Warm nights, days jam-packed with opportunities and an infectious enthusiasm you can feel on the street – Sydney’s summer is the time to embrace life. Spend the morning in an ocean pool beautiful enough to be on a postcard, dine as if eating is your only plan for the day, find a new summer look and spend the evening with a drink the colour of the sunset, before walking through the historic doors of an iconic theatre.

Lap up long days by the pool

Step beyond the beaches to uncover an array of spectacular swimming pools carved or built into the side of Sydney’s iconic coastline. Get your laps in or simply cool down and enjoy the scenery at your choice of more than 30 ocean and harbour pools between Cronulla and Palm Beach, including the historic Dawn Fraser Baths in Balmain; Sydney institution Bondi Icebergs (drop in for a sauna with the locals once you’re done); and one of Sydney’s best-kept secrets the MacCallum Pool, which has been offering ridiculous harbour views since the 1920s. Or soak in the peaceful bush settings of freshwater waterholes like Bents Basin near Penrith and Camden, and Manly Dam on the Northern Beaches.

Long lunch in the city

The city isn’t just about the quick mid-week lunch hustle; the alleyways and ornate doors of the main streets hold beautiful dining rooms primed for you to long lunch like someone who’s never even seen a calendar. Embrace the Mediterranean slow food philosophy at one of the city’s great Italian restaurants: Grana, housed in a former wool store near Circular Quay is famous for milling their own flour (for bread and fresh made pasta) with NSW heritage grains; while Bar Totti’s is a bustling, street-side dining option great for a margarita or a few pastas and a tiramisu. Or gather a crew for a banquet of handmade dumplings and Cantonese roast meats at Mr Wong; an up-market seafood feast at XOPP (housed inside the architecturally striking centre of Darling Square); or a vegetable-forward spread at the lauded Turkish restaurant Maydanoz. To live out a lunch of ultimate luxury, order a signature martini, caviar and a seafood platter at the multi-level Shell House in Wynyard.

Embrace the morning golden hour

Make the most of Sydney’s spectacular summer days by rising with the sun. To take in views of the harbour and the Pacific while they’re painted with the pastel palette of dawn colours, take the short trek from your parking spot at Camp Cove Beach  to Hornby Lighthouse at South Head. More of a morning mover? Then salute the new day with a sunrise surf in Manly or an invigorating Sunrise Kayak and Coffee tour that takes you underneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Or, lace your walking shoes and breathe in the fresh morning air on a scenic coastal walk from Bondi to Coogee,  Dover Heights to Watsons Bay; or Manly to North Head. For some iconic postcard snaps, set up for the morning sun at Dawes Point Park in The Rocks or Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden in Lavender Bay for views of the Sydney Opera House.

Find a new summer look for you and your pantry

Every weekend, Sydney’s ‘burbs transform into bustling marketplaces with artisans and vintage traders showing off their eclectic best to locals and travellers. Plan your weekend around finding a new outfit, with a snack along the way, at the markets in The Rocks, Chinatown, Glebe, Paddington, Bondi, Rozelle and Bare Island. Whether you’re shopping for the week ahead or grazing from stall to stall, Carriageworks, Marrickville and Sutherland have a particularly good spread of produce, with many NSW famers and local chefs behind the stalls. For a purely fashion-led session of retail therapy, Paddington’s William Street shopping precinct and the historic Strand Arcade off Pitt Street Mall in the city centre show off the best Australian designers.

Toast to the sunset

Take your place in Sydney’s shimmering skyline on a warm summer evening to watch the sunset and join Sydneysiders for a drink as the evening buzz fires up. In the city centre, settle in at a rooftop bar like Slims Rooftop overlooking the famous Hyde Park; The Library Bar atop the State Library of NSW’s historic Mitchell Building; and Untied, a rooftop playground atop the busy streets of Barangaroo. Head to the inner west to discover a new love for martinis at Bar Planet in Newtown or admire the city lights from a new angle on a ferry ride to Manly, where you can work your way through the natural wine list at Banco Manly, a small bar with a playful menu that fits the vibe. To the east, watch the sun fall on Bondi from the bar at Promenade Bondi Beach with a plate of NSW oysters and a spritz made from all Australian ingredients.  

Explore the ocean

Sydney’s coastline isn’t just a spot for sunbaking, swims and scenic snaps: there is a world of adventure on, and under, the ocean. Feel the exhilarating sense of achievement when you stand up on a surfboard for the first time on a surf lesson in Dee Why, Bondi, Cronulla or beyond. Or witness first-hand the thriving underwater ecosystem of Sydney harbour and its estuaries on a scuba dive or snorkelling excursion in Manly, with a spearfishing lesson on the Northern Beaches or with underwater scooter tours of Gordons Bay (look out for the famous giant blue groupers.)

Get ready for showtime

Under the sails of the Sydney Opera House, on the heritage stage of the Capitol Theatre or within the ground-breaking halls of Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney is home to an exceptional and diverse live theatre scene. Find out why SIX the Musical has won 35 major international awards (including two Tony Awards and a Grammy nomination) by booking into the Theatre Royal Sydney in October, or check out other leading travelling acts like Jesus Christ Superstar (at the Capitol Theatre from November to December), and MJ the Musical (Sydney Lyric Theatre in February). To check out what local theatre creators are working on, run your eyes over the calendar at the intimate Belvoir Street Theatre or the flashier Sydney Theatre Company. On Sydney’s most famous stage of all, the Sydney Opera House, it’s not just opera. Book in for acts like Troye Sivan, Crowded House and Max Richter; as well as a range of comedy, theatre and cutting-edge performance art.