More than 40,000 runners from 162 countries are expected in Sydney for the city's marathon, now in its second year as a World Major. The event drew a record-breaking 123,000 entries from around the world. For those with a place in next weekend's 26.2-mile race, or simply visiting, the city offers a packed week of activities, from sunrise bridge climbs to a new floating restaurant.
Where to Stay in Sydney
Rick Stein's new Australian flagship restaurant opened in Sydney's Coogee in December, part of the new InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach hotel (£228, ihg.com). The hotel features an ocean-facing infinity pool and private pickleball courts, and is Sydney's only luxury beachfront hotel within 20 minutes of the city, a 15-minute drive from the SCG. It has 198 rooms and suites.
Manly Pacific (£240, all.accor.com) is another beachfront option, slightly further from the centre, with order-to-room Peloton bikes, health shots and Goji berries at breakfast, and a rooftop pool with magnesium instead of chlorine. The five-star hotel reopened in 2023 after a near £15m facelift, and is a 20-minute ferry ride from Sydney's CBD, passing the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
Other popular hotels include the Park Hyatt Sydney (£568, hyatt.com) with views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge; Ace Hotel Sydney (£147, acehotel.com) for a creative vibe; and The EVE (£257, theevehotel.com.au), a new hotel in Surry Hills that opened in February and was singer-songwriter Olivia Dean's choice for the 2025 ARIA Awards. The surrounding Wunderlich Lane lifestyle quarter offers dining options, and Bar Julius' signature dippy eggs on the hotel's ground floor feature pork-hock dippers and perfectly boiled eggs on silver thrones.
Where to Eat in Sydney
Wunderlich Lane has the biggest cluster of new dining options, from sandwich joint S'Wich (eatswich.com.au) to Southeast Asian restaurant Island Radio (islandradio.sydney), where the prawn roti is a guest favourite. In Surry Hills, Bessie's and Alma's (bessiesrestaurant.com) is a fan favourite for wine, with whipped cod's roe and tuna on a hash brown. Lottie at The EVE is a top spot for Mexican and margaritas, and Kepos Street Kitchen (keposstreetkitchen.com.au) serves a notable spanakopita.
Other foodie favourites include the Skiff Sailing Club (manlyskiff.com) in Manly for waterfront dining, with half-price steak on Mondays; Cafe Sydney (cafesydney.com) for food and views, though tables are hard to book; and Ela Ela (thebristol.com.au), a new Greek restaurant inside historic pub The Bristol. Smoke, Joji and Lady Banks are go-tos for cocktails, and Letra House, Herbs Taverne and Bar Freda's are late-night haunts. Solaré (luxecruisinggroup.com.au), Sydney's first floating restaurant on a 150-foot superyacht, opened earlier this year, offering oysters and champagne against the sunset.
Take to the Water in Sydney
Most of Sydney's best spots are on the harbour. The Bondi to Coogee walk is a must, with seven ocean pools along the way. The Spit to Manly walk is less documented but equally beautiful, with Fairlight Beach Rockpool as a dip-spot, ending in Manly with eight beaches, including the seventh best in the world according to TripAdvisor, and Cabbage Tree Bay off Shelley Beach, an aquatic reserve where swimmers spot dolphins and turtles.
Other harbour walks include the Hermitage Foreshore Walk between Vaucluse and Rose Bay, the South Head Heritage Trail in Watson's Bay, and the Cremorne Point Circular. Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and Royal National Park are within easy access. Sydney.com has a checklist of 30-plus ocean pools, including Bondi Icebergs, Bronte Baths and Maccallum Pool. Sydney By Kayak's sunrise tour is popular, with coffee in thermos mugs, and URBNSURF at Sydney's Olympic Park is a beginner surfing ground, with on-site restaurant Rafi. Double Bay, Manly and Balmoral are top spots for sailing dinghy hire. EcoTreasures and Snorkelverse offer guided snorkelling tours in Manly and Clovelly, where guests spot turtles, cuttlefish and miniature Port Jackson sharks. Tribal Warrior Cultural Cruises offer aboriginal cultural tours of Sydney Harbour, covering the Cadigal, Guringai, Wangal, Gammeraigal and Wallumedegal people.
Seek Thrills and Relax in Sydney
For an efficient highlights tour, Sydney Seaplanes offers 15-minute harbour tours at $330 per person, covering Bondi Beach, the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. A 30-minute Sydney Secrets tour includes the northern beaches and Palm Beach, where Home & Away was filmed. A seaplane tour with lunch at Cottage Point Inn on the Hawkesbury River is a customer favourite, taking four hours. The Harbour BridgeClimb and Thunder Jetboat were popular with Lions fans last year. The Jetboat offers high-speed spins that guarantee getting soaked, while Blue Mountains Bikes offers self-guided e-bike tours through the Blue Mountains UNESCO World Heritage Site, with sandstone cliffs and valley gorges. The Harbour BridgeClimb, with the Burrawa edition featuring an indigenous First Nations guide, lets visitors stand 440 feet above the harbour, with harnesses and safety rails.
For wellness, Sydney has more than 80 saunas across the city. Try Cedar and Salt's portable Finnish-style sauna in the Northern Beaches, Capybara Bathing in Surry Hills, and Soak Bathhouse in Alexandria, which opened a second outpost in Bondi Junction. Wellness Afloat offers a floating sauna-plunge-sauna on The Ark, a Nordic-inspired vessel made from over half a million recycled plastic milk bottles. Every two-hour journey is carbon-negative with towels, refreshments and harbour views. Other options include Yoga by the Sea's beach sessions, cryotherapy at Cryo Northern Beaches in Freshwater, sound bathing in Rose Bay, and forest bathing walks through Lane Cove National Park, 20 minutes from the city centre.
