Neighborhood 48H guide
Manly: Where to Stay & What to Do in 48 Hours
The ferry ride, the surf beach and Shelly Beach.
A half-hour ferry ride from Circular Quay, Manly has a surf beach lined with pines, the pedestrian Corso, and a walk to Shelly Beach and the snorkelling of Cabbage Tree Bay.
Photo gallery
Photo: Hardlinerr · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Why stay here
Ferry commute, surf and snorkelling.
Who it's for: Beach lovers who want a village feel.
Pros
- Ferry
- Surf
- Snorkelling
Cons
- Ferry to the city
- Busy weekends
- Far from sights
48H in Manly
The ferry ride, the surf beach and Shelly Beach.
09:00 – Manly ferry
From Circular Quay.
11:00 – Shelly Beach
Snorkel Cabbage Tree Bay.
Named recommendations
Real places with links to their official site or a Maps place page. We do not invent hours, prices, or ratings.
Outdoors
Outdoors
Manly ferry
Circular Quay Wharf 3
Half-hour harbour ferry from Circular Quay.
Photo: Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →Outdoors
Shelly Beach
Marine Parade
Sheltered beach in the Cabbage Tree Bay aquatic reserve, ten minutes’ walk from Manly.
Photo: Hardlinerr · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Where to stay
Specific named properties—not vague city-wide searches. Expedia stays use tracked Creator links; others open the hotel's official site.
Roam48 may earn a commission when you book a stay through Expedia or Vrbo links on this page, at no extra cost to you. All commercial stay links use rel="sponsored nofollow".
Hotel · Expedia
Manly Pacific Sydney MGallery Collection
North Steyne
Beachfront hotel with a pool.
Check rates on Expedia →Hotel · Expedia
The Sebel Sydney Manly Beach
South Steyne
Hotel by South Steyne.
Check rates on Expedia →
Vacation rentals
Prefer an apartment or whole home in this neighborhood? Browse Vrbo listings for Manly.
In New South Wales, every short-term rental must be registered on the state STRA Register before it is advertised, and in Greater Sydney a non-hosted listing can be rented for at most 180 days a year. Check that a listing shows its registration number.
Browse vacation rentals in Manly on Vrbo →Other ways to spend 48 hours in Sydney
- The Rocks & Circular Quay — The Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and the old sandstone lanes.
- CBD & the Domain — The Art Gallery, the Botanic Garden and city shopping.
- Darling Harbour — Museums, the waterfront and the convention centre.
- Surry Hills & Darlinghurst — Terrace houses, cafés and the Australian Museum.
- Potts Point & Woolloomooloo — Art Deco streets, Elizabeth Bay House and the Finger Wharf.
- Bondi — The beach, Icebergs and the coastal walk.
- Coogee — A family beach with ocean pools.