What are the best things to do at Bondi Beach, Sydney?
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.
When visiting Sydney, there’s the option to play it cool. You can investigate hip suburbs such as Surry Hills, Kings Cross, Camperdown and Chippendale. Or you can 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 (such as Bilgola) have arguably the best strips of sand, while the harbour beaches are safer for swimming. Of the popular Eastern Suburbs tourist beaches, Maroubra Beach is surfer central, Bronte is family-friendly and Clovelly Beach is great for snorkelling. But Bondi Beach is the Australian icon, and the closest to Sydney CBD.
13 brilliant experiences in Sydney you should book
- (💲Great value 💲) Tick off several bucket list items on a highlights-packed Blue Mountains day tour.
- Get perfect views of the world’s most beautiful city on a Sydney Harbour helicopter tour.
- Save money with a multi-attraction pass.
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Enjoy the romance of a tall ship cruise on Sydney Harbour.
- Eat all you can at the Skyfeast at the top of Sydney Tower.
- See migrating humpbacks – on a whale-watching cruise.
- (Highly recommended ✅) Go behind the scenes of Australia’s most famous building on an Opera House tour.
- Dine as the city lights up on sunset dinner cruise around the harbour.
- Combine beers and stories on a historic pubs tour through the convict-era Rocks district.
- Stand on your board and catch waves during Bondi Beach surfing lessons.
- Go to wombat and kangaroo-spotting hotspots on a Southern Highlands tour.
- Enjoy Sydney’s wild side on a Manly snorkelling & nature walk.
- (🥇Top choice in Sydney) And, best of all, paddle to hidden beaches on a harbour kayaking adventure.
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 (letsgosurfing.com.au) runs two hour introductory Bondi Beach surfing lessons for $85. 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.
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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.
Things to do at Bondi Beach: 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.
Bondi Beach shopping
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 cafés
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.
There’s no train to Bondi Beach – you’ll need to get the 333 bus from Bondi Junction.
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