Sydney is the biggest and most visited city in Australia. And, it’s no surprise why: it’s beautiful, clean, easy to navigate, and it’s full of stunning beaches.
Whether you’re planning to stay in Sydney for an entire year, or just passing through, this is starting point for what to do for a week in Sydney.
Visiting Sydney in the summer has its benefits, shops may be open later, certain festivals are going on, but it’s also busier.
It’s great to visit the city during the off-season in fall and spring. Or, during the winter months, when days can heat up to the 20s. Everything on this list can be done all-year-around, however some may be better in the summer.
A week in Sydney is a viable amount of time to see the entire city. This list is based on how to see the culture of Sydney instead of just touristy options.
Table of Contents
Beach Time
Relaxing on Sydney’s beaches is arguably one of the best free activities in the city. Nearly every beach has beautiful, clean and clear water for swimming. And, most have life saving services available during certain hours. For the cleanest water, avoid the beaches closest to the harbour.
Bondi Beach is the most well-known for its reality TV-series, Bondi Rescue, on the real life guards, saving lives. Close to Bondi, there’s also: Bronte, Coogee and Maroubra to name a few. A few in northern Sydney include: Manly, Freshwater and Shelly. Most beaches have restaurants, cafes and kiosks nearby for food and drinks, when you’re ready for it.
Tourist Traps
Sydney is an internationally renown city, and over the years has adopted its own tourist traps. To find these, just google “what to do in Sydney, NSW.” My advice is do what you find most enjoyable—especially on a limited budget or time.
If you love art, go the Art Galley of NSW. If you don’t like aquariums, based on captivity arguments, then don’t go to Sea Life Sydney.
For seafood lovers, check out Sydney’s fish market, which features delicious and creative food options. And, if big crowds and clear blue water aren’t your thing, then skip Bondi Beach.
Street art, or graffiti is one of Newtown’s charms—and why people head towards the alleys. 
This 50 cm pizza from Via Napoli in Surry Hills is also served up in 25 cm and one meter!
Check out other neighbourhoods
Surry Hill, Red Fern, Newtown and Darlinghurst are just a few of the cool neighbourhoods that make Sydney so unique. Venturing out of the CBD into some of these neighbourhoods will give a better impression of the city, its history and culture.
Surry Hill and bordering Red Fern are known for relaxing cafes with killer brunches and somewhat-affordable modern restaurants (around A$22, a plate).
Newtown has retro and hipster vibes that will make this part of Sydney really feel like a new-town. Darlinghurst is Sydney’s LBTQ+ neighbourhood, and hosts the annual Mardi Gras parade.
Walk around the CBD
Sydney’s CBD (central business district, aka downtown) has loads of beautiful and delicious cafes, restaurants and bars. There’s also plentiful shopping options, in malls and along the street. If you’re feeling like asian options, check out Spice Alley or Chinatown.
As for public transportation, the CBD is also a good place to head other directions. It’s close to bus lines and Central Station, where most train lines link up.
Meander the markets
Whatever you love, Sydney has a market for you. For an array of everything, check out Sydney’s biggest market: Paddy’s market for food, fashion, souvenirs, electronics and more. Glebe Markets is a Saturday event with vintage finds, international food and more gifts.
For the foodies, check out the farmers market with guaranteed local offerings, from handmade gourmet pies to locally grown produce. And, most stalls have free samples! Saturdays there’s farmers markets in Kings Cross, Bondi, Carriageworks and Fridays in Parramatta.
If you’ve just arrived in Australia on a Working Holiday Visa check out my guide on how to get started in the country.
