Getting Here

Begin your journey to Manly, the Gateway of the Northern Beaches, by cruising across Sydney Harbour on one of the most picturesque ferry rides in the world or journey across the iconic Harbour Bridge on a bus, take a ride-share or drive in a private car.

Other parts of the Northern Beaches are accessible from Sydney’s CBD and suburbs by land and water too.

Ferries to Manly

Manly Ferries leave approximately every 15 to 20 minutes (more frequently in peak times) from Wharf 3 at Circular Quay and return at similar intervals. The trip takes between 20 – 30 minutes. The Ferry gates close two minutes prior to the departure time, to assist with on-time running.

My Fast Ferry and Captain Cook are private ferry companies that run services to Manly, Circular Quay, Watsons Bay, Taronga Zoo, Chowder Bay and Shark Island. The trip to and from Circular Quay is only 20 minutes.

• Manly Ferry Timetable
• My Fast Ferry
• Captain Cook Ferries

Sydney Buses to the Northern Beaches

Travelling to the Northern Beaches from the Airport

Flying into Sydney? Look out for signage within the airport terminal (Domestic or International) directing you to ‘Trains’. There is only one train line, so purchase a ticket to Circular Quay or City. It’s a 15-minute trip. 

Exit at Circular Quay Station, make your way down the stairs directly to Sydney Harbour. The Ferry departs from Wharf 3, a 20-30-minute ferry ride across the harbour (no stops) direct to Manly Wharf. You’ll arrive right in the heart of Manly! 

If you are planning to travel further up the Northern Beaches from the airport, you could take a train to Wynyard Station and then catch the B-Line Bus travelling towards Mona Vale. The B-Line bus is a large double-decker, bright yellow bus (the only one of its kind in Sydney).

For more information, visit Transport NSW.

You can also catch taxis and other on-demand car services from the Airport. Traffic can be heavy at certain times of the day, especially peak hour, so the trip could take anywhere from 40 to 90 minutes to Manly.

Travelling by Car to the Northern Beaches

We encourage all visitors to Manly and the Northern Beaches to use public transport, but if you need to drive there are a variety of parking options throughout the area. There are four Council car parks available seven days a week, as well as beach parking, on-street parking and private carparks. Please always check signage very carefully for time restrictions and fees.

Council Car Parks

Council operates five paid parking stations, four in Manly and one in Dee Why.

Private Car Parks in Manly

Pay and Display and Park’n Pay parking

Visitors can pay for parking using the parking machines or by using the NSW Government’s Park’nPay app.

Travelling by Taxi to and around Manly

The taxi rank is located on Belgrave Street, across from Manly Wharf, directly outside Town Hall.

On-site security operates at the Belgrave Street rank each Friday and Saturday night, with an additional rank provided on North Steyne at the junction of Raglan Street.

Manly Cabs
Phone: 131 668

Manly’s Hop Skip and Jump Bus

Northern Beaches Council provides a free Hop Skip and Jump Bus service seven days a week through the suburbs of Manly, Fairlight, Balgowlah, Balgowlah Heights, Clontarf and Seaforth. Four routes operate Monday to Friday and three routes on weekends. The bus routes interchange at Stockland Shopping Centre in Condamine Street, Balgowlah. There is also a new route operating to Manly Vale, for route destinations and stopping points, please refer to the link above.

Northern Beaches by Bicycle

The Northern Beaches has an extensive bicycle network with 100’s of kms of dedicated bicycle tracks to follow.

It is also possible to travel with a bike on the ferries, however, you may not take a bike on the buses.

Bicycle Parking

Bike racks, single and two-tiered, are available all over the Manly area and along the Northern Beaches.

Bicycle Rental

For visitors interested in exploring the Manly area, a bicycle is one of the easiest ways to get around. View the Manly Bike Map here.  View here for bicycle rental;  choose from e-bikes, mountain bikes, cruisers, tandem or kids bikes to name just a few.

Opal Cards

Sydney’s public transport is accessible via a universal Opal Card or contactless payment. If you have an American Express, Mastercard or Visa credit or debit card, or a linked device, you can use it to pay for your travel by tapping on and tapping off at Opal readers. Opal is the smartcard ticketing system used to pay for travel on public transport (ferries, buses or trains) in Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, the Hunter and the Illawarra. Add value before you travel and tap on and off to pay your fare, except for the ferries, where you only need to tap on!  You can buy an Opal Card from many retailers on the Northern Beaches and around Sydney, or pick one up from an automated machine at a train station or ferry terminal. Pricing for public transport varies.  Visit opal.com.au for more information. 

No matter how much you travel with an Opal card/contactless payment you never pay more* than your Daily, Weekly or Weekend Travel Caps.

*Conditions apply. Excludes the private ferries and airport train