Byron Bay has a reputation in Australia of being a hippy destination and that’s exactly what it felt like when we drove over the town line to a welcome sign which also told us to “chill” just as a psychedlic painted van (aka shagging wagon) drove past us on the other side of the road. Once we explored on foot, the cliches continued with the first shop we saw being for “happy herbs”.

However, this theme did not continue and we found Byron Bay to be more hipster than hippy and I think it would be better described as an upper end beach town. There are a few hippy types around, sure, as well as surfers and many backpackers. But there are also lots of families, older people and everything inbetween. This creates an interesting mix of hippy vs hipster vs backpacker vs family. We saw all types and it had a great vibe whatever your inclinations.

Something that Byron Bay definitely is is busy! There are some great walking and bike paths which seem well used but there are also traffic jams which shocked me for a small town. The accommodation seemed to be basically all sold out the weekend we stayed in September, and it was over priced compared to pretty much everywhere else in Australia.

Still, Byron Bay has a lot going for it and it is well worth a visit. Below you will find our guide to what to do in Byron Bay, visiting Byron Bay with kids, where to stay, how to get to Byron Bay and other practical information to ensure you have an awesome trip to this beach town.

Top 11 things to do in Byron Bay Australia

1. Visit Cape Byron Lighthouse

Cape Byron is home to the most famous of the attractions in Byron Bay – the lighthouse on the most easterly point of Australia. It’s iconic and a must do in Byron Bay.

It’s a lighthouse with an information centre and cafe. The views are nice but the highlight seems to be the walk to it. I say “seems” as travelling alone with a 6 year old and a 3 month old meant that I drove to the top.

If you need to drive as well, it’s still nice. The views are great, but I think they would be better during the walk. The drive was also a bit scary when I came across a big bus coming in the opposite direction and had to reverse back out of the way! It costs $8 to park at the top and the car park is small, so there’s a wait in busy times. I would definitely recommend walking if you at all can.

2. Go whale watching

From May to November many whales pass by Byron Bay and it’s possible to spot these magnificent creatures from land. The walk to the lighthouse and the lighthouse area itself are excellent places to try to spot whales and dolphins.

3. Have a relaxing massage

If you are looking for things to do in Byron Bay when its raining then having a massage or a beauty treatment is the perfect choice! Byron Bay has many day spas, massage clinics and other healthy treatments as well as mobile massages which can come to your hotel room.

I wish I could recommend one from personal experience, but unfortunately there wasn’t a massage for me 🙁

4. Go surfing

If you are an avid surfer then you already know that one of the most popular Byron Bay activities is surfing. If you’ve been looking for an excuse to learn then Byron Bay is a great place to try it! There are many surf schools and a few different beaches which are popular to give it a go. You can also hire the gear without the lesson.

5. Go shopping

After surfing, one of the most popular activities in Byron Bay is shopping! There are plenty of great shops around and on Lawson Street, Byron Bay.

The Byron Bay area is also famous for their markets and there are many of them. It is definitely worth checking out what markets are taking place on the dates that you visit as many just run one weekend a month. Some are in Byron Bay and some in the surrounding towns.

When we visited, we went to a market in neighbouring Ballina. It was on the small side but it was nice and what was extra handy was that it had undercover sections for eating which worked extra well since it was raining when we went.

Here’s a handy list of the markets that take place regularly.

6. See Byron from up above

If you are looking for Byron Bay things to do from up above then you have plenty of options! You can go hang gliding, hot air ballooning and sky diving.

7. Be active

There are many options of things to do at Byron Bay for people who like to be active. There are choices such as scuba diving, snorkelling, kayaking, horse riding or learn some circus arts! There’s also some great bike and walking paths so you can go cycling or walking.

You can also play around of golf at the Byron Bay Golf Club. They also have a restaurant and live music on Sundays. You can hire equipment but I recommend taking your own rangefinder.

8. Eat and see animals at The Farm Byron Bay

The Farm Byron Bay is an excellent choice of Byron Bay attractions and activities if you are looking for things to do in Byron Bay with kids or just want to have a meal in a beautiful setting.

This farm is located just outside of Byron Bay. We were able to look at animals (pigs, cows and hens), play on a small playgound and have a yummy breakfast. There is a popular restaurant on site as well as a bakery. We opted for the bakery and ate our food in the playground.

There are farm tours and, if you are looking for kids activities in Byron Bay, there is also a school holiday program that sounds amazing and also runs on some Sundays.

You can find out more on their website.

9. Relax at the beach

Of course a trip to Byron Bay would not be complete without visiting the most obvious of Byron Bay tourist attractions – the beach! It’s beautiful with white sand and is justifiably popular. Thankfully its also a decent size to help thin out the crowds.

We particularly enjoyed visiting the playground near the surf club. This is a popular spot and in the evenings it seemed to be somewhere with many different segments of the Byron Bay population. Many families were out as well as backpackers. There are BBQs but many people were having take away from surrounding shops as well. Everyone was friendly and it seems like a great spot to make new friends.

10. See history at the Ballina Naval and Maritime Museum

We only found out about this museum accidentally and I am glad we did! This super informative museum is a great place to visit if you are looking for things to do near Byron Bay. It’s full of treasures including one absolutely amazing one.

In fact, after visiting a similar ship (more like a raft) that is a big attraction at Oslo’s Kon-Tiki Museum, I am surprised that this one isn’t better known. This museum is only about a half hour drive from Byron Bay and is worth the effort.

In 1973, a group set out from Ecuador to prove they could get across to Australia. They wanted to show that it wasn’t an accident that people had sailed across the Pacific many years ago and that they could have made it all the way to Australia. They succeeded! And completed their journey in Ballina about 6 months after setting off.

It’s amazing to see one of the actual rafts and I had to admire the dedication of its sailors. Choosing to spend 6 months on a wooden raft to go right across the Pacific blows me away! There was a video showing about the voyage which helped to make it more real and Miss 6 got quite into it.

Although this vessel does steal the show, there is plenty more to this museum. There are many model boats (I wish Mr 4 could have been with us as he would have loved them) and many informative displays about Australia’s naval history. I particularly found it interesting to read about events in Australia during WWII. I didn’t really know anything about what happened on Australian shores in regards to Japanese attack during WWII until I was an adult and travelled to Sydney and Darwin, and it still surprises me how little is known generally in Australia about these events the occasional time that I see a reference to it.

This museum helps to fill in some gaps and is definitely worth a visit when in this part of the world. It is also a possibility of what to do in Byron Bay when it rains.

Ticket prices were $5 for adults and $2 for kids when we visited. More information here.

11. Head out of town

There are many beautiful spots in the places near Byron Bay and, if you have the time, it is worth the effort to head out of town.

We enjoyed spending a day in Ballina. You can read all about it in our article, top 10 things to do in Ballina.

One of my Facebook followers and ex Byron Bay native recommended the following things to do around Byron Bay…

• Swim at Broken Head
• Head to Brunswick Heads. Swim at Torakina and then have calamari and chips at the Starfish Cafe.
• Visit the Margaret Olley Art Centre at Murwillumbah.
• Go to Minyon Falls.
• Visit the Macadamia Castle. There are train rides, mini golf and animals to interact with.

Map of Byron Bay things to do

Byron Bay with kids

Byron Bay is an excellent destination for a family holiday and there are many things to do in Byron Bay for kids. From the beach, to The Farm to being active in nature, there’s no reason your kids won’t enjoy a holiday to Byron Bay as much as you.

As far as things to see in Byron Bay go, this is a more low key destination. Most Byron Bay things to do and see are about getting out and about and having fun in the outdoors which works well with kids.

I travelled to Byron Bay with my 3 month old and my 6 year old. Miss 6 enjoyed it a lot. Mr 3 months is harder to tell but I was happy to find that I could get out and about with the pram without any worries. However, I did feel visiting with a baby restricted our activities somewhat – unfortunately no massages, surfing or skydiving for me! If you can handle this then Byron Bay is a great destination to visit with kids.

Where to stay in Byron Bay

The first thing to say is that Byron Bay is not cheap. When you are looking for the best places to stay in Byron Bay be prepared to see high prices. We found Byron Bay accommodation much more expensive than surrounding areas. In fact, if you are on a budget, you are better off looking for places to stay near Byron Bay, like Ballina, rather than in the town itself.

I did personally like the character of Byron Bay far more than Ballina. There is nothing at all wrong with Ballina In fact, it seemed very nice. However, I did like the main strip in Byron Bay and the feel the town had whereas Ballina didn’t feel any different to me than any other Australian town of a similar size.

Find Byron Bay accommodation here.

Byron Bay Side Central Motel

We had a good stay at the Byron Bay Side Central Motel. It was by far the best deal I found at the time I booked ($209 for a twin room with kitchenette on a weekend). Like I said, Byron Bay is not cheap.

We loved our choice though. The location is just perfect at a block from the main strip and another half block to the beach. This means we were in the middle of things in moments while still being in a quiet spot.

Our room was older style but good. The twin rooms come with a queen bed plus a single bed. The queen bed was in an alcove so it felt private from the single bed. There was also a big couch and a well stocked kitchenette. The room also had my favourite hotel amenties – our own washing machine and dryer! It’s a good size if you are looking for Byron Bay family accommodation for a small family.

What was equally handy was the big balcony with a table and chairs. I was able to work out there once the kids had gone to bed so it worked very well for us. It was also just a nice place to sit and have a glass of wine.

The service at the motel was very friendly and I have no complaints at all – except I forgot to ask for the wifi password and reception shut before I had a chance. I won’t forget that again!

Click here to see the latest prices.

Eating in Byron Bay

You are not going to struggle to find somewhere to eat in Byron Bay. There are a lot of good looking places to visit in Byron Bay to have a meal, snack or drink.

We particularly enjoyed Mokha which is in a central location with good variety and delicious, massive serves. The kids meals were bigger than adult servings in many other places.

Getting to Byron Bay

We flew to Ballina direct from Melbourne and it’s an easy half hour drive to Byron Bay from there. I have also visited Byron Bay in the past by driving down from the Gold Coast which is only an hour away.

The town of Byron Bay itself is only small but there is plenty of traffic! Street parking is charged at $3/hour.

Our verdict

We very much enjoyed our time in Byron Bay. There is enough fun things to do in Byron Bay to keep yourself busy for a few days and it is a nice play to hang out.

I personally liked the character of Byron Bay. What surprised me, however, is that it didn’t have a hippy feel apart from the cliches I saw above (which we didn’t keep seeing) and the fact that I probably saw more dreadlocks that I usually do. It reminded me of Noosa and Port Douglas.

I can imagine returning to Byron Bay to have a relaxing break. It seems like the perfect place for when you don’t want a destination full of sightseeing options but want to take it easy or be active in nature.

Have you been to Byron Bay? What did you think?

You can also read our guide to nearby Ballina, Coffs Harbour (where we drove next) and Gold Coast family accommodation.

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Tags:  Australia Travel Blog