The best things to do at Bondi Beach in Sydney include surfing lessons, swimming at Icebergs and the Bondi to Coogee walk. Other Bondi attractions include brunch cafés such as Trio, the Bondi Markets and shopping on Gould Street.
Bondi vs the rest of Sydney
When visiting Sydney, there’s the option to play it cool. You can investigate hip suburbs such as Surry Hills and Chippendale, seek out Frank Gehry architecture in Ultimo and Sydney’s best street art in Newtown. You can even go to look at historic colonial buildings in Parramatta after taking the Parramatta ferry from Circular Quay.
But let’s face it, the aspects that make Sydney special are Sydney Harbour and the beaches. Sydney is blessed with dozens of beaches. The Northern Beaches have arguably the best strips of sand, while the harbour beaches are safer for swimming. Of the popular Eastern Suburbs tourist beaches, Bronte is family-friendly and Clovelly is great for snorkelling. But Bondi Beach is the Australian icon, and the closest to Sydney CBD.
The best things to do at Bondi Beach
Bondi Beach is primed for people-watching. And plenty of those perfectly-toned bodies are hitting the surf too. North Bondi has the gentler, beginner-friendly waves, and Let’s Go Surfing runs two hour introductory Bondi Beach surfing lessons for $99. You should be standing on the board by the end of it.
As with fellow New South Wales city Newcastle, Sydney has a greedy collection of ocean baths. Sydney’s remarkable harbourside and rock-hewn oceanside pools all have different vibes. The top spot for rippling, muscular bodies, beach panoramas and louche cocktail-sipping post-dip, however, is Icebergs at Bondi. The gigantic main pool makes Olympic-sized pools look diddy, and the waves crashing into the side walls provide a sense of drama.
That said, you can have hours of fun splashing around in the waves without shelling out a cent. Just make sure you stick to bodysurfing between the red and yellow flags. These areas are patrolled by lifeguards and away from the most dangerous rips.
Five great things to do while you’re in Sydney
- Take a small group tour to the Blue Mountains – with a Parramatta River cruise thrown in.
- See the landmarks and secret beaches – on a Sydney Harbour cruise.
- Discover Sydney’s most historic neighbourhood – on a Rocks walking tour.
- Go on a whale-watching cruise – and admire migrating humpbacks.
- Learn to surf at Bondi Beach – with beginner surfing lessons.
Bondi to Coogee walk
The famous Bondi to Coogee Walk, stretching 8km along the Eastern Suburbs clifftops, also starts at Bondi. Pick a sunny day, and you can easily turn this into a day long outing, stopping at beaches en route.
If you don’t want to walk that far, try walking to the northern end of Bondi. You’ll get the best photographic angles here.
Shopping in Bondi
Otherwise, Bondi Beach is made for grazing and mooching. Along Campbell Parade are several fish and chip shop, ice-creameries and cafés. There are also plenty of surf and swimwear shops. Between The Flags has a strong children’s selection, and the Bondi Surf Co caters to more serious surfers, selling boards as well as the usual Billabong and Quicksilver kit.
Campbell Parade also host the Bondi Markets every Sunday. Stalls open up in the car park of the Bondi Beach Public School, majoring on crafts, jewellery, original artwork and floaty dresses.
Bondi’s best shopping strip, Gould Street, feels tucked away. But it is crammed with shops selling indie designer takes on the studiously cool, free-flowing seaside look. Bravura bikinis, floaty dresses, demure jewellery and pastelly yachtwear are out in force. For gents with bulging wallets, the tailored, art print swimming shorts at Orlebar Brown are statement fashion.
Things to do at Bondi Beach: Brunch
Sydney takes weekend brunching seriously, and the prime people-watching comes at Bondi Beach. Trio wins out over myriad café alternatives. That’s partly because of its prime position on Campbell Parade, and partly because of the enticingly unusual options, such as Tasmanian ocean trout or shakshuka.
More Sydney travel
Other Sydney travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- Sydney’s top historic museums – including the Justice and Police Museum, Susannah Place Museum, Hyde Park Barracks and Museum of Sydney.
- 7 fantastic attractions in Sydney that most visitors overlook – including the Sirius anchor, the Macquarie Lighthouse, the Anzac Memorial, the Quarantine Station, the State Library of NSW and Elizabeth Farm.
- A first-timer’s guide to visiting Luna Park in Sydney.
- A practical guide to visiting the Australian National Maritime Museum.
- Planning a visit to Lane Cove National Park.
