Sydney, the Harbour City - sunny, welcoming familiar - and why wouldn’t it be with all those famous icons. The Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, that soaring skyline. Breathtaking views, world-class shopping, cutting-edge dining, and vibrant nightlife - there’s no shortage of things to see and do in Sydney.
If you’re not sure how to spend your time in Sydney, read our Suggested Itineraries in Sydney. Highlights include:
Day 1: The Heart of the City. You can cover much of Sydney’s core, Circular Quay, in a day and you have several options for getting around. It’s eminently walkable, though you may want to let someone else do the work. One of the most popular modes is the Sydney hop-on/hop-off bus tour, which from the open top of a double-decker bus gives you a nice panorama. For a different perspective, try a Sydney cycling tour (those hills should give you a workout) or sailing on the Sydney Harbour - the views from the harbor are unsurpassed. Or just splurge and circle the city by helicopter.
Perhaps the city’s most famous icon is the Opera House. There are lots of ways to see the Opera House - your basic walking tour of the Sydney Opera House, which takes you to places you’d normally need a ticket for; then there’s the more exclusive backstage tour of the Sydney Opera House, which starts early before the places fills up with stagehands and prima donnas, and includes breakfast. Finally, when the ballet is in season, you can combine a guided tour with dinner and a dance (by ballerinas, that is).
You may not have thought of Sydney as an adventure-travel destination but there is a surprising number of options for thrill-seekers. Try the Sydney Harbour Bridgeclimb or Sydney Skywalk at Sydney Tower. Why not do high-speed doughnuts in a jet boat on Sydney Harbour? And if that isn’t enough for you, combine it with a seaplane ride over Sydney. Or simply cheat death and dive with the sharks.
Day 2: Exploring Sydney. Radiating outward from the Circular Quay are Sydney’s suburbs and beaches. You can go bargain hunting in Paddington, dining in Darlinghurst, or surfing in Bondi. Or you can get the ferry to Manly where you can start with a tour, and watch the surfers on the ocean beach while tucking into some fish and chips. Get up close and personal with the local fauna. The Taronga Zoo is minutes from downtown by ferry. If you prefer your creatures wet, slimy and/or scaly, check out the Sydney Darling Harbour Aquarium and Oceanworld Manly.
One thing you will not want for in Sydney is good food. When dinner rolls around you’ve got no shortage of restaurants, though you might consider taking advantage of Sydney’s fine waterfront location and take a dinner cruise on the Sydney Harbour. Or, if you don’t mind going in (slow) circles while you eat, admire the view from the Sydney Tower Restaurant. For after dinner, there are hip bars and pubs all over town, though perhaps the most unique is the Minus5 Ice Lounge, which is as frigidly cool as it sounds.
Sydney is rife with ghosts and the echoes of deviance. A walking tour of Kings Cross recounts some of the city’s more infamous residents and their deeds. A hearse can take you to some of Sydney’s most haunted nooks and crannies on the Weird Sydney History and Ghost tour. You can stalk the ghosts of Bushranger ‘Mad Dog’ Morgan on the Campbelltown History and Ghost tour and the twice-hanged man on the Parramatta History and Ghost tour.
Day 3: Excursions. As strong as Sydney’s pull may be, there are many places beyond the city limits to tempt you. One of the most beautiful of these is the Blue Mountains. Heavily forested and teeming with wildlife, a Blue Mountains Day Trip is an excellent way to spend your time. You can also visit the Jenolan Caves, or tool around on a four-wheel drive explorer trek.
Australia is justly famous around the world for its wine, and one of its best regions is the Hunter Valley. You can do a Hunter Valley Day Trip to a few local wineries, or spend some time soaking up the local history on the Hunter Valley Wine and Wilderness tour. If you’re pressed for time and have the cash, why not take a helicopter to luncheon in the Hunter Valley?
This is just a sample of our recommendations. Read the complete set of Suggested Itineraries in Sydney, or browse all of our tours, activities and things to do in Sydney. If you want to extend your trip to other parts of Australia, it’s a big country, so you’ve got lots of choices. You could go north to Brisbane and the Gold Coast and find out why it’s called ‘BrisVegas’. Or keep going to Far North Queensland and test your mettle with the crocodiles and cassuaries.
If you need a place to stay, check out Sydney Hotels on Planetware.com.
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