Sydney is an awesome city made even better by the surrounding neighborhoods and beach towns. It’s clearly a must when visiting Australia!

The Harbour City Tips:

Take the train to and from the airport into the city, it’s super easy to use and quick—Just snag an Opal card at the airport train station. The Opal card works on the buses as well as the trains in the CBD and the neighboring beach towns.
Definitely plan to spend some time at the various beaches surrounding the city. The sand is soft and the water is relatively warm year-round.
- I preferred the city scene of Melbourne over that of Sydney, but Sydney’s beaches > Melbourne’s beaches
The sun is strong, don’t mess around! No one wants a sunburn to ruin their vacation so plan for success
Check out my Melbourne recommendations here!

Adventures & Ales Top Sydney Recommendations:

Spit to Manly Walk: An awesome scenic walk that I highly recommend! Check out my full guide to the walk here!
Manly Beach: North of Sydney, this was my favorite beach in the Sydney area.
- 4 Pines Manly: A brewery with an outdoor balcony and frequent live music. Overall a cool spot.
- Manly Beach: You’re at the beach so…go to the beach. Admire the surfers and be on the lookout for Jaws (it is Australia after all)
- Manly Wine: SO adorable. Beach views, awesome vibes, a great Happy Hour, and plus they have cheese plates!
- Take the ferry back to the City Center at the end of your time at Manly. I would recommend you time it with sunset for the best views of the Harbour Bridge, Opera House, and CBD. Sit outside in the front for the best views but beware of sea splash!
Take a day trip to The Blue Mountains! Check out my full guide here for recommendations on how to plan your adventure!

All Hands Brewing House: Located right on King Street Wharf so you can gaze at the boats from their abundance of outdoor seating. They’ve also got a full food menu.

Redoak Beer Boutique: Restaurant on one side, brewery bar on the other. They’ve got good Happy Hour deals and are located right in the City Center. It’s a cute spot and their beer wins tons of awards.
Wayward Brewing: Located in the Camperdown neighborhood, this brewery is definitely off the beaten path, but it’s a cool spot. It exudes ‘local bar’ vibes in the garage-style set-up. They’ve got free popcorn, occasional food trucks, guest taps, and good beer.
Yulli’s Brews: In the industrial section of the Alexandria neighborhood, this garage-style brewery makes some delicious beers! They’ve got a full kitchen and really friendly staff!

Coogee to Bondi Walk: Another great coastal walk! This one is definitely more 'traditional beach walk’ and you follow the coastline the the whole route. Overall it is about two miles from Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach.
- Start your day with breakfast at The Diver Cafe at Coogee Beach—it is delicious!
- End your walk at The Bucket List Bar on Bondi a great place to sip a beer and watch the surfers!
The Marrickville Neighborhood Brewery Hub:
- Batch Brewing: Solid beers, food trucks every night, chill vibes, good prices
- Stockade Brew Co.: Some of the best beer in Sydney. A cute taproom with a burger food truck that lives onsite
  - Note that it is quite literally a one minute walk between Batch and Stockade so be sure to plan to visit both because why not?
- Sauce Brewing: A really nice outside area/beer garden and lots of good IPAs
- The Grifter Brewing Co.: A very interesting space in a dark basement with old school vibes. but the beer is good!
  - There are a few more breweries in this neighborhood that I didn’t get to visit but they are in this same hub:
    - Willie the Boatman—They were closed for moving while I was in town
    - Wildflower Brewing and Blending—Unfortunately they are only open on Fridays and Saturdays
    - Young Henry’s—They close at 7pm every day so if you definitely want to visit be sure to head there earlier in the day
  - While in this area Enmore Road is a lively street with lots of bars and restaurants

Top Touristy Spots in Sydney Actually Worth Visiting:

Ms. Macquaire’s Chair: The chair isn’t what you’re here for, it is the gorgeous views! If you walk up from the east side of the peninsula it is a gorgeous walk along the water, then you can soak in the views from the tip of the peninsula, then walk south through the The Royal Botanic Garden. Follow the water’s edge around the peninsula to the Opera House
- There are lots of runners here, don’t get run over yo
Sydney Opera House: The Sydney classic. It is quite expensive to tour, so unless you’re really into opera just soak in the views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge
- Keep your eyes peeled for the ‘Seagull Patrol’ at the restaurant right next to the Opera House. The ‘patrol’ is an adorable dog running around scaring the seagulls away from the patrons
The Rocks Neighborhood: A historic neighborhood just North of the city center. There are tons of bars and restaurants in this area to check out
- Squire’s Landing: Drink a beer and gaze at the Harbour Bridge at this outpost of James Squire Brewing. Not the best beer in the city and definitely touristy, but the views are great!
Walk the Harbour Bridge: Take in cool views of the Opera House, Harbour, and CBD. It’s nothing Earth-shattering but it’s something you’ve got to do!
- You can also climb the bridge if you’re feeling adventurous, but that does come at a steep price
Sydney Town Hall: Pop by and check out the gorgeous architecture
- The Queen Victoria Building is right across the street and also a super gorgeous building to admire

Other Things To Do in Sydney:

John Mantagu Cafe: A cute coffee shop in the Woolloomooloo neighborhood (yes that’s a real name). A good starting point to walk up to Ms. Macquaire’s Chair if you want to take in the wharf and full peninsula. The cheddar and sage toastie is simple but delicious!
Rocks Brewing: This brewery has a nice outdoor space and a full food menu. Heads up it is located in a weird industrial complex in the Alexandria neighborhood, so when you walk/drive up don’t be discouraged
Sydney Brewery Surry Hills: Kinda weird vibes because it’s technically a hotel bar. Solid beers but nothing out of this world
Glider Cafe: A cute coffee shop right near Kings Cross Station in the Potts Point neighborhood
Observatory Hill Park: A quick stop on the way to the Harbour Bridge walk. Just a different perspective of the bay and Bridge
Darling Harbour: A touristy area with restaurants and shops, not super impressed
Frenchie’s Bistro and Brewery: Located inside The Cannery Rosebery, this brewery is a small spot with food and average beers. I would recommend you go during the day so the other shops are open, it’s got weird vibes at night because it’s empty

Which option is best for you?

There are a few different ways you can explore the Blue Mountains from Sydney:

On your own via car
On your own via train
With a tour group

Personally, I despise tour groups, so I knew I wanted to do this adventure on my own. I also have absolutely no interest in renting a car in a foreign country, let alone a foreign country that drives on the opposite side of the road than I am used to, so I was thrilled to discover that you can easily get to the Blue Mountains from Sydney via train!

I highly recommend this option, even if you have a rental car, because the trails don’t loop back to their original spot, so you would have to walk back to your car from wherever you end your hike, which is just plain inconvenient.

Check out all of my Sydney recommendations here!

Part of the luscious trail of the Prince Henry Cliff Walk

Getting from Sydney to the Blue Mountains via Train

The journey is so much easier than you would expect! Take the train from Sydney Central Station to Katoomba Station. It’s two hours from one to the other, or an hour and forty-five minutes if you hop on the express train.

It’s only a 15 minute difference, but for the timing worked out for me so I went for the express.

To take the train you will need an Opal card, you can get one at any train station and reload it at stations, wharves, most convenience stores, or on the Opal app.

The train leaves from Sydney Central every hour, so you can be flexible with your plans for whenever you prefer to start your adventure.

I hopped on the 8:42AM Express to Katoomba & the 3:24PM non-express back to Sydney Central, which to me was the perfect amount of time.

Once you arrive at Katoomba Station you will walk one mile straight down Katoomba Street from the station, turn left at the large sign for Echo Point, and BAM! that’s it! You made it to the Blue Mountains National Park!

See, I told you it was easy!

Pro Tip: Stop at one of the grocery stores on your walk down Katoomba Street for snacks and water!

Okay so you’re at the Blue Mountains, now what?

Your adventure begins at Echo Point, where you have sweeping views of the Blue Mountains and the Three Sisters to the left. Follow the path to the right to pop down to Elizabeth Lookout for a slightly better view of the Three Sisters.

You’re standing there soaking in these gorgeous views and then seven million tourists and selfie-sticks are pushing you to the brink of craziness and you’re thinking ‘what did I get myself into?!” but don’t fret. The tour bus crowds are generally only an issue at Echo Point. The deeper you go on the trail the less people you encounter.

Once you’re ready to start your hike, I recommend heading east along the Prince Henry Cliff Walk. You can also go west towards Scenic World, which has great options for kids or those who don’t want to hike.

You are going to essentially follow the Prince Henry Cliff Walk your entire hike, so don’t fret about getting lost or making a wrong turn!

When you begin your journey it is a paved trail to The Three Sisters, where you can walk down and get up close to the legendary monument.

From here, you continue along the Prince Henry Cliff Walk where the trail becomes dirt and you leave the crowds behind. There are stunning views along the way via various lookouts, but unless you are really determined, you do not need to stop at each one, the view does not change that drastically within a couple of minutes. I would recommend Lady Carrington Lookout, which has nice views.

Burrabarroo Lookout is the perfect spot for a snack/lunch break, but be sure to go all the way deep into it. At first glance it appears like there is no view, but you need to climb over the rocks all the way to the fenced space for a great view.

Not long after Burrabarroo you have to pop up onto the road for about two minutes, then you walk down the steps on your right. Quickly after this you are at the Bridal Veil Lookout, where you can see Bridal Veil Falls.

On your walk from the lookout to Bridal Veil Falls there are a lot of steps down, some of which are a bit slick, as a heads up.

Just past Bridal Veil Falls you will hit the Leura Cascades, a small waterfall with steps along the right that lead up to a picnic area. There are bathrooms here, the only ones along the hike, so take advantage!

From the picnic area you will head to Bridal Veil View. It’s not the most impressive waterfall set against the large mountain, but it’s still cool to see.

From here you will walk up quite a few stairs to Tarpeian Rock Lookout, where you can soak in the majestic views and take a rest on a bench if you need to after all those steps up!

Just past Tarpeian Rock is Elysian Rock Lookout, which is also great! You can decide from here if you want to walk up to Leura or venture just a bit further to Gordon Falls. I was not impressed with Gordon Falls whatsoever. Maybe after a heavy rainfall it would be better, but overall it was disappointing.

From here you will walk into the town of Leura. Take Olympian Parade to Leura Mall, and the train station is at the end of Leura Mall. In the town of Leura there are a few restaurants and coffee shops if you need to refuel before hopping on the train back to Sydney.

Key information for planning your Blue Mountains trip:

I spent 3.5 hours in the National Park & a half an hour on each end walking through Katoomba and Leura to/from the train stations—so overall it was 4.5 hours. I walk quickly in general, but I also stopped to take a lot of pictures, so I would say overall it was an average pace.

If you follow the route I described it is ~8.5 miles overall.

You don’t need to pack hiking boots for this—I love my Merrills, but my Nike tennis shoes were just fine for this hike.

Be sure to bring snacks and water! There are no options along the way if you get hungry/thirsty.

Keep your eyes peeled for animals on your hike, you are in a National Park in Australia where everything can kill you (just kidding but really). I saw lots of gorgeous birds, lizards, and a snake—that I straight up sprinted away from.