Flying into Sydney for the marathon next weekend? Your guide on where to stay, what to eat and what to do

More than 40,000 runners from 162 countries. Four lead-up days of live music, fan experiences and big-screen race coverage. Shakeout runs and after-parties right on one of the world’s most famous harbours. If there was ever a time to visit Sydney as a runner, this is it – the Sydney Marathon is now in its second year as a World Major and drew a record-breaking 123,000 entries from around the world. In other words: if you’re one of the fortunate few to get a place in next weekend’s 26.2, make the most of it (and good luck). Even if you don’t have a place, you’ll still feel the buzz if you’re in or around Sydney over the next week. From sunrise bridge climbs over the harbour to the city’s hottest new superyacht restaurant, here’s what to add to your bucket list while you’re in town.Where to stayIf you’ve heard the buzz about Rick Stein’s new Australian flagship restaurant from friends’ down under, you’re in luck. The celebrity chef opened his beachfront restaurant in Sydney’s Coogee in December and it’s part of a brand new shiny hotel opening, the InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach (£228, ihg.com), which opened its doors at the same time. It features an ocean-facing infinity pool and private pickleball courts and is Sydney’s only luxury beachfront hotel located within 20 minutes of the city (and just a 15-minute drive from the SCG) so book fast if you want to nab one of the 198 rooms and suites.Manly Pacific (£240, all.accor.com) is another beachfront favourite if you’re happy to stay a little further from the centre of the city, with order-to-room Peloton bikes, health shots and Goji berries at breakfast and a rooftop pool spiced with magnesium instead of chlorine (it boosts your skin and muscle health, apparently). The five-star beach chic coastal hangout reopened in 2023 following a near £15m facelift and is just a 20 minute ferry from Sydney’s CBD and worth it for the ferry-ride alone – you’ll sail right past the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. No expensive tourist boat needed. EVE HotelGeorg RoskeOther popular Sydney hotels include the Park Hyatt Sydney (£568, hyatt.com) with its uninterrupted views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge; Ace Hotel Sydney (£147, acehotel.com) if you fancy more of a cool creative vibe; and The EVE (£257, theevehotel.com.au), a chic new hotel in the city’s stylish Surry Hills district which opened in February and was singer-songwriter Olivia Dean’s hotel of choice when she jetted into town for the 2025 ARIA Awards earlier this year.We checked into The EVE over the weekend of the Lions rugby final this time last year and enjoyed a luxe sports-filled weekend including a private, behind-the-scenes tour of Sydney’s iconic Cricket Ground and the SCG Museum – a highlight of our 48 hours leading up to the Lions game, alongside the food. The chic Wunderlich Lane lifestyle quarter surrounding the hotel is bursting with dining options, and Bar Julius’ signature dippy eggs on the ground floor of the hotel were by far the fanciest I’ve seen in a decade of hotel reviewing. Picture a stack of pork-hock dippers and perfectly boiled eggs on little silver thrones.Where to eatWunderlich Lane is your spot for the biggest cluster of brand new dining options, with offerings ranging from cool sandwich joint S’Wich (eatswich.com.au) to laid-back Southeast Asian restaurant Island Radio (islandradio.sydney) – the prawn roti is a guest favourite). You can eat some of the best dishes from around the world in the space of 100 metres and there’s a cool, Melbourne-esque vibe about the place that can be hard to find in other parts of Sydney. Elsewhere in Surry Hills, Bessie’s and Alma’s (bessiesrestaurant.com) is a fan favourite if you’re into your wine (order the whipped cod’s roe and the tuna, which comes served on a hash brown) and Lottie (theevehotel.com.au) at the EVE is one of the best spots in town for Mexican and a marg. Swing by Kepos Street Kitchen (keposstreetkitchen.com.au)for breakfast and order the spanakopita. You’ll see what I mean.Other foodie favourites to add to your Sydney bucket list: the Skiff Sailing Club (manlyskiff.com)in Manly if you’re after buzzy waterfront dining (the steak is half-price on Mondays); Cafe Sydney (cafesydney.com) for the best food and view combo in town (book early – tables are like gold-dust); 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 some of Sydney’s top late-night haunts. SolarèJonny ValiantSolaré (luxecruisinggroup.com.au), Sydney’s first floating restaurant set aboard a luxury 150-foot superyacht, also opened its doors earlier this year – just in time for nights feasting on oysters and champagne against one of the best sunsets in the world. Think bold yellow day-beds and beach club vibes, and an ever-changing view while you dine. The bonus is you’re coming over in Aussie winter, so it should be easier to bag a table. Take to the waterThe key to nailing a trip to Sydney? Make sure you’re never too far from the water – which isn’t hard, given most of the best bits of the city are right on one of the most famous and scenic natural harbours in the world.Read MoreAnd contrary to what you might have heard before coming over, there’s a whole lot more to Sydney’s beaches than Bondi – though the Bondi to Coogee walk is obviously a must, if you’ve somehow missed the reels of happy hikers posing along the walk-dip-walk-route on Instagram (there are seven ocean pools to swim in along the way). The Spit to Manly walk might be a little less documented on social media but is equally beautiful, with Fairlight Beach Rockpool offering a perfect dip-spot towards the end. You’ll finish in the popular suburb of Manly, with its eight world-beating beaches (including the seventh best in the world, according to TripAdvisor) and one of the best snorkelling spots in Sydney (the waters of Cabbage Tree Bay off Manly’s Shelley Beach are an aquatic reserve, with swimmers regularly spotting dolphins and turtles).Surfing in SydneyApplejack_Sandy's_URBNSURF SydneOther hit 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 also both within easy access of the city if you’re looking for something a little wilder but still next to the water. Otherwise, it’s to the pools: Sydney.com has a handy checklist of the 30 plus ocean pools dotted around the city (Bondi Icebergs, Bronte Baths and Maccallum Pool are musts) and you could easily spend a happy fortnight swimming in a different one each half a day. If you’re not into swimming, grab a board. Sydney By Kayak’s sunrise tour is one of the most popular experiences on the harbour – they’ll have your coffee order ready in a thermos mug to take out on the water – and URBNSURF, a surfing park at Sydney’s Olympic Park, is a perfect beginner surfing ground before you brave the waves of Bondi Beach (the centre’s on-site restaurant, Rafi, is a fan favourite before matches at the Olympic Park). Double Bay, Manly and Balmoral are some of the top spots if you want to hire a sailing dinghy. EcoTreasures and Snorkelverse offer guided snorkelling tours in Manly and Clovelly (Ecotreasures’ guests regularly spot turtles, cuttlefish and miniature Port Jackson sharks). And Tribal Warrior Cultural Cruises offer aboriginal cultural tours of Sydney Harbour for those looking to stay dry and learn about the Cadigal, Guringai, Wangal, Gammeraigal and Wallumedegal people, the original custodians of the lands surrounding Sydney. Seek some thrillIf you’re jetting into Sydney for just a few days around the marathon, you’ll want to be savvy about how you see the highlights. The most efficient (and memorable) way to take it all in? Book a flight with Sydney Seaplanes, which offers 15-minute highlights tours of the harbour and has to have been the best thing I did in my whole 18 months living in the sparkling, waterside city. It’s expensive, at $330 per person, but you’ll see Bondi Beach, the Harbour Bridge and Opera House in a matter of minutes – and come away buzzing for the rest of the day. There’s also a 30-minute Sydney Secrets tour, taking in the northern beaches of Sydney as well as the harbour (including Palm Beach, where Home & Away was filmed), as well as various seaplane and dining experiences if you’re looking for an extra special post-marathon treat. The flight featuring lunch at the Cottage Point Inn on the Hawkesbury River is a customer favourite, and takes four hours in total including flying time. The Harbour BridgeClimb and Thunder Jetboat were among the most popular Sydney attractions buzzing with Lions fans this time last year – which is hardly surprising, given a love of sports regularly comes paired with a thirst for adventure.Thunder JetblastDestination NSWThe Jetboat is about as adrenaline-fuelled as harbour tours get in Sydney, with high-octane thrill rides and high-speed spins guaranteed to get you soaked (a good one for a rainy day, given you’ll need to change your underwear after regardless), while Blue Mountains Bikes’ self-guided e-bike or road bike tours through the Blue Mountains UNESCO World Heritage Site are popular with visitors who have a few days to escape the city and experience the mountains’ sheer sandstone cliffs and deep valley gorges. They’ll meet you with your bike and gear close to the trails and public transport (it’s an easy two-hour train ride from Sydney’s Central Station). Meanwhile the Harbour BridgeClimb might sound frightening but it’s one of the most popular experiences in the city year-after-year (visitors rave about the Burrawa edition of the BridgeClimb, which comes with an indigenous First Nations guide) – even amongst the non-adrenaline junkies. Yes, you’ll get the thrill of standing 440 feet up above harbour, but with harnesses, safety rails and a purpose-built steel walkway it feels surprisingly relaxed. My grandfather completed it in his eighties and a friend said she felt relaxed all the way round despite her fear of heights. Kick back and keep coolSport and wellness aren’t a fad or a gimmick in Sydney; they’re etched into the city’s DNA – which is refreshing, if you’re someone who wants to feel like they’re doing what the locals do on holiday (plus your legs will probably need some R&R, if you’re staying on in the city after the race). Capybara bathingDestination NSWIf you thought sauna culture was big in London, try Sydney, where you’ll find more than 80 scattered across the city from health clubs to luxe bathhouses. Try Cedar and Salt’s portable Finnish-style sauna in the Northern Beaches, Capybara Bathing in Surry Hills, and the leafy Soak Bathhouse in Alexandria, which opened its second outpost in Bondi Junction a few months ago. Wellness Afloat also offers a floating sauna-plunge-sauna option in a moving, Nordic-inspired vessel known as The Ark, crafted from over half a million recycled plastic milk bottles. Every two-hour journey is carbon-negative and comes with complimentary towels, hot and cold refreshments and harbour views. Other favourites to add to your wellness-in-Sydney bucket list: Yoga by the Sea’s beach-based sessions across the city; cryotherapy sessions at Cryo Northern Beaches in Freshwater; sound bathing in Rose Bay; and forest bathing walks through Lane Cove National Park only 20 minutes from the heart of the city.