The Best of Sydney for KidsN E W T O S Y D N E Y ? R E A D T H I S B I T E - S I Z E D G U I D E A N D S T A R T E X P L O R I N G W I T H Y O U R F A M I L Y .

Your Quickstart Guide to

Here’s how and where to get started as you explore Sydney!

• Five Best Family Walks • Five Best Beaches • Five Fun Family Days Out • What’s On For Kids in Sydney

Sydney is a truly huge city with literally thousands of fun places to go and things to do wth the family. But no need to feel overwhelmed.

Get started exploring Sydney with this best of the best guide.

Walking down to Flint and Steel Beach

Five Best Family Walks

1. Bondi to Coogee Coastal Path This is the best known of all Sydney’s hundreds of scenic walks. There’s a coastal path which goes from Bondi beach to Coogee beach passing Tamarama, Clovelly, Gordons Bay and Bronte beach on the way. Marvellous views over the Eastern suburbs and lovely cafes and places to swim. The best guide is the downloadable map from Sydney Coast Walks, find it here.

2. Manly Four Beaches Walk

On the north shore a great walk to start with, especially if you have babies and toddlers in strollers, is along the promenade at Manly. This is a 6km return walk although it’s easy to do shorter sections. There are plenty places to stop, cafes and playgrounds to explore too. Plan your walk and find a map here.

3. Cumberland State Forest Walks

Start exploring Western Sydney’s walks with a visit to Cumberland State Forest where you will find several options for walks, most suit little legs very well. Covering 40 hectares of native forest, Cumberland State Forest is Australia’s only metropolitan State forest. Read this post to find all the details you need.

4. Sydney Harbour Bridge to the Art Gallery of NSW

This is one of several central Sydney walks which can easily be done with a stroller. You can also walk the Harbour Bridge, click here, but it’s not quite so straightforward. Find the map and info you need here.

5. Flint and Steel Beach in Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park This walk is not for tiny children and definitely not for strollers. It’s a steep walk down to a beautiful Pittwater beach, excellent for a swim and a picnic. The views are stunning. Click here to read more and see photos.

If you love walking with the family, check out our full list of walks for all ages on this post:

Sydney’s Best Family Friendly Coastal, City and Bush Walks

Five Best Beaches NB These are not Sydney’s most famous beaches, rather the ones that are best for kids, less surf and more splashing!

1. Bronte Beach A few beaches south from Bondi you will find the very family friendly Bronte Beach. There’s a lovely sweep of sand, an ocean pool and a rock pool area known as the Bogey Hole. There’s also plenty of park area with a big playground at the back, plus kiosk and cafes. Read all about Bronte here.

2. Clontarf Beach A sheltered beach on Middle Harbour, Clontarf has a netted swimming batsh area plus an excellent playground and a café and kiosk right beside the beach. Many wins! Read all about Clontarf Beach and see photos here.

3. Parsley Bay This gorgeous little netted beach is a Harbour hideaway that is marvellous for kids. There’s a playground here plus kiosk, only drawback is that parking can be tight. Read all about Parsley Bay here.

4. Balmoral Beach Kid heaven on the North Shore, there are many area to swim and snorkel here. The best area for little kids is the huge netted baths near the playground, with kiosk and café alongside. Best snorkelling is at the northern end. Read about Balmoral and see photos here.

5. Greenwich Baths This is a large netted area of Sydney Harbour west of the Harbour Bridge, you pay a small fee to enter. There is shade from trees, plus a lovely little beach to play on, kiosk with kids toys there. Gorgeous Harbour views! Read all about Greenwich Baths here.

There are more than 70 beaches within Greater Sydney and dozens of other excellent baths and pools, read detailed descriptions of many more here.

Five Fun Family Days Out You don’t need to drive far beyond Sydney to find really gorgeous places with heaps for kids to do. Here are five to get you started.

1. Blue Mountains: The Everglades Garden at Leura Here’s a delightful introduction to the many joys of the Blue Mountains, read all about visiting the Everglades Gardens at Leura here. Find more things to do at the Blue Mountains here. 2. The Australian Reptile Park Travel just under an hour north of Sydney to find this extensive and fascinating Australian Reptile Park. You can meet massive crocodiles, snakes and deadly spiders too. Read all about the Reptile Park here. 3. Bowral and Berrima in the Southern Highlands Drive south from Sydney into the Southern Highlands and you can find history, walks and cream teas. An excellent long day out or weekend away. Read all about Bowral and Berrima here. 4. Pearl Beach On The Central Coast This is a really special little beach with a delightful rock pool and one beachy café. It’s one of many many lovely places to visit on the central Coast, less than an hour north of Sydney. Read all about Pearl Beach here. 5. Wisemans Ferry on the Hawkesbury River Retreat to a rural paradie on this large and historic river. You can pick fruit, eat and play here, read all about Wisemans Ferry here.

Find dozens more lovely days out from Sydney here.

What’s On For Kids in Sydney

There was no central place to find out all the best events, shows and exhibitions for families… so I made one. The Hello Sydney Kids Plus section, usually referred to as HSK Plus has heaps of articles and events listings. This is the premium paid membership section. You’ll find school holiday guides and some premium curated content just for HSK Plus members. Click here to read all about HSK Plus.

Thanks so much for reading. Keep finding great things to do with the family over on the main Hello Sydney Kids website, just click here.