Palm Beach is one of our favourite day trips from Sydney, and it’s the place we always take people when they come to visit. The beach is of course amazing, but there’s so much more to it than that.
There’s enough to keep you on the go all day, or even for a weekend. From secret gardens to whale watching, to finding those perfect photo spots, we’ve got you covered.
In this guide we’re sharing some of the famous must do’s if you’re new to Sydney, as well as some secret spots that most locals don’t even know about! Here are our favourite things to do in Palm Beach.
Things to do in Palm Beach
These are the 14 best things to do in Palm Beach (other than chilling on the beach!):
1. Relax at the secret garden
Yes, Palm Beach has it’s own secret garden, which just so happens to be one of our favourites in all of Sydney! Sitting on top of a hill the Palm Beach Bible Garden is a haven of tranquility, and also offers absolutely jaw dropping views.
If you are lucky enough to snag the picnic table directly in front of the view, you are in for a treat. It’s an unbeatable spot and one of the best places to picnic in Sydney. In fact it’s so good, we’ve seen not one, but two proposals at this very spot!
The views of Palm Beach
There is a bible placed on the table and we love the fact that everyone respects it and leaves it where it has been for decades. We’ve never seen another garden anywhere in the world like this one.
It was created in the 1960’s by Gerald Hercules Robinson, who originally intended it to be a house. He then decided it was too beautiful an example of Gods creation for that, and established the gorgeous garden that you see today.
The bench at the Bible Garden
The garden is also a favourite with the local bird population, and you will be serenaded with a cacophony of sounds, some of which are more melodious than others! It’s an absolute must when visiting Palm Beach.
2. Soak up the views on the Barrenjoey Lighthouse walk
I’m not sure if anyone visits Palm Beach and doesn’t take this walk up to the old heritage lighthouse.
At just 2.5km, it’s a short walk, which just so happens to showcases some of the best views in all of Sydney. There are two possible routes to take - both are steep, but don’t be put off, because the views are worth every last step.
You can get up close to the lighthouse at the top, but you can only go inside as part of a guided tour offered on Sundays.
From the top you can see the double bays of Palm Beach and Station Beach in one direction, and Broken Bay, Ku-ring-gai National Park and the Central Coast in the other.
It’s definitely one of Sydney’s best coastal walks.
3. Scout out the secret cave
Yes, that’s right, Palm Beach has a secret cave. So secret in fact that most locals don’t even know it exists.
This is one for those who are seeking a bit of adventure because it does require a bit of a bush bash to get there. If you don’t mind that, and you can handle the odd prickly plant, then it’s definitely a spot worth checking out.
This little cave has honeycomb coloured walls and amazing views.
It’s one of those spots that really feels like a hidden gem. You can sit inside the cave and soak up the views, and though you’re just off the main walking track, you feel a million miles away!
Here’s exactly how to find the cave, because trust us, without this guide, it’s not easy!
4. Find that epic Instagram spot
If you’re on Instagram, you’ve probably seen pictures of this incredibly precarious looking ledge that juts out high above Palm Beach.
It’s a pretty spectacular photo spot, but it’s not going to be for everyone, because whilst it isn’t as precarious as photos make it look, it is a bit scary unless you are 100% fine with heights.
If you want to see it for yourself, you’ll find it located off the Barrenjoey Lighthouse Track. We’ve detailed how to get there in this post.
Please know your limits and don’t sit on the ledge if you’re not comfortable with heights. There are many other fab ledges that are not in the least precarious along the main Access Track.
5. Have a brunch or lunch at The Boathouse
Whilst we have tried some other spots around Palm Beach, we always end up coming back to The Boathouse.
There really is no better place to be on a sunny day than their deck right on the water. We always get those holiday vibes, even now, when we’ve visited countless times.
We personally prefer their lunch options to brunch, but both are good choices depending on what timing works better for you.
We find it hard to go past the fish and chips, but the salads are great too, as are the buckets of prawns.
There’s usually a bit of a queue to get a space on the deck, but it’s definitely worth it. Visiting mid-week is preferable for that reason if you can.
If The Boathouse is too busy or you just want to try somewhere else, check out the Barrenjoey House, Dunes Kiosk and the Original fish and chip shop which are close by.
There’s also another Boathouse run by the same people a five minute drive away at Whale Beach, which is much less busy, but doesn’t have the sea views (although it does sit just behind the beach).
6. Look out for whales!
If you’re visiting between May and October, the top of the Barrenjoey Lighthouse is also a great spot for whale watching.
You’re quite high up, so it’s easy to see quite far into the distance. If whale watching is a top priority, try to visit on a calm day. It’s much easier to spot them that way, as any disturbance in the water is likely to be a whale!
As you are so high up, if you spot them, they will feel quite far away which makes it a different experience to watching them from lower cliff tops, like at Maroubra or Botany Bay, but it’s a pretty special place to try your luck nonetheless.
There’s an information board by the concrete seat which tells you what kind of whales you might spot (humpbacks are most likely) and what to look out for.
If you love whale watching, we’ve got an entire guide on the best places to spot them around Sydney without a tour.
7. Catch a sunrise
This is one for the early risers or photographers, because leaving Sydney an hour and a half to two hours before sunrise is not easy!
For that reason we’ve only done it once, but we’re so glad we did because it was truly memorable. The sun rises above the ocean and illuminates the beach with a soft golden light, which is both beautiful to watch and perfect for photos.
You’ll likely be one of only a few people on the beach, although the ocean will be alive with surfers. It was a fantastic experience and if we weren’t such night owls we’d definitely do it again, it’s easily one of our favourite sunrise spots in Sydney.
We headed straight to The Boathouse for brunch afterwards which opens at 7am, perfect timing!
8. Have a swim at the gorgeous ocean bath
Palm Beach often has pretty calm water, so it is good for swimming, but if the waves are big on your visit or you just don’t like ocean swimming, there is a gorgeous ocean bath at the southern end of the beach.
It’s actually quite a big pool, so you can get some good lengths in, and you’re looking out at the beach and ocean, which is spectacular.
Listening to the rolling waves is the perfect sound track and best of all it’s also free!
9. Catch a sunset
Palm Beach is far better known for its sunrises, but when you’re more of a sunset person (purely because I hate early wake ups!) you have to get creative. We’ve tried a few different spots, but it’s only on our most recent visit that we managed to find the perfect one.
There is a fantastic rocky platform with views over Broken Bay, Lion Island and Ku-ring-gai that also just so happens to look directly at the setting sun.
I have never heard anyone talk about it, so I’d be surprised if you found anyone else there, leaving you to soak up one of the most stunning views in Palm Beach all to yourself.
We sat and watched the little white sail boats drift along and it took us right back to the Whitsunday Islands. It’s a truly special spot.
You can find it on top of the cave we mentioned earlier, so the directions we gave to get to the cave will also get you here.
10. Take the ferry to the stunning Mackerel Beach
This is a great option if you have a whole weekend in the area, otherwise you probably won’t want to leave Palm Beach!
Assuming you have more time, a great way to spend an afternoon is to hop on the Palm Beach ferry and head over the bay to Mackerel Beach, in Ku-ring-gai National Park.
It’s a scenic 20 minute boat journey and takes you to an absolutely stunning beach. There are no roads, no facilities and no internet. This is pure nature at its finest and you won’t be disappointed.
If you are feeling energetic, you can even walk a short distance to one of Sydney’s best secret beaches, Resolute Beach. We recommend taking a picnic and whatever you need with you.
Palm Beach also runs ferries to several other locations on the Central Coast, but we haven’t been to any of those yet.
11. Be wowed on a scenic seaplane flight
If you want to visit Palm Beach in style, you can actually take a seaplane between Rose Bay in the city and Palm Beach.
The scenic flight takes you over many of the northern beaches, as well as a double fly over the harbour so you can get those iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge views from above.
You will have time at Palm Beach in-between to have lunch at The Boathouse or a picnic.
We’ve not been lucky enough to do this yet, but we have flown over the harbour several times in a helicopter (using our secret tip for getting it cheap that we mention in this post), which was absolutely phenomenal and one of the best things we’ve done in Sydney.
So we can only imagine this longer seaplane flight is equally epic.
12. See if Home and Away is filming!
Yep, Home and Away is still running in Australia! As a Brit I grew up watching it - and if you did too - you can enjoy a bit of nostalgia by checking out some of the filming locations.
If they aren’t filming down on the beach, there are still a couple of spots you can check out which are permanent fixtures.
The first is the Summer Bay surf club which you can see at the northern end of Palm Beach (it’s the North Palm Beach SLSC on google maps), and the second is Alf’s Bait Shop which is just to the right hand side of The Boathouse cafe.
13. Learn to surf
If you’ve always longed to find out what it feels like to ride the waves, you can give it a try at Palm Beach!
Whilst most visitors opt to book a lesson at Bondi Beach, if you’d prefer somewhere just as beautiful but far less crowded, we’d recommend trying Palm Beach instead.
14. Treat yourself to lunch or dinner at Jonah’s
Jonah’s is a Sydney institution. It’s actually just outside of Palm Beach, at Whale Beach, a five minute drive away. If you were looking to have a really special lunch or dinner it makes for an amazing treat.
I took my sister here for her birthday in my pre blogging days, so sadly I don’t have any good photos, but all I can say is the view is phenomenal. It’s perched on a cliff edge overlooking the picturesque Whale Beach below.
You can have a formal lunch in the dining room which has floor to ceiling windows, or a bar menu on the terrace which has equally fabulous views and is cheaper but with less fancy food.
If you’re looking to wow someone or you just want to wow yourself (and why not?!) then I would definitely recommend it.
Getting to Palm Beach
Parking at Palm Beach
Palm Beach is roughly a one hour drive from the city, but the traffic can get really bad from Narrabeen onwards, so allow some extra time if you’re travelling in the middle of the day or on a weekend.
There is plenty of parking all around Palm Beach and you can park for up to 12 hours. They stop charging you after four hours, but those four hours will cost you a rather obscene $40 in peak season. For less than four hours, it is $10 per hour. These charges occur between 7am and 7pm every day from 1 October to 30 April.
In off peak season it drops a fraction to $35 for 4-12 hours or $8 an hour under four hours.
If you’re as horrified by those prices as we were, then we have some good news. Palm Beach does have some free and unlimited parking less than a 10 minute walk away! Try Waratah Road or Beach Road, as these are both outside the fee zone. There are also three free parking spots by the Bible Garden but getting them can be hit and miss.
Public transport to Palm Beach
If you don’t have a car you can still get to Palm Beach using the B1 bus from Wynyard, which takes about 1.5 hours.
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Are you planning a trip to Palm Beach? Have any hidden gems in the area we haven’t mentioned? Let us know in the comments below!
