How to Spend a Weekend in Byron Bay

If you are taking the Greyhound or Premier bus, you will most likely arrive in Byron Bay mid-morning. You can definitely experience most of Byron in a weekend but many visitors end up extending their stay. Byron Bay is a backpacker and hippie hotspot that is a beloved stop along the east coast (and is also home to the Hemsworth brothers).

Day 1

When you arrive in the morning head straight into town for some shops, food, and sometimes street performers. Grab some brunch literally anywhere (I especially enjoyed the Avocado Hut) and meander through the adorable beach town. Definitely don’t forget to stop at Main Beach for a bit too!

A well known street performer is the banana man! He’s usually on a corner somewhere hula hooping and shaking some maracas.

Next, pick up some lunch, water, and snacks and get ready for a bit of an afternoon hike. The Cape Byron Walking Track runs from near The Pass beach all the way to the Cape Byron Lighthouse. Along the way don’t miss the Cape Byron Lookout and especially the Most Easterly Point of the Australian Mainland. This trek takes about 1.5-2 hours to get to the lighthouse.

Once you make your way back into town head over to the Beach Hotel for a nice dinner and some great music. This spot tends to get pretty lively on the weekends but if it isn’t cutting it, you can always head to Woody’s Surf Shack for a fun night out.
Day 2

Start your day off early with a morning snorkel around Julian Rocks. I recommend you book a tour for this as you need a boat to get out to the snorkel spot. Tours are not too expensive and definitely worth a fun morning in the water!

After the tour, make your way to Dening Park to catch the Sunday Byron Markets (open 8am-3pm). These have loads of artisan goods and food for you to enjoy.

Next, make sure you get a hearty lunch, pick up a rental surf board, and head up to The Pass for some surfing. The Pass tends to have various sections of different sized waves that make it a good spot for any skill level to surf.

To finish off your time in Byron, pack a nice picnic and head back down to the western part of Dening Park to enjoy live music at sunset. The vibes are amazing here and I could definitely have gone to listen to these performances every night of the week.