Watsons Bay
Watsons Bay
4.5
Scenic Walking AreasBeach & Pool Clubs
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
About
Duration: 2-3 hours
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The area
How to get there
  • Circular Quay • 8 min walk
  • Wynyard • 10 min walk
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See what travellers are saying
  • Michael-4551
    Caloundra, Australia5,458 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Watsons Bay
    Visited on Friday 26th May. I caught the ferry from Circular Quay to Watsons Bay, what a great way to arrive there. So much to see and do, you are spoilt for choice, the views, the beaches, south head walking track or just sit and relax.
    Visited May 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 20 June 2023
  • SOH KIEN PENG
    Singapore, Singapore6,662 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Stunning cliff views and the Nude Beach
    Sydney's public transportation system is reliable, reasonably priced and way more convenient than driving. But by far, the best way to get around Sydney is by taking a ferry whenever possible. We took a train from Kings Cross station where we stayed to Circular Quay and took a ferry from Wharf 2 to Watsons Bay. No ferry ticket needs to be purchased at the counter as our Opal card allowed us to travel on both the trains and the ferries. Watsons Bay is a harborside, eastern suburb of Sydney. It was once a quaint fishing village like our Pulau Ubin before it developed into a residential area. None of us has made any research on this Bay when we boarded the ferry. We just wanted to capitalize on the ferry services to visit as many attractions as possible as most of us are seniors who may not withstand long walking. Watsons Bay turns out to be an attractive destination with stunning beaches and cliff views. As we walked out from the jetty, I saw visitors queuing at the beachfront fish and chips cafes and had their family picnic at the lush park. The fish and chips must be quite famous here. We walked up to Gap Park and was amazed by the stunning cliff views. We visited the Dunbar Anchor Memorial and took a group photo with the anchor attached to the natural sandstone rock cliff above the southern end of the Gap. The anchor was an item recovered from the Dunbar shipwreck. Due to the erroneous navigational judgement of the captain, the ship hit the rocks of the cliffs and only one out of the 122 crew on board the Dunbar survived. We returned to the jetty and roamed around the beach area. I was highly excited to spot the Nude Beach from the map at the jetty. It is a rare attraction as we do not find people nude at Manly or Bondi or any other beaches. I performed a google search and confirmed that visitors are legally permitted to be nude on this beach. But the ladies were not very pleased with my discovery and stopped me from venturing further to that destination. I had no choice but to follow the group back to the jetty to take the ferry back to Circular Quay for our lunch. I felt disappointed not able to see the nude beach.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 29 September 2023
  • Garrali
    Sheffield, United Kingdom24 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Well worth a visit
    Took a ferry to Watsons Bay on what started out to be a cloudy day. Had our fish and chip lunch from Doyle’s takeaway and sat in the park to eat. Nice little walk around the park and back streets behind the bay leading down again the sea and sand. Although busy around the ferry terminal, plenty of areas to get away from the crowds. We ended up sitting on a little stretch of sand enjoying the beautiful views as the sun appeared.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 4 February 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles3,017 reviews
Excellent
1,878
Very good
994
Average
129
Poor
12
Terrible
4

Maggie W
Coronado, CA4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Couples
Loved strolling through Watson's Bay and walking by the sea! Took ferry over and back. Great beach day! Highly recommend.
Written 17 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

EndlessTravels
Greater Melbourne, Australia35,500 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Family
One of the most see sights in Sydney.. by visiting this area you get to experience a ferry ride (from circular quay) and than the amazing landscape. The bus stop at the steps of attraction has a bus route that takes u to bondi,
Written 27 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Michelle N
Melbourne, Australia454 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
Amazing coastal views with beautiful cliffs and ocean. Good view of Sydney CBD and Harbour Bridge. Really loved it here
Written 15 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Garrali
Sheffield, UK24 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
Took a ferry to Watsons Bay on what started out to be a cloudy day. Had our fish and chip lunch from Doyle’s takeaway and sat in the park to eat. Nice little walk around the park and back streets behind the bay leading down again the sea and sand. Although busy around the ferry terminal, plenty of areas to get away from the crowds. We ended up sitting on a little stretch of sand enjoying the beautiful views as the sun appeared.
Written 4 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Charlyncy12
Manila, Philippines387 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Family
We enjoyed a wonderful day having lunch at the boutique hotel restaurant with a wonderful view, good food albeit no service , and spending time walking around , laying down on the grass and dipping our toes in the water. The view of the famous bridge, CBD , but also seagulls and what nature has best made it a perfect day .
Written 1 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SOH KIEN PENG
Singapore, Singapore6,662 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Friends
Sydney's public transportation system is reliable, reasonably priced and way more convenient than driving. But by far, the best way to get around Sydney is by taking a ferry whenever possible.

We took a train from Kings Cross station where we stayed to Circular Quay and took a ferry from Wharf 2 to Watsons Bay. No ferry ticket needs to be purchased at the counter as our Opal card allowed us to travel on both the trains and the ferries.

Watsons Bay is a harborside, eastern suburb of Sydney. It was once a quaint fishing village like our Pulau Ubin before it developed into a residential area. None of us has made any research on this Bay when we boarded the ferry. We just wanted to capitalize on the ferry services to visit as many attractions as possible as most of us are seniors who may not withstand long walking.

Watsons Bay turns out to be an attractive destination with stunning beaches and cliff views. As we walked out from the jetty, I saw visitors queuing at the beachfront fish and chips cafes and had their family picnic at the lush park. The fish and chips must be quite famous here.

We walked up to Gap Park and was amazed by the stunning cliff views. We visited the Dunbar Anchor Memorial and took a group photo with the anchor attached to the natural sandstone rock cliff above the southern end of the Gap. The anchor was an item recovered from the Dunbar shipwreck. Due to the erroneous navigational judgement of the captain, the ship hit the rocks of the cliffs and only one out of the 122 crew on board the Dunbar survived.

We returned to the jetty and roamed around the beach area. I was highly excited to spot the Nude Beach from the map at the jetty. It is a rare attraction as we do not find people nude at Manly or Bondi or any other beaches. I performed a google search and confirmed that visitors are legally permitted to be nude on this beach. But the ladies were not very pleased with my discovery and stopped me from venturing further to that destination.

I had no choice but to follow the group back to the jetty to take the ferry back to Circular Quay for our lunch. I felt disappointed not able to see the nude beach.

Written 29 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

leocrie
Cardiff, UK8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023 • Family
Catch the ferry from circular quay. Lovey fish and chips on the queu area. Walk up the hill for the beautiful coastal walks and views. You can get a bus to Bondi from the top.
Written 22 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Michael-4551
Caloundra, Australia5,458 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Solo
Visited on Friday 26th May. I caught the ferry from Circular Quay to Watsons Bay, what a great way to arrive there. So much to see and do, you are spoilt for choice, the views, the beaches, south head walking track or just sit and relax.
Written 21 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JnVSydney
Greater Sydney, Australia18,466 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023
This is a wonderful area, that is simply stunning, especially on a sunny day, it is easy to get to by bus or ferry, there is nothing better than having a seafood lunch here enjoying the scenery and the vibe of the place.
Written 11 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

razza61
Gatton, Australia367 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023
Unfortunatley the day we were there the wind was blowing from the west and the bay was unprotected from it, so very windy. We enjoyed Fish & Chips at Doyle's and then went for an easy wander up to the Headlands before catching the ferry again.
Written 10 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Watsons Bay - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Frequently Asked Questions about Watsons Bay

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