There’s so many things to do in Newcastle, you’ll be wondering why you didn’t visit this underrated city in the Hunter region sooner! If you’re looking for day trips from Sydney, I’d put Newcastle on your list to visit.
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Known for being home to plenty of amazing beaches, and some of the best surf I’ve personally seen in Australia, the Newcastle coastline shouldn’t be overlooked. Think Newcastle Beach, the famous Merewether Ocean Baths, the sea caves at Caves Beach and so much more.
We visit Newcastle often as Steve’s family live here, and we have personally spent about nine months living in this city to bring you this guide. So in my experience, I hope you find some amazing things to do here!
Thinking of living in Newcastle? Our Move Regional guide to Newcastle covers what everyday life here is really like, to help you work out if it suits you.
Getting to Newcastle and getting around
Newcastle is about two hours’ drive north of Sydney in normal traffic. Check out my Sydney to Central Coast Instagram Reel to find all the best spots to stop on your way up to Newcastle. Newcastle Airport is at Williamtown, about 25 minutes north of the city.
The light rail runs from Newcastle Interchange to Newcastle Beach in 12 minutes, using Opal like all public transport here. It gives easy access to the harbour and beach, but you’ll need a car south of Merewether.
The best time to visit Newcastle for swimming is the warmer months, roughly November to March.
No car? The Half-Day Sightseeing with Coastal Stops & History tour covers the ocean baths, lookouts and forts in a minivan.
| You want | Go to |
|---|---|
| A safe swim with kids | Merewether Ocean Baths, Newcastle Ocean Baths |
| A rainy day | Newcastle Museum, Newcastle Art Gallery |
| Free attractions for kids | Blackbutt Reserve, the Fairy Garden |
| A day trip | Hunter Valley, Port Stephens |
Understanding Newcastle
If you’re wondering what to do in Newcastle, there’s actually a fair bit going on. I don’t know why some Sydney people seem to underestimate this city, in my experience there’s a lot more to it than you might think.
The beaches are amazing here (check out our best beaches in Newcastle guide), and not anywhere as busy as Sydney beaches. There’s also a good foodies scene in Newcastle as well and the locals alike are super friendly.
To get your head around the Newcastle area, there’s not really a centre of town when it comes to shopping areas. Most shops are now located at Kotara and Charlestown Westfields.
Newcastle’s best beaches and ocean baths
1. Swim at Bar Beach
My favourite beach in Newcastle is Bar Beach, which shares one long stretch of sand with Dixon Park Beach and Merewether Beach.
When we lived here, our morning walk went from Merewether Ocean Baths to the breakwall, finishing at Bar Beach for yoga and a swim. Our yoga spot was by the picnic tables on the left, out of sight of the road, so no morning walkers got an eyeful of my downward dog. The grassy bit above is a great spot for sunset with a bottle of vino.
At low tide, walk around the rocks to Susan Gilmore Beach, which felt deserted compared to Bar Beach. Check the tides first.
2. Watch the sunrise at Merewether Ocean Baths
Get up for sunrise at Merewether Ocean Baths, the largest ocean baths in the Southern Hemisphere. They opened in 1935, measure 50 by 100 metres and are surprisingly busy at sunrise.
Merewether Beach next door has been a National Surfing Reserve since 2009 and hosts Surfest, which bills itself as Australia’s largest surfing festival.
3. Swim at Newcastle Ocean Baths and Newcastle Beach
The Newcastle Ocean Baths, with their Art Deco pavilion, reopened in December 2023 after an upgrade. Newcastle Beach is right next door, a short distance from the light rail, so it’s the easiest beach to reach without a car and one of my favourite beaches in Newcastle.
4. Find the Bogey Hole
The Bogey Hole is one of Newcastle’s iconic ocean baths, and you have to see it. Convicts carved it out of the rock in about 1819 and 1820 for Commandant James Morisset’s private use, and it opened to the public in 1884.
I’d literally run past it every weekend before I knew it existed. You reach it down the steps from King Edward Park. Only swim on a calm day, as big waves crash straight over the edge.
5. Walk the breakwall to Nobbys Lighthouse at sunset
Walking the breakwall by Nobbys Beach at sunset is one of our favourite things to do. It’s nearly 3km return, with ocean water on one side and the harbour on the other. Nobbys Lighthouse was built in 1858, and the headland usually opens to visitors on weekends.
Nobbys Beach is patrolled all year round, with a kiosk, showers and covered picnic tables.
6. Explore the sea caves at Caves Beach
Caves Beach is about 30km south of Newcastle, and its sea caves sit at the southern end of the beach. You can only reach them at low tide on a calm day, so check the tides first.
We’d been to Caves Beach plenty of times before we found the caves. They aren’t massive, but you can walk through a couple.
Walking trails and outdoor activities
The 6km Bathers Way follows the coastline from Merewether Ocean Baths to Nobbys Beach, past King Edward Park, the Bogey Hole and Fort Scratchley. It takes about three hours one way.
7. Walk the Anzac Memorial Walk
The Anzac Memorial Walk is a 450-metre clifftop walkway with a bridge high above the beaches. It opened in 2015 for the Anzac centenary, and steel silhouettes along it carry the family names of Hunter men and women who served in the First World War. It’s a beautiful Anzac memorial and a great spot for sunset.
8. Cycle the Fernleigh Track
The Fernleigh Track is an old railway line turned into a 15km walking and cycle path between Adamstown and Belmont. It feels a million miles from the city, and our return ride took about two hours.
Look out for the 181-metre rail tunnel near Adamstown, and check the hours of Fernleigh Cafe, just off the track, which serves brilliant food.
9. Hike Glenrock State Conservation Area and Dudley Beach
Just around the corner from Merewether, Glenrock State Conservation Area is so untouched you’ll be gobsmacked it’s next door to the city. Walking trails lead to golden beaches, and the mountain biking is great.
Further south, Dudley Beach is wild and rugged. Redhead Beach next door is better with kids, with a surf club and cafe.
10. Meet the koalas at Blackbutt Reserve
Blackbutt Reserve is like a free wildlife park in the middle of Newcastle, with nature trails through the bush. At the Carnley Avenue end you’ll find koalas, wombats, kangaroos and emus.
Wombat feeding is at 10.30am and koala feeding at 2pm, and the wildlife exhibits open 10am to 4.30pm. Entry is free, but you pay for parking.
11. Climb into the trees at WildNets
Blue Gum Hills Regional Park in Minmi, about 20 minutes from the city, has a treetop ropes course with more than 90 challenges and 20 ziplines. Treetops Adventure ran it until October 2025, and now it’s WildNets.
Historical sites, museums and art
12. Go underground at Fort Scratchley
Fort Scratchley sits on the hill above Nobbys Beach in Newcastle East. It was built in 1882, and in 1942 its guns fired at a Japanese submarine shelling the city.
Entry is free, but you can only see the tunnels on one of the guided tours ($16.50 for adults). The fort is closed on Tuesdays, and the time gun fires at 1pm.
13. Discover the city’s story at Newcastle Museum
Newcastle Museum is in the old Honeysuckle railway workshops and shows the city’s industrial past, from coal mining to BHP steelmaking. Kids love the Supernova science centre. Entry is free, and it’s open Tuesday to Sunday, plus Mondays in the school holidays.
14. See the new Newcastle Art Gallery
Newcastle Art Gallery reopened on 28 February 2026 after a $48 million expansion that doubled its size. It’s now the largest public gallery in NSW outside Sydney, and entry is free.
We used to work from the library next door, and the gallery’s exhibitions surprised us.
15. Step inside The Lock-Up and take a true crime tour
The Lock-Up on Hunter Street was the city’s police station and lock-up from 1861 to 1982. Now it’s a free contemporary art space, with exhibitions in the old cells.
For something to do at night, book this crime tour. It’s 90 minutes of Newcastle’s infamous criminals, told in the oldest parts of town.
Restaurants, cafes, markets and shopping
16. Eat and shop on Darby Street
Darby Street is Newcastle’s most happening street. Squint and you could be in Melbourne. The Autumn Rooms is a favourite for breakfast, and our favourite shops are Abicus and Blackbird Corner.
Where Darby Street meets King Street, Civic Park hosts The Olive Tree Market, Newcastle’s longest-running art and design market, on the first Saturday of the month.
17. Eat your way around Honeysuckle and Beaumont St
Dining in Newcastle is relaxed and casual. Honeysuckle Precinct on the harbour is lined with bars and cafes, and King Street, Bolton Street and Hunter Street have some of the city’s best restaurants. One Penny Black on Hunter Street is the locals’ pick for coffee, and Beaumont St in Hamilton is a lively eat street.
- Food and Street Art Walking Tour with Tastings: five tastings around Newcastle East, from craft beer to prawns.
- Spirit Blending Class at Earp Distilling Co.: blend your own gin, vodka or rum.
18. Shop for vintage at Stoned Saint Moon
Stoned Saint Moon is my favourite shop in Newcastle! It’s a vintage shop on Maitland Road in Islington, full of 1970s maxi dresses, cult band tees and cowboy boots. I’ve bought a good few 1970s maxi dresses there and it’s ALWAYS my first stop whenever we’re in Newcastle!
19. Go to the farmers market and find the Fairy Garden
Newcastle City Farmers Market runs every Sunday morning at Newcastle Showground in Broadmeadow. Afterwards, find the Fairy Garden near the Showground, started around 1970 by local Merv Moyle for his daughters.
Our best market find was at Newcastle Markets in Sandgate. We waited until they were packing up and got a huge crate of bananas for $20, then froze them for smoothies.
20. Go to a yoga class at Infuse Health
Our absolute favourite place in Newcastle is Infuse Health, a yoga and movement studio in Adamstown. We went for the Iyengar yoga (the one with props), and the teachers are some of the nicest people we’ve met in Australia. Our Infuse Health review has more.
Harbour cruises and whale watching
21. Go whale watching
Humpback whales pass Newcastle from June to November, and we’ve even seen them from the shore. To get closer, this whale watching tour is a two-hour trip in a small group.
22. Cruise Newcastle Harbour
Newcastle Harbour is the world’s largest coal export port, and a cruise shows you the ships and the city from the water.
- Harbour Cruise with Buffet Lunch: two and a half hours with lunch.
- Newcastle Harbour Dinner Cruise: three courses and live music as the city lights come on.
- Coastal 2.5-hour Adventure Boat Tour: 30km of coastline and its landmarks.
- Lake Macquarie: Cruise with Lunch on the Lake: a barbecue buffet with local prawns.
Day trips from Newcastle
23. Taste your way around the Hunter Valley
The Hunter Valley’s vineyards and cellar doors are about an hour’s drive west, and our Hunter Valley guide has the affordable spots we found.
- Boutique Hunter Valley Wine Tour: small group, with pickup from Newcastle.
- Sunrise Balloon Ride with Bubbly Breakfast: a splurge over the vineyards.
- From Sydney: Full-Day Hunter Valley Wine Tour: if you’re starting in Sydney.
24. Have fun in Port Stephens
Port Stephens is under an hour’s drive to Nelson Bay, and brilliant with kids. Driving into Shoal Bay, we thought it looked like Thailand! Our Port Stephens guide covers it all.
- Quad Biking on Stockton Sand Dunes: One of the best experiences we’ve done in Australia!
- Unlimited Sandboarding with 4WD Dune Transfer: the huge Stockton Beach dunes.
- Dolphin Discovery Cruise: 90 minutes with the resident dolphins.
- Animal Lovers Tour: from Newcastle, with a dolphin cruise and koala encounter.
25. Get away from it all at Seal Rocks
Seal Rocks is just under two hours north, perfect for a weekend away, with beach campgrounds and not much else. Read our reasons to visit Seal Rocks, and visit nearby Bluey’s Beach.
Where to stay in Newcastle
- Luxury: QT Newcastle, opposite the harbour. The service is next level, and it’s our go-to when visiting family. Honestly it’s a gorgeous hotel!
- Mid-range: Novotel Newcastle Beach, with views over Newcastle Beach.
- Budget: Newcastle Beach YHA, a short walk from the beach.
Thinking of living in Newcastle? Our Move Regional guide to Newcastle covers what everyday life here is really like, to help you work out if it suits you.
Planning more trips? Our best day trips from Sydney guide has 30 more. Follow us on Instagram @itsannieandsteve for more Australian hidden gems and daily updates.
