Best Time To Visit Sydney > Weather, Temperature & Season

What is the best time to visit Sydney?

March to May and September to November are the best times to visit Sydney. Mild, dry-ish and well below the December to February price peak.

Sydney's wettest month is June, in the middle of winter, and its driest is August. That catches people out: the rain here does not follow the heat, and no month is truly dry.

December to February is summer and the peak. About 24°C, the beaches at their best, and Australian school holidays plus Christmas making it the most expensive stretch of the year.

Winter is milder than it sounds: July averages about 13°C with plenty of clear sunny days, prices at their lowest, and Vivid Sydney lighting up the harbour from late May.

Monthly Weather in Sydney

Month	High/Low (°C)	Rain
January	27°/ 20°	11 days
February	26°/ 19°	11 days
March	24°/ 17°	15 days
April	24°/ 15°	7 days
May	22°/ 13°	3 days
June	18°/ 11°	9 days
July	19°/ 10°	4 days
August	18°/ 9°	6 days
September	20°/ 12°	3 days
October	23°/ 14°	4 days
November	25°/ 16°	6 days
December	26°/ 17°	1 days

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More about Best Time to Travel to Sydney

Spring in Sydney: September to November

September to November is the best window of the year. Temperatures climb from about 11°C to 23°C, the jacarandas flower in November and the harbour is at its most photogenic.

Prices sit well below the summer peak and the beaches are usable from October. Whale watching is still running through to the end of November.

Autumn in Sydney: March to May

March to May is the other good window, and the water is still warm. The summer crowds go home in February, the light is soft and days run from the mid-twenties down to about 19°C.

Rain builds through May towards June's peak, so pack for showers late in the season. Vivid Sydney starts in late May and turns the Opera House and the harbour into a light show.

Summer in Sydney: December to February

December to February is summer, peak season and the most expensive. Days average about 24°C with highs into the low thirties on hot spells, and the beaches are the point.

It coincides with Australian school holidays and Christmas, so flights, hotels and coastal accommodation are at their fullest. New Year's Eve harbour vantage points and cruises need booking months ahead. Bushfire smoke can drift over the city on the worst days.

Winter in Sydney: June to August, and the Rain

June is Sydney's wettest month and August its driest, which is the reverse of what most visitors expect. Winter here is not a dry season.

It is also not cold: July averages about 13°C, ranging roughly 9°C to 17°C, and it never snows. Clear crisp sunny days are common between the rain, prices are at their lowest, and this is the peak of the whale-watching season.

Whale Watching: June to November

Humpbacks pass Sydney from June to November, north on their migration in June and July and south with calves from September. Cruises leave from Darling Harbour and Circular Quay.

You can also watch from land for free: North Head, Cape Solander and the Bondi to Coogee walk all work in the right weeks. For a serious day out, drive down to Jervis Bay.

Vivid Sydney and New Year’s Eve

Vivid Sydney runs from late May into June, which makes the start of the low season the most interesting time to be in the city. The Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and the Botanic Gardens are all lit and the hotels are still cheap.

New Year's Eve is the opposite: the single most expensive night of the year, with paid vantage points, harbour cruises and waterfront restaurants sold out months in advance. Decide which of the two you want before you pick your dates.