Where to stay at Dee Why Beach
A 1.2 km beach with a lagoon behind it, cafés along The Strand and Long Reef to the north. Easy to reach on the B-Line, hard to sleep near: we found one hotel within walking distance.
There’s no hotel or hostel by the sand at Dee Why. The closest accommodation business we found is the Time and Tide Hotel, a pub with rooms on the far side of the lagoon: a 24-minute walk to the beach, with a 30 m climb home. It was $94 a night when we checked. For hotels on the sand, Manly is a bus ride south.
At a glance
- 18 km north-east of the CBD
- B-Line bus · no train
- flags Sep – May
- shark net 1 Sep – 31 Mar
Busy beachfront. No beds on it.
Dee Why is a big, built-up suburb, and The Strand, the strip behind the beach, is lined with apartments, cafés and bars. The beach runs 1.2 km from the ocean pools under the southern cliffs to the lagoon mouth, with Long Reef beyond.
When we checked, none of that beachfront was a hotel. The Dee Why Hotel on Pittwater Road is a pub without rooms, and the hostel search only turned up Manly and Bondi. The one accommodation business within walking distance was the Time and Tide Hotel, round the lagoon. Most other places to stay here are holiday rentals in private homes and apartments, which we don’t list.
Where to stay
Every place on the map, closest first. Real businesses; nobody paid to be here.
| Map number | Place | Price a night | Walk to the sand | Climb home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Time and Tide HotelHotel | Under $100 | 24 min walk · 1,901 m | 30 m |
How we measure. Times are walking times, not driving: the walking route from each property to the nearest edge of the sand, at an easy 4.8 km/h. Climb is the uphill on the walk home, rounded to 5 m. Prices are bands from one nightly rate on Google Maps on 9 October 2026.
Which end of the beach?
South end
The ocean pools sit on the rock shelf below the cliffs: the place to swim when the surf is up. The Bicentennial Coastal Walkway climbs the cliffs from here.
Onin / Pexels
Middle
The surf club and Ted Jackson Reserve, with its century-old Norfolk Island pines, face the sand. The Strand’s cafés, restaurants and bars are across the road.
Tmansome / CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia
North end and the lagoon
Behind the dunes is Dee Why Lagoon, a wildlife refuge since 1973 and listed under migratory bird agreements. Past the lagoon mouth the sand continues to Long Reef and its headland. The Time and Tide Hotel is on the far side of the lagoon.
Dietmar Rabich / CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia
Dee Why Lagoon, behind the dunes, has been a wildlife refuge since 1973.
Onin / PexelsKnow before you go
How do you get to Dee Why?
From the city. There’s no train. The B-Line bus runs from the city along Pittwater Road to Mona Vale, stopping at Dee Why, about 1 km from the sand. Plan the trip on the Transport NSW trip planner.1,2
From Manly. By bus, or walk the coast: the Bicentennial Coastal Walkway runs from Queenscliff, past Freshwater and Curl Curl, to Dee Why.1
From the airport. About 30 km by road. By public transport it’s the train to the city and the B-Line. Most people with luggage take a taxi or rideshare.
Is Dee Why Beach safe?
Is Dee Why Beach patrolled? Yes, in the season. Northern Beaches Council lifeguards patrol Dee Why for 40 weeks of the year, from the beginning of September to the end of May, longer than most Northern Beaches beaches. Swim between the red and yellow flags.3
Does Dee Why have a shark net? Yes, from 1 September to 31 March, about 500 m out from the surf club. Nets reduce the risk; they don’t make an enclosure. Long Reef, the next beach north, has no net: a surfer was killed by a shark there on 7 September 2025.4,5
Water quality after rain Stormwater runs onto the beach after heavy rain, and the lagoon can open to the sea. Check Beachwatch for the daily pollution forecast before you swim.6
With kids
The ocean pools at the south end are the calmer swim when the surf is up. Ted Jackson Reserve, behind the middle of the beach, has shade under the Norfolk pines. Patrolled September to May, so check the season before a winter swim.
The catch
- Almost nowhere to stay. One pub hotel within walking distance, and it’s round the far side of the lagoon.
- No flags in winter. Patrols end in late May; Manly’s South Steyne is the closest beach patrolled all year.
- No train. The B-Line is quick, but it’s a bus ride from the city.
Quick answers
Are there hotels at Dee Why Beach?
- Not on the beach. When we checked, the closest accommodation business was the Time and Tide Hotel, a pub with rooms a 24-minute walk from the sand. The Dee Why Hotel is a pub without rooms.
Is Dee Why Beach patrolled in winter?
- No. Lifeguards patrol Dee Why from the beginning of September to the end of May.3
How do you get to Dee Why from the city?
- Take the B-Line bus from the city towards Mona Vale and get off at Dee Why. There’s no train.1
How far is Dee Why from Sydney CBD?
- About 18 km north-east of the CBD.1
How long is Dee Why Beach?
- About 1.2 km.1
Does Dee Why have a rock pool?
- Yes. The ocean pools sit below the cliffs at the south end of the beach.1
Nearby beaches
Also close: Long Reef (north, past the lagoon), Curl Curl (south over the cliffs).
Ranked in: the best Sydney beaches for kids (#6), the best Sydney beaches for surfing (#7).