Things To Do in Sydney
So many things to do in Sydney! What's worth seeing in Sydney and how to get there.
Sydney is full of fantastic things to do, offering something for everyone, no matter what your age or interests.This is your best guide to the top tourist attractions in Sydney and our What's On In Sydney section will keep you updated on Sydney's exciting events that you wont want to miss.
For wildlife lovers there are delights to see and do such as Taronga Zoo, Wild Life Sydney, Sydney Aquarium and Oceanworld Manly. If you’re a garden lover then a visit to the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan and Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens Mount Tomah are a must do!
Into history? Well then museums in Sydney are for you - include the Australian Museum, Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney Jewish Museum and Powerhouse Museum in your itinerary. Love art? Make sure your ‘things to do' list includes a stop at the Art Gallery of New South Wales and Museum of Contemporary Art. For sports fans there are such wonderful attractions as the Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Football Stadium and ANZ Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Our Things To Do guide is here to help, suggesting some of the best places to visit while in Sydney, plus great ideas on harbour cruises, day tours and sightseeing. And, if you love titilating your taste buds, Sydney's buzzing restaurants will never disappoint. Combined with a Sydney theatre show or a spot of Shopping will make your trip one to remember!
King Street Wharf is a fine waterfront dining precinct, offering a diverse choice of culinary experiences, and a place where your front garden is the world’s most beautiful harbour.
King Street Wharf is located on Sydney Harbour, where the CBD meets Darling Harbour. The waterfront restaurants and bars at King Street Wharf are one of Sydney’s best locations for soaking up the warmer weather. Why not get a group together and head down to King Street Wharf’s sensational promenade and enjoy some of the best food and wine that Sydney has to offer.
Whether you are looking for the ideal location for that business lunch, a casual catch up with friends, spending the afternoon with a lazy cocktail or two, or looking for that perfect spot to party the night away, make sure you head to King Street Wharf.
There’s no better way to experience Sydney’s iconic harbour than to explore Cockle Bay Wharf. Located on the CBD side of Darling Harbour just a few minutes’ walk from Chinatown and the Imax Theatre lies this exciting, energetic precinct with a variety of unique restaurants and cafes.
For after-hours entertainment, the bars and nightclub at CBW will have you dancing ‘till dawn. No matter how varied your tastes, you’ll fall in love with the atmosphere surrounding this jewel of the Harbour.
To see Sydney in style, call on Sydney's ultimate luxury chauffeur driven stretch hummers, stretch Chrysler 300C and stretch limousines. Impressive Limousines will cater to all your luxury car needs, from limousine wedding cars to limousines for special occasions. Your chauffeur is a luxury limousine professional, and the stretch hummers can seat up to 16 passengers.
King Street Wharf is a fine waterfront dining precinct, offering a diverse choice of culinary experiences, and a place where your front garden is the world’s most beautiful harbour.
King Street Wharf is located on Sydney Harbour, where the CBD meets Darling Harbour. The waterfront restaurants and bars at King Street Wharf are one of Sydney’s best locations for soaking up the warmer weather. Why not get a group together and head down to King Street Wharf’s sensational promenade and enjoy some of the best food and wine that Sydney has to offer.
Whether you are looking for the ideal location for that business lunch, a casual catch up with friends, spending the afternoon with a lazy cocktail or two, or looking for that perfect spot to party the night away, make sure you head to King Street Wharf.
AAT Kings is the leading sightseeing
day-tour operator in Sydney with
wonderful tours of the majestic Blue
Mountains, the Hunter Valley wine region, dolphin watching at Port Stephens, Australia’s capital Canberra and Sydney city. Each tour itinerary has been carefully
crafted from their years of tour experience to ensure a unique and unforgettable day with inclusions no one else can offer Scenic World rides included in the Blue Mountains tour, exclusive wineries like Oakvale in the Hunter Valley tour, and the amazing Surf Lifesaving Experience on the City Sights tour.
See your hotel concierge now for a
brochure.
This leading museum offers a wealth of art, including an extensive Australian collection, from colonial to contemporary, plus significant Aboriginal art. There is also an Asian Wing, while the Old Masters' galleries feature works from the Renaissance to the Victorian era. Open daily 10am-5pm, Wednesdays until 9pm. Free admission.
The Australian Botanic Garden, Mount Annan is Australia’s largest botanic garden with more than 416 hectares for visitors to discover. Featuring themed gardens, you can join a free guided tour, take a self-guided walking tour, view over 4,000 native plant species, use the free BBQ facilities, go native animal spotting or just enjoy the landscape and stunning views from Sundial Hill. Pop into the Visitor Centre to find out more about the Garden.
Australia's first museum is where you'll experience the wonders of nature and science, and the origins of culture. Its temporary exhibitions are a window into the world around us, while permanent exhibitions like Indigenous Australia and Dinosaurs are always lively. Open daily 9.30am-5.00pm. Adult $12, child $6, concession $8, family $18-$30.
Australia's leading car rental company, has offices at many convenient locations, which makes it easy to buckle up, hit the open road and explore the world around Sydney - from Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, to the spectacular northern beaches. AVIS offers a 24-hour breakdown service, street directories and a book of Holiday Vouchers with discounts to tourist attractions.
Enjoy Sydney's spectacular waters by cruise, from whale watching throughout winter and spring, to lunch and dinner cruises. Bass and Flinders offer a range of options, including the Coastal Cruise from Sydney to Cronulla, which takes you past the heads and offers the opportunity to spot rich coastal wildlife including pods of dolphins, seals and seabirds.
Enjoy 78 acres of magnificent landscaped gardens, which house Australia's most extensive cool climate botanical collection. Themed displays include the Plant Explorer's Walk, the ancient Gondwana Forest - complete with prehistoric Wollemi Pines - and the southern hemisphere's largest Rock Garden. Finish with a coffee or a meal at the fine bistro
Climbing over the Sydney Harbour Bridge is one of the all-time great tourism experiences, which is why more than two million people have ventured across catwalks, ladders and arches to get to the 134-metre high peak. Once there, a spectacular view of the Harbour and the city awaits. Climbers receive a certificate and complimentary group photo.
Airport transfers and touring services. Capture the exciting atmosphere of Sydney in the air conditioned comfort of a Brunel Chauffeured Car, personalised touring around Sydney and its environs, no need to be part of a group.
Captain Cook Cruises offer over 20 harbour cruises every day, including the Hop On Hop Off Sydney Harbour Explorer cruise, which combines the flexibility of a ferry with all the ease and comfort of a cruise. Your all day ticket lets you hop off at any of eight harbourside attractions including Taronga Zoo, Manly, beachside Watsons Bay, Fort Denison, Shark Island, Luna Park and Darling Harbour.
To enjoy Sydney in your own time and your own way, take a City Sightseeing tour. You will ride on an open-top, double-decker bus that takes in spectacular views of the Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House, Bondi Beach, the Rocks and many others. There are 31 stops, and you can hop on and off as you choose.
Darling Harbour is renowned for its restaurants, tourist attractions and Harbourside Shopping Centre, an Australian-oriented experience with fashion, souvenirs and Aboriginal artefacts. Other attractions include The Powerhouse and National Maritime Museum, Imax Theatre and Sydney Aquarium. An extra highlight is Darling Harbour's mini-train, which circles the precinct regularly. From the city, walk down Market or Bathurst Street and across the footbridges.
The eight stories high IMAX Theatre in Darling Harbour is the largest cinema screen in the world, showing both 2D and 3D movies. From scary sharks to wild safaris, from fighter pilots to astronauts, the clarity of the 3D images can make you believe you're actually in the scene. Electronic headsets let you enjoy the full 3D experience.
The first ever attraction of its kind in Australia, Madame Tussauds Sydney will be making its grand entrance on the Aquarium Wharf in Darling Harbour this month. Madame Tussauds offers the ultimate celebrity experience and adds a completely new dimension to Sydney’s attractions by bringing the glitz and glamour to the local entertainment scene.From historical icons to sports heroes, rock legends to world leaders and many more, Madame Tussauds Sydney features an all-star cast of over 70 figures, including many of Australia’s home-grown legends and the world’s best known A-list celebrities. Dannii Minogue will be joining John Howard, Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, as well as rubbing shoulders with the likes of Lady Gaga, Johnny Depp and Captain Cook.Costing $14 million and featuring 1,800sqm of space, the new Madame Tussauds Sydney in Darling Harbour offers endless entertainment and interactive fun.
Madame Tussauds opens 16 April, 2012.
Manly Fast Ferry provides a safe, reliable fast ferry commuter service operating 7 days a week, with a 17 minute ferry trip from Circular Quay to Manly. Enjoy hourly services between Manly and Circular Quay through the day, Monday to Friday. Their modern, clean and comfortable vessels have plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, so you can enjoy the great views as you travel.
Tickets can be purchased onboard vessels or at their ticket booths located at Manly Wharf on the concourse and also at Circular Quay close to Wharf 3.
The MCA is Australia’s Museum of Contemporary Art, dedicated to exhibiting, collecting and interpreting the work of today’s artists from across Australia and around the world. Following a AUD$53 million redevelopment, the Museum has been transformed into a major cultural centre for contemporary art and creative learning. With a continually changing program of exhibitions and stimulating events there’s always something new and inspiring to see.
This is Sydney's most unique tour experience. Discover the best of Sydney and see the city like a local from the seat of a meticulously restored 1964 EH Holden Premier, the stylish, iconic vehicle of mid-twentieth century Australia. Taking you to the classic sights of Sydney - breathtaking vistas of both the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and then travel further, revealing modern residential architecture, harbour-side bush walks and even take you to some of the city’s finest cafés and restaurants.
With professional photography and all food and drinks included as part of every package, it is guaranteed to be the highlight of your trip!
Set in extensive grounds, the single storey house with its external painting and etching studios was the home of Norman Lindsay (1879-1969), author of The Magic Pudding and one of Australia's most controversial, exceptional and prolific artists. You'll find an ongoing exhibition of his art. Open 7 days, 10.00am-4.00pm.
Oceanworld Manly offers you a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get up close and personal with sharks, stingrays, turtles and more. Shark Drive Xtreme includes instruction and a 30 minute Oceanarium dive. Oceanworld is also an all-weather attraction that offers a doorway into the ocean, along with reptile shows and tours. It's just 200 metres from Manly Wharf.
Come into the gardens and discover hidden botanic treasures set against one of the most magnificent vistas in the world.
Offering arguably the best views of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour, a visit to Sydney isn’t complete without a walk through the beautiful Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. See the Wollemi
Pine a surviving ‘dinosaur tree’ and one of the world’s rarest plants only discovered in 1994. Enter the walls of the Succulent Garden to find an amazing array of cacti from around the world. Stroll through the stunning Rose Garden a visual feast when in flower.
Discover the weird and colourful
plants in the glass pyramid of the Sydney Tropical Centre such as heliconias, bat flowers, jade and carnivorous plants.
SKYWALK at the Sydney Tower Eye is a breathtaking outdoor experience - 268 metres above the streets of Sydney. Step out onto the clouds as you venture across the glass-floor viewing platform for unique 360 degree views over glittering Sydney as your host points out the sights below.
There are major bus terminals at
Wynyard in York Street, outside
the QVB and at Circular Quay.
Sydney CBD Prepay: Please note that NO tickets are sold on
Sydney Buses on weekdays between 7am-7pm. Tickets available from Transit Shops and outlets displaying the MyZone/PrePay flag.
Free CBD Shuttle:
The Green Bus (555) departs every 10 minutes and travels in a loop between Central Station, George Street, Circular Quay and Elizabeth Street.
At Sydney Aquarium, come face to face with over 12,000 all-Australian aquatic animals, including fearsome sharks, rays and crocodiles. See penguins, platypuses and hundreds of tropical fish and sharks. You can also take a ride on our glass-bottom boat and be enthralled by the hundreds of tropical fish and menacing sharks swirling in the underwater amphitheatre below you.
Evoking the essence of the First Fleet with its towering masts and billowing sails, the historic Svanen is Sydney Harbour's only timber, tall ship. Passengers can hoist the sails alongside the crew - or simply sit back, relax and enjoy delicious food, while admiring the harbour. Sydney Harbour Tall Ship departs twice daily, six days a week.
Sydney Jewish Museum takes you on a moving journey through the events of World War II that led to the ‘final solution’ of the Holocaust. To be guided through the exhibits by a survivor of the Holocaust is a humbling experience that brings Jewish history alive in an overwhelming way. The museum also depicts Jewish life in Australia from the early days of European settlement.
Designed by Danish architect Jorn Utzon and completed in 1973, the Sydney Opera House is one of Sydney's defining structures. With its distinctive sculptural shell, it's a full-scale performing arts complex with five major performance spaces. With its grand Concert Hall, Opera Theatre, Drama Theatre, Playhouse and The Studio always buzzing with productions, there's always something worth seeing.
At 250m tall, the Sydney Tower Eye offers stunning, uninterrupted panoramic 360 degree views of Sydney and its famous landmarks. Included in admission, the new 4D Experience is a groundbreaking 3D film with spectacular in-theatre effects and a breathtaking fourth dimension that gives an amazing view of the city.
Taronga Zoo, on the shores of Sydney Harbour, showcases more than 3,000 international and Australian animals, from emus to elephants. There are regular shows and feeding times, and recent developments include Wild Asia, a rainforest area where tapirs and otters swim, and langurs and silvery gibbons roam. Taronga Zoo specialises in conservation, saving threatened species and rehabilitating native animals.
Enjoy Sydney's fantastic harbour. Restaurant transfers, island picnics, sightseeing cruises, weddings and private charters. Water taxis and water limousines.
Werriberri Trail Rides, a family business run by Kathy Tucker and her four children, invites you to experience the beautiful Megalong Valley on horseback. Megalong features some of Australia's most beautiful scenery, including cool streams, forests and a variety of wildlife. Experienced guides accompany each ride, and the horses are graded to suit the rider's ability.
Take an amazing Australian journey through the newly opened WILD LIFE Sydney. Walking through eight iconic Australian habitats, this animal adventure takes on average 1.5 to 2 hours from start to finish and will see visitors encounter Australia's most loved and feared animals as they travel to Kakadu Gorge, The Outback, Gum Tree Valley, Daintree Forest, Butterfly Tropics and more.
Experience the ultimate Australian animal adventure and come face-to-face with one of Australia's largest collection of native Aussie animals including unbearably cute koalas, Australia's largest kangaroo, the world's deadliest bird and the monster crocodile Rex.
This maritime treasure-trove explores different aspects of Australia's seafaring history. You can climb aboard the magnificent replica of Captain Cook's HM Bark Endeavour, see the Spirit of Australia - the world's fastest boat - and explore everything from a former Navy destroyer to a Vietnamese refugee boat, Tu Do. Free entry. Easy access via Monorail Harbourside Station. Open daily 9.30am-5.00pm.
Located 50 minutes out of Sydney, this zoo with bite has it all. Where else can you see Australia's only funnel-web spider venom milking show - daily at 10am - or explore the Lost World of Reptiles exhibit. Have a photo with a cuddly koala, meet Elvis the crocodile, feed the kangaroos, or enjoy many other animals. Open 9.00am-5.00pm daily.
The Blue Mountains offers you a treasure trove of spectacular natural scenery, plus pretty, historic villages, and the beauties of the Jenolan Caves. Blue Mountains Trolley Tours lets you dip in and out of the Blue Mountains as you please, with more than 29 hop on and hop off stops. Prices start from $20 for a Trolley Tour Day Pass.
The Chinese Garden of Friendship, at the Chinatown end of Darling Harbour, was a gift from China's Guangdong province. The Chinese Garden of Friendship is one of the few traditional gardens of its type in existence outside mainland China and offers winding pathways that take in waterfalls, lakes and pavilions, based on traditional Chinese gardens.
Dendy Opera Quays is Sydney’s premiuer cinema venue, located in Circular Quay within easy reach of city hotels and attractions. As well as showing current feature films, Dendy Opera Quays is also home to a vibrant arts program of opera, theatre and ballet productions from some of the world’s finest companies. Partnerships with some of the country’s most exciting film festivals showcase a range of exclusive content, while Dendy’s sponsorship of events such as the Sydney Film Festival’s Dendy Awards, Tropfest, and NIDA Week help support the local filmmaking community.
Discovered in 1838 by a convict bushranger, Jenolan Caves is regarded as Australia’s most outstanding cave system. With 11 spectacular show caves, pure underground rivers and amazing formations Jenolan Caves is among the finest and oldest cave systems in the world.
Last Minute Day Tours is specialist agency offering sightseeing products that have surplus capacity on a daily basis, on the biggest and best sightseeing operators at half price (conditions apply). Destinations include Sydney city tours, Sydney Harbour lunch cruises and day trips to the Blue Mountains, as well as day tours in Melbourne. All of their tours are conducted by award-winning operators, who share a common commitment to high standards of quality, service and safety.
The Museum of Sydney is on the site Australia's first Government House, built in1788 by NSW's first Governor, Captain Arthur Phillip. The buildings' foundations were successfully excavated by archaeologists in the 1980s and are now a centrepiece of the museum. The museum extends over three floors, exhibiting colonial history, documents, furniture and art, and indigenous culture.
For the ultimate in sailing, it’s hard
to go past the 62ft, MV Enigma, a luxury charter vessel. Able to take a maximum of 37 passengers and crew in enclosed waters she can also accommodate up to 12 passengers and crew, up to 30km offshore. The MV Enigma offers its guests three distinct levels with cabins that have granite en-suite bathrooms and plenty of room to roam or lounge around.
Take your day on the harbour to another level and be pampered on an overnight cruise, lulled to sleep in the owners cabin with full walk around king bed, the VIP cabin with queen bed and the guest cabin with two single beds. Aft is a huge swim platform and easy climb ladder for those who want to cool off while a five passenger high speed dingy can take you to some of Sydney Harbour’s secret spots for a champagne picnic.
The Powerhouse, with its 400,000 objects spanning the areas of history, design, technology, music, space exploration and much more, is Australia's largest and most popular museum. It's also hands on, as you are encouraged to push buttons, turn switches and take part in experiments. Besides the temporary exhibits, there are 22 permanent exhibitions, coupled with 250 interactive displays.
Discover the tradition of Sydney
Harbour and its rich and colourful
history on board a beautiful historic
Rosman Ferry. Sit back, relax and soak up the spectacular scenery of Sydney’s waterways while your tour guide takes you on a journey through the chronicles of Sydney’s past, from colonisation and
the convict era, to the famous ‘Rum
Rebellion’, to the painstaking construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the foreshore’s gentrification.
Rosman Ferries has been operating on Sydney Harbour for over 90 years. Today the fleet provides a colourful and nostalgic reminder of Sydney Harbour’s heyday,
when Australia’s oldest port was alive with commercial and naval shipping.
See Australia's most spectacular views at Scenic World in Katoomba. The three main attractions are the Skyway, the Cableway and the Scenic Railway - the steepest incline railway in the world, whose descent takes you through an eerie tunnel and into an ancient rainforest. Or take a trip on the Scenic Skyway, where you will glide 270 metres above the ground.
Susannah Place Museum, which dates back to 1844, gives a rare glimpse into Australian domestic working class life from 1844 to 1990. For nearly 150 years, these four houses were home to over a hundred different families. Listen to stories from former tenants and pick up a unique souvenir from the recreated 1915 corner store.
Be captivated by one of the most stunning cities in the world and
experience scenic fl ights with style. Sydney by Air offers a variety of scenic fl ight tours from the 90-minute Scenic South or Scenic North tours, to full day-trip Destination Flight tours of the Outback or stunning Sapphire Coast. All fl ights include return transfers from city hotels to the Sydney metro airport. Make the most of your stay and explore Sydney and its surroundings in an enjoyable and unique way.
Take a flying visit over Sydney, with a helicopter tour. All tours take place at 1000 feet in the luxury of a jet helicopter and range from 20 minute Harbour Flights, to romantic Twilight Flights and half day tours to the magnificent Hunter Valley vineyards. All tours include informative commentary, refreshments and courtesy shuttle bus transfers from city hotels.
A unique way to explore Sydney
Harbour is with Sydney Heritage Fleet.
Board the James Craig, Sydney’s
magnifi cently restored Tall Ship and the
only 19th century iron barque of its kind
that takes passengers out to sea on a
6-hour day sail every second weekend,
out through the Heads and back on a
trip of a lifetime. You will experience
the wonder and majesty of this Tall
Ship, sailing under clouds of canvas on
masts higher than a 10-storey building.
Experience history in action and be
transported back in time as you listen
to the call of the wind in the rigging and
hear the age-old commands ring out.
The Sydney Observatory at The Rocks is consistently ranked, by Sydneysiders, as one of the city's favourite attractions. It's the place to enjoy a starry night, watch a 3D show, and learn about the universe. The Observatory is also a favourite romantic destination for locals and runs shows by day and by night.
There's lots to do at Sydney Olympic Park, from a self-guided audio tour, to a bike tour, to an aquatic centre tour, to a walking trail. Nearly 1800 events are held in the Park each year, and more than 40 sports are played here. Check the website for full event details.
The Rocks Discovery Museum, housed in a restored 1850s sandstone warehouse, tells the story of The Rocks from pre-European days to the present. Home to a unique collection of images and archaeological artefacts, the exhibits are interactive. Learn about traditional landowners and the English colony, through to the 1970s union-led protests which preserved this unique part of Sydney. Entry is free.
A Rocks Walking Tour is an unrivalled way to experience Sydney's fascinating past first hand. Let the walking tour guides bring to life some of the colourful stories of the Rocks, while showing you where plague broke out, where convicts lived - and where the great pubs are. Weekdays at 10.30am, 12.30pm and 2.30pm; and on weekends at 11.30am and 2.00pm.
Thrifty Car Rentals offers you more than 11,000 cars, luxury cars, vans, and buses to choose from. Thrifty is 100% Australian owned, with 260 locations across the country, covering all major towns and airports - so they really know your area. Whether your car hire journey starts at Sydney, or in Cairns, they have the right deal for you.
Top Gun is Australia’s premier adventure flight company. They operate all-year round and are based at Wollongong Airport, just one hour and twenty minutes south of Sydney. Top Gun Australia is the only company that guarantees that all passengers fly in authentic military jets fl own by real fighter pilots. Feel the G’s at top gun speeds for Australia’s ultimate adrenaline adventure. Flights are from $1995, and bookings are essential. Organised transport is also available.
Tour East Australia is a travel agent that can book you anything - and all it takes is one phone call. From a coffee cruise around the harbour, to transfers to the airport, to trips to the Great Barrier Reef and more, Tour East can organise it. Once you have confirmed your booking, your full itinerary is e-ticketed to you within 30 minutes.
It is not often you find the chance to get up close and personal with Sydney’s colourful convict history. The brand new Convicts, Castles and Champagne Tour combines exploring Sydney’s intriguing past with discovering its beautiful Harbour. Sit back and relax aboard an authentic 1930’s ferry while you cruise past the most prestigious and historic waterside ‘castles’ along with the icons of Sydney Harbour, such as the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.
Your personal tour guide will take you on a fun and captivating exploration of the convict history on Goat Island. Follow this with a delicious barbeque buffet lunch with complimentary bubbly, in the peaceful surroundings overlooking picturesque Sydney Harbour.
It's easy to see why Wild Ride is one of the most popular Harley Tour companies in Sydney and the Blue Mountains. Their chauffeured Harley tours are competitively priced, their riders are professional and experienced, and they will pick you up from your accommodation and take photos of you enjoying your ride. Available seven days a week, from 8.00am until late.
Situated 10km east of Lithgow, the Zig Zag Railway is one of the great railway engineering wonders of the 19th Century. This ingenious engineering solution consists of a series of sloping ramps in the form of the letter 'Z', connected at the extremities by reversing stations. Zig Zag operates seven days a week, with a variety of steam and locomotive engines and carriages.
The Zoo Express Rocket makes getting to Taronga Zoo fun, as it lets you relax and enjoy the Harbour. It leaves every 45 minutes from Darling Harbour and Circular Quay, between 9.30am and 4.30pm. Tickets, which include entry to Taronga Zoo and Sky Safari cable car, are available from Matilda Cruises at Darling Harbour or Captain Cook Cruises at Circular Quay.