Top Things to do in Manly
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What to do and see in Manly, New South Wales: The Best Things to do
Discover the best top things to do in Manly, Australia including Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, Shelly Beach, Manly Quarantine Station, North Head Sanctuary, 4 Pines Brewery Tours, Manly Art Gallery and Museum, North Head, Manly Dam, Manly Visitor Information Centre, Little Manly Beach.
Restaurants in Manly
1. Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 30 reviews
Reviewed By mrdom
At least of the places I've been. All the way from Shelly Beach (a great beach itself which provides the easiest access to the water) to the headland near Manly beach has a huge variety of fish and some spectacular rocks.
2. Shelly Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,490 reviews
Reviewed By Breadleg - Foster City, United States
A nice walk through the bush and along the cliffs from Manly Bay to Shelly Beach with lots of great outlooks along the way. Some areas require stabile footing due to rocks. Glad we wore trail running shoes. And we did this all in torrential rains. Still loved it.
3. Manly Quarantine Station
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 353 reviews
Reviewed By AniaTur - Sydney, Australia
I LOVE the Q Station! Walking around it literally feels like travelling in time. You can feel a vibe, a presence - it is quite different from any place I have been to. And IT IS HAUNTED! ;) I had a pleasure of participating in an amazing ghost tour: I learnt a lot about the history of the station - VERY interesting - and I got chills hearing stories about ghost appearances and residual energy imprint haunting in different locations across the Q Station. Walking around such an unusual place in the dark and with just a few lanterns is scary enough but doing so with a black ghost lady as a guide is definitely the next level! And I am pretty sure I saw something in the showers that wasn't supposed to be there! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for anyone looking for more excitement in their lives! By the way, they also great run history tours for those who prefer stay away from the paranormal ;)
4. North Head Sanctuary
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 271 reviews
Reviewed By sydneysider48 - Sydney, Australia
North Head offers some great walks through bushland, all well graded and signposted, with terrific views across the harbour to the southern suburbs and the city and out through the Heads to sea.
5. 4 Pines Brewery Tours
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 124 reviews
4 Pines offers internationally acclaimed award- winning beers along with a seasonal menu featuring beer friendly food. With beer being brewed most days there is always entertainment to see, hear, taste, smell and enjoy. 4 Pines has a reputation as one of the friendliest and more relaxed venues in Sydney.
Reviewed By TiaEd - Atlanta, United States
We landed at 7 am after a 17-hour flight, hopped on Ocean Extreme whale watching and realized that the tour picked up people at Manly. I did not believe we could squeeze Manly into our short time in Sydney so we took the opportunity for the "free" Manly drop off after the tour. I had heard of 4 Pine's fish and chips and desperately needed them after the whale watching tour. We got to the brewery, greeted with smiles and we looked at the menu. I wanted something a bit healthier than fish and chips so we split the roasted cauliflower and the fish and chips and we are so glad we did. The fish and chips were absolutely delicious, and the cauliflower had a delicious hummus mixed aloi that was calming on my stomach after a rough boat ride. Once we had some food in our stomach we got a flight, or tasting paddle, of 5 beers. While beer is a unique taste for everyone, I won't rate the beer themselves but I enjoyed them all. We had Pacific Ale, Pale Ale, El Dorado IPA, In Season IPA and Nitro Stout. The bartenders were also great. We walked up and said "Do y'all do flights" and one walked up and said "so, if you can say y'all, can we respond with w'all do flights?". I forgot how easy it is for others to know we are from the south when we start to talk, almost the same thing happened in Canada! Overall - I'm so glad we made the time to stop here. I did not realize I would see 4 Pines on so many menus after, and I'd rather have it at the source!
6. Manly Art Gallery and Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 96 reviews
The vibrant and creative cultural hub of the Northern Beaches, Manly Art Gallery and Museum presents a creative program of changing visual arts and museum exhibitions. Temporary exhibitions include touring exhibitions and wonderful examples of contemporary and indigenous art. We have a beautiful gift shop selling souvenirs from the Gallery as well as a unique collection of cards and other items made by local artists. Check the website to see what exhibitions are on, or just come on over on the ferry and enjoy the Gallery
Reviewed By graemerk - Brisbane, Australia
Visited the Gallery to view a wonderful exhibition of pen drawings by an iconic Australian artist. Excellent display in a beautiful location overlooking the harbour Manly at its very best!
7. North Head
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 387 reviews
Reviewed By Mairwen1
North Head is a national park area, sitting high above Manly and Shelly beaches. You can easily combine Manly Beach and North Head in a a day trip and you get the best of Australian sand, surf and bushland. Highlights at North Head include bushland walking trails, whale-watching sites, native wildlife, panoramic views of the harbour, military relics and the old historic quarantine centre. It is free to enter. You can walk from Manly Beach up to North Head but it’s steep and you need to allow about an hour. I’ve not done this yet but, I’d like to go back and do it another time. Instead we drove to North Head and did a few of the bush walking trails around the headland. If you have 1 – 2 hours, you will easily have time for more than one walking trail. They are well sign-posted although I’d recommend stopping by the Information Centre first and picking up a free map or guide. They are pretty helpful in there. The Fairfax Trail is the best one for panoramic views and whale-watching. It only takes 30 minutes. The Memorial Walk is the best one for seeing native bushland. It has beautiful native wildflowers (acacia, banksia, boronia, wattle). Depending on how much noise you make and whether you thud your way through the bush, you may also see native wildlife like kookaburras or the normally shy echidna. I found the Memorial Walk to be very moving. The red brick pavers are engraved with the names of those who served in different wars and there is excellent historical information, set in sandstone blocks with old photos. The Bella Vista Café is a nice spot to finish. The outdoor seating has wonderful harbour views. We finished here. GETTING THERE: From the Manly ferry wharf, catch the 135 bus (stand C) which will take you right into the North Head sanctuary, stopping by the visitor centre and Bella Vista cafe. Bus 135 is pre-pay only so you will need an Opal card, otherwise you will be stuck. If driving, It is only a flat $5 parking fee for the day (must be the most reasonable parking fee in Sydney).
8. Manly Dam
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 52 reviews
Reviewed By Rokiii - Sydney, Australia
sheltered area for bbq's, swimming, paddleboarding and walking expensive parking though at about $10 an hr you cant stay for long
9. Manly Visitor Information Centre
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 75 reviews
Accredited Visitor Information Centre, Hello Manly is the official Visitor Information Centre for Manly and the Northern Beaches. Manly Beach Australia - Sydney's premiere beachside destination. We are a 'one stop shop' for visitors, locals and travellers looking for any information on Manly and the Northern Beaches. We offer: free assistance from trained staff with extensive knowledge of the Manly region. Free booking service for Manly accommodation, tours and attractions. Bike and walking guides and maps for Manly and surrounds. Retail outlet featuring exclusive Manly souvenirs, merchandise and gifts - also available in our online store.
Reviewed By WhyDontWe - Singapore, Singapore
Came by ferry with my own bicycle and was looking around for places I could visit. The staff at the visitor center approached to help me and suggested some realistic places to ride to and take walks. Visited the North Head, Manly beach (extremely crowded), Freshwater beach, Curl Curl beach, Dee Why beach then Narrabeen on the bike. The Manly-North Head-Manly stretch was the toughest ride, plenty of everlasting inclines I guess ranging around 4-8% incline but nonetheless challenging. There are some bike and non bike trails within the North Head. Recommend a wider than 23 tyres for that track. My favourite bit was from Dee Why to Narrabeen, the shared bike/foot path was mostly well paved and easy to navigate with clear road signs, even being able to ride through the Berry Reserve and Narrabeen lagoon which was much fun. This bike path a roadie with slicks can take.
10. Little Manly Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 80 reviews
Reviewed By JElliot32 - New South Wales, Australia
Little Manly Beach is one of the 'other', less well-known beaches in Manly. Unfortunately, can't say it is unknown or even overlooked, as it can be popular, especially on with families on weekends and during school holidays. It is a harbour beach that offers lovely clean water and sand, safe swimming (the water is shallow, there are no waves and part of the beach is enclosed). There are lawns to sit on as well as the beach itself, as well as an excellent kiosk. Parking is tricky, but then the Manly ferry terminal is less than a km away.
