66 things to do in Sydney before 9am

While a lot of us might only be able to drag ourselves out of bed in time for work with the promise of coffee, some Sydneysiders have already run the coast path, snapped a sunrise pic by the pool and beaten the crowds to secure one of our city's best croissants (we're looking at you, A.P. Bakery). If you need a little inspiration to set your alarm a little earlier and seize the early hours, this list should help.

1. Be one of the first swimmers to wade into the salt water at Bronte Baths and soak in the views of an empty beach as daylight creeps over the horizon.

2. Get in early to feed the animals at Taronga Zoo. You’ll need to book in a sleepover at Roar N Snore, but at 6.15am you’ll get to feed a seal and sunbake with an echidna. From $407

3. Book in for a surf lesson at Bondi Beach. Let’s Go Surfing runs 6.30am sessions for beginners, so you can practice standing up (and falling off) before the beach gets busy. $130 for a two hour lesson. 

4. Weave your way around working fishermen on the auction floor at Sydney Fish Market and see more than 100 varieties of seafood in the 6.40am Behind the Scenes tours. $50.

5. Start the day drifting 300m above farmyards and pretty country towns with Balloon Aloft on a sunrise tour over Camden Valley. Daily 4am. $319.

6. Rise and shine to stock your pantry with fresh produce from Carriageworks Farmers Market. Sat 8am-1pm.

7. Sydney Opera House Backstage Tours start at 7am every weekday. Access areas normally reserved for big stars and finish with breakfast in the Green Room. Daily, 7am. $175 (rising to $190 from April 2024).

8. Walk to Ben Buckler to watch the sun rise on the ocean’s horizon. When the tide’s low, carefully walk along the North Bondi rocks then take the stairs to Ray O’Keffe reserve. North Bondi 2026.

9. Centre yourself with a 6am sweaty yoga class at Redfern’s Humming Puppy – they’re not as busy as lunchtime or after-work classes. $35 for a casual pass.

10. Grab an excellent cup of coffee at Single O, one of Surry Hills’ most popular cafés. It opens at 7am on weekdays; beat queues before the locals rush in.

11. Stand-up paddle board at Balmoral Beach when the water is calm and the boats are few and far between. $30.

12. Shake it off at Sydney Dance Company. Jazz, ballet, jazz, funk, hip-hop and latin classes kick off at 6.30am. $99 for month long intro pass.

13. Bake yourself in the Icebergs Pool sauna then cool down with dip after – it can be a sardine tin on weekends, but at 6am on weekdays (6.30am at weekends) it’s much more chilled. The pool is closed on Thursdays for cleaning, so that's the morning you're allowed to stay in bed.

14. Head to Fritter House at Bondi Markets for the breakfast staple piled high with bacon, chicken chipolatas, spiced potatoes, tomatoes, chilli jam and sour cream. Sat 8am.

15. Ride the 7.30am ferry departing Parramatta Wharf, which winds leisurely along the river before ending at Circular Quay just in time for breakfast in the Rocks. $6-$8

16. Climb the Harbour Bridge at dawn and see the sun rise over the horizon from the most spectacular vantage point. From 3am. $344 - $364.

17. Kayak on the velvety smooth water underneath Sydney Harbour Bridge and watch the sunrise as it hits Sydney Opera House. Sun 5-7am. $165pp (coffee included).

18. Sign your pooch up for six weeks of puppy pre-school at Centennial Park, where they’ll learn to sit, stay and answer to their name. Sun 8am. $30 membership fee, $3 ground fee per visit.

19. Spend Saturday mornings pruning, planting and weeding as an Easy Care volunteer gardener, helping elderly residents and those with a disability stay in their homes. 

20. Float into your day with a 7.15am aerial yoga, barre or pilates session at SkyLab, where you’re rigged up to hammock so every pose is held mid-air. Mon-Fri 7.15am. $45.

21. Get lost in a book and relish in frosty air-con at Sydney Uni’s Fisher Library, open 24 hours for students (wink) or from 8am for the public. Mon-Sun 9am. Free.

22. Pick up a loaf of the best sourdough or rye in Sydney at Iggy’s Bread – the earlier the better; they always sell out. Tue-Sun 7am.

23. Kick start your day with a rock climbing session at Climb Fit – there’s over 200 routes to conquer. Mon-Fri 6am; Sat, Sun 8am. From $23

24. Hop on a Katoomba-bound train by 6.30am and cop an eyeful of the Blue Mountains scenery just as the sun hits. $7-$18.

25. Have a buffet breakfast surrounded by koalas followed by a gratuitous selfie session at Wild Life Sydney Zoo. Sat, Sun 7.15am. $90.

26. Pick up a pot plant at Flower Power. Mon-Sun 8am.

27. Strap on a snorkel and gawk at the Gordon’s Bay fishies before anyone gets there. BYO snorkelling gear. 

28. Kick a ball around with some mates before the sun comes up at the Domain.

29. Start your day with dessert by scoring a slice of Black Star Pastry’s famous watermelon cake. From 8am.

30. Eat a famous breakfast from Bills. Not only will you skip the queues that form later in the day, but you’ll have extra hours to burn off those ricotta hotcakes with honeycomb butter. From 7am.

31. Go on a self-guided sculpture walk with the Sydney Culture Walks App, which will guide your from St Mary’s Cathedral down to the Botanic Gardens. Bring a coffee for an arty start to your day.

32. Watch the sunrise from the steps of Hornby Lighthouse right out at Sydney’s farthest eastern tip. While you’re there pop down to Camp Cove for a morning dip.

33. Learn to capture a sunrise on camera with this 2.5 hours course for early risers. 5am-7.30am. $95.

34. The very first ferry of the day to Cockatoo Island – it leaves Circular Quay at 6.15am during the week and at 6.45am on weekends. Explore the storied island before most people wake up. From $5.

35. Get on your horse at Centennial Park where Eastside Riding Academy offer 30 and 60 minute private lessons, from 8am. From $145. 

36. Go all out on a business breakfast at the Grounds of the City. The vintage coffee house theme will make the first meal of the day feel as exciting as going out for dinner. Open from 7am on weekdays, from 8am on weekends. 

37. Ladies: start your day right and hit McIver’s Ladies Baths – the only remaining women’s-only baths in Australia – from sunrise, when it’s fresh-as. Daily from sunrise. $2.50 entry.

38. Take five – or ten – to browse the comprehensive newspaper offering (and free Wi-Fi) in the ground floor lounge of Customs House. Mon-Fri 8am-midnight.

39. Get your coffee with a shot of greenery; the Royal Botanic Gardens has three places you can get a caffeine hit on your way to work: the Botanic Gardens Café, the Pavilion Kiosk and the Blond Café at the Palace Gate.

40. Conquer a mountain before everyone else has started their day: 9 Degrees bouldering centre is open from 6am on Wednesdays – and they even have good coffee and home-made muffins. $24 for a casual pass.

41. Creative Mornings is a breakfast gathering that offers food for the mind and pastries for the tummy. It’s free to attend the breakfast lecture and events are always held on a Friday morning. Monthly, Fri 8.30am.

42. Rise early on a Wednesday morning to shop fresh fruit and veg at the Parramatta Farmers’ Markets in Centenary Square. Wednesdays at 7:30am. 

43. Take a snorkelling tour of Fairlight Beach where you’ll can see cockatoo fish, sea urchin and teeny tiny pomfrets. Hire mask, snorkel and fins from Dive Centre Manly and get familiar with the fishes. Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm; Sat, Sun 8am-5pm.

44. Board a fishing charter at D’Albora Marina at the Spit in Mosman and let Fishing Sydney Tours show you where to catch the best kingfish. They offer four to six-hour trips, setting off from 6.30am. Prices from $600pp.

45. Early birds can perfect their birdies at Moore Park Driving Range, where you can tee off at 6am, six days a week. Pick up a bucket of 25 balls for $6. 

46. Venture up to Sydney’s most northerly point and walk to Barrenjoey Lighthouse.

47. Head out for a sunrise paddle with Pittwater Kayak Tours. Departing at 6am during the summer months, the also includes tour includes a bushwalk and beautiful views. $90 per person.

48. Grab your bike and join a 6.30am road ride every Saturday with the Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club. The 100-year-old club has weekly cycle meets that cater for all levels of fitness.

49. Do sunrise laps at the Andrew Boy Charlton pool; then claim one of the highly coveted sun loungers and remain there all day, eating icy poles. Daily 6am. $7.50

50. Join a free running group – Parkrun operates across Sydney. At Sydney Park, they do a timed 5km race every Saturday at 8am.

51. Get a facial and swim under a star-lit roof at the Langham Hotel. The Day Spa opens 6am weekdays, 7am on Saturday and Sundays.  

52. Give your furry friend a taste of the ocean close to the city. Dumaresq Reserve allows dog walkers and their pals to visit the beach until 8.30am.

53. Hot shot? Get up early to obliterate your opponent on the tennis court. Court hire starts at 6am at Prince Alfred Park – and they’re open 365 days a year. $28-$35 per hour.

54. Do the Hermitage foreshore walk as soon as the sun is up. The 1.8km walk takes you through bushland, past Strickland House and Milk Beach.

55. Feel the burn at Dynamic Pilates, who offer medium-to-high intensity classes from 6am, using undulating machines to pulse, push and stretch it all out.

56. Go to Bunnings and load up on everything you need for your next DIY project (plus a plant and a sausage). Store opening times vary from between 6am and 7am.

57. Donate blood to the Australian Red Cross Blood Service. Appointments are available from 8am.

58. Eat breakfast ramen at Rising Sun Workshop. From 8am this bike shop and café pumps out a butter toast imbued broth, topped with a just-cooked onsen egg and shards of crisp bacon.

59. Host a breakfast barbecue at Bronte Park. Beat the crowds and fry up bacon and eggs, before taking an early morning dip.

60. Head to the Boathouse Balmoral at 7am to nab the best seats (right by the boardwalk and overlooking the water).

61. Get down to La Perouse by 7.41am which is a major solunar feeding time – ie, the best time to go fishing. 

62. Every day, Orange Sky Laundry washes and dries clothes for people who are sleeping rough in Sydney. You can volunteer to help out at any time of day – including before 9am, Monday to Sunday.

63. Explore the city on two wheels. Sydney has multiple bike share companies dotted around the city, including Lime Bike and Beam. Hire starts at $1-$2 for 30 minutes.

64. Stock up on air-freighted Buffalo mozzarella before your morning espresso at Fourth Village Providore – the Mosman deli opens from 8am every day.

65. Jostle with florists as they scan the floor for the freshest blooms at the Sydney Flower Markets. Sun-Fri from 6am, Sat from 5am.

66. Facing your fears is a challenge best tackled before breakfast. Book in for a 6am tandem drop with Sydney Skydive and you could be jumping out of a plane 4,000 metres over Wollongong Beach, all before your favourite café opens. From $329.