The 17 best day spas in Sydney

This spa is everything you’d expect from a pamper palace that’s been around for over 30 years. Every word is spoken gently and with expert knowledge, there are floral fragrances floating through the vast relaxation areas and dimly lit treatment rooms, plus a surprisingly expansive garden. Start with a dip in the aquamedic pool to improve circulation, flexibility and muscle tone. The huge domed ceiling and butt busts gives it a very Greco-Roman feeling. Finish your ascent to ultimate relaxation with a foot soak and scrub – your job is to inhale frankincense like the royal baby you are – followed by an aromatherapy massage.

Time Out tip: Book in for a blow-dry after your spa day so you leave feeling shiny inside and out.

Venustus is a beauty salon like you’ve never seen before; with inner healing at its heart. Owner and modern-day sharmanic healer Jeannie Bourke opened the first iteration of Venustus from a small space on Oxford Street back over thirty years ago – earning her place as one of Australia’s most sought after therapists based on her transformative holistic approach. After gaining a cult-like following, Jeannie moved to the enormous space next door, where she’s taken her vision to the next level. Here, a spiral staircase forms the focal point of the minimalist space, egg-shaped rooms play host to uniquely transcendent treatments, and Jeannie’s personal crystal collection is buried beneath the polished concrete floor. It’s all about energy, and after yours has been nurtured by Jeannie and her team, you’ll leave feeling like an ethereal being.

Time Out tip: Come here when you're in need of healing – body and soul. It's an otherworldly experience.

You’ll find the Glebe outpost of Nature’s Energy behind a crystal-lined shopfront on Glebe Point Road, and I challenge you to find a more magical space hiding in plain sight on a busy Sydney street. Book in for a bathhouse experience and surrender to the ritual: moving between indoor and outdoor saunas, palm-flanked cold plunge pools and a magnesium-enriched spa. If you’re in the market for a full-body re-set, book a massage with one of their talented therapists and you’ll leave feeling entirely transformed. Looking for something a little more esoteric? Nature’s Energy also offers spiritual readings and energetic healing services – but frankly, a bathhouse session at this sprawling urban oasis is a spiritual makeover in itself.

Time Out tip: We'd suggest heading here early, then heading to The Wedge for one of the best breakfasts in Sydney.

As with everything W, the vibe here is playful – and perfectly out-of-the-box. There’s a super-luxe wet room and cute-as-anything mani-pedi pods, and a bar serving everything from wellness shots to vodka-spiked cocktails. Featuring cryo ice-rollers and LED facial therapies, the treatment menu is appropriately ambitious, but if you’re in the mood for a good old fashioned massage, you won’t be disappointed. Treatment rooms are referred to as “stages”, and the relaxation room where your post-treatment tea will be waiting is titled “post production” – if you’re looking for a spa to make you feel like a film star, this is your spot.

Time Out tip: A stay at the W is all-out luxury – you can read our Editor In Chief's review here.

You’ll find this light-flooded day spa on level four of the sparkling Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour with sweeping views across the harbour and the city skyline. It’s a stunning place to visit for the view alone, but throw in a treatment or two by an expert therapist (with boutique products from Biologique Recherche) and you’ve got something really special. I opted for a combination package: a restoring back, neck and shoulder massage, a hydrating facial, a body polish and a masterfully-executed foot massage. Booking a treatment will also grant you access to the Finnish Sauna and releaxation lounge, with free-flowing herbal tea and healthy snacks.

If you’re treating someone from out of town (or in town, for that matter) to a spa day, this is the place. Perched on the banks of the harbour, the Park Hyatt offers some of the most divinely-Sydney views in the city, and there’s really no better way to take in the vista than with a glass of Champagne after a dreamy aromatherapy massage. Spend a few hours in the sanctuary of the spa (you’ll be offered tea and handmade bliss balls on arrival before a perfectly bespoke treatment), then head downstairs to The Living Room where you can enjoy afternoon tea and take in the uninterrupted views of the Opera House through floor-to-ceiling windows.

Time Out tip: If you have the money, an overnight stay here is completely unforgettable.

Balmain Bath House has to be the best bang for buck when it comes to sweating it out and scrubbing up. The staff are welcoming, knowledgeable and kind and they have all the perks of a pricier spa: fluffy robes, secure lockers, hair dryers, slippers and herbal tea on tap. Using the Bath House (with its steam room, sauna, hot spa and cold spa all included) costs $60 per person for 60 minutes, but we'd suggest booking the "Radiance" package and leaving feeling like you're walking on a cloud. $370 will score you 60 minutes in the bathhouse, a 60 minute facial and a 60 minute massage.

Time Out tip: In 2024 Nature's Energy was crowned 'Australia's Best Day Spa' in World Spa Awards for the third year running. 

Style is paramount at QT Sydney's SpaQ. You only have to peek into the Sweeney Todd-like barbershop to understand that the aesthetic of this establishment is part of its charm, but it doesn't skimp on experience. Tea is organic, robes are fluffy, and treatments are many, varied and exceptional. Our pick is the Energising Body Wrap; it will leave you feeling appropriately ready to take on all the fun that the hotel has to offer.

Time Out tip: Book the Metamorphosis package, and you'll score a seasonal lunch from one of the excellent on-site resturants; the Parisian Parlour or the grand, New York-style Gowings.

Housed in an unassuming, intimate space on level one of the sprawling 27 storey building, Hyatt Regency's Nabea Spa is a new (and incredibly welcome) addition to Australia’s largest hotel – offering the kinds of treatments that international guests would be craving after a journey across the world. Signature treatments include the Sensorial Aroma Massage (a customised massage using a personally curated blend of essential oils), Advance Facials that use a selection of Sothys products chosen to treat specific skin conditions, and a “Sensorial Spa Indulgence Package” that includes a facial, aroma massage and foot treatment.

Time Out tip: Head upstairs to Zephyr Bar after your treatment – the sunset from here is one of the best in Sydney.

The Auriga Spa was once only open to guests of the five-star Capella Hotel, but now it's open to the public; meaning you can book in for rejuvenation and wellness experiences that appear to have been plucked from the scenes of all our White Lotus dreams (just without the weird guests and/or murder sub-plot).

Set deep within the heritage walls of the former goverment building in the centre of Sydney, the Auriga is awash with low-lit moody corners, white marble, an immense 20-metre heated pool, and massages that are tailor-made to reflect the changing cycles of the new and full moon. Quite transcendent, if you ask us. 

Time Out tip: Lunch at Capella's grand Brasserie 1930 is a super special post-spa treat.

There’s a timeless opulence to the Shangri-La Hotel – the feeling of stepping back in time into a luxury hotel of yesteryear, but with a few modern-day additions thrown in as a bonus. This standard is set at Chi, the Spa; the vast, warmly lit spa located on level two. Robes are white, thick and fluffy, and ornate mirrors line the walls, but the treatment menu is as forward-thinking as the therapists. Start with an infrared sauna, then let your therapist choose the treatment best suited to what your body needs in that moment (anything from an Arabian Oud Renewal Therapy to an LED Facial). Afterwards, you’ll be led to a semi-private booth where a cup of tea and a glass of Champagne will be waiting – in true Shangri-La-luxe style.

Time Out tip: The Rocks area is home to some of Sydney's most historic drinking holes – round out your self-care with a glass of wine at the Lord Nelson or the Fortune of War.

On level three of Four Seasons Hotel you’ll find hotel guests and lavendar-seeking locals immersing in inner-city bliss. The hotel's on-site is brought to you by Endota, and features six treatment rooms, a steam room, sauna, pool, Jacuzzi and a solid range of treatments spanning lash lifts to remedial massage. 

Time Out tip: Head down to Grain Bar post-treatment for a theatrical cocktail and an excellent lobster roll.