Saturday

4. Breakfast Bravery, 9 A.M.

Like Americans, Aussies aren’t ones to skimp on breakfast, and when in Sydney, neither should you. Start your morning with a selection of newspapers; a strong flat white (3.50 dollars), the Australian take on a cafe latte, invented in Sydney in the 1980s; and a sinfully cakelike chocolate almond croissant (4.50 dollars) — or try a spicy lamb, harrisa and almond sausage roll (5 dollars) — at the Central Baking Depot.

5. Exile, 10 A.M.

In the aftermath of America’s victory in the Revolutionary War, the British needed a new place of exile for convicts and found one in Sydney, some 18 years after Capt. James Cook claimed the continent’s east coast for Britain in 1770. From 1788 until 1868, more than 162,000 convicts were sent to Australia in the largest organized penal transportation scheme in history. More than 50,000 passed through the Hyde Park Barracks, a handsome brick building designed by the architect Francis Greenway, a convict who was pardoned for his fine work. The barracks are home to a fascinating museum that uses multimedia displays to tell the stories of convicts, many forced to endure unimaginable hardships for petty crimes. (If you want to see where those convicted of more serious offenses were sent, take the ferry to Cockatoo Island and rent an audio guide for the walking tour.)

Storm clouds pass over Manly, a picturesque suburb of Sydney. Credit David Maurice Smith for The New York Times

6. Village Life, Noon

Sydney is blessed with walkable suburbs filled with colorful Victorian and Edwardian-era terraced rowhouses. Stroll and eat your way through enclaves like Paddington, Surry Hills, Woollahra, Watson’s Bay, Mosman, Haberfield and Hunter’s Hill. But don’t miss charming and lively Balmain, a historically working-class inner suburb that is now quite fashionable. It takes just 12 minutes to reach the Balmain Wharf by ferry, but if it weren’t for the palm trees, you might believe you’ve parachuted into a prosperous English market town. Head to Darling Street, where you’ll find inviting restaurants and shops, including two well-stocked independent bookstores, Hill of Content and Brays Books. Quaff a pint of Balmain Pilsner and treat yourself to a pub lunch at the Riverview Hotel, a refurbished 19th-century tavern with an eclectic British country menu (lunch, 20 to 25 dollars).



7. Teatime with Perry Como, 3 p.m.

The Rocks neighborhood is better known for debauchery than tearooms, but it’s hard to find a more tranquil oasis for a midafternoon break than Tea Cosy, an Irish tea shop in a rambling 1870s rowhouse. Order a pot of Russian Caravan and colonize “Nana’s Corner” room upstairs, where you can spin Perry Como records on a vintage turntable. Once you’ve recharged, download the Walking the Rocks app and enjoy a tour of Sydney’s oldest neighborhood.

8. George the Cockatoo, 5 p.m.

Glebe is an inner suburb that’s long been a haven for creative types. It has a lively Saturday market; two great bookstores, Sappho Books and Gleebooks; a Cruelty Free Shop for vegans; the Record Crate, a cool record shop that doubles as a bar; and many cafes and restaurants. Once you’ve had enough of shopping, repair to the Friend in Hand Pub, an eccentric watering hole with the friendliest barflies in Sydney. Come before the pub’s mascot — George, a gregarious cockatoo — goes to bed.

Mary’s, a bar in the Sydney suburb of Newtown. Credit David Maurice Smith for The New York Times

9. Baby Got Baklava, 7 p.m.

The culinary maestros who run Thievery, a Lebanese tapas place in Glebe, boast that they “stole their menu from a big-time chef.” But the food and the cocktails seem anything but derivative. Sit on the second-floor patio, overlooking Glebe Point Road, and start with a Baby Got Baklava (Maker’s Mark bourbon, amaretto, lemon, pistachio, honey and pistachio pashmak, a Persian take on cotton candy; 17 dollars). The burnt butter hummus (10 dollars), grilled haloumi (19 dollars) and beef brisket kebab (14 dollars), served with spiced pumpkin, smoked garlic and pickled peppers on roti, are delicious takes on traditional mezze fare.

10. The Boss’s Wife, 10 p.m.

Newtown, a slightly offbeat suburb that brims with energy and revelers (including students from the University of Sydney), is bursting with music venues, watering holes and other places to blow off steam. But on a warm evening, the best attraction is people watching along King Street. Once you’re worn out, take a load off at Mary’s, a renowned burger joint with macabre wall art and a nice beer list, including local favorites like Young Henrys Newtowner and Murray’s Rudeboy Pilsner. Cap your evening at Gelato Messina, with a heaping scoop (4.80 dollars) or two of the “boss’s wife,” an irresistible combination of hazelnut and coffee gelato with white chocolate and hazelnut praline ganache.