Wanting to skip the typical coffee hangout? We’ve come up with 11 Unique Things to Do in Sydney with Friends That Are Genuinely Fun, so you don’t need to.
1) Get Crafty at the Royal Botanic Gardens
Never underestimate the power a painting and picnic session in the park holds. For a crafty (and delicious) afternoon in the sunshine, venture to the Botanic Gardens with water colours (these are less messy than other paint types, although acrylics work well too) and a picnic spread, and release your inner Picassos.
2) Day Trip to the Blue Mountains
The Blue Mountains are not in Sydney, this we know, but their close proximity to the central business district bestows upon them the honour of appearing on this list. The rugged region showcases an obscene amount of drama and impressive natural landscape, more so than should be allowed for a region so close to the city (driving up will take you an hour), making it the perfect weekend escape with friends looking to escape the state capital.
3) Bottomless Brunch Your Hearts Out at Baby Coffee Co.
As the ancient proverb goes, a bottomless brunch is a good brunch - and no one does a bottomless brunch better than Baby Coffee Co. in Waterloo.
The cafe’s interior is crisp, clean, and what any avid Instagrammer’s dreams are made of; inside, you’ll be sat in plush baby pink chairs, surrounded by light grey walls and impossibly colourful, photogenic food.
4) Stargaze at Warrumbungle National Park
Stargazing at Warrumbungle National Park with your friends should be at the top of any Sydneysider’s bucket list. We won’t sit here and tell you it's not a trek -the national park lies 6 hours from Sydney’s CBD- but what Warrumbungle National Park lacks in proximity to the city, it more than makes up for in unrivalled views of the night sky.
Image Credit: Unsplash
5) Get Your Cultural Fix at the Art Gallery of New South Wales
If there’s one thing Sydney does not lack, it’s art galleries and museums (and one too many influencers gramming their acai bowls on Bondi beach, but we won’t delve into that here).
While Sydneysiders truly have a plethora of cultural venues to pick from, our favourite is the Art Gallery of New South Wales, mainly due to its stunning modern pieces and exhibitions, but also largely in part due to its CBD location being a short walking distance from a number of happening city pubs and bars (and you deserve a vino after all that education).
6) Break Out of ‘Next Level’, The MVP of Sydney Escape Rooms
Reigning supreme in Sydney’s plethora of escape rooms is Next Level, the state capital’s highest rating Escape Room. Venture here if you and your friends are of the adventurous sort; the venue offers 4 escape experiences that vary in levels of difficulty, so even those lacking in the problem solving department can get involved.
7) Go on a Mystery Picnic Adventure
If your group of friends are the adventurous sort, let us be the bearers of good news when we introduce you to AmazingCo’s Mystery Picnics, an epic food and adventure experience likening itself to a foodie scavenger hunt.
Throughout the course of your experience (in which 8 friends can partake) you’ll need to band together to solve a number of clues and riddles, the answers to which lead you to boutique food stores in the area where picnic food awaits you. To finish the day off, you’ll be led (again, through the completion of a clue) to a scenic picnic spot to enjoy the fruits of your labour.
8) Get Competitive at B.Lucky & Sons, an Adults Only Arcade Bar
Ever smashed a game of Mario Kart, cocktail in hand? No? Rally up the gang and head to B. Lucky & Sons, Sydney’s adults only arcade and games venue. The self dubbed ‘player’s paradise’ homes old arcade classics (think the likes of Space Invaders) for a healthy dose of nostalgia, as well as a very adult, fully equipped bar, serving up classic and house cocktails.
9) Enjoy a Cold One at the Coogee Pavilion
Sydney’s beaches are world renowned, so taking full advantage of them really is just the decent thing to do. Bask blissfully in coastal glory by heading to the Coogee Pavilion rooftop for some seriously scenic views of the Coogee shoreline, beverage in hand.
The rooftop area is all glass and greenery (you’ll feel like you’ve stumbled upon a large, open air glasshouse) and the food is Mediterranean influenced - whatever the occasion, you’re set for a splendid night out.
10) Hit Up Chinatown For A Dumpling Crawl
If you’re the foodie sorts, head to Chinatown for a night of dumplings. Sticking to the same old and trusted venue for the evening paves the way for a low key, simple foodie night out (nothing wrong with that), but if you and your friends are open to recklessly knocking down societal expectations we recommend hopping from restaurant to restaurant, scouring the neighbourhood for the ultimate dumpling.
Image Credit: Unsplash
11) Whether You’re a Footy Fan Or Not, Head to the SCG for a Game
Ditch the Friday night match on TV and head to the real deal instead at the SCG (you’ve heard it time and time again, but the atmosphere at the game can’t be matched).
Whether your group of friends are footy fans or not isn’t really relevant, heading to a game should be on every Sydneysider’s bucket list - so soak up the atmosphere and get cheering.
