What are the best things to do in Surry Hills, Sydney?
There are plenty of things to do in Surry Hills, one of Sydney’s coolest neighbourhoods. Try the Brett Whiteley Studio, swimming at Prince Alfred Park and the Little Albion Hotel. Then move on to the Golden Age cinema bar & dining at Chin Chin.
The Victorian verandas of Surry Hills feel a world away from Sydney’s showy beach and harbourside haunts. The Surry Hills neighbourhood is sprinkled with the occasional art deco beauty and individualistic 21st century architectural statement.
The former slum suburb, just to the east of Central Station, has been revitalised by art studios. But there are also handsome old pubs turned trendy and experimental in-the-know restaurants. It’s hip meets heritage rather than sun, sand and million dollar views – the Sydney of people rather than postcards. Here’s Australia Travel Questions’ top things to do in Surry Hills if you visit…
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 in Surry Hills: Swimming
Bright yellow umbrellas and chimneys painted like psychedelic cartoon periscopes bless Prince Alfred Park with a quirk factor. But it’s the 50 metre open air pool behind the sculpted grass mounds that makes it a supreme summer hang-out.
The coolest bar in Surry Hills
Once a movie studio HQ screening room, the Golden Age is part glamorous 20s pastiche cocktail bar, part intimate cinema. The dashingly deco basement joint squeezes in live musicians amid the lavish drapes, mood-lit banquettes and top drawer Old Fashioneds.
Where to eat in Surry Hills
The fizzing casual-cool vibe of Chin Chin comes partly from the theatre of the wrapped-around open kitchen. But it’s mainly from the meticulously savvy craft beer and cocktail lists. Oh, and a menu that scours Asia and throws everything together in gleefully inventive, often fiery ways.
Best things to do in Surry Hills: Australian art
Inside a converted warehouse, the Brett Whiteley Studio was where Australia’s beloved eclectic expressionist painted and sculpted. It now hosts the prodigious Whiteley’s works, both finished and unfinished. Consider it your Australian art intro.
Where to stay in Surry Hills
The ‘poetry wall’ of open books, help-yourself honour bar and annotated portraits of lascivious local legends give the Little Albion character. But this former convent’s plant-smothered roof garden, with Parisien-style park benches, is the true heart-melter. Expect to pay from around $190 a night, room only.
More Sydney neighbourhoods
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Crime history in Kings Cross.
Frank Gehry architecture in Ultimo.
Is Bronte Beach named after the Bronte sisters?
Street art tours in Newtown, Sydney’s Inner West.