Here are, according to us and our local team, the things to do and see in Sydney in order to get the real vibe, real essence of the city.
Get Sydney offline audio guide >
1. Of course you could do all of the following or just register to our cultural scavenger hunt!
2. Take a look to this map of the city, to have a real idea on how it is built and organized.
3. Sydney Opera House
One of the world's great icons, the Sydney Opera House is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the star attraction on the glittering harbor. This graceful building, shaped like shells or billowing sails, perches on a finger of land surrounded by water. Snap a photo while gliding by on a harbor cruise, relax at one of the restaurants, stroll around its exterior, or take an organized tour of this magnificent structure, which encompasses theaters, studios, exhibition rooms, a concert hall, and cinema. Book a Sydney Opera House Guided Walking Tour to learn about the history and get a behind-the-scenes look at this famous building. This is a flexible ticket that allows you to join any one of the tours throughout the day, departing every half hour from 9am to 5pm. Avid photographers head to Mrs Macquarie's Chair for one of the best photo opportunities. Note that the building is currently undergoing a $202-million upgrade, slated for completion in early 2021, but it will continue to operate during the restoration. Get Google maps directions>
4. Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge or "Coathanger," as locals call it, was the city's best-known landmark prior to construction of the Sydney Opera House. Supported by massive double piers at each end, it was built in 1932 and remains the world's largest steel arch bridge, connecting the harbor's north and south shores in a single curve rising 134 meters above the water. Along its length run two railway lines and eight lanes for road traffic, the direction of which can be varied according to traffic flow. Increasing bridge traffic encouraged construction of a harbor tunnel in 1992 to ease congestion, but motorists can still drive over the bridge for blue-water views. Pedestrians can stroll across on walkways or join a guided ascent through BridgeClimb for a breathtaking panorama of the city and harbor. To learn about the fascinating history of the bridge's construction, visit the museum in the southeastern pier.
Daring souls who want to climb to the 135-meter-high summit can book the Sydney BridgeClimb. This is a spectacular opportunity that takes groups of up to 13 people on an approximately 3.5-hour climb to the top of the outer arch. Tours run throughout the day, beginning with a dawn climb and ending with a night climb. 1.5-hour Sampler Climbs and 2.25-hour Express Climbs are also available.
Get Google maps directions>
5. The Rocks
On a tongue of land protruding into Sydney Harbour, the Rocks historic area was once home to the Gadigal aboriginal people and later became the country's first site of European settlement. The name of the Rocks comes from the rocky coast on the west side of Sydney Cove, where the convicts pitched their tents. Today, more than 100 heritage sites and buildings jostle along the narrow streets, including Sydney's oldest surviving house, Cadman's cottage, built in 1816.
First stop should be a visit to the Rocks Discovery Museum, which traces the area's fascinating transformation from traditional aboriginal lands to convict slum to tourist hot spot. Afterwards, wander around the narrow cobbled streets with their souvenir shops, restaurants, cafés, and aboriginal and contemporary art galleries, or shop at the market stalls. Guided tours run the gamut from aboriginal heritage walks to photographic excursions and nighttime ghost tours.
Get Google maps directions>
6. Harbor Cruises from Circular Quay
Built by convict labor in Sydney Cove, bustling Circular Quay is now home to the city's main ferry terminal. Thousands of commuters flood the area at peak hours, cafés and restaurants line the waterfront, and street performers entertain locals and visitors along the sunny walkways. One of the most popular things to do here, and the best way to appreciate Sydney's sparkling waterfront setting, is to hop aboard a harbor cruise, like the popular two-hour Sydney Harbour Coffee Cruise. Ferries also depart from here to prime spots, such as Manly, Watsons Bay, and Taronga Park Zoo. During the annual winter migration, the Sydney Whale-Watching Cruise take passengers out past Sydney Heads to view these magnificent creatures.
You can easily walk from Circular Quay to other top attractions. Head south along the waterfront promenade to the Sydney Opera House and the Royal Botanic Gardens, and a short walk to the north leads to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Rocks historic area. To the west, the free Museum of Contemporary Art, housed in an Art Deco building, displays cutting-edge, and often controversial, exhibitions. Get Google maps directions>
7. Darling Harbour
A hub for tourists and locals alike, Darling Harbour is a waterfront pedestrian precinct packed with shops, restaurants, museums, exhibitions, and entertainment venues. Families will love Madame Tussaud's; the WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo; and the SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, which contains the world's largest collection of Aus tralian marine creatures. The SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium Entrance Ticket is a great way to get ahead of the crowds and it also offers discounts on other attractions. Powerhouse Museum offers interactive exhibits on science, technology, design, and history, while nautical-minded history buffs can board a replica of Captain Cook's ship, Endeavour, at the Australian National Maritime Museum. Younger children will love the carousel, playground, and water park. An IMAX and 9D theater, harbor jet boat rides, simulated flights and racing car adventures round out the exciting attractions. Those seeking a tranquil patch of green amid all the excitement can slip into the Chinese Garden of Friendship and sip tea among the willows and koi ponds. Get Google maps directions>
8. The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
A tranquil oasis amid the hustle and bustle of the city, the Royal Botanic Garden at Farm Cove lies a short and scenic stroll along the waterfront from the Sydney Opera House. The gardens were established in 1816 and encompass 30 hectares of themed gardens with towering trees, palm groves, orchids, ferns, and flocks of fruit bats. Visiting the gardens is one of the many wonderful things to do in Sydney for free. Among the highlights are the Palace Rose Garden, which includes some 1,800 roses, and the Glasshouse Latitude 23 and Fernery, brimming with tropical foliage, begonias, and orchids. For the less energetic, a hop-on, hop-off train tours the grounds. After exploring the gardens, you can relax at the café or restaurants, or enjoy a hillside picnic with beautiful harbor views.
Surrounding the gardens is the Domain, a popular event venue, with open green space and sports areas, and while you're visiting the gardens, you can enjoy views of Government House, the official residence of the governor of New South Wales. Get Google maps directions>
9. Queen Victoria Building
A high point of Sydney shopping is the Romanesque-style Queen Victoria Building ("QVB"), linked by underground arcades with Town Hall Station. Originally built as a market hall between 1893 and 1898, this elegant building is crowned by a high central dome surrounded by 20 smaller domes. After decades of neglect and even plans for demolition, this grand sandstone building was restored to its original state in the early 1980s. Today, more than 200 high-end shops line its light-filled galleries. It's worth a visit, even for those who shun the shops, just to admire its successful restoration, as well as its beautiful stained glass windows and mosaic floors. The Tea Room QVB hosts a High Tea under crystal chandeliers here that is popular with locals and visitors.
Get Google maps directions>
10. The Sydney Tower Eye
Soaring above the city skyline, the 309-meter-high Sydney Tower Eye is the city's tallest building and one of its great landmarks (other than the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, of course). This golden spire-topped turret rises from the busy Centrepoint shopping mall. Express lifts whisk visitors to the observation deck at the top, or to SKYWALK, an alfresco glass-floor viewing platform, the perfect spot for sightseeing. While up there, you can enjoy panoramic views of Sydney and its surrounding suburbs or enjoy a bite to eat at one of the revolving restaurants or the café. Also on offer is a 4D cinema experience, which provides an overview of the city's major icons.
Get Google maps directions>
11. Sydney Beaches
Sydney is famous for its fabulous beaches. Tucked around the harbor are many sheltered coves with calm water and sugary sands. Less than a 15-minute drive from the city, iconic Bondi Beach beckons with its great surf, café scene, and cosmopolitan vibe. For fantastic ocean views, take the coastal walk along the cliffs from Bondi to Coogee. Other ocean beaches include Cronulla (the only one easily accessible by train from the city), Bronte, Tamarama, and Maroubra. A 30-minute ferry ride from the city, Manly is a favorite seaside destination with its beachfront promenade, netted ocean pool, and excellent shops and restaurants. Farther north from the city, surfers will find some fantastic breaks at Collaroy, Dee Why, and Narrabeen. Swimmers should stay between the red and yellow flags. Volunteer lifeguards patrol the surfing beaches on the Pacific during the summer and run popular lifesaving competitions. Get Google maps directions>
12. Barangaroo Reserve
Barangaroo Reserve is an excellent example of a successful urban renewal project and a lovely spot for a walk along the harbor. Transformed from an unsightly container terminal, this 22-hectare waterfront precinct opened to the public in 2015 and is now home to more than 75,000 native trees and shrubs, walking and cycling tracks, shops, restaurants, and event and exhibition space. It is named after the influential female indigenous leader at the time of European colonisation.
One of the most popular things to do here is the Wulugul Walk, a scenic waterfront promenade that skirts the six-hectare re-created Sydney Harbour headland at the reserve's northern end and will eventually extend for two kilometers between Walsh Bay and Darling Harbour. Along the way, you can admire an evocative series of public art installations. Keep an eye out for shell wall, a 22-meter-tall vertical panel on the side of a building at the reserve's southern gateway, created by two of Australia's leading indigenous artists. You can learn about the area's rich indigenous heritage on an Aboriginal cultural tour. The reserve is a four-minute walk from Wynyard station, and you can also catch a ferry direct to the new Barangaroo Wharf. Get Google maps directions>
13. Taronga Zoo
At Taronga Zoo, you can enjoy close-up encounters with iconic Aussie wildlife and other animals from around the world, plus superb views of the Sydney skyline. Nestled on a point along the north side of the harbor, the zoo inhabits prime Sydney real estate in the posh suburb of Mosman. Highlights include the Lemur Walk-Through, Koala Encounter, and Seal Show. From the city, buses to the zoo depart from Wynyard. Better still, hop aboard a ferry at Circular Quay. The zoo's lively events calendar includes "Roar and Snore" overnight zoo stays and a summer concert series. You can purchase a Sydney Taronga Zoo Entry Ticket in advance, which includes a ride on the Sky Safari gondola. Get Google maps directions>
14. George Street
The oldest street in Australia, George Street was once a nameless track trodden by convicts fetching supplies of water. Today, it's one of the city's major traffic arteries, where high-rise office blocks, shops, and historic buildings converge in an incongruous jumble. An architectural highlight is the elegant Romanesque-style Queen Victoria Building replete with graceful domes, stained glass windows, and high-end stores. Nearby, the Sydney Town Hall (1869) is a major city landmark sporting a medley of architectural styles (it's been compared to a richly decorated wedding cake). Another architectural standout is the neo-Gothic St. Andrew's Cathedral, completed and consecrated in 1868. Shoppers will find plenty of stores in the area. Designer boutiques and jewelry stores line the Victorian-style Strand Arcade, while Pitt Street Mall, one block east from George Street, is one of the city's major shopping precincts. Get Google maps directions>
15. Hyde Park
Amid all the din of the central business district, Hyde Park is a sanctuary of sprawling lawns, shady picnic spots, flowers, fountains, and fig trees. Like a mini Central Park, this welcome patch of green, named after Hyde Park in London, offers prime people-watching - especially at lunch when city workers come here to kick off their shoes. The park's bronze Archibald Fountain (1932) commemorates Australia's alliance with France during WWI, while the Art Deco Anzac War Memorial (1934), in the southern half of the park, honors its victims. At the north end of Hyde Park, in Queens Square, are three fine Georgian buildings, masterpieces of the convict architect Sir Francis Greenway: Hyde Park Barracks, St. James' Church, and the Supreme Court. Built by convict labor in 1817-19, Hyde Park Barracks was restored to its original condition in 1975-84 and now houses a museum on the history of Sydney portraying the lives of the first involuntary "settlers." On the east side of Hyde Park is the Australian Museum, with the largest natural history collection in the country. Get Google maps directions>
16. Art Gallery of New South Wales
Surrounded by beautiful parklands, the Art Gallery of New South Wales is one of the country's most distinguished art museums. The building dates from 1885 and houses spacious, light-filled galleries and Grand Courts, with collections ranging from works by the European masters and Asian artists to evocative contemporary art from around the world. The gallery also houses one of the largest collections of aboriginal art in Australia. After admiring all the masterpieces, you can relax at the café or restaurant, or browse the gallery gift shop.
Get Google maps directions>
17. St. Mary's Cathedral
Facing Hyde Park, St. Mary's Cathedral (1868-82) is a symbol of the spiritual beginnings of the Catholic Church in Australia. This striking landmark, in neo-Gothic style, is the seat of the Archbishop of Sydney. Topped by twin spires, the building was modeled on Lincoln Cathedral, and its imposing façade reflects the design of Notre-Dame in Paris. Inside the cathedral, intricate stained glass windows cast beautiful patterns of light. Christmas is an especially evocative time to visit, when the cathedral is adorned with lights and decorations.
Get Google maps directions>
18. Macquarie Street
Stretching from Hyde Park in the south to the Sydney Opera House in the north, Macquarie Street was once Sydney's most fashionable street. Governor Macquarie commissioned the construction of many of the colony's grand public buildings along this strand, some designed by convict architect Francis Greenway. Impressive sandstone residences soon followed, with verandas to capture the beautiful views of the surrounding parklands and Sydney Harbour. In 1816, the completion of Sydney Hospital on Macquarie Street encouraged doctors to set up offices nearby. But the hospital's capacity exceeded demand, and legislative offices moved into some of its buildings. Today, Parliament House occupies the hospital's northern wing and is open to the public when the New South Wales Parliament is in session. The old Sydney Mint inhabits the hospital's southern wing, which is now home to a library, central courtyard, and café. Also on Macquarie Street, is the State Library of New South Wales, the oldest library in Australia. Among its jewels are the journals of Captain Cook and Joseph Banks as well as Captain Bligh's log from the Bounty.
Get Google maps directions>
20. Chinatown
Inhale the fragrance of sizzling Szechuan spices, shop for Chinese specialty items, or feast on authentic Asian cuisine at Sydney's Chinatown. Framed by lion gates at each end, this small district lies in the pedestrian zone of Dixon Street between Darling Harbour and Central Station. Yum cha is a popular pastime here, and the Friday night market is a feast for the senses with everything from dim sum and Vietnamese pho to teppanyaki. On the first full moon after January 21, the streets of Chinatown come alive during the celebration of the Chinese New Year. Near Chinatown, Paddy's Markets, is a Sydney institution from Wednesdays through Sundays with hundreds of stalls selling fresh produce, bargain fashions, and souvenirs.
Get Google maps directions>
21. Kings Cross
About two kilometers east of the CBD, Kings Cross or "The Cross," as locals call it, is Sydney's multi-faceted red light district with an intriguing, Bohemian past. The area was an artistic quarter around 1920, until it evolved into a popular haunt for beatniks during the 1950s and, later, hippies. During the Vietnam War, the area started its slow slide to depravity when large numbers of American troops came here on "rest and recreation" leave. Despite its less than savory reputation at night, during the day, it wears a different face. Backpackers from the many hostels in the area huddle at hip cafes, boutique hotels shelter fashionistas, and foodies come here to dine at the trendy restaurants. Look for the large Coca-Cola billboard, at the intersection of William Street and Darlinghurst Road, which is often referred to as the "Gateway to The Cross."
Get Google maps directions>
William is our Sydney local representative, we asked him what an ideal day of leisure in Sydney could look like, what would he suggest to do from early morning to late at night?
Here is what he suggests. Don't hesitate to contact William on Twitter @bigcitychase #Sydney #questionforWilliam if you have questions for him, we may publish your conversation in this blog if he thinks it might be useful to other Sydney visitors.
William from Sydney for Big City Chase Sydney :
"Hello chasers, my name is William, I am a pure and proud Sydney product. I will be happy to show you around if you'd like as I have my own Sydney tours business just send a tweet @bigcitychase #WilliamSydney and I will get in touch with you quickly. But now I'm going to give you some tips to spend an unforgettable day in Sydney.
To get started, I will suggest that you
0 commentaires