Month guide · Sydney · Australia
Sydney in May
What May is really like in Sydney: weather, crowds, prices, events and what to pack.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
May is a shoulder-season month. Expect average highs of 20°C (68°F), lows of 12°C (54°F), about 8 rainy days and roughly 10.4 hours of daylight. Clear, cool mornings and sunny afternoons; whale-watching season usually begins and Vivid Sydney lights up the harbour late in the month.
Key facts
- Average high / low
- 20°C (68°F) / 12°C (54°F)
- Rainy days
- About 8
- Daylight
- About 10.4 hours
- Sea temperature
- 20°C (68°F)
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in May
May is the 9th-warmest month in Sydney: days average 20°C (68°F) against a yearly average high of 22°C (72°F), and nights fall to about 12°C (54°F). Rain falls on roughly 8 of its 31 days. Compared with April (23°C (73°F)), May is cooler; by June highs drop to around 18°C (64°F).
- Sunrise (15 May)
- About 06:40
- Sunset (15 May)
- About 17:02
- Daylight
- About 10.4 hours
- Sea
- 20°C (68°F)
Winter (June–August). Mild sunny days and cold nights, low hotel rates, Vivid Sydney in early June and humpback whales along the coast.
Crowds and prices
On a 1–5 scale, May rates 3 for crowds (the peak is January at 5) and 3 for hotel prices (highest in January). Prices sit in the middle of the year's range.
Events in May
- Sydney Writers' Festival (usually May)
- Vivid Sydney — light projections around the harbour (usually late May to mid-June)
Dates move from year to year. Check the organiser’s site before booking travel around an event.
What to do in May
Mild, settled days suit walking, viewpoints and time outdoors.
Landmark · The Rocks
Sydney Harbour Bridge
Reach the footpath by the stairs from Cumberland Street in The Rocks, walk to Milsons Point and come back by ferry for a different angle.
- Time needed
- 1 hour walk; 3.5 hours to climb
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Views
- Active
- Photo spot
Garden · Circular Quay
Royal Botanic Garden and Mrs Macquarie's Chair
Thirty hectares of lawns, palms and themed gardens wrap around Farm Cove between the Opera House and the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Views
- Couples
- Nature
- Kids
Beach · Bondi
Bondi Beach
Swim only between the red-and-yellow flags; the southern end has a well-known rip current that catches visitors every summer.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Outdoors
- Active
- Photo spot
Nature · Eastern Beaches
Bondi to Coogee coastal walk
This six-kilometre cliff-top path links Bondi with Coogee via Tamarama, Bronte, Clovelly and Gordons Bay, passing ocean pools, sandstone headlands and the clifftop Waverley Cemetery.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Active
- Views
- Photo spot
What to pack
For highs near 20°C, lows near 12°C and 8 wet days: light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening; a packable rain jacket for showers; comfortable walking shoes.
Is May a good time to visit Sydney?
A shoulder-season month, with 2 notable events on the calendar. If your dates are flexible, March–April and September–November are better overall. Compare every month.
Sydney in other months
Questions travellers ask
+Is May a good time to visit Sydney?
It is a shoulder-season month. Clear, cool mornings and sunny afternoons; whale-watching season usually begins and Vivid Sydney lights up the harbour late in the month.
+How warm is Sydney in May?
Average highs are around 20°C (68°F) and lows around 12°C (54°F).
+Does it rain a lot in Sydney in May?
Expect rain on about 8 days of the month.