Map tips: each color represents a different day. Click a marker to learn more about the spot, and click the star in the map header to save the entire map under Your Places in Google Maps.
Disclaimer: This was a spur-of-the-moment standby trip, so most of it was done on the fly.
Day 1: Sydney
- Sydney Harbour Bridge
- Mary Booth Lookout Reserve
- The Rocks
- Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
- Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair
- Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach
We arrived in Sydney, Australia early in the morning and used the airport’s free wifi to first figure out where we would stay. Booked an apartment near Hyde Park, which seemed like a good area. We took the train from the airport to the Museum stop right by Hyde Park. It takes around 15 minutes to get from the airport into the city center – awesomely convenient. Also, you can tap your credit card on all transportation methods in Sydney, which makes it very quick and easy to get around.
Dropped our bags and hopped back on the train to the first stop across the Sydney Harbour Bridge called Milsons Point. We walked down to the water’s edge for some views looking across the water at the Sydney Opera House. The places we stopped at are called “City Lookout from Milsons Point” on Google Maps and the Mary Booth Lookout Reserve. Then we went back up and walked south across the bridge. The elevated views from that walk ended up being my favorite of the opera house.
The Rocks is a neat pedestrian-only area with lots of stores, stalls, and restaurants. It’s very close to where the bridge starts on the south side of the water. Ambled through the area then walked through the royal garden. There are some neat-looking trees and birds that I’ve never seen before. Following the curve of the coast through the garden took us to Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair, which is on the tip of the narrow peninsula just east of the opera house. This is the spot where you get the famous view of the bridge and opera house together. The chair is actually a rock and not exactly where the good view is, but it’s close enough that you’d realize where to go.
View My Top Ten Bridges in the World list, which includes the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Walked back to our rental, changed into bathing suits, and took the bus to Bondi Beach (35 minutes). Direct route with no bus changes – so nice. It was almost 100 degrees and the beach was packed. Water was colder than anticipated but felt good. We stuck to the south side of the beach where the Bondi Icebreakers Club is. That’s the picturesque pool right at the water’s edge. Neat pictures from around and above it, and it’s pretty affordable if you’d rather swim in a pool than the ocean. Hung out on the beach for a bit then started the popular Bondi-to-Coogee coastal walk.
Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach is a 4-mile walk with excellent views. It’s one of the most popular things to do for people visiting Sydney. You could shorten it by only going to Bronte Beach, which is a little closer to Bondi Beach than it is Coogee. It took us about 2 hours to do the 4 miles, including time for pictures and a brief break at Bronte. Caught the bus in Coogee that took us all the way back to our rental, again without the need to switch lines. Covered almost 20 miles on foot and had an awesome first day.
Day 2: The Blue Mountains
We picked up our car rental, which we had booked the previous day, from Europcar inside the Pullman Hotel. Our plan was to do the following in the Blue Mountains:
- Grand Canyon Walking Track
- Govetts Leap Lookout
- Anvil Rock Lookout
- Echo Point/Three Sisters Lookout
- Lincoln’s Rock
It takes about 1.5 hours to drive west from Sydney into the mountains. We decided to do the hike first since it was going to get over 100 degrees as the day went on. The Grand Canyon Walking Track is about a 4-mile loop with almost 1,000 feet of elevation gain. Most consider it the best hike in the Blue Mountains. The 3 places to park are called Neates Glen, the Grand Canyon Carpark, and Evans Lookout. They are in that order as you drive down Evan Lookout Road and you’ll pass each of them on the hike. It doesn’t really matter where you park, unless you have a personal preference of when you do the “boring” part of walking along the road that connects all 3 lots.
We parked at Neates and went counterclockwise. The trail immediately descends into the canyon and down to the small rainforest at the water’s level. Most of the time we were shaded by the canopy, which was wonderful. It was a thoroughly enjoyable hike with lots of cool features. Some trickling waterfalls, water crossings, stone staircases, rocks, and lots of flora.
We felt starting at Neates and going counterclockwise was a good call. We liked having Evans Lookout, which was the first real expansive view of the day, at the end. It was a nice payoff after climbing back up out of the canyon.
Next were quick drives and stops for Govetts Leap and Anvil Rock Lookouts. There are quite a few lookouts in the Blue Mountains, many of them similar, but these seemed like they were a couple of the better ones. Only 15 minutes apart, but I don’t think I’d consider either of them must-sees. Anvil was better and we had it all to ourselves.
Next was the most famous part of the Blue Mountains: The Three Sisters Lookout at Echo Point. This place was crowded and you have to pay to park. The lookout is steps from the visitor center and some hiking trails also start here. Took a few pictures and were back in the car in less than 30 minutes.
Last stop was Lincoln’s Rock, which ended up being our favorite spot of the day. You also have to pay to park here, but the rock/lookout is less than 5 minutes from the lot. There may be a line to get a picture dangling your feet off the edge, which is what everyone comes to this spot for. While a fall would definitely cause injury, maybe worse, it’s not as crazy as the picture makes it look.
Really enjoyed our time in the Blue Mountains and glad we had a car. You can take a train there from Sydney and do a hop-on-and-off bus at the different lookouts and trailheads but that would have taken much longer. Also, no cost except the 2 places where we had to pay for parking.
Drove back to Sydney and picked up some takeaway pizza from Uno’s (good stuff, unique combos). Walked to and from Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair again to see the opera house and bridge lit up at night. We passed by Saint Mary Cathedral, which we had already seen in the day and looked awesome at night, too.
Day 3: Sydney
- Chinatown
- Tumbalong Park
- Darling Harbour
- Barangaroo Reserve
- Hickson Road Reserve
- Sydney Opera House
Went to church then we set out on foot to meander along the shoreline between Darling Harbor and the opera house. We passed through Chinatown (just ok) and Tumbalong Park (awesome). There is a ton of greenspace, an amphitheater, skyline views, and an amazing playground area for kids. Families should definitely plan on visiting Tumbalong Park.
The park and playground lead to Darling Harbour, which is where many of the ferry and tour boats depart from. Fantastic views of the skyline.
We walked up the west side first for a bit then headed up the east side. Barangaroo is a nice area on the east side lined with shops and restaurants. Barangaroo Reserve is a green space on the far northwest part of the peninsula. Nice glimpses of the Sydney Harbour Bridge at various points, and we walked under the bridge to the Hickson Road Reserve on the far northeast part of the peninsula. Great vantage points of the opera house as you head south along the water from there.
That put us right by The Rocks again, but we were bummed to see a sign that said the pop-up shops and stalls weren’t going to be present due to the weather. It rained on and off all day, unfortunately. I wanted to try some of the Turkish food from a stand I saw 2 days earlier. Grabbed some other food nearby, rested a bit under a tented spot, then headed to the Sydney Opera House.
We walked around it and went into the gift shop. You can pay to take a tour of the inside but we did not. My favorite spot up close was from up the steps across from the front of the opera house. The opera house is neat to walk around, but I liked the far away views much better.
Also, around the back is a railed-off section of the pier with steps that lead down to the water. This is where you might see a seal resting, as it has an official label of “Benny Seal Resting Point” on Google Maps.
Went back to our rental for bit then walked to nearby Surry Hills. This is a popular area known for good restaurants and Crown Street is the place to go. Had a great meal at Silom Thai.
Day 4: Royal National Park
Another day of off-and-on rain. Mostly on. We drove 1 hour south to the Wattamolla parking area in Royal National Park ($12 entry fee). It’s a very popular place – even on a rainy day, every picnic spot was taken and there were people swimming. There can be a waterfall right by the parking area but it was nonexistent when we were there.
We were there for a 5-mile roundtrip hike along the Royal National Park Coastal Walk Trail that leads south to Eagle Rock. This was somewhat similar to the Bondi-to-Coogee coastal walk. Instead of apartments, roads, tons of people, and the noise of city life, however, this one has nothing but nature. Much of it is along a boardwalk and while there is some elevation gain, it’s quite an easy walk.
Early on in the hike is a creek crossing. There is an unlabeled trail post on the right just before the water. Very easy to overlook, but we were curious and wanted to see where it led. Less than 5 minutes up a partially-overgrown trail is a pool of water with a nice waterfall. Rain was coming down steadily at this point so we didn’t hang around. A few locals were there and told us it’s magnificently clear and a wonderful place to swim in good weather. Sounded like quite a hidden gem – bummer.
There is no sign for Eagle Rock, but there is a faint trail that breaks away to the left of the boardwalk. It’s just before the spot where the Curracurrong Creek empties into the sea. That can produce a double waterfall named Curracurrong Falls, but it was nonexistent for us like the one near Wattamolla. If you cross the creek and look back in the direction you just came from, you’ll see the unmistakable Eagle Rock. Then you should have an idea of where the side trail is, if you missed in on the way. Hopefully you have someone to trade spots and can take pictures of each other on the rock.
Next, drove 15 minutes to a non-touristy small town called Bundeena. Had some food and drink by the small beach and enjoyed a “slower” moment when the rain briefly stopped.
We were then going to visit some of the other beaches in the park and spend some time at Coogee Beach, but it kept raining for the remainder of the day. After dropping off the rental car, we only went back out for a good Indian meal at Madam Ji’s.
Our flight home was the next morning, but the weather was nice so I was able to fit in a run before we had to go to the airport. Went down to Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair one last time and ran through the Botanical Gardens and Hyde Park, too. Wonderful last memory of my time in Sydney.
Where to stay
We stayed right by the south end of Hyde Park, which turned out to be a perfect location. Some may want to stay closer to the water, but we prefer to walk whenever feasible so being further away wasn’t an issue. It was also cheaper than places on or by the water. When we needed to take the train or bus, a stop was no more than a few minutes away. There was also a Europcar rental office, an IGA grocery store, and a liquor/beer store all within one block.
Getting around
Getting to the city from the airport is incredibly simple and quick. The train goes to the city center (multiple stops) in about 15 minutes. Once there, we were very pleasantly surprised to find that Sydney is a very walkable city. We walked many miles each day, however, so some may want to rely more on other ways of getting around.
We also used public transportation at times and rented a car. Public transportation was excellent. No need to buy cards or passes – it’s the same price as tapping your credit card every time. They also have a daily max as long as you’re using the same credit card, which helps keep it affordable.
Renting a car was a breeze, especially with a rental car location so close by. Also very affordable, though I don’ t know what prices are from the airport. If you need a car, I would probably check the price for picking up at the airport versus the city center since it’s so cheap and quick. They drive on the left, so that may be a major difference depending on where you’re coming from.
We could have used public transportation to get to both places we drove to, but it was much more convenient and time-saving to have a car for those 2 days. If staying in Sydney, I’d say there’s no reason at all to rent a car given the walkability factor, traffic, and need to pay to park almost everywhere.
Other things to know
- You’ll need to pay a small fee and apply for a visa, which you can learn more about here. We couldn’t check in at the airport until we had our visa approved. We (thankfully) were able to apply and get approval in less than 5 minutes using their app (make sure you download the official app). They say approval can take up to 72 hours, so I wouldn’t wait to apply if you know you’re going to Australia.
- The currency is the Australian Dollar. I did not need cash at any point and used my credit card for everything.
- Australia has its own electrical outlet type, so make sure you have an adapter and/or converter specifically for the country.
- Sydney is best known for Asian food, especially Thai.
- The best times of the year to visit are their spring, from September to November, and their fall, from March to May.
- The city felt very safe. Even at night in the dark, there were always tons of people walking around (including women on their own).
- I think you could hit the highlights in 2-3 days, but could spend much longer depending on your interests.
- Other popular things to do:
- The Taronga Zoo
- Numerous museums
- Take a ferry ride around the harbour and/or to Manly
- Go to the top of the Sydney Tower Eye to overlook the entire city
- BridgeClimb Sydney, where you walk along the top of the steel above the Harbour Bridge
- Luna Park, an amusement park right on the water
- Beer is unbelievably expensive due to taxes. Wine was much cheaper.
- Sydney is the most active city I’ve ever visited. I don’t think there was a single moment in the daylight that there wasn’t a runner in sight and the beaches are littered with fit people. Maybe an odd and not-so-helpful observation, but one that stood out to us.
- Pretty much everyone was refreshingly polite and noticeably friendly. Hard to think of many cities where the locals were more pleasant.
Traveled in January 2026
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