Guide de ville
Sydney (Mascot) SYD: 8 Hours, 13 Min to the City
Bondi Beach in 3 hours: ocean pool, flat white, back by boarding.
Getting from the airport
SYD to city center: 13 minutes by rail (Airport Link). Fare is $15. Trains run every 10 minutes. Service runs 05:00 to 00:00. Skip the taxi unless your connection is under 5 hours.
What to do in Sydney (Mascot)
The stops worth making: Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach, The Rocks. Rated above 4.4: Sydney Opera House (4.8), Taronga Zoo Sydney (4.5), Darling Harbour (4.7), Art Gallery of New South Wales (4.7), Australian Museum (4.6). You do not need the full tourist circuit. Pick two and commit.
Visa and entry
Sydney (Mascot) is US travelers should check visa requirements before leaving the airport. Check the embassy site before booking. The border process at SYD is standard. Budget 30 minutes.
How long do you need
The minimum useful layover is 8 hours. That gives you 13 minutes in each direction plus about 364 minutes on the ground. Up to 48 hours is a proper overnight.
SYD airport
SYD has 10 lounges. For short connections under 4 hours, the terminal is the destination: food options, showers, and enough space to reset before the next leg.