During our Aussie trip, we knew we were going to spend a few days in Sydney. We knew one full day was going to be devoted to the Blue Mountains and that we had roughly two and a half additional days in the city. We wanted to make sure to devote one day in Sydney to exploring some of the iconic spots and incredible views.
We were originally planning on spending a full a day exploring Bondi and the Coastal Walk, and a separate day exploring the Harbour and the Opera House. Turns out, if you start early enough, you can do a little bit of all of these things relatively easily. So if you need to do Sydney in one day, you can!
The Short Version of One Day in Sydney
The short of it? This is what you can accomplish in one day in Sydney if you put your mind to it:
Other Activities to Consider for Your Day in Sydney
The Long Version of One Day in Sydney
Whether you need to fill a one day itinerary for Sydney because you’re laying over, you’ve got an extra day, or whatever reason, this is a list of activities you can do in one full day if you want. This is a packed day in Sydney for sure, but it’s not too packed or too crazy feeling. It’s just a busy day, but it’s a busy day filled with some of Sydney’s finest.
Explore Bondi Beach
SO, to start our day we took the bus from Kings Cross Station to Bondi Junction to see Bondi Beach in all of its fame and it did not disappoint; Bondi Beach was absolutely beautiful. We were there in autumn with winter right around the corner but the weather was still beautiful and there were plenty of Aussies surfing, relaxing, and sunbathing.
We wandered around the beach, looked at all the food stands and awesome street art, and then headed to our first stop.
Icebergs for Food, Drinks, An Incredible View, &… Swimming?
First stop? Absolutely to have a beer at Icebergs. If you’ve never been, it’s this huge club that also has pools right in the ocean. It’s absolutely gorgeous, and was worth the 30-45 minute stop. While you’re here you can absolutely hang out in the restaurant or you can swim in the pool below.
Bondi Coastal Walk
Once beers and snacks were finished, we headed up the Bondi walk toward Coogee. We stopped by the wave pools, cliffs, and all of the natural beauty the walk had to offer. We didn’t end up walking all the way to Coogee, and after roughly 1.5 hours of exploring we ended up in Tamarama. This is, in my opinion, the best way to get a slice of nature in your one day in Sydney.
Ferry Through Sydney Harbour
From there, we decided that, though the walk was beautiful, we had seen a lot of it already and were ready to head back to the city and visit the Sydney Harbour. So we ordered an Uber from Tamarama and had it drop us off at Circular Quay, where we took a ferry through the Sydney Harbour, seeing the bridge and Opera House in all of its glory, and dropping us off at Darling Harbour. This is a far cheaper way to explore and get amazing views of the harbour than taking an official tour. If you’re looking to budget on your day in Sydney, this is a great activity that allows you to still see Sydney’s most iconic spots.
Sydney Eye
After completing the ferry ride, we decided we wanted to see some views of the Sydney skyline from above. I mean, one must when you only have one day in Sydney, right? Lucky for us, the Sydney Eye offers the highest views of the cities, and from a full 360°around so you can see literally the entire city from here in any direction. So if like me, you wanted to add some skyline views to your day in Sydney itinerary, definitely head on up to the Sydney Eye Observation Tower to enjoy some of the highest views of the city. It was incredible!
Hyde Park & St. Mary’s Cathedral
Lastly, as we were deciding where to go for food (because honestly that drives all decisions doesn’t it?) we decided to walk through Hyde Park to explore this gorgeous green oasis in the city of Sydney before the sun set. In the park is a ton of greenery to admire as well as famous monuments like the Archibald Fountain and the ANZAC Qar Memorial. Luckily for us, right next to Hyde Park is St. Mary’s Cathedral which had a sunset service going on. I’m not a religious person but places of worship are always *so* beautiful, so I was happy to swing in. Additionally, this sunset was one of the brightest purple and pink ones I’ve ever experienced.
Then, after about a million steps added to my Fitbit that day, we went and got food and relaxed. But we did it; we made the most of a day in Sydney! Have any additional questions? Feel free to reach out to me via the contact form or on my Instagram!
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