Solo Female Travel in Sydney: What I Loved, What I’d Skip and Why I’d Go Back

Sydney is one of those bucket list destinations I had dreamed about my whole life. As mentioned in my last Sydney post, I have watched so many movies and shows set in Australia that I was starting to think it would never actually happen. It’s a long flight from Seattle, roughly 18 hours, and I comically decided to book my trip from London, making my travel day 21 hours with a connection in Doha.

That said, my friends, I cannot recommend Australia enough. I thought it was going to be amazing and it turned out to be one of my favorite countries I have ever traveled through.

I’ve linked everything I used and recommend for Sydney in my ShopMy store!

Let’s jump right into what I loved. 🥰

Table of Contents

Climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge

I have many memories I will always cherish from this trip and, though it may sound cliché, my absolute favorite was going completely out of my comfort zone and climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge as a solo female traveler.

The decision didn’t come lightly. I have always wondered if I have a fear of heights because both my dad and brother do, but the more I challenge myself to do wild experiences, the more I realize it’s really just a matter of pushing through intrusive thoughts. So once I booked it I knew I had to figure that out and fast. (If you do have a fear of heights they offer a lower level tour!)

And it was SO worth it. I felt completely over the moon and genuinely safe being 440 feet above sea level at the very top of that bridge. They put you in a cool uniform, strap you into multiple safety lines, give you a hat for the wind, and walk you through a series of safety videos before you’re allowed to proceed. The operation is a well oiled machine, friends. Not once did I feel worried or scared. I even waved at a helicopter tour that flew past. It was such a blast.

The views were sensational. I wish I could have experienced it at sunset but I also know myself well enough to know I would have been starving and rushed the whole thing. I barely ate beforehand because I was so nervous!

Being solo worked completely to my advantage here. Everyone was surprised I was alone and the employees checked in with me throughout to make sure I had photos taken and felt comfortable. There were four other groups in my unit and they were all so welcoming and chatty. I felt right at home. The only thing missing was my siblings but that’s not uncommon when you travel. 💕

You can book directly with the company or grab a tour that includes the experience. I love that you can choose specific times too, like sunrise or nighttime, which is a beautiful way to beat the crowds.

The Wildlife, Waterfalls and Wine Tour

My second favorite memory was an incredible tour I booked on Viator. This included everything but most importantly, getting up close and personal with koalas, kangaroos and wallabies. 🐨 As you might have guessed, I booked this tour solo and it was such a lovely experience, not just because of the tour guide and my tour mates but because right off the bat me and another fellow traveler hit it off and became friends. We had the best time helping each other take pictures and just being girls together.

This is one of my favorite parts of traveling – who you meet along the way. We had a blast on the tour and even met up the next day to explore together. We still text every so often to this day and it brings me such joy seeing pictures of us from this trip.

My second favorite memory from this tour was the drive to the waterfall. We stopped at a beachside cafe and had lunch before riding out to the jungle. Then the final stop was a winery, which was lovely but due to importation and taxes, completely out of the question to send home.

All in all, I would book again. Though, I might try to find something without a winery now. Here are a few options if you’d also skip the winery:

Walking to Bondi Beach

I am an adventurous woman by nature. A ‘yes’ girl, through and through. And when I’m alone, there is nothing I love more than walking everywhere and living like a local, seeing every cafe, boutique, theater, and museum along the way.

So, when I checked my map and saw Bondi Beach was 3.6 miles from Potts Point, I said ‘bet’, grabbed my sneakers, found a killer audiobook, and headed out. 💕 I walked along some loud streets, over a highway, and through neighborhoods that were completely worth every step. The vibrant birds, the flowers, the colors – I loved all of it but this is when I realized a packable backpack was something I needed to invest in.

Bondi itself was surprisingly small. It felt like a tight knit little town where all the shop owners knew each other. The shopping was wonderful for unique gifts and clothes and I genuinely loved the experience of getting there and eating lunch by the ocean. A few days later I went back with my new friend from the tour, who hadn’t been yet, and then we continued on to Manly Beach together.

Manly Beach by Ferry

Manly Beach is exactly what I thought Bondi Beach would be – an outdoor mall with the beach right out in front! It was filled to the brim with shops and gift stores. We both ended up buying tee shirts here because it torrentially downpoured and I’d left my packable rain jacket. Haha! What a fun experience to remember!

It was definitely a different vibe with a lot of people out and about. We ended up swinging into a Mexican restaurant for tacos and margaritas before catching the fast ferry back to Sydney Harbour and saying goodbye after dinner. The ferry was such a wild ride because it was so insanely choppy. There was also a wedding that got out so a lot of disheveled guests getting seasick and acting a little wild but those ferry drivers are experienced and we made it to the harbour just fine. I recommend this ferry ride for the quick trip but also for experiencing a ferry in another country.

Reading at Dawes Point Reserve

Last but not least, on my list of loves is simply getting the opportunity to read at Dawes Point Reserve. I know this sounds silly but being from the PNW and getting full sunshine at the beginning of March was such a treat for me. It’s wild to think how they were transitioning to autumn while we transition to spring.

So, merely the sun and my book, was the perfect day date for me. I got a coffee and sat on the concrete until I moved to the grass a little later. This was such a wonderful moment for me because I felt like I’d finally arrived in Sydney. It felt tranquil and I loved that area (for the people watching alone!) but also because it hit me that I’d arrived in one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

What I’d Skip

Bondi Beach – I know, I literally just listed it under what I loved! And I stand by loving the walk there. But the beach itself was quieter than usual during my visit due to an unfortunate event that had taken place. From everything I’ve heard since, it’s normally overcrowded and overwhelming. I found Manly Beach far more manageable with more to actually do. The murals at Bondi are stunning and Finding Nemo is absolutely worth finding but overall I found it a little overrated. I’m sorry! 😅
The Spiders – Absolutely, 100%, go walk the Royal Botanic Gardens but you will see a spider the size of your hand (if not bigger) and you will run away. You will have no photo evidence because your entire mind and soul will have left your body waiting for your phone to catch up with you.

Would I Go Back

In a heartbeat. Let’s go right now, friends!

Here’s the thing about Sydney, there is so much to do and see. I was there for a week and two days and I didn’t get to see all of it. I have a laundry list of items I didn’t get to experience. There was simply no time to do them all. Here’s my to do list, if I ever have the privilege to explore Sydney again:

Tour the inside of the Sydney Opera House
See a show at the Opera House
Visit Taronga Zoo Sydney
Swim outside at the Maccallum Seawater Pool
Go to the Australian Museum on a rainy day
See a movie out at outdoor Westpac OpenAir Sydney movie theater

If you’re heading to Sydney I am genuinely so jealous of you. My Best 7 Things to Do Solo in Sydney post is coming very soon so stay tuned for that! In the meantime check out my first Sydney post here and know that my New Zealand adventures are coming next.

For now I am actually in British Columbia soaking up every single moment. More on that very soon!

xoxo,