What to do in Sydney
Sydney is beautiful and exciting city to explore. Walking through the green botanical garden, carrying on admiring the graceful Opera House, shaped like shells, surfing the glittering harbour. In the background the Harbour Bridge is framing it all in a beautiful picture.
I’ll share my top 8 recommendations for what to see and what to do. These recommendations are a mix of activities, which in my opinion gives you the perfect taste of what Sydney has to offer.
1. The Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is one of the most famous buildings in the world. The building itself is stunning and the great architectural work, is why you’ll find the Sydney Opera House on the UNESCO world heritage site.
I do recommend seeing a show but if it’s not of any interest to you or you can’t spend the money, just sit on the steps and enjoy the sight.
2: Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is beautiful but the view from the top? Amazing! If you have the time and the funding, climbing the bridge will give you one of the most breath-taking views in Sydney.
There are different kind of tours, different time of the day. If you want more info, you can go to: https://www.bridgeclimb.com/
3: The Royal Botanic Gardens
Established in 1816, which makes this one of Australia’s oldest gardens. It’s only a few minutes’ walk from the Opera House, so make sure to include this in your stroll around the city.
4: Bondi Beach
Australia’s most iconic beach, famous from the TV-show “Bondi Beach Rescue”. The beach is about 1 km long and the rescuers patrol the beach. The beach is located 7 km from Sydney and getting there is not a problem. The quickest way is to get there by train, but it’s also possible to get there by Uber, taxi, bus, or even bikes.
5: Panoramic view from the top of the Sydney Tower
Tallest building in Sydney. The observation deck is 250 meter above ground and the tower will give you a 360-degree view over Sydney.
More info: https://www.sydneytowereye.com.au/
6: Ferry to Cockatoo Island
Sydney’s largest island and one of Australia’s most interesting historical sites. It used to be a prison from 1839-1869, an industrial school from 1888-1908 and a shipbuilding yard from 1847-1992. It was opened to public in 2007.
You get there by catching the ferry from Wharf 5 at Circular Quay. The ferry ride takes about half an hour.
There are places to eat, both cafés and restaurants or if you want to do a picnic, that’s also possible. You can even stay the night. The glamping is a fun alternative but if this is not up your alley, there is also a solid-wall option on the island as well.
7: Blue Mountains National Park
The Blue Mountains National Park is famous for the Three Sisters. It’s a day trip from Sydney and packed with heritage walks, stunning views and water falls. The National Park is a two-hour drive from the city and I recommend getting there by car. It’s also possible to get there by train and bus, but it’s a bit more of a hassle. I decided to explore the area by myself but there are several guided tours and activities to choose from.
More info: https://www.australia.com/en/places/sydney-and-surrounds/guide-to-the-blue-mountains.html
8: Day trip to Manly
Manly is one of the most popular suburbs in Sydney. It’s only an 18 minutes ferry ride from Circular Quay and offers fantastic spots for surfing, kayaking, scuba diving and sunbathing. Make sure to visit North Head if you go.
