What are the best things to do in Sydney?
Climb the Harbour Bridge, learn to sail, surf at Bondi Beach, take the Manly Ferry… There are hundreds of things to do in Sydney, and Australia Travel Questions has picked out some of the best.
Sydney is the biggest city in Australia, and – sorry Melbourne – its most magnificent, too. In 1770, Lt James Cook discovered Botany Bay and recommended it as the site for a new colony. In 1788, the First Fleet of convicts and colonists arrived, and Sydney has been mushrooming ever since.
It’s one of the most beautiful cities on earth. Its combination of urban energy, harbourside scenery and world class beaches makes it work both as a city break and a standalone holiday destination. The Sydney weather is highly appealing for most of the year, while there are hundreds of city and beach accommodation options.
Sydney also brims with attractions and activities – and that’s before you even get on to road trips from Sydney and the things to do in regional New South Wales. Go to Sydney.com, and you’ll find thousands of things to do in Sydney (and some not worth the bother). Plenty of these are covered on Australia Travel Questions, and more are being added all the time. Here are just some of them…
13 brilliant experiences in Sydney you should book
- (💲Great value 💲) Tick off several bucket list items on a highlights-packed Blue Mountains day tour.
- Get perfect views of the world’s most beautiful city on a Sydney Harbour helicopter tour.
- Save money with a multi-attraction pass.
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Enjoy the romance of a tall ship cruise on Sydney Harbour.
- Eat all you can at the Skyfeast at the top of Sydney Tower.
- See migrating humpbacks – on a whale-watching cruise.
- (Highly recommended ✅) Go behind the scenes of Australia’s most famous building on an Opera House tour.
- Dine as the city lights up on sunset dinner cruise around the harbour.
- Combine beers and stories on a historic pubs tour through the convict-era Rocks district.
- Stand on your board and catch waves during Bondi Beach surfing lessons.
- Go to wombat and kangaroo-spotting hotspots on a Southern Highlands tour.
- Enjoy Sydney’s wild side on a Manly snorkelling & nature walk.
- (🥇Top choice in Sydney) And, best of all, paddle to hidden beaches on a harbour kayaking adventure.
Things to do in Sydney: Tours
Take a tour of the Sydney Fish Market in Pyrmont.
Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge on the Bridgeclimb.
Take a kayaking tour on Sydney Harbour.
Catch the Taronga Zoo ferry and go on a behind-the-scenes tour at Taronga Zoo.
Enjoy a Sydney Harbour sailing tour.
Take a self-guided walking tour of Kings Cross.
Take a scenic flight over Sydney Harbour.
Go on a whale-watching cruise between May and November.
Do a gantry tour of Sydney Olympic Stadium.
Try the Riverboat Postman cruise on the Hawkesbury River.
Take a street art tour of Newtown.
Cruise through the Nepean Gorge on the Nepean Belle paddlewheeler.
Go quad biking at Glenworth Valley.
Things to do in Sydney: Learn a new skill
Learn to sail on Pittwater.
Take sailing lessons on Sydney Harbour.
Learn to surf at Bondi Beach – or take a surf lesson at Maroubra Beach.
Fly with a jetpack in Penrith.
Paint while sipping wine at Pinot and Picasso in Penrith.
Go whitewater rafting at the Penrith Whitewater Stadium in Cranebrook.
Things to do in Sydney: Heritage
Take the Cockatoo Island ferry for a Cockatoo Island ghost tour.
Visit the most impressive heritage buildings in Sydney.
Take a tour of the Sydney Quarantine Station.
See the anchor of the Sirius in Macquarie Place Park.
Go inside the Anzac Memorial.
Get a historic overview at the Rocks Discovery Museum.
Visit Elizabeth Farm in Parramatta, said by many to be the oldest building in Australia.
See Aboriginal rock carvings in Gladesville.
Drop by Resolute Beach, West Head Beach and the West Head Lookout on the Aboriginal Heritage Walk in Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park.
Things to do in Sydney: Beaches
People-watch at Bondi Beach.
Bodysurf on Bronte Beach.
Go snorkelling at Clovelly Beach.
Swim safely at one of Sydney’s harbour beaches, such as Camp Cove.
Avoid the crowds in Manly at Collins Beach and Little Manly Beach.
Walk the famous Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk.
Explore the Northern Beaches, including Bilgola Beach.
Beach hop towards Milk Beach or Parsley Bay on the Hermitage Foreshore Walk between Rose Bay and Watsons Bay.
Take the ferry from Palm Beach to Patonga Beach on the Central Coast.
Things to do in Sydney: Food and drink
Splash out on seafood at Catalina in Rose Bay.
Enjoy Asian fusion food at Chin Chin in Surry Hills.
Have a picnic in Beare Park, Elizabeth Bay.
Enjoy a drag show at the Imperial Hotel in Erskineville.
Taste beers at the Wayward Brewery in Camperdown or Batch Brewery in Petersham.
More Sydney attractions and experiences
Cross Sydney Harbour on the Manly Ferry or Manly Fast Ferry.
Go shopping at the Rocks Market or Glebe Markets.
Take in the views from Mrs Macquarie’s Chair.
Stay at a Sydney caravan park in the Lane Cove National Park.
Enjoy a ride on the Watsons Bay ferry.
Climb the Pylon Lookout for tremendous views of Sydney Harbour.
Admire the Anzac Bridge from the Glebe Foreshore Walk.
See contemporary Chinese art at the White Rabbit Gallery in Chippendale.
Coo at Australia’s only Frank Gehry building in Ultimo.
Go shopping at the Birkenhead Point outlet mall in Drummoyne.
Take the ferry across the Hawkesbury River from Wisemans Ferry to the Dharug National Park.
Take the ferry to Parramatta.
Go walking in the Cumberland State Forest or Bidjigal Reserve in West Pennant Hills.
Hand-feed kangaroos at Featherdale Wildlife Park.
Watch a movie at the Blacktown Drive In.
Swim in the Hawkesbury River from Cattai National Park.
Find serenity in the Chinese Garden at the Nurragingy Reserve in Doonside.
Have a barbecue at McCarrs Creek Reserve.