Before I begin this Instagram guide to Sydney, I have a confession. Would you believe that visiting Sydney wasn’t really on my radar? Sure it was on my general bucket list, but I didn’t have a strong desire to go anytime soon. When COVID-19 cancelled my Asia travel plans in February, I quickly rebooked to Hawaii (this is before the virus was an issue in the U.S.). I noticed flights from Honolulu to Sydney were really inexpensive, so I decided to got for it and added on five days in Sydney. I absolutely fell in love with Sydney! It’s such a gorgeous city filled with picturesque locations, perfect for my photography loving heart!

Sydney is located on the coast and has many beautiful beaches and ocean viewpoints. Sydney is also a big city with urban skyline views, rooftop bars and cute restaurants. It’s a great place to take pictures due to this diversity. Here’s my Instagram guide to Sydney featuring the most beautiful locations!

[And if you are doing a stop in Hawaii on your way to Australia, here are my travel guides for Maui and Oahu!]

BEACHES, POOLS AND NATURE

Bronte Bath Viewpoint

This was my favorite photo spot in Sydney! I love the many ocean pools in Australia and this pool at Bronte  Beach is smaller and less crowded than the famous pool at Bondi Beach (more on that!). You can find this viewpoint by following the path along the pool to the end (you’ll walk past the entrance to the pool). To your right will be a a rock wall. Climb up and find a spot to look out over the pool and ocean! The climb isn’t bad and you don’t have to go that high to get a great shot.

 

Bronte Bath Pool Stairs

This is the entrance leading down to the Bronte pool. I love the contrast of the pretty white fence against the jagged brown rocks and the bright blue water! It’s an easy shot to get, just be mindful to pause to let people pass on the stairs. You can see the shadows are strong under the bright sun, avoiding the harsh afternoon sun can help with that!

 

Bronte Bath Pool Entrance

I love Bronte Bath, three photo opportunities in one location! This is a large stone step right at the entrance to the pool water. Again, I really like the contrast of the warm brown rock tones against the bright blue water. This is an easy shot to get as well, but you may need to be patient for swimmers to leave the area.

 

Bondi Iceburgs

 

This is one of the most iconic photo spots in Sydney! The Bondi Iceburgs are two ocean pools at Bondi Beach that are part of The Bondi Icebergs Club. The club is open to anyone serves as a great vantage point to photograph the pool and ocean! (bonus: you can order a glass of rosé while you shoot!).  There’s a small fee to enter the pool area if you want to swim, but I think the best shots are from above.  The pool closes for cleaning on Thursday.

 

Diamond Bay Reserve

Diamond Bay Reserve is located in Vaucluse, a suburb of Sydney. This is a scenic area perched high of cliffs overlooking the ocean. It’s known as one of the most beautiful viewpoints in Sydney. There’s a short boardwalk along the cliffs where you can take pictures, and do NOT go off the boardwalk! People have died trying to climb onto the rocks. You can get a beautiful picture of the coastal views right from the boardwalk.

 

CITY LOCATIONS

The Sydney Opera House

This one is self explanatory! The Opera House is an iconic symbol of Sydney. I recommend grabbing a drink at the Opera Bar, located right in front of the Opera House, an admiring the views. You can also see the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge from the Opera House grounds. The Opera House can get very crowded, but luckily it’s pretty easy to arrange a photo with no one in the background. There are many viewpoints here, but I like sitting on the long cement bench to get a shot of the Opera House in the background.

 

Lavender Bay

Lavender Bay is a suburb of Sydney along the harbor. It’s a residential area that’s not well known to most tourists. You can easily take a short ferry from the Circular Quay terminal (right by the Opera House) across the harbor to Lavender Bay. The neighborhood is very photogenic, and I especially love this shot on a pier looking out at the Harbour Bridge.

 

The Grounds of Alexandria

This is one of my most favorite places in Sydney! The Grounds of Alexandria is a beautifully designed complex of cafes, bars, flower shops and stores, located in an old industrial park. It’s very whimsical with lemonade stands, a donut cart and flowers everywhere! There are so many Instagrammable spots here, so you can shoot a lot in one location! The decor changes quite a bit as different pop ups take over the space. I recommend having brunch here and spending the afternoon exploring every photogenic corner of The Grounds of Alexandria!