Top Things to do in Northern Beaches
Top Hotels in Northern Beaches
- 1. Travelodge Hotel Manly Warringah Sydney
- 2. Manly Pacific
- 3. Quest Manly
- 4. The Sebel Manly Beach
- 5. Manly Paradise Motel & Apartments
- 6. Q Station Sydney Harbour National Park Hotel
- 7. NRMA Sydney Lakeside Holiday Park
- 8. Miramare Gardens
- 9. Checkers Resort & Conference Centre
- 10. The Outback Lodge
10 Budget-friendly Things to do in Northern Beaches That You Shouldn't Miss
Discover the best top things to do in Northern Beaches, Australia including Dive Centre Manly, Manly Ocean Adventures, Avalon Stand Up Paddle, Local Eyes Sydney, Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, Shelly Beach, Manly Quarantine Station, Avalon Beach, Queenscliff Beach, Mona Vale Beach.
Restaurants in Northern Beaches
1. Dive Centre Manly
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 212 reviews
Dive Centre Manly is situated closest to Sydney's best dive sites. Being a multi-award winning PADI 5 Star Instructor training facility, we offer a complete range of dive courses from Discover Scuba to Instructor level and beyond - including Sydney's most talked about Learn to Dive course. Our fun and unique skilled based training programs, have continually produced better divers - when you finish a program with us, you will have gained the confidence and skills necessary to enjoy a lifetime of diving - we guarantee that you won't be able to wait to jump back in the water again. And learning to dive has never been easier - we have Learn to Dive programs starting up to 5 times a week and are taught by some of the most experienced dive staff in Australia including 1 PADI Course Director, Staff Instructors, Master Scuba Diver Trainers and Divemasters.
2. Manly Ocean Adventures
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 205 reviews
Manly Ocean Adventures is the home of the 'Whale Watching Safari,' Sydney's smallest, most personal and most exciting whale watching adventure. Our high speed adventure vessel will get you to the whales quicker than anybody else. Our completely open vessel offers unobstructed views of these majestic animals. Our low position in the water offers you unparalleled, up-close viewing opportunities of the whales, dolphins, penguins and even the occasional seal or shark.
3. Avalon Stand Up Paddle
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 146 reviews
Experience the many pleasures of Stand Up Paddle (SUP) at any level you choose. Avalon Stand Up Paddle is an Accredited SUP school dedicated to building this healthy and exciting sport on Sydney's beautiful Northern Beaches from our HQ,, Clareville Beach. If you desire to enjoy the tranquillity of our closed water lessons & tours or prefer open surf at Sydney's iconic Palm Beach, we have the local knowledge and experience for you. Beach village atmosphere, celebrity getaway, superb cafes, shops.
4. Local Eyes Sydney
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 26 reviews
Local Eyes hosts private small groups for day tours by road and up to 12 people on our boat charters. We offer a wide range of touring options from half tour touring up to multiple day and destination itineraries. We design all touring around what you want to do and see. We specialise in hosting International and Corporate Hosting. Sydney, the harbour and its regional areas are our backyard and we go out of our way to show the best of our city away from the mainstream tourists. Our objective is to leave you with a feeling you know our city from a locals perspective and experience a side of Sydney most visitors rarely get to experience. Our mantra, if we had one, would be 'Sydney sells itself, we believe it is more about the conversation'. If you get that you will love spending time with Local Eyes Sydney.
5. Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 30 reviews
Reviewed By mrdom
At least of the places I've been. All the way from Shelly Beach (a great beach itself which provides the easiest access to the water) to the headland near Manly beach has a huge variety of fish and some spectacular rocks.
6. Shelly Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,490 reviews
Reviewed By Breadleg - Foster City, United States
A nice walk through the bush and along the cliffs from Manly Bay to Shelly Beach with lots of great outlooks along the way. Some areas require stabile footing due to rocks. Glad we wore trail running shoes. And we did this all in torrential rains. Still loved it.
7. Manly Quarantine Station
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 353 reviews
Reviewed By AniaTur - Sydney, Australia
I LOVE the Q Station! Walking around it literally feels like travelling in time. You can feel a vibe, a presence - it is quite different from any place I have been to. And IT IS HAUNTED! ;) I had a pleasure of participating in an amazing ghost tour: I learnt a lot about the history of the station - VERY interesting - and I got chills hearing stories about ghost appearances and residual energy imprint haunting in different locations across the Q Station. Walking around such an unusual place in the dark and with just a few lanterns is scary enough but doing so with a black ghost lady as a guide is definitely the next level! And I am pretty sure I saw something in the showers that wasn't supposed to be there! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for anyone looking for more excitement in their lives! By the way, they also great run history tours for those who prefer stay away from the paranormal ;)
8. Avalon Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 114 reviews
Reviewed By MeredithAussie - Cannes, France
This is a beautiful beach with surf and golden sand. It is patrolled by surf-lifesavers, so it's best to swim between the flags OR in the excellent ocean baths on the southern end of the beach. Council has also provided a shower/tap for rinsing salt and sand off before you go home. There are plenty of seats (in both sun and shade) and a grassy area and children's playground. Just one block back from the beach are restaurants, cafes and other shops (with parking available).
9. Queenscliff Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 23 reviews
Reviewed By Mairwen1
Queenscliff Beach is located at the far northern end of Manly. At first glance, Queenscliff looks just like a continuation of Manly Beach and many tourists do not tend to venture past the commercial and tourist centre of the main beach. If you want to explore a little further, Queenscliff is easy to get to and has a character of its own. It’s easy to get there on foot. From Manly, just head north along the beach promenade until you get to the big yellow Queenscliff Surf Life Saving clubhouse. It takes about 10-15 minutes. Two particularly nice Queenscliff features are a large tidal pool and a lagoon estuary. A path under the bridge leads to the lagoon, a running track and a large fenced kids’ playground. If you have kids with you and need a break from the sand and surf, this is handy to know about. Directly across the road from the SLS clubhouse are two very popular local spots, the Salty Rooster (the best burgers) and the Corner at Queensie, a café which also does a roaring take-away trade at its side window. There are 2 other ‘hidden gems’ to look out for once you are at Queenscliff: i) One is a secret tunnel, the Manly Wormhole. Cut into the cliff by local fisherman as a shortcut between Queenscliff and Freshwater beach, the entrance is located near the big painted heart on the cliff. ii) The other is what has to be one of the best seats in Sydney. On the rocks, sitting high above the tidal pool, is a single metal bench overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the entire length of Manly beach. If ever there was a spot to sit and contemplate, this has to be it. WARNING – If you are parking at the metered beachfront carparks, don't be tempted to not pay. It is regularly patrolled (as are the surrounding streets) and you are highly likely to be fined. This applies to all of Manly.
10. Mona Vale Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 83 reviews
Reviewed By JElliot32 - New South Wales, Australia
Mona Vale may not be the most picturesque of the Northern Beaches but it makes up for this in lots of other ways. It offers something for everyone: families, swimmers, surfers, walkers, even beach fishermen. There is a good-sized carpark though parking is very expensive if you are not a local. It is a long beach, so in post-Covid times could be ideal for social distancing! Mona Vale is good for long walks, as for a large part of its length the local golf course backs onto it, giving it a bit more of a 'bushland' appearance, and at low tide it is easy to walk around the rock platform at the southern end and then walk the length of Warriewood Beach, and back again. At the northern end of the beach there is another extensive rock platform out of which a large ocean pool has been excavated. This is popular with swimmers as can be the small sheltered beach beyond the northern platform, which is called The Basin.
