Where is the best area to stay in Sydney?
By Klyte Longeron. Aug 10, 2021
Sydney is one of the most beautiful cities in the world - positioned on the magnificent harbour, the city offers unparalleled harbour and city landscapes. Sydney is a destination for all - there are beautiful beaches, iconic monuments, world-class restaurants, historical sites, fantastic shopping, and most of all, the friendly people.
Sydney CBD is the best area to stay as you can visit all the main tourist sites by foot. The CBD has everything you need for a stunning stay - some of the best hotels, restaurants, museums, incredible shopping and interesting and fun attractions for families, are all within easy reach.
To experience other parts of Sydney, there are many appealing inner city suburbs to stay, where you won’t need a car, as you can explore by foot. For families, Darling Harbour is definitely the spot to stay - with all the best attractions for kids and adults. For the arts, nightlife, fashion and a hip vibe, Surry Hills, Darlinghurst and Potts Point are the places to stay.
If you’d prefer a more relaxed, beach holiday, then head out of the city to Manly, Coogee or Bondi Beaches. For business travellers, Mascot near the airport, or Darling Harbour with the Convention Centre, are perfect bases. Randwick, to the east of the city, is ideal for horse race lovers with the Royal Randwick Racecourse at it’s heart.
If you are interested in where to stay in Sydney, you may also be interested in where to stay in Melbourne, where to stay in Perth, where to stay in Brisbane and where to stay in Auckland.
Central Business District, the best area to stay in Sydney to get most of the city
Sydney is the most visited city in Australia. The most famous icons, rising from the harbour, are the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. Stroll from Circular Quay to the Opera House, you will find harbourside bars and restaurants, perfect for a cocktail or meal with spectacular views. Take a guided tour, or see a performance, at the Opera House.
From Circular Quay, ferries take you to interest points all around the harbour. Wander the lanes of the historic Rocks precinct, Sydney’s oldest area, to the Harbour Bridge. Walk the bridge, or for the more adventurous, do the Bridge Climb to the top ! For an aerial view of the city, an ascent up Sydney Tower is a must.
Fantastic shopping in boutiques throughout the CBD, in Pitt Street Mall and the beautiful Queen Victoria Building. Enjoy dining of all styles - from fine-dining restaurants, to sushi bars and cafés. For nightlife, the CBD has bars, nightclubs, live music venues, theatres, everything to keep you entertained !
Hotels in the Central Business District
Other areas to stay in Sydney
Darling Harbour
Darling Harbour is a hotspot of entertainment and dining and the best area to stay for families with children. A short walk from the CBD, this is where you will find all the main family tourist attractions - the three main attractions are the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, Wild Life Sydney Zoo and Madame Tussauds.
For summer days, there is an outdoor water playground which will keep the kids entertained for hours ! A stroll through the beautiful Chinese gardens makes a pleasant break from the hustle and bustle. The Australian National Maritime Museum is an indoor/outdoor attraction and is fascinating for people of all ages. Families can easily spend a few days or more exploring all these attractions.
Darling Harbour is also a perfect place to stay for business travellers as there is the Convention Centre, Star Casino and Harbourside Shopping centre on one side of the harbour and King Street Wharf and Barangaroo Reserve waterside dining and shopping precinct on the city side.
Surry Hills
Surry Hills is an inner suburb of Sydney and is a great place to stay for people interested in the arts, culture and nightlife. It has a dynamic, artistic and hip village vibe and it’s tree-lined streets are filled with funky cafés, bars, restaurants, galleries and boutiques.
Photographers, painters and sculpters showcase their works in fabulous art galleries throughout the suburb. Visit the studio and home of one of Australia’s most well known artists Brett Whiteley. See a show at the Belvoir St Theatre. The theatre hosts plays by well known playwrights and many famous actors have graced its stage.
For fashion and shopping lovers, there is an array of opportunities with independent designer shops, homeware stores, and funky vintage fashion boutiques. There are great restaurants offering worldwide cuisine, pubs and bars and a vibrant live music scene. You can even take a guided tour of the local rum or gin distilleries.
Darlinghurst
Darlinghurst, an inner Sydney suburb, is a hub of activity and entertainment day and night. By day, browse through the boutiques and eclectic shops along the suburb’s main street - Oxford Street. You will find recyled luxury fashion, independent boutiques, art galleries, as well as excellent cafés and restaurants. By night enjoy the electric nightlife, the area being one of the most lively night spots in Sydney.
Sydney is known for being the« gay capital » of the world and Oxford Street is the LGBTQI community’s heart. Bars and nightclubs offer all-night dancing and drag shows, welcoming people of all persuasions. In March each year, Oxford Street hosts the famous Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, which has become one of the city’s most popular events. Oxford Street explodes with colour, music and danse, with magnificently decorated floats cruising alongside spectacularly costumed paraders.
Darlinghurst is the place to stay for people after a buzzing atmosphere.
Potts Point
With the once notorious « red-light » area Kings Cross at it’s southern end, to grand mansions and trendy restaurants, Potts Point, 2 km East of the city, is a habourside suburb popular with the rich and famous. Potts Point is Sydney’s first deliberately built suburb and is rich in history. There are fashion boutiques, art galleries, book shops and theatre spaces to explore, and for history buffs, a visit to Elizabeth Bay House is a must. Elizabeth Bay House was, in the 1830’s, known as « the finest house in the colony ».
It is a magnificent example of colonial architecture and the house and beautiful gardens are now open as a museum. Stroll the pretty streets to find other examples of superb colonial architecture, as well as the area’s many art deco buildings, the Metro Theatre (Minerva) being a splendid example.
Take a trip to Garden Island to discover the East Australian Naval fleet base and visit the docklands and the Naval Heritage Museum.
Bondi Beach
Australia’s most famous beach, Bondi Beach, is a 1 kilometre stretch of golden sand, a 30 minute bus ride from the city centre. Bondi is synonymous with surf and surfers can be seen catching waves from before sunrise to after sunset. Hire a board and try your luck at catching the waves. Other beach lovers watch the sunrise from the sand with coffee in hand, or from one of the sea pools during a refreshing early morning swim.
If you’ve had enough of the beach, there’s a large array of boutiques selling everything from designer clothes and beachwear to homewares and souvenirs. The beachfront promenade is lined with eateries from funky cafés serving all day breakfeast to fine-dining restaurants, plenty of choice for all tastes. For potential celebrity spotting, and amazing views, Bondi Icebergs is the place to sip a cocktail on the terrace.
If you’re up for more spectacular scenery, do the coastal walk from Bondi to Coogee - along with the magnificent views you may even see dolphins or whales frolicking in the sea.
Coogee Beach
For a more relaxed family beach destination, Coogee is the perfect spot. 8 kms from the Sydney CBD, Coogee Beach is less crowded than Bondi Beach and offers calmer surf and four seawater pools for safe swimming with children. Due to it’s calmer waters, it is also popular for snorkelling and scuba diving. Wedding Cake Island - a rock platform1 km out to sea off the south end of Coogee Beach - protects the beach from big swells.
The area is ideal for relaxing, having a picnic, or enjoying a bbq in the parkland behind the beach. There is also a children’s playground. There are cafés and restaurants, or why not get some tasty take-away fish and chips and enjoy them on the beach?
At the northern end of the beach, there is a 4 metre high bronze memorial statue, in memory of the suburb’s residents who died in the 2002 Bali bombings. Coogee Beach is the start, or finish, of the magnificent Bondi to Coogee coastal walk - an easy 2 hour walk taking in panoramic clifftop scenery over it’s 6 km route.
Manly Beach
Manly Beach is in the Northern beaches area of Sydney, a 30 minute scenic ferry ride from Circular Quay in the CBD. From the ferry, the Manly Corso pedestrian mall, lined with a huge variety of shops, from Aboriginal art galleries to ice-cream, surf and souvenir shops, takes you to the main beach. Stretching 2 kms North to South, Manly Beach is renowned for surfing and was the site for the world’s first surfing contest in 1964.
The Norfolk Pine lined main beach consists of 3 beaches - Queenscliff, North Steyne, South Steyne - and is the perfect spot for surfing lessons for people of all ages. Take a walk on the popular pathway from the south end of the beach to sheltered Shelly Beach, Here you can enjoy swimming and snorkelling in the calm waters, or cook up a feast on one of the free barbecues.
Manly has over 120 restaurants and cafés, from cheaper fast-food options, to seafood restaurants and fine dining, you are spoilt for choice!
Randwick
A 20 minute bus ride to the south-east of the inner city, Randwick is well known for its Royal Randwick Racecourse, which hosts the famous Australian Derby and Spring Racing Carnival. If you love horse racing, or the just enjoying a glamorous day out at the races, this is the perfect place to stay. Randwick is also home to the heritage listed Ritz Cinema - built in 1937 it is one of the last art deco cinemas in Sydney and hosts everything from independent films and film festivals to the latest Hollywood blockbusters.
Being the home of the University of New South Wales, Randwick has a university village atmosphere with plenty of affordable international cuisine, funky cocktail bars and gastropubs with craft beers.
For a stay with children, Centennial Park is filled with trails for bike riding, walking and horse-riding, and there are playgrounds, gardens and ponds to enjoy in the vast grounds.
Mascot
If you only have a short stay in Sydney, or you are in town for business, Mascot is the ideal place to stay. With good hotel and accommodation options, conveniently close to the airport for flights and with fast and efficient transport links to Sydney CBD and all the tourist attractions, Mascot is a good base for business or pleasure stays.
Mascot is a very multicultural area, providing a fantastic range of international cuisine. Good shopping can be found in the town, as well as the duty free shopping, and abundance of boutiques and dining options available at Sydney airport.
For entertainment for children and adults alike, you will find the Ice Zoo Ice Rink, the Manhattan Superbowl tenpin bowling centre, a virtual reality gaming centre and the Qantas Flight Simulator Experience for aspiring pilots!
Parramatta
Parramatta is counted as the second CBD for Sydney, with many local and international companies having set-up offices there, making the city perfect for business travellers. Parramatta is also a fabulous cultural melting pot and offers delicious dining experiences with choices from all over the world from a myriad of cafés and restaurants.
For those interested in sport and events, visit the Sydney Olympic Park where the year 2000 Olympics were held. Visit ANZ Arena, where world class sport matches and concerts are frequently held, and then try your luck at a gold medal lap-time in the swimming pool at the Aquatic Centre. With many other activities to enjoy, the Olympic Park is a great day out for families.
Parramatta is a great the base for visiting the magnificent World Heritage Blue Mountains. Explore the walking trails through the eucalyptus and ancient rainforests and take in the spectacular views of the Three Sisters rock formation from Echo Point lookout.
Our recommended hotels in Sydney
Use the interactive map to navigate through our recommended hotels in SydneyNote: Hotel prices can change daily due to promotions, seasons, and demand. Our $ - $$$$ scale shows the overall cost range rather than exact prices.
