 20s crowd. After the club closes, I recommend a late night snacks from the kebab shop next door. 

3. Zephysbar rooftop bar and Baxter inn speakeasy. 

Zephysbar is extremely fancy, so I would dress semi-nice. This is a great hack to catch the whole skyline without paying for attraction fees, such as the Sydney Tower Eye. Instead, come here for a couple of drinks and sunset. I highly recommend making a reservation. After this, you can walk to a lively speakeasy about a 5-10 minute walk away. Baxter inn has an entrance in the back of an alley - seems suspicious but it is totally legit. In my experience, on a weekday night, it was packed and lively. Drinks were offered with unlimited pretzels - yum. 

4. Bondi Bars

I believe Bondi is best for bar hopping. It has a good young crowd, filled with travelers, weekenders, backpackers, and locals. My friends and I like to play pool and get beers at Beach Road Hotel (a lot of pubs are called hotels, maybe you know this...) Salty's is next to a popular hostel, so you will often find a very friendly crowd. Food during the day here is amazing. This is a main street with a decent amount of bars, so happy hopping. 

Transportation Advice

Train, tram, bus, ferry services operates almost all day and it's all tap on, tap off (Apple Pay). Very easy to get around. My friends and I only used Ubers after midnight. 

Sydney Airport: amazing train service in and out - just follow the train signs in the Airport.