4 Day Sydney Itinerary – Exploring Sydney’s Local Culture

The nature of travel is to explore new places and create your own story by finding unique and individual experiences. Sydney is such a diverse city that one could spend a week there and not run out of things to do. That’s probably unlikely that you’ll have that long, so I’ve crafted this suggested itinerary on how to spend 4 days in Sydney.

The big Sydney sights will take maybe 2 days, after which you might be left wondering what next? This Sydney itinerary will help you cut through the noise and show you how to explore Sydney’s local culture: the neighbourhoods most guidebooks don’t get around to, the secret beaches only the locals frequent and more.

Summary: 4 Day Sydney Itinerary

Day 1

• Breakfast at the QVB,
• Walk to Circular Quay and the Opera House, then through the Botanic Gardens,
• Walk to cab to Darling Harbour for lunch
• Watch the sunset over drinks atop the Shangri-La Hotel,
• Eat dinner in The Rocks.

Day 2

• Explore Newtown for brunch,
• Have an arvo beer and snack at Young Henry’s,
• Walk the backstreets of Surry Hills before finding a place for dinner here,
• Hit the clubs of King’s Cross (Darlinghurst) for a late night jaunt. Don’t get pregnant.

Day 3

• Catch a ferry to Watson’s Bay,
• See the Gap and out to the Lighthouse at the entrance of Sydney Harbour,
• Have lunch at Doyles,
• Catch bus 380 to Bondi Beach,
• Follow the hordes south round the coastal walk to Coogee (or until you’ve seen enough),
• Have dinner in Darlinghurst and go on a Razorhurst walking tour with Two Feet and a Heartbeat,

Day 4

• Catch a ferry to Manly,
• Optional: Catch a bus to Freshwater Beach,
• Catch the ferry back to the city and get a train to Milson’s Point, Walk through Luna Park,
• Have dinner in the Rocks.

Day 1 – Check all the boxes

Don the comfortable shoes and fill your stomach because today will involve a substantial amount of walking. In fact, most of your 4 days in Sydney will involve lots of walking due to the difficulty in navigating public transport.

Morning – QVB and Circular Quay

Start your day with Breakfast in the Queen Victoria Building. If you are into exotic tea the Palace Tea Room will be the perfect starting point for your day. The QVB is a beautiful Victorian building and is filled will plenty of (admittedly upmarket) shops if you fancy a spot of shopping.

 

 

After you’ve filled your stomach, walk about 10 minutes to Circular Quay. This is probably the most people you will see in one spot in Sydney so either come prepared to get lost in a sea of iPads and fanny packs or come early. Real early.

Snap your photos of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, because, despite the people and the hype they really are quite spectacular and one-of-a-kind.

Once you have your photos, explore the Botanical Gardens to the degree that your inner botanist and nature-lover will allow. However, don’t let the name fool you, it is more of a park than a garden so prepare for large, hilly expanses of grass and spotted with trees.

The “Gardens” are a great spot for a break and morning tea so bring something to nibble on and enjoy a rest. Walk through the park and find Art Gallery Road (there’s only one road). Follow this road to the exit of the Gardens, past St Mary’s Cathedral, Archibald fountain in Hyde Park and continue along Market St (or King St) to Darling Harbour.

Afternoon – Darling Harbour

It’s about a half hour walk in total to Darling Harbour. It’s one of the more popular areas for dining and drinking, it’s full of restaurants on both sides of Cockle Bay and further south towards the Entertainment Centre as well.

Enjoy an afternoon of people watching and wandering Darling Harbour before getting a ferry from King St Wharf back towards the Shangri-La hotel in The Rocks where to watch the sun set over a drink from the 36^th floor at Blu Bar.

Evening – The Rocks

Find dinner in the Rocks (try Harts pub for a gourmet Aussie burger experience), then have drinks at either Palmer and Co (cocktails), Baxter Inn (whiskey) or the Lord Nelson Brewery (craft beer), depending on your style and beverage preference.

For more information on where to stay in Sydney, check out this post here.

Day 2 – Explore suburbia

Morning – Newtown

With most of the big sights out of the way, escape the CBD to Newtown and find a place for brunch.

To experience Newtown is to explore, and given the unique subculture of the suburb, finding the perfect spot along King Street will be no trouble. There aren’t any “tourist attractions” per se, but it’s a precinct frequented by locals that is packed with local cafes, bars, and a huge music scene.

Walk up and down King Street, looking in shops that pique your interest, and even some that don’t: it’s all part of the experience.

Record stores, second-hand bookshops, independent clothing retailers and a United Nations of culinary options are all integral parts of what makes Newtown great. There are even a number of breweries in the area so make sure to visit one if you love your beer. Young Henry’s is right in Newtown or there’s Batch Brewing, Wayward Brewing, and Grifter a little further out.

Afternoon/Evening – Surry Hills

In the event that you have not quite reached your independent, hipster quota for the day, retreat back to Central Station and begin an exploration of adjacent Surry Hills before settling on a place for dinner.

When you couldn’t possibly bear to hear another person ask “Would you like single origin?” or tell you the profile of the water you have been served, get way out of your comfort zone at Absinthe Salon for a strikingly gothic and authentic absinthe experience. One suburb east is Darlinghurst. If clubbing is your thing, you won’t want to miss the nightlife of Kings Cross.

Day 3 – Coastal Sydney

Morning – Watson’s Bay

By your third day you are a pro at navigating George St or using the City Circle trains. Get to Circular Quay and board a ferry to Watson’s Bay.

Walk through the park up to ‘The Gap” – essentially a large cliff face popular for suicides. It’s jus across the road near a big bus stop, you can’t miss it.

If you are feeling energetic walk north to the lighthouse, around the point and back to the park. Enjoy lunch at either Doyle’s on Fisherman’s Wharf or Doyle’s on the beach, depending on your budget.

Afternoon – Bondi Beach

Catch bus 380 south to Bondi Beach (about 25 minutes and departs every 20 minutes).

Navigate the maze of people to your small allotment of sand, soak in the sun and have a dip in Australia’s most famous coastal waterway.

Follow the hoards around the point and walk for a couple of hours all the way to Coogee. It is all beautiful coast and on a clear day you will probably feel like you would want to be nowhere else in the world. Walk past Coogee Beach to Wylie’s Baths for a dip in one of Australia’s most picturesque colonial pools.

Evening – Darlinghurst

Catch the 373 bus back to Darlinghurst to explore the underbelly of Sydney.

History-heads will want to drop $40 on the Two Feet and a Heartbeat “Kings Cross Razorhurst Walking Tour”, which will walk you through the heart of gangland wars, prostitution and drugs of the 1920s.

Eat dinner at either Lucio Pizzeria or The Victoria Room before donning your cowboy boots for a cocktail at the Shady Pines Saloon, satisfied with your success of seeing as much of Sydney as possible in only 3 days.

For more great tips on seeing Sydney in a budget friendly manner, check out Voyager’s guide to Sydney.

Day 4 – North of the Bridge

Morning – Manly

Make your way back to Circular Quay and board a ferry bound for Manly.

Manly is the most popular suburb for visiting on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. It has a long pedestrian mall that stretches from the ferry terminal to Manly Beach.

You will likely see many shops that you have seen plenty of already on the “mainland”, and a few that are clearly just after tourist’s money – one store in particular has been advertising a “closing down” sale for over 4 years now!)

Spend a few hours relaxing in the sun and if you like you water a bit calmer, take a 15 walk south to the end of the path to Shelley Beach.

Morning/Afternoon – Freshwater Beach

As an alternative, if the crowds are too much for you at Manly Beach and you’d like to see a beach in a more local setting, from Manly, catch the 159 or 136 buses towards Dee Why or Chatswood respectively.

Freshwater is a great representation of Australian Beach culture. Get there on a Sunday morning to see the Surf Life Saving Nippers, which is kids in training to learn beach skills like swimming in the surf, beach sprints and eventually how to use equipment to save a life.

Afternoon – Milson’s Point

If time permits, upon your return to Circular Quay, catch the city circle train to Milsons Point, the station on the south end of the Harbour Bridge.

Walk through Luna Park, take in the incredible views of the city skyline and walk back along the bridge to the CBD for dinner. You will be perfectly placed for dinner in Sydney’s oldest neighbourhood, The Rocks.

By now you are completely exhausted but satisfied that you have seen every aspect of Sydney and have a list as long as your arm of places you will visit when you inevitably return.

Bonus: Days 5 and 6

If visiting in Summer and you love the idea of water parks and thrill rides, (western) Sydney is now home to its very own Wet’n’Wild water park. It’s a bit of a distance from the city, but it’s a really fun day out with rides for all excitement levels. Even my own thirst for thrills was quenched satisfactorily when I visited, which was a surprise for me.

You can read all about my day out here.

A great day trip option could also include catching a train (or driving) out to the Blue Mountains. It is home to the unique formation called the Three Sisters, many boutique cafes, antiques and shops, as well as plenty of hiking for the outdoors type.

Heading to Sydney soon?

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