Ultimate Sydney wellness weekend to explore and relax
Whether you haven't been there in a while, or want something new to do, a wellness escape in Sydney could be just what you need to revitalise your mind.
The city’s beautiful natural surrounds set the tone for a relaxing retreat, and the range of wellness centres and nutritious dining options offer a way to rest and rejuvenate.
From aerial yoga to delicious plant-based meals, here’s the ultimate Sydney wellness itinerary, put together by the experts at Destination NSW.
Greet the morning
In the hip inner-city suburb of Surry Hills, Sky-Lab's Aerial Yoga Stretch class will enhance flexibility and body awareness with its low-intensity Vinyasa class.
Using an aerial hammock, you’ll float through various poses with the support of expert instructors.
Or treat yourself to a morning float at Sydney Float Centre in neighbouring Darlinghurst. Clear your mind as you relax in a zero-gravity lightless, soundless float pod.
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Then head to Kawa Cafe, on Crown Street, Surry Hills, for a green juice and hefty Vegan Big Breakfast with avocado, roast pumpkin and tomato, mushrooms, homemade baked beans and hummus on toast. Eat heartily knowing the food and drinks Kawa serves up are ethically sourced and accredited by Choose Wisely.
Post-breakfast browsing
After breakfast, wander along Crown Street for some retail therapy.
Discover beautiful boutiques and local lifestyle products such as Elms Store, for a great selection of wellness books and homewares; Luna Beauty & Apothecary for naturopathic potions and oils; and Provider Store, with ethical and sustainable products for slow living.
Take a leisurely lunch
Enjoy a locally sourced meal at Silly Tart Kitchen in Kings Cross, a 20-minute walk from Surry Hills, complete with homegrown produce and herbs from the restaurant’s garden in Goulburn, a regional city about two hours’ drive from Sydney.
Or indulge in long lunch with the tasting menu at award-winning vegetarian restaurant Yellow in Potts Point, just down the road from Kings Cross.
The warm and inviting restaurant lives up to its name, with yellow accents throughout the room. Sit back for a leisurely dining experience all about veggies.
Time to lighten up
Still digesting that big vegan breakfast and want something lighter?
Head to Orchard St. on Glenmore Road in Paddington, less than 10 minutes’ drive from Surry Hills.
At The Intersection, a cluster of Australian fashion designer boutiques, the Orchard St. Elixir Bar dispenses herbal elixirs, nourishing raw food treats and organic juices to tide you over until dinner.
Orchard St.’s Elixir Bar in North Bondi is another great option for breakfast after a morning swim at Bondi Beach.
Have some afternoon ‘me time’
Rejuvenate after your explorations with an infrared sauna at Cultivate Recovery in Darlinghurst.
This treatment uses far-infrared rays at a lower temperature than normal saunas to help physical and mental recovery.
Or head over to Alkaline, a day spa with a holistic focus on anti-ageing at Potts Point, for a Pick-me-up Facial.
After this cleanse, exfoliating compresses, polish and mask, your skin will feel absolutely radiant.
For the ultimate indulgent afternoon, visit The Day Spa by Chuan at The Langham near Barangaroo. Take a dip in the 20-metre heated pool under a dome painted as a star-filled sky, then recharge with a 90-minute, full-body Nourishing Wellness Massage.
Time for more nourishment
Dine thoughtfully on sustainably caught local seafood in Barangaroo at Love.fish.
Overlooking Darling Harbour, Love.fish serves up fresh Sydney rock oysters and char-grilled Clarence River octopus.
Or sample chef Danielle Alvarez’s signature farm-to-table cooking at Fred’s, on Paddington’s Oxford Street. Enjoy a selection of organic wines in the beautifully styled restaurant.
Then head downstairs to Charlie Parker’s for a nightcap, or back to your hotel for beauty sleep.
Still feeling the buzz from your afternoon treatment?
Try a nightcap at Untied Rooftop. This Barangaroo bar has just the elixir for you — the Watermelon Mint Spritz cocktail, made with alcohol-free Seedlip Grove 42 spirit, is practically a health drink.
Stay in style with a spa on hand
Several luxury hotels have excellent spa facilities so you can step from your suite and into a treatment room.
There’s The Darling hotel at The Star in Pyrmont, across a pedestrian bridge from Barangaroo.
It has two exclusive couples suites and a Moroccan hammam, as well as 11 standard treatment rooms.
Try a Dihlbi facial, which uses Australian brand Li’Tya’s powerful serums.
Li’Tya’s products use native botanicals to leave your skin looking its best.
At QT Sydney, in the very heart of the city, the quirky luxury hotel’s SpaQ offers packages such as The Plush Princess, a 150-minute indulgence with green tea salt scrub, full body massage and facial massage.
Or you can stay at Paramount House Hotel in Surry Hills, which occupies the former Paramount Studios building.
The boutique hotel has a popular café on the ground floor and the old-Hollywood-style Golden Age Cinema in the basement, but the drawcard is the rooftop Paramount Recreation Club, with fitness pavilion, treatment rooms and healthy kiosk.
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