The best things to do when you're alone in Sydney

The crowd will be laughing with you at Sydney’s many comedy clubs and open mic nights. Start with a show at the Running Joke Comedy Club – there are comedy performances on Level One of the Potts Point Hotel every Tuesday night. You'll be able to see some of Australia's best comedians and their resident MC, Daniel Muggleton. The comedy club-style venue is big enough for you to melt into the crowd, but doesn’t demand fancy dress or airs and graces for the occasion.

Our Ed says: Chances are that if you're solo, you're more likely to snag a cheeky seat closer to the front – but remember that if you're near the front, you're also more likely to be a potential target (i.e. butt of the comic's jokes).

Exploring Sydney’s diverse art galleries on your own means you can really absorb everything the ever-changing exhibitions have to offer. You’ll find epic alternative collections of post-millennial Chinese art at Chippendale’s White Rabbit, plus there’s a fab gift shop where you can pick up some cheaper arty fun. Oh, and there’s dumplings.

Our Ed says: While you're at White Rabbit Gallery in Chippendale (Australia's coolest neighbourhood), make sure to check out other gems, such as Spice Alley or the Old Clare rooftop bar (both spots where you'll feel comfortable on your own).

Craving some wide open spaces? Put your walking shoes on and head to a park. The Royal Botanical Gardens will serve solo explorers best. You can work on your botanist skills and practice identifying native flora, or become an anthropology wizard with all the people watching you'll do. Worst case scenario: there's free wifi in the park.

Our Ed says: While you're at the Botanic Gardens, take their Time Out-recommended Aboriginal Heritage Tour to level-up your experience.

There’s a certain charm to spending the better part of a day at a café. Bunker down at the Rising Sun Workshop in Newtown, starting your day with one of their warming breakfast ramens. With a motorbike repair shop off to one side, a comfy Chesterfield upstairs and happy-to-chat waitstaff, Rising Sun is somewhere you’ll want to stay till dinner.

Our Ed says: In our Food and Drink Editor's guide to solo dining, she gives the downlow on the best places to dine alone in Sydney.

There’s nothing like a brisk walk to clear your head. The Manly to Spit coastal walk also presents multiple swimming spots to refresh your body and mind along the ten-kilometre hike. The view will keep you company, morphing from craggy cliffs to sprawling ocean vistas, and if you take the route backwards you’ll finish up in suburban Manly for a quick snack before you catch the ferry home. Remember, always tell a friend before venturing on a solo bush walk.

Our Ed says: Norma's Deli is one of our favourite snack spots in Manly.

Shopping for second-hand finds can be a cut-throat business and you’ll often do your best work op-shopping alone, snagging all those one-off bargains for yourself. If you’re revamping your office attire, the Lifeline in Balgowlah will deck you out in sensible-but-sexy threads and more. Venture further back in the pre-loved cycle and hit up some of the city’s best vintage shops.

Our Ed says: A solo shopper is a shopper on a mission – you can cover two times more ground on your own.

Heading to a bar alone can be daunting. Luckily, your friendly neighbourhood bartender can save you from any awkwardness. Head underground to the Baxter Inn for some top quality banter paired with fine Scotch whisky. You’ll need to get in early to nab a stool at the long bar, where you can also experience an informal mixology masterclass.

You’re on your own, so enjoy some ‘you’ time. Sweat out any bad juju in a sauna, and scrub away your troubles with a zesty full-body exfoliation. Spend time getting the full treatment at Nature's Energy Balmain Bath House, where you can live the highlife for a little less than some of the swankie inner-city spa spots.

There’s safety in numbers, so pick up some new skills in a group workshop at Sew Make Create. There’s regular classes spanning the world of textiles, and the focus on beginner skills is helpful if you’re visiting on a whim. You can try your hand at everything from cross stitch to dress-making in a collaborative space – and you may end up making some new friends.

Our Ed says: These classes are an instant dopamine hit, so bonding and chit-chatting with your classmates is easy as pie.

Why not shock everyone with a new tattoo when you re-emerge into your social circle? Hibernia Tattoo in Surry Hills is by appointment only, which makes for a more personalised experience and gives nervous noobs a bit of privacy. You’ll also deal with the artists directly throughout the design process.

Our Ed says: Here's our guide to the other great tattoo parlours in Sydney.

If the sun is still shining, head to an outdoor gym for further self development. The workout spot on Observatory Hill has all the equipment and instruction manuals a solo gym junkie could ask for, and is conveniently under-used, so you won’t have to constantly face off muscle men for the pull-up rings. There’s also a public bathroom and bubbler nearby.

Our Ed says: In case you prefer working out indoors, here's our guide to the best gyms in Sydney. 

It can be a treat to get through an entire theatre production without interruptions, but if you enjoy informed discussion after a performance, or are partial to a post-show beer, head to the Old Fitzroy Theatre. Housed in the belly of Woolloomooloo’s salt-of-the-earth pub, the Old Fitzroy Hotel, it’ll keep you cultured with a season of theatre and in good company with friendly locals at the bar and a fun crew behind it.

Our Ed says: While you're at the Old Fitz, make the most of their happy hour – $7 house wine or beer from 4 to 6pm every Monday to Friday.

Go on, get out of here! You may have fallen in love with the city, but distance makes the heart grow fonder, so take a day trip. All the action at Port Stephens is well worth the two-hour drive. Hop on the back of a tour with other adventurers for camel riding or sand dune quad-biking.

Our Ed says: One of the most gorgeous beaches we've visited is the deserted Zenith Beach in Nelson Bay. It's perfect for kicking back with a good book.