Tourist Attractions in Sydney

General Information

Sydney in my opinion is the most beautiful city in Australia. But let it be clear that Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Canberra, are also charming cities. Sydney is a vibrant city with a very diverse population. In this article, a description of six travel days in the streets of this special city, its beaches, and its main attractions.

Recommended Hotels in a Central Location in Sydney:

5-Star Hotels:

Sheraton on the Park
A 5-star hotel in central Sydney overlooking Hyde Park, including a restaurant, bar, gym, and an indoor pool with a glass ceiling.

QT Sydney
A 5-star hotel in central Sydney a 2-minute walk from Hyde Park, including a restaurant, bar, and cafe.

Park Hyatt Sydney
A 5-star level hotel adjacent to the Sydney Bridge and facing the Opera House. Heated pool, gym, spa.

Swissotel Sydney
A 5-star level hotel in central Sydney next to Pitt St Mall. Includes 2 pools, spa, bar, restaurant.

3.5-4 Star Hotels:

Russell Hotel In The Rocks
A 3.5-star hotel, next to Sydney Harbour near a shopping and dining area. Free internet.

Travelodge Phillip Street
A 4-star level hotel, near Hyde Park in central Sydney, a 15-minute walk from the Opera House. The hotel has two restaurants and rooms include a kitchenette.

Aparthotels / Apartment Hotels:

Broadway Serviced Apartments
In central Sydney, a 5-minute walk from the Central Train Station, fully equipped kitchen, restaurant, breakfast, and free internet.

Darling Harbour Getaway
In central Sydney near the convention center, harbor view, indoor pool, fully equipped kitchen, free internet.

Meriton Serviced Apartments
World Tower
5-star level apartments in central Sydney, a 10-minute walk from Hyde Park and Chinatown. The apartments are in Sydney's tallest residential building and are located on the 61st floor and above.
Luxury apartments with equipped kitchen, washing machine, floor-to-ceiling glass windows providing magnificent panoramic city views. Residents have an indoor pool, sauna, jacuzzi, and spa. 1GB free internet per day.

Meriton Serviced Apartments
Campbell Street
5-star level apartments in central Sydney, a 5-minute walk from Central Train Station. Fully equipped kitchen, washing machine, 1GB free internet per day. Indoor pool, jacuzzi, sauna, gym.

Sydney Airport is located south of the city, and when arriving from the north, the plane circles over the city. This is an excellent opportunity to see from above the city built on a long bay, as seen in the following picture:

To tour Sydney you don't have to rent a car; you can manage nicely with public transportation, which also includes ferries that are an excellent way to see the beautiful scenery of the city. This also saves the need for expensive parking fees for a rental car. When you don't have a rental car, it is highly desirable to stay as close as possible to the city center.

Guided Tours in Sydney

At any destination, I recommend taking guided tours, especially at the beginning to get oriented as quickly as possible and receive important information from a local guide. Here are several recommended guided tours in Sydney that you can book here through the successful Viator website:

Tour in the City Center (Day 1)

In the city center, there is a large park called Hyde Park. Inside the park is the War Memorial to Australian war casualties, and north of there is also a beautiful fountain, and in the east of the park, the large St Mary's Cathedral. From the park, continue towards the Sydney Tower observation deck to first see the beautiful city from above and get a general idea of where each sight is located.

♦ Car rental from the reliable and convenient site Booking: Booking.com

Going up the tower requires a fee. This tower is the tallest in Sydney and overlooks a beautiful view of the entire city; only the Opera House is partially visible because it is mostly obscured by other tall buildings. Included in the ticket price is an additional experience called "OzTrek", combining two viewing attractions: sitting in circular revolving chairs watching scenes of Australian life dramatized by dolls, and watching a movie on a screen about Australia's landscapes and attractions while sitting in moving chairs that adapt their movement to the storyline (a kind of calm, large simulator). This way you can get an idea of what this huge and diverse country has to offer to the tourist, even without flying long distances.

From the tower, take the subway to Circular Quay, the ferry wharves. From there, continue on foot towards the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Get on the bridge and climb the bridge pylon via stairs (about two hundred) to the top of the tower, which offers a beautiful view including the Opera House, the city center, and the bridge itself. Adventure enthusiasts (with enough dollars in their pocket) are invited to climb the arch of the bridge in a guided group. There is also a mini-museum in the pylon about the construction of the bridge with a short movie. Descend from the tower and continue crossing the bridge on foot, then pass underneath it towards Luna Park, which is right next to the bridge. It's a vintage amusement park in the style of old-time fairs, with classic rides (ferris wheel, pirate ship, game booths, etc.). Not for serious roller coaster and adrenaline junkies. From there, you can take a ferry back to Circular Quay. The ferry passes under the huge and impressive bridge. From the wharf, continue on foot towards the Opera House along the promenade, which is lined with a chain of restaurants near the water. Most restaurants have outdoor seating, and on cold days and nights, gas heaters are operated for outdoor diners.
Dinner can be eaten at one of the restaurants on the promenade or elsewhere in the city. Keep in mind that shopping centers along with all food stalls in them close fairly early at the end of the workday, usually around 5-6 PM, but restaurants and clubs outside shopping centers stay open in the city until late. Sydney is the most vibrant city in Australia and one of the few where even after 10:00 PM you see people in the streets and can find open restaurants.

♦ Recommended tours in Sydney and surroundings:

Tour of the Opera House and Trip to Manly (Day 2)

Start the day with a walk in the Botanical Gardens. From the waterfront promenade in these gardens, continue to the excellent viewpoint called "Mrs. Macquarie's Chair". From this spot, you can see a beautiful view of the Opera House together with the Sydney Bridge.

From the honorable lady's chair, continue along the waterfront promenade all the way to the Opera House. Buy tickets for a guided tour and go inside. Don't miss it! It is an impressive and successful tour.

Book in advance here one of the guided tours and show tickets at the Opera House from the successful Viator site:

♦ Guided tour of the Sydney Opera House:
Sydney Opera House Guided Walking Tour
Lasts 1 hour.

♦ Guided backstage tour of the Opera House including breakfast:
Sydney Opera House Backstage guided Tour with Breakfastr
Lasts 2 hours.

♦ Ticket for an opera performance at the Opera House: Opera at the Sydney Opera House Show Tickets

At the beginning of the tour, a short video is presented describing how the building was constructed and how much time and money the construction cost. Construction lasted 14 years, much longer than planned, and also cost much more than planned. The initial budget was 7 million dollars, but it ballooned to about one hundred million dollars! The city fathers funded the expensive construction by selling lottery tickets. There is no doubt that the result is extremely impressive. It is one of the most famous buildings in the world due to its unique architecture. Visitors first enter one of the smaller halls in the venue, which belongs to a newer addition to the building. Afterwards, you enter the largest hall where concerts are held. The hall features a huge organ across the entire back wall. From here, you continue to the second largest hall where opera performances take place. You also take a tour of the foyer, which offers a lovely view of the harbor. Their successful Australian tennis player, Hewitt, was married here. At several locations along the tour route, short videos with explanations about the place are shown to visitors.

Trip to Manly

In the second part of the day, you can tour the coastal town of Manly, on the other side of the bay. Manly is situated on a narrow peninsula, at the end of which are the cliffs of North Head. From the Opera House, continue along the promenade towards the nearby ferry wharf and take a ferry to Manly. The ferry passes by the Opera House you visited on the way. During the cruise, there is a wonderful view of the neighborhoods along the bay.

Manly has an excellent sandy beach, and on the way to it, you will pass by many shops and restaurants. You can also buy food at one of the stalls and sit on a bench on the beach, eat it, and share a little with the many cute seagulls around.

There is also a bicycle rental shop in the area. This is a great way to get to know the place and stretch your legs a bit.

You can walk along the river and beach to a lookout point over the area and then continue up a fairly steep climb to North Head, a national park with a fine view of Sydney and its surroundings, as well as walking and biking trails.

After returning the bikes, return by ferry to Circular Quay in central Sydney. Near the ferry wharf is the Customs House; step inside, and on its floor, under glass you can stand on, you'll find a miniature model of the city of Sydney.

Tour of Paddy's Market and Darling Harbour (Day 3)

Paddy's Market is located near Chinatown. It is a large, colorful covered market with relatively cheap product prices compared to Australia. (Note that it is not open every day of the week!)

This is the place to buy Australian souvenirs at good prices. From here, continue to the main street of Chinatown.
Visit the various shops, and try Chinese food and Chinese pastries.

From here continue to Darling Harbour. This is a vibrant tourist area rich in attractions right on the waterfront, featuring a large shopping center called Harbourside, an aquarium, an indoor Australian zoo, museums, Chinese gardens, and wharves with boats leaving for harbor tours, surrounding areas, and whale-watching cruises.

Visit the Chinese Gardens; entry requires a fee, and you can also purchase a combined ticket that includes Chinese tea and soup.
Stroll through the lovely gardens and see the beautiful plants, statues, and decorations, and perhaps you'll also see tourists dressed in beautiful traditional Chinese clothes for a fee.

From there, stroll on foot through vibrant Darling Harbour, stop by the visitor center on site, and inquire about touring and entertainment options in the city. There is an IMAX cinema on site with the largest screen in the world. Check which movies are playing and at what times, and buy tickets for one of the films—it's a special experience.

Stroll in the large shopping center within the complex, eat there if you are hungry, and continue to the large and glitzy Star City casino located nearby—you don't have to gamble, just take a peek to get an impression. You can drink a beer at a nearby pub and play billiards if you like. From there, cross the center of downtown on foot and enter the shopping center in the beautiful building called Queen Victoria Building.