Hotels in Newcastle, Australia

Best time to visit Newcastle

Newcastle is blessed with plenty of sunshine and a moderate climate, so any time is a good time to visit. Summer is from December – February with an average temperature of 22 – 26 degrees Celsius while winter months from June – August are cooler but temperatures rarely fall below 7 degrees Celsius. Hotel rates are relatively stable all year, except around holidays such as Easter, Christmas, and New Year. The city hosts many concerts, exhibitions, art festivals and conventions, so if a particular event is of interest to you, try to plan your visit around those dates.

Getting around Newcastle

A compact city with several scenic walking tracks, Newcastle is easy to explore on foot. There are also a number of cycle tracks around the city, and the Swipe & Ride automated bike rental program allows you to select a bike at any of their terminals. You can ride for $1.40 AUD per hour with a 24-hour period. Bikes have to be returned to the original terminal. For use of any public transport in Newcastle, you will need to buy the Opal ticket or an Opal card. Newcastle Buses operates several routes covering all parts of the city and its suburbs. An adult Opal single ticket cash fare for the bus costs between $2.60 AUD – $5.60 AUD based on the distance travelled. The city centre is a Fare Free Bus Zone, where you can use buses for free, daily between 7.30 a.m. – 6.00 p.m. Normal fares apply outside of this zone. The Newcastle Stockton Ferry operates daily between Queens Wharf Newcastle to Stockton Wharf. It takes only 5 minutes for this journey and the fare is $2.60 AUD for a single trip. Newcastle Taxis are easily available 24-hours a day and you can book one by calling 133 300. Ride-share service Uber is also available in the city.

Best places to stay in Newcastle

Newcastle, Australia’s 2nd oldest city is a charming place with superb sandy beaches, an emerging culinary scene, quirky shops, hip bars and plenty of street art. The city is also home to several historic buildings and was a part of Australia’s convict history. Newcastle is compact but has several small precincts and neighbourhoods. Wherever you stay in the city, you will always be a short walk away from the beach or the harbour front.

Newcastle Beach

One of the best surfing locations in Australia, Newcastle Beach is a favoured spot for the board riders wishing to catch that perfect wave. Enjoy the well-appointed rooms featuring balconies with water views at the Quality Hotel NOAH’s on the Beach, on Newcastle Beach. Just a 3-minute walk from Newcastle Beach and a 5-minute walk from Newcastle CBD, you have the Novotel Newcastle Beach Hotel which features sleek rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows and spectacular water views.

Newcastle CBD and Queens Wharf

Newcastle Central Business District (CBD) has many historic buildings, dominated by the Christ Church Cathedral. The area is also home to the Scratchley Fort and Nobby Beach. Wharf Road features several waterfront hotels and holiday apartments with beautiful views of the Hunter River. Stay at The Clarendon Hotel on Hunter Street in the heart of Newcastle CBD. You also have the Newcastle Central Apartment Hotel located close to the Newcastle Harbour amid several shops and restaurants. Another all-suite harbour side hotel is the Crowne Plaza Newcastle.

The Hill and Cooks Hill

In the inner city precincts of The Hill and Cooks Hill, you will find several historic Victorian terraces, tree-lined streets, art galleries, and quaint pubs and bars. Cooks Hill is also home to Darby Street, known as ‘eat street’ with over 25 restaurants and cafés offering al-fresco dining. Stay in the elegantly appointed and tastefully furnished serviced apartments of the Crown on Darby on Darby Street. You can also look at Hotel Delany on the same street. Try the pub style accommodation of The Commonwealth Hotel on Union Street.

The Junction and Merewether

The Junction is a vibrant inner city precinct with plenty of shopping and dining, and a large commercial centre around Glebe Road. Merewether is home to Merewether Beach and Bar Beach renowned for their excellent surfing conditions. Enjoy exquisitely decorated rooms at the award-winning Junction Hotel which boasts a lively gastropub, an airy bar and a bright courtyard. Or look at the Oriental and Tuscan-themed rooms of the Brezza Bella Bed and Breakfast which is a short walk from Merewether Beach.

Cheap hotels in Newcastle

You will find a bunch of cheap accommodation options spread out all over Newcastle city. In the Honeysuckle dining and entertainment precinct, you have simple, modern rooms of the Ibis Newcastle hotel. Or stay in the bright airy rooms of the CBD Hotel which is just a 5-minute walk from the Newcastle Museum. You can also look at the Travelodge Hotel Newcastle on a bustling tree-lined street in Newcastle CBD. The Backpackers Newcastle hostel on Denison Street offers a free pick up and drop to the bus or train station, and also provides free surfing lessons to its guests. In The Junction area, you have The Burwood, an old corner pub with clean, functional, pub-style accommodation and a homely atmosphere.

The port city of Newcastle has a jam-packed event calendar all year round, so you are sure to stumble upon a music festival, an arts event, a surfing competition, or perhaps a craft beer week. Apart from the events, this fun-loving and vibrant city offers sandy beaches, historical architecture, quirky boutiques and a splendid gastronomic experience. With so much to see and do, you are assured of a packed itinerary!

• Learn of Newcastle’s rich nautical heritage at the Newcastle Maritime Museum.
• Admire an excellent collection of art at the Newcastle Art Gallery.
• Visit the Merewether Aquarium which is essentially a pedestrian underpass transformed into a pop-art underwater world at the southern end of Merewether Beach.
• Surf, swim or spend a leisurely day on the picturesque and sandy Newcastle Beach, east of the town centre.
• View over 200 species of birds, including magpies, freckled ducks, and egrets at the Hunter Wetlands Centre.
• Get a glimpse into Newcastle’s origin and social history at the Newcastle Museum.
• Take a guided tour of Fort Scratchley perched above the Newcastle Harbour, and discover a labyrinth of underground tunnels in this intriguing erstwhile military site.
• Admire the stunning stained glass windows and treasures such as a gold chalice in the Christ Church Cathedral which dominates the city’s skyline.
• Enjoy several walking trails at the Blackbutt Reserve which has enclosures of native critters such as koalas, wallabies, wombats, and several native birds.
• Enjoy a picnic or a leisurely walk at the magnificently landscaped ocean side expanse of King Edward Park. Hike up to the Obelisk for sweeping views of the city and the ocean.
• Go surfing at Bar Beach or Nobby Beach which have excellent surfing conditions.
• Book an Epicurean Excursion Food Tour and get introduced to Newcastle’s favourite eateries in just a couple of hours.
• Enjoy the 5-kilometre Bather’s Way Walk which extends from Nobby’s Head to Fort Scratchley.
• Go on a shopping spree at the Olive Tree Markets renowned for an eclectic mix of stalls selling original art and accessories.