The 12 best free attractions in Nelson Bay

Always skipped this place in the past, but this time around, we managed to stop by It has an amazing panoramic view of some areas of Port Stephens. Parking spots are very limited, though.

It's a very useful lookout point. Wonderful views we stayed for about 20mins parking is very limited.

A quick stop for an incredible view. There are two areas to enjoy the view. Free parking is available in a small parking area at the lookout.

The drive up is steep and winding, but the view from the top is absolutely worth it! You get a breathtaking 360-degree panorama of the entire Port Stephens area, including the bay, Tomaree Head, and the surrounding landscape. It's the perfect first stop to get your bearings and appreciate the scale of this beautiful region. A must-do for the view alone!

Really nice drive with plenty of parking. The view did not disappoint. Very much a place to visit.

A great lookout above Nelson Bay and the area with a boardwalk to the observation platform Lots of great views and a lot of nice plants

Great view, easy to get to and you can drive up!

We went to the cafe for breakfast. The cafe is located outside of Hotel Nelson. The decor and the atmosphere were good. We order the Nelson special, burritos and 2 coffees. The coffees came out quite fast, but not sure why my matcha latte was in the paper cup? The waiters were quite busy, so I didn’t want to bother them. However we had to wait at least 25 mins for our meals, the waiter and I made an eye contact before I was going to hassle her about our meals. The serving of Nelson special was generous for $29. The bacon in burrito was a bit salty, and it could do with some more salad or vegetables. The coffee was nice though.

We came in towards end of service for lunch and the food was excellent. The prawn linguine and the acai bowl were both delicious and great value. Our food arrived quickly and we never felt rushed. Every time we come back to Nelson Bay, we drop in here for a bite and have never been disappointed.

We stopped by The Little Nel Cafe and really enjoyed our breakfast! We ordered the Shishito Scrambled Eggs and Eggs Benedict, and both were delicious. The shishito scrambled eggs had a nice, mild kick from the peppers and were creamy and well-seasoned, a fresh twist on regular scrambled eggs. The Eggs Benedict was classic and tasty, with perfectly poached eggs and a rich hollandaise sauce that wasn’t too heavy. The vibe of the cafe was cozy and welcoming, perfect for a relaxed morning. Service was friendly and attentive. Would definitely recommend for a chill breakfast spot in town.

This breakfast place was one of the recommended places to go to when we're in Nelson Bay. So we decided to give it a go, apart from slow service the food was good. We ordered some items through the counter while waiting, but even after we got a table and informed the table no, they still served the coffee in a takeaway container with no table service. Recommended: Smashed avocado on sourdough.

My new favourite place @thelittlenel in #portstephens Nelson bay. With a brilliant menu it was hard to choose and plates so big I had to takeaway my leftovers. Food, coffee and juice was delicious and I love the little touch of having throws to keep warm while we ate in their beautiful patio setting. Looking forward to visiting over and over and making my way through the exciting menu choices.

Food was well served with good flavors. Service was prompt and outdoor sitting was cosy.

As recent new residents in Nelson Bay we have tried Little Nel on five occasions, with very mixed experiences. Visit 1, the wait time for a coffee was far too long. Visit 2, the coffee came on time but the banana bread didn’t come at all until we asked at the counter. Visit 3 was lunch and that was ok, good food and service was swift, but asking for a carafe for the water was problematic for the staff and when they found one rather than bring it to the table, the server just pointed to the water station and said you pick it up yourself. Visit 4, food and service were good, but it was a Tuesday and a quiet lunch. However, visit 5 exposed the lack of customer service. We have a small dog so can only sit in a few locations outside. But the floor was messy with plant debris. We asked if they had a broom to clear a bit for him to sit under the table and they said no, so we moved to a different table and because he then sat on the bench with us they said he couldn’t sit there and had to go on the floor (the floor that they couldn’t be bothered to sweep quickly). So we left. Unfortunately the attitudes of the young staff is lacking, with very little care for the customer that would have spent close to $100 that day. Although we want to support local businesses, this is an example of one that must lift its game to build loyalty. Sadly, that’s the last time we will try Little Nel. For anyone wanting breakfast or lunch I would suggest The Home Interior or Magnolia where the food and service are consistently excellent.

Last school holidays we went there and couldn’t get a table as they were fully booked out, recent school holidays we called and booked a table two days earlier and we were able to get in! The cafe is a great place to enjoy the sun! Make sure you check out their trading hours. The food and service was amazing! We also tried their specialty scones with fresh cream and jam! It was delicious! Peaceful but tiny and cozy place to be!

The restaurant offers a spectacular view and is easily accessible, which makes it a great spot to visit. The food was decent — not exceptional, but enjoyable enough. However, one major disappointment was that although the advertised closing time was 2:30 PM, the kitchen closed at 2:00 PM without any notice. This caught us off guard when we tried to place one more order. It would be great if the management ensures the staff adhere to the stated hours or at least inform guests in advance. Many people visit from far and wide, and such inconsistencies can leave a poor impression.

We went to visit Nelson bay lighthouse and went to the cafe for brunch. The service was good, the ladies worked very hard, and price of the food was reasonable. The beef burger and the chicken wrap were very generous in serving. I also ordered beetroot latte, which was nice too. The view was beautiful. Will come back again

Was prompty served and had a good spot facing the waters. Single scone $8 and coffee $5.9....plus nearly 2% card fee. Definitely paying higher for the location and its views.

Just a must see and must go . Spectacular views, great food, good people, easy to get to. Scones and jam/ cream were amazing. Will definitely go back next time in town

We enjoyed sitting overlooking the sea while having a scone. I recommend trying a scone from here. The scone was large and moist on the inside with a side jam and cream. Rainbow lorikeets were in the trees.

Great place for breakfast , brunch & lunch! Always busy but staff are very accommodating.

One of my highlights from the holiday. Very easy entry to the see and plenty to see if you are snorkeling. Don’t come alone though, make sure there is someone else there with you as there are rocks. And there aren’t many facilities (showers and toilets not close) even though it’s paid parking.

Great place for a quiet swim or to explore underwater. Both snorkeling and scuba diving are allowed, the best time is high tide, water is very clear.. Note it is a marine park so no fishing. Lots of parking and amenities at the eastern end, near the caravan park.

Diving and snorkelling SuperSite. Excellent shore diving and snorkelling.. Only downside is the paid parking that was recently added, but still worth a visit. Have been diving here since the 1980:s and do object to such great public spaces being closed up by the paid parking government cash grabs.

Fly point awesome family snorkelling . Marine Park all about conservation. Lots of fish to see. Easy entry into the water

What a wonderful place to go snorkelling. Between tides is a little bit worrying with the water moving very fast in places but towards top and bottom of tides it is slower moving. The variety of sea life is wonderful for novices and experienced alike. You’ll see plenty of stingrays and enormous flathead amongst the many fishes.

One of the best diving & snorkelling spots around in Australia. Super easy entry, amazing sea-life and great features with corals and small rock formations to view. Really good spot to take a beginner though make sure to check the tides as the outgoing tide creates a massive current on top and under the water which turns this peaceful and beautiful dive into an advanced heavy lifters drift dive :)

Great location to just have a quick dip and to even see some sea critters! There is a carpark right above the beach for easy access. It was so cool that you can snorkel here, it is quite protected and safe in this area. There is a park for picnics nearby and a toilet too, so it’s a great place for a day out. “Jonique Life” If you find value in our reviews please consider following our social media outlets on Facebook and Instagram as we highlight magical places you can add to your ever growing bucket list.

This is such a beautiful place — it honestly feels like a dream. I’ve always loved the color blue, but here, I couldn’t decide which blue was more beautiful: the sky or the ocean. Both were so stunning in their own way. The sky looked soft and endless, while the ocean sparkled with deep, clear shades of blue. In the end, I thought — why choose? Together, they make the perfect view. Everywhere you look, it feels calm and peaceful. The breeze is fresh, the sound of the waves is relaxing, and the whole place makes you want to just stop and enjoy the moment. Whether you're walking on the beach, watching the dolphins, or just sitting and looking at the view, it feels special. Port Stephens is definitely one of the most amazing places in NSW. It’s a perfect mix of beauty, nature, and peace — a place you won’t forget.

🌿 East Coast Forest Walk: Beauty, History, and a Few Hazards Tucked along Australia’s stunning east coast lies a walking trail that offers a rich blend of natural beauty and historical intrigue. This red-brick path winds through lush forest, providing a peaceful and scenic route for walkers and hikers alike. 🌳 Nature & Views The forest canopy filters the light beautifully, and there are moments when the trees part just enough to reveal sweeping views of the coastline. It’s a serene place to slow down, breathe deeply, and reconnect with nature. Along the way, you’ll also encounter World War II gun emplacements—fascinating relics that add a layer of historical depth to the experience. They’re well worth a pause to take in both the engineering and the views they command. ⚠️ Trail Conditions While the path is clearly defined with red bricks, it’s important to note that the surface has become quite slippery—especially when dry leaves accumulate or during wet weather. Hikers should exercise caution, particularly after rain. Proper footwear is a must. 📜 Historical Signage The site includes several signs offering historical context, but unfortunately, many are dirty and difficult to read. A simple cleaning would go a long way in making the information accessible and enhancing the overall experience for visitors. 🧭 Final Thoughts This trail is a gem for those seeking a mix of nature and history, but it could benefit from some basic maintenance to improve safety and readability. Still, it’s a rewarding walk for those prepared—and a reminder of how even small improvements can elevate a public space.

There is a lot of beautiful views but this coastal track is fatally flawed due to inconsistent and negligent signage. Parks NSW should not have created this track without making consistent signage that allows people to do the track in sections. They are innumerable parts of the track that do not connect. The track does not exist on Google Maps and is very difficult to follow. Just because you print a map does not mean you have a coastal track unless you put in the resources to make it make sense on the ground…

Really nice national park with nice long hiking trail (Tomaree Coastal Walk). Parking situation is quite tough as they only allow 4P near the trail head and paid 9P up $40; I had to drive around to find free parking on street. So it is better to visit the park early. After 8am, the Tomaree Head summit walk was quite crowed with narrow walk way, so it took sometime to go up there when there was a queue. There are many toilets with drinkable water and BBQ areas in the park. When hiking on One Mile Beach in the afternoon, be aware of cars driving in the area, they drive quite fast to my liking. Also, hikers will need to by pass Samurai nudist beach.

Hands down my favourite part of Port Stephens. The beaches between Zenith and Fingal Bay are some of the most beautiful in the world. They also contain some world class surfing options but only for the experience and locals. Take the walk up Tomaree headland and test your fitness to see one of the greatest views ever. Eat fish and chips in the kiddy‘s corner at Fingal and swim with your children in crystal clear safe conditions. Truly one of the most beautiful places I know. Walk up to the spit where they shot the most famous Australian Tourism adds of all time with Lara Bingle and the “where the bloody hell are you campaign”

Summit walk is medium grade, and views from the top are absolutely beautiful. Pleasant hike and a great spot for taking photos

Tomaree National Park is in such a cool spot, surrounded by awesome beaches and restaurants. The Summit walk is a bit of a challenge, but let me tell you, the view totally makes it worth it! If you're up for some climbing and walking, definitely give this Grade 5 walk a go. That 360-degree view is something everyone should experience – totally recommend it!

Fantastic beach for the little ones. We have a 2 and 5 yr old. Not many waves. Clean and tidy beach. Toilets close-by. Little play area close-by. Big tree to sit under for shade. Quite a lot of picnic benches and single benches. Parking can be tricky and pricey. Shark nets in place.

The best part of our visit here was seeing the pelicans begging for fish scraps. They gather around when fishermen are at the cleaning table by the beach. We spent a couple of hours sitting on the beach and it was peaceful and beautiful. Overall a nice place to visit.

A beautiful little beach to bring children for a paddle/swim and a play on the playground equipment. They can walk on the little jet and view the fish swimming about, and you can enjoy a picnic as well.

Beautiful. Great place for a swim, snorkel, dive, bbq. Plenty of parking. Toilet facilities. Playground for the kids

Beautiful little beach, great for a calm swim and perfect for sunsets

Beautiful quiet beach with boat ramp, jetty, bbq, bathrooms, play equipment and even a purpose built wheel chair ramp into the calm water. Perfect for families with small children. Plenty of excellent accommodation options nearby. Well stocked kiosk nearby.

Absolutely beautiful. And great to fish

Absolutely fantastic gallery full of mind-blowing art pieces made by talented local artists, many rooms to explore, very friendly staff members.

Went to look at a bonsai display and was pleasantly surprised at how lovely the gardens and staff members where. Lots of nice art for sale including paintings, mosaics, pottery and various hand made craft items. A outdoor covered area to sit and enjoy a tea or coffee, sandwiches, scones with jam & cream and other home made food all with a great view of the gardens. A small fairy garden will delight the young children.

Relaxing, enjoyable visit of a former hospital building with local community people. Lots of creative, individual arts and crafts to see and potential to buy at affordable prices. The mosiac small tables and chairs for little ones are a delight.

It's a beautiful place.

I love this place..Its got so many fantastic Artist products here..I just had to buy a beautiful Necklace and earings from A Glass Artist..and I also bought a gorgous Hair Clip..everything is so unique..Definitely worth checking it out.

Love all the local hand made items, we always come away with something

A must visit if in the area, great selection of locally artists wares.

It's a must-do if you are in the Port Stephens area. Get up early and take the walk up to Tomaree Headland and watch the sunrise. Be sure to take your camera and a drink bottle. It's not a challenging walk and can be done in under 30 minutes with small kids, the view is amazing and you can even see dolphins and whales at the right time of year. Enjoy the walk everyone and be sure to see the old gun mounts on the way back down

Don't be scared of this monster. It was easily tamed. Yes it's high and yes it's steep to climb, but once you get past the red brick path at the bottom, the stairs the rest of the way are quite easy. You get plenty of breathers along the way due to the amount of people coming down, so you should be fine if you have at least a little fitness. Excellent views from the top, obviously. If you are lucky you'll see eagles, whales and maybe even the odd fighter jet.

It’s not a difficult walk and can be finished fairly quickly, but it does require a moderate level of fitness—might be a bit challenging for first-timers. The track is well maintained, with amazing views along the way. Took us about 35 minutes return.

It's a little tough but doable for most. A 15-min walk along a red-brick pathway leads to the base of a series of well built steps. A signage says the summit is 500 m from there. A mix of stone steps and mesh steps (288 in total) from here leads up to sweeping breath-taking views. It's so worth the time and effort. Return was fast and the brick pathway took hardly 5 mins downhill. A bit over an hour including photography and rest was enough for us. It's similar to The Neck of Tassie or The Hawk Lookout near Forster.

🌄 Tomaree Head Summit Walk – 5/5 If you’re tossing up whether to do this walk, stop scrolling and just do it – your legs might scream, but your eyes will thank you! 🥾 The trail starts off by letting you know it’s not here to mess around – it’s steep. Like, “why am I already sweating in the first 2 minutes?” steep. Then come the stairs… lots and lots of stairs. You may question your life choices halfway up, but trust me, the payoff is so worth it. The views at the summit are absolutely breathtaking – panoramic coastal magic that looks like a Windows wallpaper, but real. 🏖️ I could sit up there for hours soaking it all in (and recovering from the climb). I’d honestly do this walk again and again – it’s that spectacular. Pro tip: Wear proper shoes, bring water, and prepare your glutes for a workout. But do NOT miss this if you get the chance. Total highlight of my trip! 💪

Love this walk! The view at the top is stunning on a nice day. The track has been upgraded in parts (not sure when) with pavers which is so much better than how it was years ago (dirt which became mud). Highly recommend if you are fit and able to endure stairs and a steeper incline. Gets your heart rate up!

Beautiful walk with lovely views of Zenith beach, shoal bay beach and fingal spit walk. It is a bit steep but worth doing it.

Gorgeous short 1km hike to the summit, beautiful 360 views at the top. Lots of stairs near the top, there are a few options to choose a paved path or traditional hiking path. These can be down in sneakers or even summer sandals if you didn’t pack hiking boots. It took me 12 minutes to get to the top, only stopping twice for a quick picture.

Definitely another must visit at Shoal Bay, in addition to the summit walk. It’s an easy flat walk with ocean breeze and access to the WWII torpedo emplacement & six inch gun emplacement, just be careful navigating through the rocks.

The Tomaree Coast track offers a great days hiking along this beautiful coastline! So much to see along the way.

Well it's quite a walk up the hill but I took some water and got up to the top and wow what have you if you make the trip up the mountain it is well worth it lot of spots it's quite easy the pathway is a lot better than what it used to be they spend a bit of time fixing up the path I do recommend going up the hill if you have the time the views are excellent from mwh

Level walk to Tomaree head (unlike Tomaree summit) wonderful views up Nelson Bay and to Shoal Bay.

Definitely worth the hike. Brilliant view at the top.

Amazing location, testing climb to the top but definitely worth it for the views

The Marina is situated next to the Nelson Bay's City Centre. It has it's own public paid parking limited to 4 hrs at about $5 per hour. There are some cafes and restaurants around. It's a nice place to be.

Better than I was expecting. The crew were friendly and provided a history of the area and took extra time to take us to a known dolphin-spotting area. Would definitely recommend.

Taking a ferry cruise is a unique and enjoyable way to travel, especially if you're crossing between islands or coastal cities. From the moment you board, you’re welcomed by fresh sea air, wide open views, and the relaxing sound of the waves.

Have a chance to do ferry to see the whale from Nelson bay. Beautiful places. Lots of restaurant. Have car park space. Good souvenir shop.

The marina is the meeting place for a whale watching tour The tour on a big catamaran was excellent and we saw lots of whales and dolphins

Ingenia One mile beach..perfect spot for a getaway with the dogs..clean cabins & great location..oh the pups enjoyed there little break away also..

If you are driving here for a cruise, you can park at Woolworths Nelson Bay's underground car park for free for 3 hours. Short walk to the Marina. Alternatively, parking here is $3.20 per hour on the meter machine for a maximum of 4 hours, during paid hours on weekdays. Credit card accepted for payment. Print ticket and place on your car dashboard.

Breathtaking sunset views. Even as someone who's not very athletic, I found the climb enjoyable because the scenery kept getting more stunning the higher I went. Can't wait to try a sunrise hike next time.

A spectacular view of the Port Stephens region with breathtaking and picturesque views of the ocean, shoal bay, fern Bay, etc. It's one of the destinations of the Tomaree Coastal walk, and you won't be disappointed at all. Only a short walk from the shoal bay, but car park can fill up pretty quick.

Beautiful spot! Great hike with 360° views of Nelson Bay and the ocean. A must-do if you’re in the area.

Stunning lookout, really good path the whole way up. Only took us like 20minutes but it was an exhausting 20 minutes. Definitely worth it tho!

Half our group was ready to fake an injury just to turn back. Legs were jelly, spirits were low… but then we reached the top. Boom—views for days! Worth every dramatic sigh and break. 11/10 would do it again!

It’s a good 30 minute walk to the lookout from the car park. The trail is steep and does involve steps. Very suitable for family groups and fitness walkers. Spectacular views from the top.

The magnificent views are your reward for walking up this mountain. Although I have bad knees I made it to the top. The stairs have been recently upgraded and make walking up easier. Parking can be a little difficult but there is parking leading up to the mountain so grab one when you see it. Also so extra parking on the hill to the right when you get to the end of the road.