Top Things to do in Manly
What to do and see in Manly, New South Wales: The Best Free Things to do
Discover the best top things to do in Manly, Australia including Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, Sophie Tea Art, Shelly Beach, Queenscliff Beach, North Head Sanctuary, The Luggage Store Cafe & Museum, North Head, Manly Art Gallery and Museum, Dolce Terra, Joel Coleman Gallery.
Restaurants in Manly
1. 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.
2. Sophie Tea Art
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 11 reviews
London's hottest new artist Sophie Tea breaks away from her former Instagram sales and launches her very first solo gallery in Manly. Housing a collection of nudes, hearts and abstracts, Sophie doubles the space as a working studio also. Visitors can be lucky enough to watch the trendy artist in action as she divides her time between the Sydney shop and her London studio.
Reviewed By FayeTray - Singapore, Singapore
Sophie is an amazing artist, her passion shows in her work and the attention to detail with her shop is unreal! I have followed her on IG for a long time and am desperate to visit her shop, will definitely be going as soon as I can!
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. North Head Sanctuary
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 271 reviews
Reviewed By sydneysider48 - Sydney, Australia
North Head offers some great walks through bushland, all well graded and signposted, with terrific views across the harbour to the southern suburbs and the city and out through the Heads to sea.
6. The Luggage Store Cafe & Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 37 reviews
Reviewed By JElliot32 - New South Wales, Australia
I loved my visit to the historic and now largely restored Manly Quarantine station. It offers living history as well as some breathtaking natural beauty. At the core of the site is the Luggage Store Museum, which brings together the stories of many of the parts of the Q. station that you see as you wander around the site. The museum is small and free to enter, with a friendly and helpful attendant on duty when we visited. As well as some mocked up rooms and dormitories for the quarantine era, the museum features boards detailing the histories of various epidemics to hit Sydney while the Q station was in full operation, including smallpox (1881) and bubonic plague (1900). They are wordy, but worthwhile reading if you have the time and want to get an insight into how the place worked. Of particular interest in 2020 is the board that describes the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic. Next to the museum is a small 'cafe', but the less said of that the better. We found it dingy and uninviting. Sandwiches were pre-packaged and coffee only available in disposable cups.
7. North Head
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 387 reviews
Reviewed By Mairwen1
North Head is a national park area, sitting high above Manly and Shelly beaches. You can easily combine Manly Beach and North Head in a a day trip and you get the best of Australian sand, surf and bushland. Highlights at North Head include bushland walking trails, whale-watching sites, native wildlife, panoramic views of the harbour, military relics and the old historic quarantine centre. It is free to enter. You can walk from Manly Beach up to North Head but it’s steep and you need to allow about an hour. I’ve not done this yet but, I’d like to go back and do it another time. Instead we drove to North Head and did a few of the bush walking trails around the headland. If you have 1 – 2 hours, you will easily have time for more than one walking trail. They are well sign-posted although I’d recommend stopping by the Information Centre first and picking up a free map or guide. They are pretty helpful in there. The Fairfax Trail is the best one for panoramic views and whale-watching. It only takes 30 minutes. The Memorial Walk is the best one for seeing native bushland. It has beautiful native wildflowers (acacia, banksia, boronia, wattle). Depending on how much noise you make and whether you thud your way through the bush, you may also see native wildlife like kookaburras or the normally shy echidna. I found the Memorial Walk to be very moving. The red brick pavers are engraved with the names of those who served in different wars and there is excellent historical information, set in sandstone blocks with old photos. The Bella Vista Café is a nice spot to finish. The outdoor seating has wonderful harbour views. We finished here. GETTING THERE: From the Manly ferry wharf, catch the 135 bus (stand C) which will take you right into the North Head sanctuary, stopping by the visitor centre and Bella Vista cafe. Bus 135 is pre-pay only so you will need an Opal card, otherwise you will be stuck. If driving, It is only a flat $5 parking fee for the day (must be the most reasonable parking fee in Sydney).
8. Manly Art Gallery and Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 96 reviews
The vibrant and creative cultural hub of the Northern Beaches, Manly Art Gallery and Museum presents a creative program of changing visual arts and museum exhibitions. Temporary exhibitions include touring exhibitions and wonderful examples of contemporary and indigenous art. We have a beautiful gift shop selling souvenirs from the Gallery as well as a unique collection of cards and other items made by local artists. Check the website to see what exhibitions are on, or just come on over on the ferry and enjoy the Gallery
Reviewed By graemerk - Brisbane, Australia
Visited the Gallery to view a wonderful exhibition of pen drawings by an iconic Australian artist. Excellent display in a beautiful location overlooking the harbour Manly at its very best!
9. Dolce Terra
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 12 reviews
Reviewed By emmacQ4155AH - Manly, Australia
Had a terrific Sunday morning brunch - my choice of granola with berries was delicious. They offered additional almond milk (twice) at no extra charge. It was a generous bowl with lots of nuts and seeds, not too sweet - just as I like! Only $12. My friends had eggs with salmon and a wonderful looking egg and bacon wrap. Two commented on their delicious turmeric lattes. A great success. With friendly service and a comfortable outdoor take I'm really glad we found this place. The salads inside look yum! Will be back to try them
