Sydney, New South Wales — Where to Go
Sydney Sightseeing Overview
Who can argue with the claim that Sydney has the most magnificent harbor in the world? Its intricate coastal geography of headlands and secluded bays is the stunning setting for two of the modern world's most ambitious architectural achievements - the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
It's not surprising then that much of the sightseeing in Sydney is focused on the harbor and its surrounds. The Rocks forms the historical backbone of the city and a day spent wandering these old-world streets is a must. Circular Quay buzzes throughout the day with visitors, buskers and locals hopping on and off the ferries on their way to and from work.
But step away from this and you'll see that there is more to Sydney than just the harbor. The central business district (CBD) holds remains of its Victorian past with grand banking chambers and intricate shopping arcades. Further afield, the areas of Surry Hills, Darlinghurst and Paddington are cosmopolitan communities, each with their own distinct character.
Surry Hills is a colorful neighborhood lined with cafes and boutiques, while Darlinghurst comes alive every March for the world-famous Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade. Paddington has a more genteel feel, with its fashionable restaurants, galleries, antique shops and restored Victorian terraces complete with wrought-iron lace verandas. Another area worth exploring is Kings Cross. Although traditionally renowned for its red light district it boasts a bustling cafe society and some excellent restaurants.
Sydney Tourist Information
Sydney Visitor Center
Corner Argyle and Playfair Streets, The Rocks or 33 Wheat Road, Darling Harbour
Tel: (02) 9240 8788 or 1800 067 676, in Australia only.
Website: www.sydneyvisitorcenter.com
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1730.
Sydney Sightseeing
The All Day Pass & Tower & Aquarium package from Captain Cook Cruises incorporates entry to Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Tower and a hop-on, hop-off harbor cruise departing from Circular Quay. Tickets are available from any of these attractions.
The Darling Harbour Super Ticket, available at the Sydney Aquarium, includes entry to the Sydney Aquarium and the Chinese Garden, Matilda Rocket Harbour cruise, a monorail ride, a meal at the Aqua Bar and Grill, discount entry to the Powerhouse Museum and IMAX Theater and discount travel on the People Mover train.
Combined ferry and attraction admission passes are available from the Sydney Ferries ticket office at Circular Quay. For example, the Zoo Pass includes return ferry and bus transport to Taronga Zoo, entry to the zoo and an aerial cable ride.
Sydney Sightseeing
The All Day Pass & Tower & Aquarium package from Captain Cook Cruises incorporates entry to Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Tower and a hop-on, hop-off harbor cruise departing from Circular Quay. Tickets are available from any of these attractions.
The Darling Harbour Super Ticket, available at the Sydney Aquarium, includes entry to the Sydney Aquarium and the Chinese Garden, Matilda Rocket Harbour cruise, a monorail ride, a meal at the Aqua Bar and Grill, discount entry to the Powerhouse Museum and IMAX Theater and discount travel on the People Mover train.
Combined ferry and attraction admission passes are available from the Sydney Ferries ticket office at Circular Quay. For example, the Zoo Pass includes return ferry and bus transport to Taronga Zoo, entry to the zoo and an aerial cable ride.
Key Attractions in Sydney, New South Wales
Sydney Opera House
In April of 1966, the architect of the Sydney Opera House, Jørn Utzon, left Australia, never to return. His grand architectural vision was only half completed, but arguments with the state government over the spiralling cost of the project meant that other architects were employed to complete the interior complex of auditoria, theaters, restaurants and bars. In spite of its compromised genesis, the building instantly became a world icon upon opening in 1973. Utzon has never seen the completed building but in recent years has collaborated on a A$70 million interior refurbishment that brings the building closer to his original vision - including a 14m-long (46ft) tapestry. The four main auditoria (the Concert Hall, the Playhouse, the Opera Theater and the Drama Theater) stage a total of 3,000 performances per year.
Bennelong Point, Circular Quay
Tel: (02) 9250 7111.
Website: www.sydneyoperahouse.com
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700 (tours); Mon-Sat 0900-2030 (box office), plus two hours before Sun show.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Sydney Harbour Bridge
Affectionately known as ‘the Coathanger', the Sydney Harbour Bridge is a feat of engineering genius. It took 1,400 workers (16 of whom died in the process) eight years to complete at a cost of A$20 million finally opening in 1932. The best way to experience the bridge is to climb it and the Bridge Climb gives thrill-seekers the chance to walk to the top of the 50-story-high bridge (over the cars and trains rumbling across the deck below) and down the other side. The Discovery Climb gives visitors a look at the inner workings of the bridge with a tour through the heart of the enormous steel structure. The new Express Climb launched in 2009 offers the fastest way to the top.
Pylon Museum and Lookout
Access from stairs via Cumberland Street
Tel: (02) 9240 1100.
Website: www.pylonlookout.com.au
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: N.
Bridge Climb
5 Cumberland Street
Tel: (02) 8274 7777.
Website: www.bridgeclimb.com
Opening hours: Daily 0700-2000.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: N.
The Rocks
Nestled at the foot of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, The Rocks (Sydney's historical birthplace) is a neighborhood of winding streets, sandstone cottages and some of Sydney's oldest pubs. The site of the first landing from Plymouth, England in 1788, the area is now a busy tourist enclave with cafes, restaurants, galleries, museums and countless souvenir shops. Among the district's historic buildings are the Hero of Waterloo inn (built over a tunnel that was originally used for smuggling), the Sydney Observatory (on the site of the colony's first windmill), Cadman's Cottage (Sydney's oldest building, built in 1816) and Susannah Place (a museum of working-class life). Other attractions include the Museum of Contemporary Art and The Rocks Toy Museum.
The Rocks
Website: www.therocks.com
Sydney Observatory
Watson Road, Observatory Hill
Tel: (02) 9921 3485.
Website: www.sydneyobservatory.com.au
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Cadman's Cottage
110 George Street
Tel: (02) 9247 5033.
Website: www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0930-1630, Sat-Sun 1000-1630.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: N.
Museum of Contemporary Art
140 George Street
Tel: (02) 9245 2400.
Website: www.mca.com.au
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700.
Admission charge: N (except for special exhibitions).
Disabled access: Y.
The Rocks Toy Museum
2-6 Kendall Lane
Tel: (02) 9240 8552.
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1715.
Admission charge: Y.
Susannah Place Museum
58-64 Gloucester Street
Tel: (02) 9241 1893.
Website: www.hht.net.au
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1400-1800; Sat-Sun 1000-1800.
Admission charge: Y.
Darling Harbour
A former dockside area, this small harbor has been transformed into a major tourist site. The vast, paved and landscaped recreation ground is packed with restaurants and shops, as well as a number of tourist attractions. These include the Powerhouse Museum, Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney Aquarium, IMAX Theater and the Chinese Garden of Friendship, a gift to Sydney from its sister city of Guangdong in China.
Darling Harbour
Website: www.darlingharbor.com
Powerhouse Museum
500 Harris Street
Tel: (02) 9217 0111.
Website: www.powerhousemuseum.com
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Australian National Maritime Museum
2 Murray Street
Tel: (02) 9298 3777.
Website: www.anmm.gov.au
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1700.
Admission charge: N (except for special exhibitions).
Disabled access: Y.
Sydney Aquarium
Aquarium Pier
Tel: (02) 8251 7800.
Website: www.sydneyaquarium.com.au
Opening hours: Daily 0900-2200.
Admission charge: Y.
IMAX Theater
Tel: (02) 9281 3300.
Website: www.imax.com.au
Opening hours: Daily 0945-2300.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Chinese Garden of Friendship
Tel: (02) 9240 8888.
Website: www.chinesegarden.com.au
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1700 (winter); daily 0930-1730 (summer).
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: N.
Bondi Beach
Bondi is one of the world's most famous beaches, a kilometer-long crescent of sand strung between two rocky headlands, just 15 minutes from the city center. During the summer months families, tourists, locals and out-of-towners jostle for towel space on the beach while the promenade bustles with activity. Campbell Parade serves up a mixture of busy bars, seaside cafes, and the ever-popular Sunday market. Topless sunbathing is tolerated and swimmers should always swim within the patrolled areas marked by the red and yellow flags. The coastal walk, which starts at Bondi's southern end and runs along the coast to Coogee, is a must for any visitor.
Campbell Parade, off Bondi Road
Website: www.waverley.nsw.gov.au/
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours.
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Featuring the Yiribana Gallery, the world's largest permanent exhibition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, the Art Gallery of New South Wales is one of Australia's foremost art museums. Among its most impressive exhibitions is its Australian art collection, extending from the early colonial period to the mid 20th century. The Asian Galleries showcase the gallery's significant Asian collection and touring exhibitions. Shortlisted portraits in the Archibald Prize (Australia's most prestigious and controversial art award) are exhibited here annually.
Art Gallery Road, The Domain
Tel: (02) 9225 1700.
Website: www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au
Opening hours: Thurs-Tues 1000-1700, Wed 1000-2100.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Sydney Tower
Standing 250m (820ft) above Market Street, Sydney Tower is the city's tallest building and offers views over the city, the harbor, the Olympic Park and as far as Terrigal Beach, 100km (62 miles) to the north. Entry to the observation deck includes the Skytour - a 35-minute virtual tour/ride on the podium level. Thrill-seekers can go one better and take a Skywalk, an outdoor tour on two glass-floored platforms.
Corner of Pitt and Market Street
Tel: (02) 9333 9222.
Website: www.sydneytoweroztrek.com.au
Opening hours: Daily 0900-2230.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Royal Botanic Gardens
A short walk from the Opera House, the Royal Botanic Gardens sits on a slope overlooking the harbor and covers 30 hectares (74 acres) in the heart of the city. Established in 1816, it is Australia's oldest scientific institution and home to over one million specimens. Highlights include the Sydney Tropical Center and the Rose Garden; there is a hop-on hop-off trackless train to get around them all.
Macquarie Street (main entrance)
Tel: (02) 9231 8111.
Website: www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au
Opening hours: Nov-Feb 0700-2000; Mar and Oct 0700-1830; Apr and Sept 0700-1800; May and Aug 0700-1730; June and July 0700-1700.
Admission charge: N.
Disabled access: Y.
Sydney Olympic Park
Built on the site of an old rubbish tip, the focal point of the ‘best ever Olympics' in 2000 is now an attraction in its own right, comprising 15 architecturally impressive venues as well as extensive parks and wetlands. Separate guided tours of the venues are given and a self-guided tour brochure is available from the Visitor Gateway or from the website.
1 Herb Elliot Avenue
Tel: (02) 9714 7888.
Website: www.sydneyolympicpark.com.au
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700 (Visitor Gateway).
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
ANZ Stadium
Edwin Flack Avenue
Tel: (02) 8765 2000.
Opening hours: Tours run daily at 1100, 1230, 1400 and 1530.
Admission charge: Y.
Observation Center
Level 17, Novotel & Hotel Ibis, Olympic Boulevard, Homebush Bay
Tel: (02) 8762 1111.
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1600.
Admission charge: Y.
Sydney Aquatic Center
Olympic Boulevard
Tel: (02) 9752 3666.
Website: www.aquaticcenter.com.au
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0500-2100, Sat-Sun 0600-1900.
Admission charge: Y.
Bicentennial Park
Bennelong Road
Tel: (02) 9714 7888.
Opening hours: Daily sunrise to sunset.
Admission charge: N.
Disabled access: Y.
Taronga Zoo
The most desirable residence in Sydney is inhabited by a collection of seals, snow leopards, koalas, kangaroos and wallabies. Taronga Zoo's location, on Bradley's Head, at Mosman, is one of the most beautiful vantage points on Sydney Harbour. The zoo is home to over 350 different species of animals, ranging from elephants, gorillas and giraffes to platypus (an animal so odd-looking that when settlers first came across it they thought it was a hoax) and the echidna. There are keepers' talks and shows throughout the day, and the sky safari (cable cars that glide over the zoo to give a bird's-eye perspective) is extremely popular.
Bradleys Head Road (main entrance)
Tel: (02) 9969 2777.
Website: www.zoo.nsw.gov.au
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Fox Studios Australia - The Entertainment Quarter
Fox Studios generated the principal photography of The Matrix Trilogy, Moulin Rouge, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.The adjoining Entertainment Quarter boasts shops, markets, cinemas, restaurants, mini golf, bungy trampoline, an indoor children's playground and a music venue.
Lang Road, Moore Park
Tel: (02) 8117 6700.
Website: www.eqmoorepark.com.au
Opening hours: Daily 1000-2400.
Admission charge: N.
Disabled access: Y.
Further Distractions
Rose Seidler House
The designs for Australia's first modernist home, Rose Seidler House, so appalled local residents they almost succeeded in preventing the building's construction. Created by the great Canadian/Australian architect Harry Seidler for his parents, the concrete house has glass walls, a sun-filled deck and panoramic views of Ku-ring-gai National Park. The house has been restored to its original scheme, with 1950s furnishings and objects.
71 Clissold Road, Wahroonga
Tel: (02) 9989 8020.
Website: www.hht.net.au
Opening hours: Sundays 1000-1700.
Admission charge: Y
Centennial Parklands
A grand park in the European tradition, the Centennial Parklands features landscaped gardens, statues, historic monuments and houses, ponds, formal gardens, wildlife habitat areas and grand avenues. There is a restaurant, cafe and facilities for every active pursuit under the sun.
Southeast of the city, bordering Paddington, Moore Park and Bondi Junction
Tel: (02) 9339 6699.
Website: www.cp.nsw.gov.au
Admission charge: N.
Disabled access: Y.
Sydney Wildlife World
Sydney Wildlife World boasts the largest variety of Australian flora and fauna under one roof, providing a complete all-Australian wildlife experience in the heart of Darling Harbour. Visitors can watch over 6,000 animals including wallabies and wombats, sugar gliders and scrub pythons, living in their natural habitats and ecosystems.
Aquarium Pier, Darling Harbour
Tel: (02) 9333 9288.
Website: www.sydneywildlifeworld.com.au
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1730.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
