Things to Do in Sydney: Your Ultimate November Guide

From staycations and arty affairs, to foodie feasts and mindful meet-ups, Sydney has plenty to keep you occupied for the rest of the year. Avoid FOMO with our top picks of things to do in Sydney throughout the rest of November.

Cruise Sydney Harbour, Ahoy Club

This November seeing Sydney Harbour by water definitely tops the list. If you’ve always wanted to sail the harbour, sipping champagne without a care in the world, then you need to jump aboard Ahoy Club. Offering luxe boat charters on over 60 beautiful yachts, you're guaranteed to have the most amazing day out on the water. 

Birthday celebration, holiday party, or just an excuse to get the gang together for the day, Ahoy Club's day charters start at $300 per person and can host up to 90 people (socially distanced of course). All you need to do is book your charter, gather your friends, BYO food and drink and enjoy a sublime day cruising Sydney Harbour. Absolute bliss!

From $300 per person

Sensory Dining, The Gantry Restaurant

The Gantry has teamed up with their favourite local distillery Archie Rose, to take you on a hands-on discovery of food, wine and cocktails. Experiment with botanical distillates (including honey, raspberry, pink peppercorn and juniper) alongside the best Australian produce, wine and cocktails. The menu features roast duck breast with white asparagus, nettle and juniper, and Paroo kangaroo cooked over charcoal with corn.

Thursday - Sunday throughout November, 12:30pm - 9:30pm

$200 per person

11 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay

Rosé Rising, Barangaroo House

Barangaroo House is turning pink this November with the return of its month-long celebration of everyone’s favourite blush coloured drink. In its third year, Rosé Rising will see the waterfront venue partner with renowned Champagne brand Moët Hennessy to toast all things rosé. From an endless array of food and drink offerings and showstopping immersive experiences, there is much to discover this rosé season.

November

Free entry

35 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo

Italian Style Bottomless Brunch, The Rook

The Rook, Sydney’s hidden rooftop bar nestled above the busy CBD streets, transforms into a European hideaway come the weekend with their Italian style bottomless brunch. Each Saturday and Sunday you can indulge in 90 minutes of bottomless Quincy seltzers and spritzes, antipasti and a delicious shared menu. 

$69 per person

Level 7/56-58 York St, Sydney

Sydney Cocktail Festival, Opera Bar

Sydney’s iconic Opera Bar, in collaboration with Bacardi Martini Australia, is set to host the inaugural Sydney Cocktail Festival – a three-day harbourside celebration of our city’s great small bars, the incredible cocktails they create, and the talented people who make them. 

13th-15th November

Free entry

Sydney Opera House, Macquarie Street, Sydney

Butler in Bloom, The Butler

The Butler will once again transform into a flowery oasis complete with fresh floral and art installations, as well as introducing a new Spritz cocktail menu in collaboration with Lillet aperitif wines, and a limited-edition pop-up dessert bar in partnership with Royal Doulton tableware. 

From now until Sunday 29th November

123 Victoria Street, Potts Point

inBLOOM, The Royal Botanic Gardens

Beautiful and serene, the Royal Botanic Gardens is the perfect place to familiarise yourself with Australian wildlife. This month, meander through to The Calyx to experience the annual inBLOOM exhibition. With over 20,000 plants on display and boasting one of the largest living green walls in the Southern Hemisphere, you'll be enchanted by the sheer beauty of nature. 

Open daily, 10am-4pm

Entry by donation

The Calyx, Royal Botanic 

Newtown Festival Backyard Party

The Newtown Festival has become one of Sydney’s biggest and most beloved local events and in 2020 the festival will be coming to your home. Instead of the usual live music, market stalls, food vendors and dog show, this year locals are invited to host their own backyard party in the spirit of the Newtown Festival. All registered parties go into the draw to win a Westfield gift voucher and a private Young Henrys gig in your backyard.

Sunday 8th November

Sydney Open

Sydney Open unlocks the doors to some of the city’s most important, inspiring and intriguing buildings and spaces, allowing you to go behind the scenes. And this year you can experience it all online! Over the course of the weekend, there will be virtual tours, talks, panel discussions and self-guided audio tours to ensure you don't miss out on this annual event.

6th-8th November

Moonlight Cinema

Kicking off at the end of November, Moonlight Cinema will be back in full force until 2021. Picnic-lovers, wine-guzzlers and movie buffs unite annually in Centennial Park for films beneath the stars. A casual affair, bring your own basket of goodies, picnic blanket and even a bottle of wine. (Yes, BYO wine!) Otherwise get in early, snap up a beanbag and order movie snacks from the food trucks. Heaven.

From November

Centennial Park, corner Carrington Drive and Broome Avenue, Paddington

Flower Crown Workshop, The Botanist

Nestled in the heart if Kirribilli, The Botanist has collaborated with creative crown makers, The Flower Social, to bring a floral crafternoon. Fashioning flower crowns, the workshop includes a beautiful selection of fresh, seasonal flowers to work with, floristry equipment, expert advice from the floral host, bubbles on arrival and snacks.

From $85 per person (+BF)

17 Willoughby Street, Kirribilli

Thursday Live Music, Misfits Bar & Dining Redfern

Gather round each Thursday night for a line-up of local and upcoming live musicians setting up in the Out of Bounds lounge, behind the bookcase. Grab yourself a schooner, some nibbles and settle in for one of the best free gigs in Sydney. 

Thursdays, 6pm-9pm 

Free entry

106 George Street, Redfern

Happy Ending Comedy Club, Prince of York

As of March 16th, Prince of York will be bringing a bit of excitement to Sydney every Wednesday night, with comedy shows in their cocktail lounge, Pamela’s. They’ve partnered with Happy Endings Comedy Club to bring a run of stand-up shows featuring mystery talent from all over Australia, every Wednesday. 

Wednesdays, from 7:30pm 

$15

18 York Street, Sydney

PARKED, Park House

Park House Saturdays brings back some Mona Thursday nostalgia, with a new day, a fresh sound and a fresh look at how to throw a party. The best local bands will be lining up each week from 10pm till late. Although entry is $10, you get a free Balter beer. Worth it!

Saturdays, from 10pm

$10

2 Park Street, Mona Vale

Lock in Your Next Sunday Session

When the sun's shining on a Sunday, it’s un-Australian not to make the most of it. We may be a bit biased, but when it comes to Sunday sessions, Sydney has it covered. So, to help you round off the week in style, we bring you the best bars in Sydney for an all-out Sunday session, so there’s nothing standing in between you and a spritz. Apart from Monday morning, of course. 

Buy From the Bush

For your next online shopping binge, switch your internationally shipped order for a bunch of goodies from the country. The Buy from The Bush campaign aims to connect shopping-savvy city slickers with small businesses, artisans and crafters from rural Australia. By buying from the bush, you’ll invest much-needed dollars into local regional communities and help combat the negative impact of the drought.

Weekend Market Trail

More than just a place to peruse from time to time, Sydney’s markets are weekend destinations in their own right. From foodies and interior stylists, to eco-warriors and second-hand fashionistas, Sydney has its pick of markets to suit all shopping tastes. Lucky for you, we’ve done the legwork so you can spend less time researching and more time shopping.  These are the markets in Sydney to know about.

Book in Self-care Sunday

With busy work, family and social lives running us off our feet, it’s critical to set aside a little me-time to stay our best and brightest selves. Whether you're working too much or playing too hard, sometimes you just need a break away from the daily grind to stop you burning the candle at both ends.

So whatever your goal, be it to lower your stress levels, lift your motivation and drive, lose weight, detox, or simply relax and unwind, check out our article on self-care tips that will make you look and feel lighter, brighter and infinitely better.

Get Pampered, Venustus

Burning the candle at both ends? There's nothing like an indulgent pamper session to get you feeling back on track. Whether you're feeling overworked or just a little overwhelmed, the talented tribe at Venustus will work their magic to have you centred and re-balanced from the moment you walk through the door. They offer a range of treatments, from hot stone remedial massages to crystal cryotherapy facials, each designed to relax, rejuvenate and cleanse – most of their treatments incorporate healing rituals with chanting, crystal therapies and energy cleansing. A trip to this Paddington sanctuary will lift you in more ways than one. 

For aches and pains, the soothing remedial hot rock massage is quite literally, miracle-working. But for something more spiritual, the Om massage will re-centre and re-energise your entire being through a combination of om chanting, singing bowl vibration, palo santo sacred wood, hot crystals, remedial and shiatsu massage. Pure bliss. 

Om massage 90 minutes, $335; hot rock remedial massage from $225

381 Oxford Street, Paddington

Get Hiking

Put on your walking shoes, Sydneysiders! From the beaches to the bush, the city and its surrounds are just waiting to be explored – and the best way to do that is by foot. So, pack some snacks and water, and decide whether you want to hug the coast or head inland. These are the best day hikes in and around Sydney.

Weekend Getaways That Give Back

Now that towns are starting to re-open and welcome visitors after the bushfires earlier this year and the COVID-19 pandemic that has sweeped the world, it’s our turn to do our bit by spending some tourism dollars at home. There’s no better time to gather your friends and pack the car for a weekend escape that gives back. To help you plan your #emptyesky pilgrimage, we’ve rounded up a handful of rural towns that could do with your support. These rustic weekend getaways are so worth splurging on.

Book a Trip to Tasmania

The borders are now open so why not book your next vacay to Tasmania? It has once again been thrust into the spotlight, and this time, it's all for the right reasons. A holiday destination that has captured the imagination of Aussie's and those who hail from further afield. From foodie hotspots to cultural experiences to a natural wonderland that feels other-worldly. It's all too easy to fall in love with this small island. 

Tasmania is a place where you want to stop and stay awhile, but when you're short on time, our edit of things to do in Tasmania is a taste for what's on offer. 

Looking for more fun things to do in Sydney? We have plenty to keep you entertained. From Sydney's best new restaurants and bars, to cosy pubs, cafés and late-night cocktail haunts, here's all you need for a weekend in the city.