Winnie Stubbs

When city life feels a little too full-on, it’s natural to crave a moment in nature. To drink a glass of wine from a bath beneath the stars and wake up to the sound of birdsong. The tiny home movement is responding to that need, with architecturally beautiful tiny homes and cabins popping up all across the state – waiting to welcome you for a weekend (or weekday) reset. From six-person cabins on the outskirts of the city to cosy retreats for two hidden in the mountains, we’ve rounded up the most beautiful tiny homes and cabins close (and close-ish) to Sydney. Most are home to alfresco hot tubs or baths, and many are pet-friendly, so you can bring your doggo to frolic with you in the fields.  Want more? Check out our list of the best winter getaways you can take from Sydney. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, event listings and travel inspo, straight to your inbox.

There are plenty of exciting new restaurant openings to add to your hit list. My current favourites include a glamerous new Negroni bar and restaurant called Conte Sydney, Newtown’s charming new fisherman’s den, Mister Grotto; a fire-powered Mediterranean diner from the Bar Copains team called Bessie’s; and dreamy new waterfront Greek diner called Akti. Plus, Canvas – the fine diner atop Sydney's MCA – has a fab new chef. Hungry? I am too. Let’s dig in. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. Looking for something to wash it all down with? These are our favourite bars in Sydney right now. Keen to eat your way around the city? These are the best restaurants in Sydney, from hot newcomers to the OGs.

Winter is well and truly underway in Sydney, and instead of resisting it, we’d recommend leaning in to the spirit of the season. Thankfully, there are a heap of ways to do exactly that this month: from free jazz nights to a magical winter market complete with an alfresco fireside cinema. Plus, Circular Quay’s Bastille Festival is back with a four-day cheese and wine-fuelled affair, and Bondi’s annual arts fest is bringing a sparkling line-up of shows (and a pop-up ice rink) to the Eastern Suburbs.  July also marks NAIDOC Week – an opportunity for us to honour the traditional owners of the land and reflect on so-called Sydney’s colonial past. The always incredible National Indigenous Art Fair will pop up in The Rocks from July 5-6, and  Burramatta NAIDOC Day will bring an epic line-up of First Nations artists to Parramatta Park on July 12.Want to get creative this month? Redfern’s Baptist Street Rec Club is hosting a wildly affordable photography workshop with Fujifilm designed to teach Sydenysiders how to artfully capture a moment in time. Once you've upskilled, we'd suggest heading to one of the best nightclubs in the city to put your new tricks into practice.Keen to get some air? There are a whole lot of walking tracks waiting to be traversed before a cosy pub lunch. Want a winter wellness boost? Bondi Wellness Festival is taking over Bondi Pavillion on July 27.Scroll on for our full list of all the best wintery things to do this July – spring will be here before we know it

Winter is well and truly here, and there are plenty of ways to lean into the seasonal spirit in Sydney this weekend – with festivals, music pop-ups and magical winter markets all listed below. First up, we'd suggest kicking off this weeknd at Archie Party 2025 – a wine-fuelled celebration of music, food and art at the Art Gallery of NSW. Want to warm up? These are the best pubs with fireplaces in the city, these are Sydney’s best Sunday roasts, and these are the best day spas and bathhouses if you’re keen to get steamy.There’s also a heap of excellent exhibitions live at our city’s galleries – our top picks include the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prize exhibition, the first solo museum exhibition by Kamilaroi artist Warraba Weatherall, the incredible Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition and a futuristic new exhibition at Artspace.If you want some air this weekend, our round-ups of the best day hikes close to Sydndey and the best places to camp close to the city should help. And if you’re keen to stock up on fresh produce to fuel you for the weekend, check out our round-up of Sydney’s best markets – you’ll have way more fun than you would at the supermarket. Weather not looking so hot? Check out our list of the best things to do indoors in Sydney. Looking for weekday fun? These are the best things to do in Sydney this week.Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, straight to your inbox.

There’s a lot of fun to be had in the Harbour City this week – with major winter exhibitions now live at galleries and museums across the city and some excellent plays lighting up our theatres. If you’re low on funds but still want to find some fun, we’d suggest catching happy hour, then settling in for a free show – there’s free jazz in The Rocks this Thursday night, free alfresco orchestral performance at Barangaroo on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and live shows at these bars and pubs most nights.Keen to keep moving? These are the best running routes in Sydney, these are our favourite hiking trails in Sydney, and these are the city’s best gyms if you’d rather work out in the warm. Looking for a special date spot? These are the best restaurants in the city right now, and these are our favourite underground bars.  Scroll on for our full list of the best things to do in Sydney this week. Wether not looking so hot? These are the best indoor activities in the city. Mapping out your weekend? These are the best things to do in Sydney this weekend. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, straight to your inbox.

We might be a little biased, but we don't believe there's a better place on earth to spend a day than in our beautiful waterside city. And while Sydney shines in the summertime, there's a lot of delight to be found in the colder months.From coastal walking tracks to secret swim spots to swanky sky-high bars, Sydney is home to the kinds of settings that play host to magical memories every day of the year – from ordinary Wednesdays to the most important days of your life. Want to witness some world-class creativity? These are the city's best galleries, and these are the best plays and musicals on in Sydney right now. Feel like a spa day? These are the best day spas in Sydney. Want to get moving? This list of our favourite walks should help, and these are the best running routes in Sydney if you want to pick up the pace. Scroll on for our full list of the best things to do in Sydney today. Want to get your weekend plans in order, right now? Check out our pick of the best things to do in Sydney this weekend.Rain putting a dampner on your plans? These are the best things to do indoors. On a budget? These are the Time Out team’s pick of 25 things to do in Sydney for under $25. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, straight to your inbox. 

Believe it or not, another school holiday is just about to begin in NSW. And if the thought of keeping the kiddos entertained for the next two weeks sends you into a spiral, we have you covered –  with the ultimate round-up of activities and experiences happening in Sydney for kids and families this winter.  When is the winter school holidays in NSW?  The winter school holidays for 2025 run from Monday, July 7 until Friday, July 18 – this applies to both the Eastern and Western divisions of NSW. What to do in Sydney in the school holidays? There’s something here for the explorers, the budding scientists, the mini-athletes, the musical prodigies and just about everyone in between. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. Looking for somewhere affordable to eat out with the kids? Check out our guide to the best cheap eats in Sydney. Or visit the best kid-friendly restaurants in Sydney.

When it comes to winter getaways, Australia – namely, NSW – doesn't always get the best rap. We get a lot of hype for our marvellous beaches and fairweather fun, but our backyard isn't only worth frolicking around in the summertime. Dare we say, for many NSW holiday locations, winter is the merino-wool hat that they actually wear best.  If you're ready to venture out of the Big Smoke in search of glorious winter sunshine, brisk mountain air or a crackling hearth in a country pub, this guide to some of our favourite cold-weather NSW getaways may be just the thing for you.  So, without further ado, here are our picks of the best winter getaways in NSW to book now.  Read on and be warned: they are chillingly good.  Want more of the chilly stuff? Here are nine things all Sydneysiders know are true about winter, and if you're hitting the slopes, here's everything you need to know before you go to the snow. Staying in Sydney for the cold months? These are our picks of the best pubs and bars with fireplaces in Sydney. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. 

Sun and surf aside, the Gold Coast’s diverse dining scene shines just as bright as its world-class beaches. Whether it's a casual evening with fish and chips by the water, a barefoot bite at the beach club or a special occasion dinner at one of the Goldy’s award-winning restaurants, these are the places you want to be seen. Our Travel & News Editor, Melissa Woodley, has done the hard yards and rounded up the best restaurants on the Gold Coast right now. She recommends Kōst Bar and Grill for a special occasion, Light Years for a big group catch-up, or Costa Taco for something cheap and cheerful. Leave your towels at the door and dig into this list of the Gold Coast's best restaurants. 🌊 Best hotels on the Gold Coast🏄🏻‍♀️ Best things to do on the Gold Coast

As a city known for its healthy way of life, Sydney is unsurprisingly home to dozens of spas and skincare salons offering facial treatments to keep the signature sun-kissed glow alive even through the winter months. And while we can’t list them all, we can shine a light on a few wellness sanctuaries offering fantastic skincare rituals to help you feel like your glowiest self, all year round. Read on for our (by no means exhaustive) round-up of Sydney’s best facials. Want head-to-toe treatment outside of the city? These are the best day spas in the Blue Mountains. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox.

Say what you like, but Sydney sure loves to party. We can find our boogie on the roof, in the basement, by the pool, even every once in a while in a suburban bowling club. But if you're looking for somewhere to "go clubbing", we've got that covered. Yep, the Harbour City is still finding her dancing feet again in the wake of lockout laws and lockdowns. But if you’re after some dancefloor reverie, you just need to know where to look. For example, while Kings Cross has undergone a total vibe shift from its grungier past, Kings Cross Hotel still offers a multi-level dancefloor bonanza. Or, a pub crawl along a funky strip like Newtown’s King Street might be more your speed, and you can cap it off by falling down the rabbit hole at the purple-hued, 4am-licence-having Pleasure Club. Otherwise, the student crowd should be happy to know that your typical “clubbing” experience can still be found at venues like Cargo Bar. Nostalgic elder millienials will also be stoked to know that Chinese Laundry is back to peg you up on the line.  If you’re seeking a particular vibe or a niche subculture thing, then it is worth seeking out events run by particular producers and party collectives that can scratch the itch for you – for example, the ultra cool club kids of Angels Only Inc. curate surprisingly-welcoming shindigs and wholesome amateur strip clubs, and Raw Gadigal is one of a handful of spaces for authentic techno rhythms that will see your night melt away. Meanwhile, Sydney’s queer commu

In the words of Time Out Sydney Arts and Culture Editor Alannah Sue, hair is a religion, and choosing the right salon for you is an undeniably sacred act. To help you find the best people to entrust with your crowning glory, we’ve rounded up the very best hair salons in Sydney – from celeb-approved spots in the Inner City to an award-winning sustainable salon on the Northern Beaches. Read on for our top picks of the very best hair salons in the Harbour City.   Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. Need some me-time? These are the best day spas in the Harbour City.And these are the best facials in Sydney.

Choosing a hotel for your Melbourne staycation can be overwhelming. From charming boutique gems to spectacular sky-high towers, there’s a ridiculously extensive range of hotels to choose from. With that in mind, it’s good to narrow down your options, and decide what’s most important to you. If location is priority number one, we’ve got a contender. Situated right in the heart of the city’s buzzing Southbank, you’ll find Mercure Melbourne Southbank: a towering 275-room hotel a stone’s throw from the action. Why stay at Mercure Melbourne Southbank?    The main drawcard here is the location – overlooking the Yarra River, perfectly positioned between Southbank and the CBD. But as well as being incredibly well situated for all of your staycation needs, it’s also a super comfy place to rest your head – with relatively spacious, super well sound-proofed rooms for a solid night’s sleep just steps from some of Melbourne’s top attractions. What are the rooms like at Mercure Melbourne Southbank? The 275 rooms at the hotel range from ‘standard’ to ‘deluxe’ depending on your budget, with the ‘deluxe king rooms’ your most high-end option. While the vibe here isn’t luxury, each room has everything you need: a kitchenette, air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee facilities and bathroom amenities. Large, picture box windows look out over the river, and locally-inspired art and photography adds pops of colour. Staying with a big group? Interconnected rooms can be easily reserved when you

Calling all comedy fans: we’ve got good news. The Sydney Comedy Club – a beloved team of comedians who began entertaining Sydneysiders back in 2017 – has found a permanent home in the heart of Sydney’s CBD. From Saturday, July 12, the doors to the new underground venue will swing open, with the Sydney Comedy Club set to host a carefully curated line-up of comedians every Friday and Saturday night. Keen? Read on. The Sydney Comedy Club was founded back in 2017 by the man behind the Laugh Garage Comedy Club (Darren Sanders), whose mission is to bring top-tier live comedy to the heart of Sydney. By 2020, Darren and his team had built a loyal following through their frequent, consistently giggle-worthy shows at Luna Park and Parramatta’s Riverside Theatres. When Covid hit, the shows were put on hold, but the Sydney Comedy Club is making a comeback: now with a permanent base beneath the Kent Street Hotel in the heart of the city. When explaining the decision to take up residency in the basement of the CBD watering hole, Darren explains: “With Riverside Theatres now scheduled for a major rebuild, and the city once again hungry for a laugh, it felt like the right time to come back stronger and closer to the heart of Sydney. We scouted venues, and that's when we found the basement at The Kent St Hotel. Timing is everything. Tucked away beneath the bustle of the CBD, it's everything comedy should be: intimate, gritty, and just a little bit underground. Because let’s face it: comedy is

Looking for a rainy day activity in Sydney? We’ve got just the ticket. In the heart of Surry Hills, one of Sydney’s most vibrant inner-city suburbs, you’ll find The Pottery Shed: a huge, warehouse-style mecca of creativity just steps away from some of the city’s best restaurants. Founded in 2010 by American-born pottery teacher Joe Darling, The Pottery Shed welcomes budding ceramicists of all skill levels. It’s designed to be a collaborative, inspiring space where pottery enthusiasts can connect and create. On a rainy winter afternoon, the Time Out Sydney team visited to try out a class for ourselves. Over the two-hour session, we each sat behind our very own pottery wheel and were guided through the craft by Joe and his team of instructors. As well as offering in-depth demonstrations, Joe and the team provided helpful hands-on guidance when we missed the mark – meaning we each finished the session with a masterpiece. Generally, Joe recommends booking a series of three classes so you can be involved with every stage of the process: creating, trimming, and glazing. If you only have time for a one-off class like us, the team will finish your ceramic treasure for you and let you know when it’s ready to collect. So, what do you need to know for a class? As a total novice, I can confirm: very little. Arrive in comfy pants, with your hair tied back and a positive attitude, and you’ll leave with a new creative outlet and a cute piece of crockery (you’ll need to wait for your piece t

Winter is well and truly here. The shortest day of the year has come and gone, and temperatures are oscillating between beach-worthy and sub-Antarctic. If you want to embrace festive energy this winter, we’ve got just the thing.  Sydney’s beloved Christmas in July Festival will be coming back to The Rocks this July, this time with a magical alfresco cinema, more than 80 twinkling Christmas trees, a European-style winter market and a laneway with real falling snow. The Rocks Christmas in July Festival has transformed the harbour-side precinct in the past, but this year, the program is stepping up its game – with the beloved winter markets back and better than ever, and some super special new additions. The key addition to the festival for this year is the Fire Pit Cinema, a first-of-its-kind winter open-air cinema experience. Here, guests will get to watch classic Christmas movies next to cosy private fire pits while roasting marshmallows and getting giddy on mulled wine and festive vibes. Book a fire pit for yourself and your friends and snuggle up under the blankets with a steaming hot chocolate for a cinematic night under the stars.  On the food front, the market will be home to more than 20 pop-up restaurants serving up your favourite European winter fare: everything from melted raclette to golden schnitzels and sugar-dusted crêpes.  Alongside the cinema and markets, Sydneysiders can expect to find a laneway laced with falling snow, and The Rocks will be illuminated by kil

Australia’s most famous beach is welcoming back its big winter festival, this time with the biggest program to date. Running from Friday, July 4 until Sunday, July 20, Bondi Festival 2025 will bring 17 days of world-class music, theatre, comedy, visual arts and interactive performances to the beachside suburb – as well as a huge ice-skating rink and the beloved ‘Bondi Vista Ferris Wheel’. This year’s fest will also see a welcome focus on foodie offerings, with the festival’s ‘Blue Sky Markets’ making their debut at Bondi Park over three big Saturdays, hosting stallholders from across Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. Festivities will begin with the 2025 Waverley Art Prize winners’ announcement at Bondi Pavilion Art Gallery – a prize that’s now in its 39th year. After the announcement, festival goers can get their giggle on at the opening night Bondi Festival Comedy Gala, which will take over Bondi Pavilion Theatre for two laughter-filled nights. The first Saturday of the fest also sees the return of two fan favourites: the Pavilion Paw Parade, and Sydney’s beloved inclusive art class, Gladdy Drawing Club.  Other highlights from the first week include an incredible showcase of First Nations talent, an on-stage film-making spectacle by POV by re:group, the Sydney premiere of Alternative Facts’ unexpectedly intimate new theatrical experience Sincere Apologies and the Bondi Festival debut of the award-winning comedian and disability advocate, Madeleine Stewart. The second week of the fes

Winter is well and truly here, and although Sydney is a city that thrives in the summertime, there’s a lot of fun to be had in the winter months, too. To bring some extra sparkle to this year’s (exceptionally) chilly season, the Northern Beaches Council has launched a cosy-af new winter festival: complete with a European ski resort-inspired pop-up, a series of wellness workshops, ten nights of live music and a whole lot of winter-themed dinners to keep you fuelled. Running from Friday, June 20 until Sunday, June 29, Rise Manly will take over heaps of venues across the Northern Beaches with a program designed to warm you up from the inside. Highlights include a magical pop-up ‘European Ski Village’ at Manly Pavilion (complete with winter cocktails, a Euro-inspired menu, inflatable igloos, ice sculptures and more), a ten-night music series at Felons Manly, a gorgeous long lunch by Alessandro Pavoni and Giovanni Pilu at Cibaria Manly and a series of jazz nights at Henry G’s. Other participating venues include 4 Pines Manly, Fika, Winona Wine, Noon, Tenacious Bakehouse and Sunset Sabi.  Keen to get cold? Join Manly’s bold and beautiful swimmers for the Ice Cold Classic: a one-kilometre charity ocean swim on the winter solstice. Not ready to take on a full kilometre of laps? Join a snorkelling experience to watch giant cuttlefish light up the ocean floor. Want a guaranteed post-swim warm-up? Q Station is playing host to a pop-up Finnish sauna, so you can dip in the harbour then wa

Marrickville's Tooth and Nail – Toothies for short – was founded back in 2017 by two best friends on a mission to create an inclusive salon/ barbershop for all walks of life. Their team of talented stylists (and most-recognisable team member, resident dog Brando) have helped them to realise that vision – with Toothies now a go-to for Sydneysiders of all identities looking for a welcoming, unintimidating salon experience and a trendy new 'do.   Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED: Need some me-time? These are the best day spas in the Harbour City.And these are the best facials in Sydney.

The super talented teams at Cov Hair (led by chief stylist and colourist wizard Yoav Cohen) view hair as “a vessel of self-expression…something powerful that can define us, brand us, and change us,”, so it’s safe to say that you’ll be in attentive hands. Hailing from the trendy French city of Marseille, Yoav brings a fresh, cool, cutting-edge approach. The peachy toned Mosman salon is the original outpost, and the Surry Hills salon opened in 2024. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED: Need some me-time? These are the best day spas in the Harbour City.And these are the best facials in Sydney.

Founded way back in 1968, this salon has been tending to the locks of Sydneysiders for decades. Located just off Phillip Street in the heart of Parramatta, it’s a beloved salon for the people of Western Sydney, offering everything from keratin straightening treatments to balayage colouring. The salon now has outposts in Carlingford and Camden too, but the Parramatta outpost is the OG (and just steps away from some of Parramatta’s best eateries). Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox.RECOMMENDED:  Need some me-time? These are the best day spas in the Harbour City.And these are the best facials in Sydney.

In the heart of Paddington – arguably Sydney’s fashion capital – you’ll find Paloma, a super chic, sustainable salon that claims to take a “sensory approach to self-care”. What does that look like? Ceremonial-grade matcha on arrival and neck massages with relaxing Vedic oil blends. Sign us up. The team will listen to your needs and carefully execute your cut and style while you sit back and relax, creating looks that they refer to as “undone yet elevated”. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED:  Need some me-time? These are the best day spas in the Harbour City.And these are the best facials in Sydney.

This multi-award-winning salon on Sydney’s Northern Beaches has gained an incredibly loyal 5,000-strong client base since opening its doors, and for very good reason. Not only do the team here offer exceptional cuts, colours and styling treatments, they’re also committed to making the world a better place – to date, they’ve donated more than $100k to charity, and their sustainability initiatives are second to none.  The salon’s mission – bourne out through initiatives like ‘One Chair One Child’ (which has seen them sponsor a child in Uganda for every salon chair, currently eight) and their annual ‘With Love’ campaign (an annual two-week campaign that sees them donate $25 from every appointment to a life-changing cause of the client’s choice) – is “to prove that salons can be beautiful, generous and a force for good”. If you ask us, that’s a haircut worth catching the ferry for.  Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED:  Need some me-time? These are the best day spas in the Harbour City.And these are the best facials in Sydney.

Situated just off Queen Street in the leafy heart of Woolahra, this intimate salon is a truly divine space to spend a few hours, with exceptional hair cuts and colours a very welcome bonus. Candles burn and fill the space with a beautiful woody scent, there’s rosé on tap, and when the sun is shining, you can sit outside in the plant-filled atrium while the colour does its work on your locks. Although the space alone would be reason enough to visit Willomina, it’s the team and sense of community that sets this salon apart. “We want people to feel comfortable and cared for when they’re here,” salon manager Bridgitte tells me. And it’s true – there’s nothing intimidating about Willomina, and you can guarantee you’re in excellent hands. The team of seven stylists are all super talented and super friendly, so you’ll leave feeling like you’ve made a friend and gained a gorgeous new look. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox.RECOMMENDED:  Need some me-time? These are the best day spas in the Harbour City.And these are the best facials in Sydney.

Sydney’s CBD is on the up – quite literally. Since the George Street light rail opened in 2019, the city centre has been rapidly transforming, with a slew of stylish new bars and restaurants opening their doors, the metro improving connectivity, and Martin Place evolving from a relatively soulless corporate no-man's-land into a vibrant cultural precinct. And Sydney isn’t stopping there – a huge public square has been approved for construction in front of Town Hall, and now, the City of Sydney has approved new height limits in the heart of the city, allowing more towers to rise higher into the sky. The planning changes – increasing permitted building height to 310 metres – were introduced to enable the construction of a new 70-storey skyscraper at 56–60 Pitt Street. Nearby, at 1–25 O’Connell Street, a 319-metre tower is also expected to rise above the CBD in the coming years. Though not officially approved yet, this 71-storey tower is “in line with the Central Sydney Planning Strategy,” according to Lord Mayor Clover Moore AO. “These buildings will provide future workplaces that are in line with what business expects and that are essential for Sydney as a globally competitive city,” Moore said, after explaining how the Pitt Street development will benefit the city. “This project will provide more office space, a high-quality design and outstanding public places, in the form of a new public plaza and a pedestrian through-site link connecting Pitt Street to Spring and Gresham st

Sydney has no shortage of incredible places to work out, from a stunning, Dubai-inspired gym in the city’s west to free-to-use spaces overlooking the ocean. But if you want to find everything in one place – a gym, recovery zone, physio centre, co-working space and health food café – you’re in for more of a challenge. Enter: Virgin Active’s brand-new Bondi Junction Westfield outpost, a world-first concept from the global brand that brings all your wellness needs under one (exceptionally beautiful) roof. Due to open this July, Virgin Active Bondi Westfield will be the brand’s first “all-day social wellness destination.” Spread across a vast 2,500-square-metre area, it will feature everything you’d expect from a Virgin Active gym – a high-spec gym floor, fitness studios and luxury changing rooms – plus additional zones and services that transform your in-and-out workout into an all-day experience. Co-working spaces and a business lounge will be open for guests to plug in and get their work done; a huge wellness zone (complete with Finnish sauna, infrared sauna, hydrotherapy spa, cold plunge, and heated slab), and a semi-private recovery suite (featuring new-age recovery equipment like trigger point guns and compression boots) will be available to help you bounce back from your workout; and the on-site café will be serving up seasonal, sustainably sourced fuel. Photograph: Supplied | Virgin Active The fitness offering here will be anything but ordinary, with a range of classes

When XtraClubs opened the doors to their sprawling Bondi Junction bath house back in early 2024, they changed the game – establishing Sydney’s most affordable social bath house, with a new membership model that makes wellness hacks accessible for members every day of the week. Now, they’ve opened the doors at their second location – with XtraClubs Green Square welcoming wellness enthusiasts into a stunning light-flooded space in Sydney’s Inner South.  Housed in a former warehouse just 100 metres from Green Square station, XtraClubs Green Square is home to two large traditional Finnish saunas (one of which is a dedicated no-talking zone), four infrared saunas, six ice-baths and one huge social steam room. Designed to inspire relaxation, the shiny new space features crazy pave travertine, with light pouring in through huge windows and each feature carefully positioned for a calming escape from reality. Photograph: Supplied | Xtra Clubs And while the space alone is worthy of buzz, it’s the XtraClubs membership model that really sets it apart from other Sydney bath houses. As with the Bondi Junction space, the new Green Square location is open from 6am to 11pm, seven days a week. Once you’ve signed up as a member, you can make the bath house part of your daily ritual – with a range of membership levels to suit different schedules. Entry level memberships offer you unlimited off-peak visits and one peak-time visit every week for less than $30 per week. Considering most sauna vi

Winter has well and truly arrived in the Harbour City, and if “bombgenesis” has got you craving sunnier climbs, we’ve got good news. Etihad Airways – one of the world’s best long-haul airlines – has just dropped a huge flash sale, with super discounted flights to Europe for a last minute Euro summer.  Photograph: Shutterstock From today (Wednesday, July 2) until tomorrow (Thursday, July 3), Sydneysiders can score super discounted flights to some of Europe’s hottest destinations, including Rome, Milan, Paris and the newly launched Warsaw and Prague routes. Discounts will apply to flights up until July 31 2025 – so if you’ve got your bags packed ready for a Mediterranean summer, now’s your chance. Not sure where to go? The sale includes one-way flights from Sydney to Barcelona, Madrid, Geneva, Rome, Prague, Warsaw and Munich for $956, one-way flights from Sydney to Manchester for $948 and one-way flights from Sydney to Amsterdam and Zurich for $886. Other routes include Nice, Frankfurt and Paris, all for less than $960 (which is around 50 per cent cheaper than what you’d usually pay at this time of year). Keen? You’ll want to act fast – the sale ends tomorrow. You can plan your hols over here.     Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox.   RECOMMENDED:  On a budget? Explore more of NSW at these dreamy camping spots. Or explore one of these magical beach towns around the state. Kee

When the NSW Government announced the $60 toll cap back in January 2024, they explained that they were on a mission to make Sydney’s road network fairer for the city’s motorists, especially those based in Sydney's west, where toll roads are often unavoidable. Now, the government has announced the establishment of ‘NSW Motorways’: a publicly owned entity dedicated to “driving towards a fairer toll road network” by advancing toll reform and advocating for motorists.  The establishment of NSW Motorways comes as a recommendation from the Independent Toll Review, a major examination of the NSW road network conducted by Professor Allan Fels and Dr David Cousins. Expected to be fully operational by the end of 2025, NSW Motorways will regulate toll prices across the city, set standards for toll operators and advise the government on issues impacting motorists. The new government body is also set to take ownership of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Tunnel (where tolls recently rose), mange the Western Sydney Harbour Tunnel when it opens and operate a dedicated ‘Customer Advocate’ who will be responsible for making the road system in Sydney fairer for drivers. Photograph: Mohamad Ibrahim | Unsplash Additionally, the government has confirmed that an ‘Independent Tolling Ombudsman’ will be created, another recommendation from the recent toll road review. These changes reflect what Minister for Transport John Graham refers to as the NSW Government’s commitment to “restoring fairness to th

It's official: winter is well and truly here. The shortest day is approaching, the ocean's getting cooler, and rooftop bars are being replaced by cosy pubs on our weekend hit lists. And though we love to complain about how terribly-insulated Sydney homes are, winter in Sydney isn’t all that bad. One particularly beautiful thing about the colder months in the Harbour City is the spectacular splashes that punctuate the ocean thanks to the annual whale migration. Keen to catch a sight of one of the ocean’s gentle giants? Save on whale-watching boat rides and you watch them sail up the humpback highway from the coast. Read on for everything you need to know. When is whale-watching season in Sydney? Whale-watching season in Sydney runs from May until late July, and again from August until November. The whales of NSW begin to make their journey north in May (humpbacks begin passing Sydney from mid-May), with peak whale-watching season in NSW being between June and July. If you don’t get the chance to spot a whale as they head up the coast, you can catch the mothers and calves on their southbound journey between August and November. During their northbound migration, the whales travel closer to the coast, so it’s worth getting in early. What is the best time for whale watching in Sydney? Opinions on the best time to see whales in Sydney vary, with some experts claiming that whales are more active early in the morning, and others stating that you’re more likely to spot the breaching

Gun to my head, if I were asked to recommend one Sydney staycation for an animal enthusiast visiting from overseas, I’d tell them Tiny Wombat. Not only is this magical tiny home named after one of Australia’s cutest native creatures, it’s also located on one of the city’s most incredible wildlife sanctuaries, meaning you can come face to face with some cute-as-hell Aussie animals before settling in for a hot tub under the stars. All of this, just a 45-minute drive from Sydney’s CBD. Got family visiting from out of town and not sure where to take them? You’re welcome.  Tiny Wombat is one of two tiny homes that opened earlier this year on the grounds of the Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, a lush 35-acre property on the outskirts of the city. While there are a lot of beautiful places to stay in Sydney (and even a hotel inside Sydney’s most spectacular zoo), Tiny Wombat and Tiny Wallaby are the first tiny homes to open inside an Australian wildlife sanctuary. Supported by generous donations and entirely volunteer-run, Hills Wildlife Sanctuary is an organisation dedicated to providing homes for injured or orphaned animals who might not survive in the wild. Tours of the sanctuary (offered to a limited number of visitors every week to maintain a stable setting for the animals that call it home) can be booked as an add-on to your stay, and all funds go towards keeping the sanctuary running and providing care to (cute A-F) creatures in need.  Photograph: Winnie Stubbs | Time Out Sydney Th

The sun has been shining bright in Sydney over the past few weeks, and we’ve been treated to some stunning days: with high skies and crystal clear waters. But it looks like our beach weather is wrapping up for a few days at least, with a huge winter storm headed for the Harbour City. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, Sydney is set to be battered by torrential rain, super strong surf and “damaging” winds when a powerful low-pressure system hits Australia’s east coast over the next few days.Due to arrive on Tuesday, July 1, the storm is expected to peak over Tuesday and Wednesday, with winds of up to 45 kilometres per hour and up to 90 millimetres of rain due on Tuesday alone. On Wednesday, we’re due for up to 35 millimetres of rain, damaging winds of up to 40 kilometres per hour and “hazardous” surf conditions. If you were planning an ocean swim, you’ll want to reschedule. Photograph: Winnie Stubbs | Time Out Sydney High rainfall in the Harbour City in June isn’t super rare – it’s generally known as the wettest month of the year. But even so, the rainfall we’re set to see over the next few days is unusual – with the average rainfall in June 132 millimetres, and up to 140 millimetres due to fall on Sydney between Tuesday and Thursday. With more than a month’s worth of rain due to fall this week alone, flood warnings have been issued across Sydney, the Hunter region, Illawarra and the South Coast. According to the BoM, the rain is due to ease on Thursday, but we should s

With spectacular celebrity-approved palaces overlooking the harbour and magical beachside boltholes hiding in sun-soaked coves, Sydney’s hotel scene is already pretty unparalleled. In fact, in the most recent hotel awards from renowned travel media brand Travel and Leisure, it was revealed that 50 per cent of Australia’s best city stays are right here in Sydney. But the Harbour City isn’t stopping there. Later this year, doors will open at the first Australian outpost of 25hours Hotels. 25hours Hotel The Olympia is due to open in the heart of Sydney's Inner East this spring – here’s what we know so far.  First things first: location, location, location. If you’ve spent any time in the Darlinghurst/ Paddington area in recent weeks, you’ll have seen the scaffolding begin to come down around the huge heritage-listed building on the corner of South Dowling Street and Oxford. The former theatre (initially opened in 1911 as ‘West’s Olympia Theatre’) has spent the past few decades as a palace of entertainment, becoming Sydney’s first twin cinema in the 1970s before briefly reverting back to a live theatre venue in 2014. Photograph: Supplied | 25hours Hotel The Olympia This year, the building will officially begin its new chapter as a hospitality mecca, with the 109-room hotel set to welcome a Santa Monica-inspired rooftop bar, a coffee shop celebrating Sydney’s café culture, a sexy, film noir-inspired cocktail bar and an intimate restaurant. All four dining spaces in the hotel wil

It’s not a newsflash to be reminded that the cost of living in Sydney is high. But it’s a kick in the guts to learn that Sydney isn’t just expensive by Australian standards, but by global standards, too. A new report has just confirmed that Sydney’s housing market is the second-most expensive in the world, for the second year running. For more than two decades, the Demographia International Housing Affordability report has ranked housing affordability across 95 major metropolitan areas in eight countries, including Australia, Canada, China, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. To determine the rankings, the researchers at Chapman University compare median house prices to median household incomes, scoring each market on a scale from ‘affordable’ (3.0 or less) to ‘impossibly unaffordable’ (9.0 or more). For the first time ever, not a single one of the 95 housing markets assessed was classified as ‘affordable’. This news is even more grim for potential Aussie homebuyers, with five Australian cities ranked among the 15 least affordable places to buy a home worldwide in 2025. Sydney was the second-worst place for housing affordability in the world, trailing only behind Hong Kong. This isn’t anything new – the NSW capital has ranked as the first, second or third-most unaffordable housing market in 16 of the last 17 years. In 2025, it had an ‘impossibly unaffordable’ score of 13.8, with the report finding that median house prices across the city

From spectacular seaside escapes to sky-high stunners, Australia is home to some seriously luxurious hotels. We’ve all got a dream stay, but ten in particular have just been crowned the best of the best in Australia for 2025 — and they deserve a top spot on your bucket list. Renowned travel media brand Travel + Leisure has named Capella Sydney as this year’s winner of the best city hotel in Australia. Opened in 2023 after an eye-popping $300 million refurbishment, this lavish heritage-listed hotel features a naturally lit 20-metre indoor pool, Italian Frette linen, 24-hour room service controlled by a tablet, and a chic French bistro, Brasserie 1930. Photograph: Timothy Kaye Capella isn’t the only Harbour City stay that’s worthy of a crown; five of the top ten city hotels for 2025 are in Sydney. The Park Hyatt Sydney landed in third, followed by Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel at Circular Quay in fifth, Shangri-La Sydney in seventh and Pier One Sydney Harbour in eighth. The ultra-stylish Ritz-Carlton Melbourne ranked as the second-best city hotel for 2025. Soaring 80 storeys high, this luxe stay features 257 fancy rooms with incredible views of the city, a heated infinity pool, bougie spa packages and an award-winning modern Australian restaurant, Atria. Guests here are well and truly sitting in the lap of luxury.  Another one of our Melbourne favourites, W Melbourne, claimed the sixth spot on the best city hotels list, with its sister hotel in Brisbane landing in tenth. You

From breezy beachside stays to spectacular sky-high towers, Sydney is home to some pretty incredible hotels. We all have our favourites, but one in particular – housed in the former government building at Circular Quay – continues to gain recognition on the global stage. Last year, Capella Sydney was included in prestigious travel brand AFAR’s list of the 31 best hotels in the world, and it’s now scored another accolade to add to its collection. The renowned travel media company Travel and Leisure has just announced its 2025 award winners, and Capella scored big – ranking as the best city hotel in Australia. And it turns out Capella isn’t the only Harbour City stay that’s worthy of a crown; five of the top ten city hotels in Australia for 2025 are right here in Sydney. These are the top 10 city hotels in Australia for 2025: Capella, Sydney The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne Park Hyatt Sydney The Tasman Hobart, Tasmania Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel at Circular Quay W Melbourne Shangri-La Sydney Pier One Sydney Harbour COMO The Treasury, Perth W Brisbane Shangri-La Sydney’s Chi, The Spa took the award for best hotel spa in Australia, with three other NSW hotel spas (Park Hyatt Sydney, Elements of Byron Resort and Spa, and The Day Spa by Chuan at The Langham) also ranking in the top ten. Shangri-La and Capella also featured on the list of the country’s five best hotel General Managers, placing first and fifth respectively. These are the Time Out team's favourite spas in Sydney Phot