The Sydney Travel Guide showcases what Sydney has to offer visitors, and it's a lot! From the glistening Sydney Harbour, incredible culinary experiences, to the delight of shopping in hip and exciting neighbourhoods.
Beautiful sandy beaches are a quick trip from Sydney's CBD. The city is surrounded by nature with breathtaking walks that will blow your mind.
There is so much to see and do you will want to give yourself a few days to explore the Emerald City.
What to See & Do
- Visit the Opera House: A walk around the Opera House sails is a must. Make your visit even more memorable with a VIP backstage tour.
- Climb Sydney Harbour Bridge: Climbing this Sydney icon is a bucket list experience for so many visitors. The experience and views are like no other. We suggest the twilight walk to see the sunset and Sydney turn on her lights.
- Jump on the Manly ferry (or fastcat): For a wonderful cruise on the harbour. Stroll down The Corso and check out Manly Beach. Then enjoy a lazy lunch at the heritage-listed Manly Pavilion. Is public transport not your thing? Book a water taxi instead.
- Jet boat around the Harbour: Adrenalin junkies will enjoy a heart-pumping jet boat ride around Syndey Harbour.
- Met some cuddly locals: You may not be able to cuddle a koala, but there is no reason not to get close and personal with one. We have so many cute (and not so cute) Aussie animals to meet.
- Visit the zoo with the best view: Catch a ferry over to Taronga Zoo. The Zoo with the best view in the world. Did you know it's one of the best places to watch the NYE fireworks?
- Discover our marine life: Sydney has an amazing aquarium (one of the world's best) where you can experience Sea Life from under the water. Get to meet a Dugong and Platypus.
- Spend an hour or two in a gallery: Sydney has some wonderful galleries from the Art Gallery of NSW, and Museum of Contemporary Art, through to quirky smaller galleries like the White Rabbit Gallery.
- Stroll around The Rocks: This is Sydney's "Old Town" and is filled to the brim with ghosts and tales of Sydney's past. We highly recommend a guided tour to fully appreciate this pocket of Sydney.
- Learn about Aboriginal culture: Learn about Sydney's rich indigenous heritage.
- Enjoy some bush tucker: Not only do we have unique animals and marine life, but we also have native foods like nowhere else in the world. Did you know that macadamias are an Australian native exported to Hawaii to cultivate?
4 Unique Sydney Experiences
- Breakfast with koalas: This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, having breakfast with the Koalas at Wild Life Sydney Zoo. Unfortunately due to Covid this experience is on hold at the moment.
- Harvest your own pearl: Take a tour of a working pearl farm, harvest your own pearl. It's also one of the few places you can try pearl meat in Australia.
- Private cruise of Sydney Harbour with seafood lunch: Your own luxury cruise around Sydney Harbour experiencing a progressive seafood lunch at two of Sydney's finest waterfront restaurants.
- NYE fireworks on Sydney Harbour: The memories of viewing Sydney's NYE fireworks on the harbour will last you a lifetime. It is the only way to truly enjoy this NYE tradition.
Areas of Sydney
The city of Sydney is rather small compared to major cities in other countries. There is much more to discover than Sydney's CBD, with many hip and exciting neighbourhoods to discover. All are easily accessible by public transport, Uber, private car or taxi.
Glebe: One of the oldest areas in Sydney with heritage-listed buildings and village charm. Visit the Glebe Markets on Saturday morning, take the foreshore walk, or grab a coffee while shopping on Glebe Point Road.
North Sydney: Across the harbour from Circular Quay, an easy ferry trip. Visit Luna Park and walk through the iconic clown's smile. From there it is a short stroll to Lavender Bay and Wendy's Secret Garden. Catch a show at the Ensemble Theatre or eat your way around the Northside Produce Market.
Bondi: Visit iconic Bondi Beach and learn to surf. Have a lazy lunch at Bondi Icebergs or enjoy the scenic Bondi to Coogee coastal walk. A visit highlight is the Bondi Aboriginal Walking Tour.
Cronulla: The only beach in Sydney you can access by train. Bigger, quieter, and better than Bondi. Enjoy lunch on the water, and catch the ferry across Port Hacking to Bundeena and the National Park. Go snorkelling, paddleboarding, swimming, surfing, or fishing. Don't forget to catch a live gig at the Brass Monkey.
Paddington: Home to galleries, boutiques, and designer fashion. Discover rising fashion designers at the Paddington Markets. Enjoy the many restaurants, cafes, and historic pubs along Oxford Street.
Potts Point/Kings Cross: Home to some of Sydney's best dining and nightlife. It is where you will find the dandelion-shaped El Alamein Memorial Fountain and the giant neon-lit Coca-Cola sign. A must is the Kings Cross Crimes and Passions Tour which explores the notorious Razor Gang of the 1920s.
Accommodation
There is an exceptional range of luxury hotels on offer in Sydney. All conveniently located to make the most of your stay, and most with views of the sparkling Sydney Harbour.
There are many more to choose from than what we highlight in the Sydney Travel Guide.
Park Hyatt Sydney: The best location in Sydney right on the water's edge of Sydney Harbour uninterrupted views of the Sydney Opera House.
Shangri-La Hotel: Offers expansive views over Sydney Harbour with exceptional service. Make sure to book dinner at the popular Altitude Restaurant.
The Langham Sydney: Located conveniently in the heart of The Rocks. Offering secluded tranquillity amongst cobblestones and historic buildings. They are also pet-friendly.
The Darling: Part of The Star casino complex in Pyrmont which offers top-notch dining options. Only a two-minute walk to Darling Harbour.
Pier One: Nestled surrounded by water right next to the Harbour Bridge. Close to Sydney's theatre district, The Rocks, and Circular Quay.
Transport
Public Transport: This is the cheapest way to get around Sydney. It is also relatively easy to navigate too. Though it can be unpredictable at times and not always run on time, but it is getting better.
If you are in Sydney for more than a few days purchase an Opal Card. You can also pay for public transport via a single use Opal ticket, or tap on and tap off on the Opal readers using American Express, Mastercard, Visa debit or credit card, or a linked device.
Hop on Hop Off: There is a variety of hop-on and hop-off bus and cruise options for tourists. These take you around the major attractions in Sydney.
Private Tours: The easiest and most informative way to get around Sydney for a tourist is via private tours. You will have the guide all to yourself and they will tweak the tour to fit with your interests.
Mobile & WiFi
If you would prefer to not use your international SIM card in Australia you can easily purchase one at Sydney Airport on arrival.
WiFi is readily accessible at all good hotels. It is usually free to guests who are a member of the hotel's rewards program. This too is generally free to join and we suggest you do it before making your booking. Otherwise, WiFi charges can be close to highway robbery.
Eating Out
Dining out in Sydney is a culinary treat. With world-class restaurants, a bounty of local seafood, and a twist of Indigenous ingredients.
Below are a few restaurants we highly recommend that you book well in advance of your stay. For those watching their hip pockets, we suggest you look at their more reasonable lunch dining options.
Bennelong: A highlight to a Sydney visit, dining inside one of the Opera House's sails. Executive Chef Peter Gilmore is creative and passionate about his food. The guy even grows unusual vegetables in his home garden to see if they will work on his menus!
There are three choices when dining, À la carte, Cured & Cultured, and Bennelong Bar. Make sure to leave room for Peter's very refined pavlova.
Firedoor: Lennox Hastie and his crew cook everything by fire, no gas or electric burners to be found. He honed his skills cooking over the open flame at Etxebarri in the Spanish Basque Mountains as sous chef to Victor Arguinzoniz.
The menu is forever changing which gives them the chance to showcase rare ingredients and celebrate small-scale producers.
Quay: This is Peter Gilmore's other restaurant. Actually, Peter was here before opening up shop across the water at Bennelong. Technically Bennelong is Peter's "other" restaurant.
Excellent food by way of an eight or six course chef's menu, and stunning views of Sydney Harbour. A big tip from us to you, make sure a cruise ship (when we post Covid cruising again) isn't due to be docked for the day you make your booking. Otherwise, that's all you will be seeing.
Saint Peter: Nose to tail isn't a new concept, but fish lips to tail fin may be. Chef Josh Niland takes the no waste concept and creates some incredible fare. Who would have thought you could make a tasty puffy cracker from a fish eyeball?
Best Time to Visit
Like most places, Spring and Autumn are the best times to visit Sydney. Some days are still warm enough to enjoy a swim, outdoor dining and is tee shirt weather.
The summers can get very hot with temperatures reaching as high as 40°C (104°F) and above for a few days. Winter is mild very rarely reaching under 10°C (50°F) during the day.