Published on February 4, 2025 by Sofi Johnson  
Sofi Johnson

My name is Sofi Johnson, and I am a junior studying business marketing and management at Samford. This past semester, I studied abroad through an affiliate program, CEA CAPA Education Abroad in Sydney, Australia. Through this program, I took several business classes and had an internship with a nonprofit organization in Sydney.

I have always wanted to study abroad and immerse myself in a different culture that would allow me to explore a new part of the world. Studying abroad was one of the best decisions I have made and an incredible opportunity to learn, grow, and adapt to a new environment.

After living in Sydney for the last three months, I am excited to share my top 5 recommendations of things to do in Sydney, Australia:

Opera House and Royal Botanic Gardens1. Visit the Opera House & Royal Botanic Gardens

You definitely need to visit the Opera House! It is one of the most stunning landmarks and architecture in the world. Our program took a tour of the Opera House which I really enjoyed as you got to learn a lot about the history and see inside of it. I saw a performance there as well and the concert hall was incredible.

I always loved going on a run or taking a walk by the Opera House and through the Royal Botanic Gardens. The Gardens are quite large and a great place to wander through or sit on a bench and journal.

Royal National Park2. Royal National Park

Royal National Park is by far one of my favorite places I visited and located just south of Sydney as the second oldest National Park in the world. I highly recommend hiking the coastal track as it features a lot of different terrain. The first time I visited, I hiked the Northern Coastal Track from Bundeena to Curracurrang and back which was over 20 miles, but you pass through Wedding Cake Rock, Marley Beach, Wattamolla Beach and walk through a mix of rocky cliff-tops, beaches, boardwalks, and forest. The second time I visited, I hiked the Southern Coastal Track from Otford to Figure 8 Pools which takes you through a palm jungle rainforest. Both tracks are beautiful, but the Northern Track was my favorite!

Manley Beach3. Manley Beach

My favorite beach in Sydney is Manly Beach which you can get to via bus or ferry from Circular Quay (by the Sydney Harbour). I always loved visiting the Manly Markets on Saturdays and Sundays with local businesses selling a variety of things. If you are looking to do a long walk, the Spit to Manly Walk is a 10K and has a lot to see. And if you are looking for a place to eat, Norma’s Deli is my favorite lunch spot in Sydney and I always recommend the BLT! If you are at Manly, walk to the Manly Wormhole and you’ll see a small tunnel with a beautiful view that connects you to Freshwater beach. Freshwater is another great beach next to Manly that is always busy!

Sunrise Kayak at the Sydney Harbour4. Sunrise Kayak at the Sydney Harbour

Another one of my favorite things I did in Sydney was a Surnise Kayak by the Opera House. It was one of my favorite views of the Opera House, and a great start to the day. Many people in Australia start the day early and go for a run or surf before work so it is always fun to start the day early and embrace the lifestyle. I definitely recommend an early paddle to start the day!

 

 

Visit the Markets5. Visit the Markets

Another one of my favorite things to do on the weekends was visit the local markets. If you’re looking for souvenirs, the markets are always a great place to go for locally made things. My favorite markets were:

  • Carriageworks Farmers’ Market in Everleigh – great place to get local produce or pastry and coffee on Saturday mornings.
  • Bondi Markets
    • Bondi is an iconic beach in Sydney that you must visit! I recommend doing the Coogee to Bondi Walk and then going to the markets on the weekend.
  • The Rock Markets
  • Glebe Markets
    • The Glebe Markets are huge and although a bit overwhelming, they have a lot of booths from Jewlery to Vintage Clothing to food.
  • Manly Markets

Those are just a few of my favorite things to do in Sydney, but if you get the chance to study abroad or visit, please feel free to reach out to me and I would love to share more recommendations. I encourage you to take a step outside of your comfort zone and consider studying abroad, you will not regret it!

 
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