A day out in Sydney

Top things to do in Sydney

• Sydney Opera House tour

  A$50 · Circular Quay · about 60 min

  A guided walk inside the sails and the main concert hall. Book ahead.

• BridgeClimb

  A$300 · The Rocks · about 210 min

  Climb the arch of the Harbour Bridge with a guide. A splurge, but unforgettable.

• Cockatoo Island

  Free · Cockatoo Island · about 150 min

  Convict-era island with shipyards and tunnels, a short ferry ride up the harbour.

• Sydney Tower Eye

  A$30 · CBD · about 60 min

  250 m up, the highest view in the city. Cheapest booked online on weekdays.

• Hyde Park Barracks

  A$12 · CBD · about 75 min

  World Heritage convict barracks with an audio tour through the layers of history.

• Australian Museum

  Free · CBD · about 90 min

  Dinosaurs, minerals and First Nations galleries. General entry is free.

• Taronga Zoo

  A$52 · Taronga · about 210 min

  Take the ferry from Circular Quay and see giraffes with a harbour view.

• SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium

  A$50 · Darling Harbour · about 120 min

  Sharks, dugongs and a Great Barrier Reef tank.

• WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo

  A$50 · Darling Harbour · about 90 min

  Koalas, kangaroos and a very large crocodile, in the city.

• Australian National Maritime Museum

  Free · Darling Harbour · about 90 min

  Free galleries; board the destroyer and submarine for a fee.

Coming up in Sydney

• Australia v England T20 at the SCG (Sun 29 November): Men's T20 international under lights.
• Big Bash at ENGIE Stadium (Sat 19 December, Sun 27 December, Sat 2 January): Sydney Thunder at home, including the Sydney derby on 19 December.
• Big Bash at the SCG (Tue 22 December, Fri 15 January): Sydney Sixers at home, under lights.
• Big Bash at the SCG: Boxing Day and Sunday games (Sat 26 December, Sun 10 January): Sixers v Heat on Boxing Day (6:05 pm) and Sixers v Scorchers on 10 January (2:10 pm).
• New Year's Test: Australia v New Zealand (Mon 4 January, Tue 5 January, Wed 6 January): The Fourth Test at the SCG.
• Australia v New Zealand women's T20 (Sun 21 February): A day game at the harbourside North Sydney Oval.

From published fixtures. Check times and tickets with the organiser.

Free things to do in Sydney

• Walk across the Harbour Bridge (The Rocks): The eastern footpath is free, with views over the Opera House and harbour.
• The Rocks laneways and markets (The Rocks): Sandstone lanes from the colony's first days. Weekend markets on George Street.
• Royal Botanic Garden & Mrs Macquarie's Chair (CBD): Harbourside gardens and the classic view of the Opera House and bridge.
• Art Gallery of NSW (CBD): Free entry to the collection, including the newer Sydney Modern building.
• Australian Museum (CBD): Dinosaurs, minerals and First Nations galleries. General entry is free.
• Museum of Contemporary Art (Circular Quay): Free contemporary art right on the quay.
• Australian National Maritime Museum (Darling Harbour): Free galleries; board the destroyer and submarine for a fee.
• Bondi to Coogee coastal walk (Bondi): Six kilometres of clifftops, beaches and ocean pools.

Where to eat

• Dumplings in Haymarket (Haymarket, around A$20): Chinatown's dumpling houses and food courts.
• Thai Town eats (Haymarket, around A$25): Campbell Street's Thai restaurants and dessert bars.
• Seafood at the Sydney Fish Market (Blackwattle Bay, around A$30): Oysters, sashimi and fish and chips in the new harbourside market, open since January 2026.
• Brunch in Surry Hills (Surry Hills, around A$28): Sydney's café capital, around Crown and Bourke streets.
• Harbour-view dinner at the quay (Circular Quay, around A$90): Dinner looking across to the bridge and Opera House.
• Fish and chips at Manly (Manly, around A$22): Eat on the sand at Manly beach.
• Café lunch at Bondi (Bondi, around A$28): Campbell Parade's cafés with ocean views.
• Dinner on King Street (Newtown, around A$40): Thai, Ethiopian, pizza and more, open late.
• bills Surry Hills (Surry Hills, around A$35): The ricotta hotcakes that made Sydney brunch famous, on Crown Street.
• Single O (Surry Hills, around A$25): Roaster café in a Surry Hills side street.
• Reuben Hills (Surry Hills, around A$25): Latin-leaning brunch and house-roasted coffee on Albion Street.
• Bourke Street Bakery (Surry Hills, around A$10): Sausage rolls, sourdough and tarts from the original corner bakery.
• The Grounds of Alexandria (Alexandria, around A$35): Café, gardens and markets in an old pie factory.
• Pancakes on the Rocks (The Rocks, around A$25): Sydney pancake institution since 1975.
• Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel (The Rocks, around A$35): Pub meals and house-brewed ale in one of Sydney's oldest pubs.
• Mamak (Haymarket, around A$25): Malaysian roti made in the window on Goulburn Street. Queues move fast.
• Chat Thai (Haymarket, around A$30): Busy Thai Town favourite on Campbell Street.
• Spice Alley (Chippendale, around A$20): Hawker-style laneway of Asian kitchens off Kensington Street.
• Mr. Wong (CBD, around A$70): Cantonese in a moody Bridge Lane warehouse.
• Bennelong (Circular Quay, around A$160): Dinner under the sails of the Opera House. Book ahead.
• Icebergs Dining Room (Bondi, around A$140): Italian above the famous ocean pool at Bondi.
• Gelato Messina (Darlinghurst, around A$9): The original Messina on Victoria Street.
• Black Star Pastry (Newtown, around A$12): Home of the strawberry watermelon cake.
• Harry's Café de Wheels (Woolloomooloo, around A$12): Pie cart by the naval wharf since 1938. Order a Tiger.
• Sussex Centre Food Court (Haymarket, around A$15): 30-plus Asian food stalls in Chinatown, most dishes $10-18.
• Pho Pasteur (Haymarket, around A$18): Long-running pho house in Chinatown.
• Mother Chu's Vegetarian Kitchen (CBD, around A$18): Vegetarian Chinese on Pitt Street.
• Golden Century (Barangaroo, around A$80): Cantonese seafood institution, now at Crown Sydney.
• Marrickville Pork Roll (Marrickville, around A$12): Famous banh mi from a tiny Illawarra Road shopfront.
• Valentina's (Marrickville, around A$22): All-day American-style diner: pancakes and egg muffins.
• Superfreak (Marrickville, around A$22): Deli-style breakfast plates and good coffee.
• Thai Pothong (Newtown, around A$25): Big, busy King Street Thai.
• Brewtown Newtown (Newtown, around A$22): Brunch and cronut-style pastries in an old warehouse.
• Gigi Pizzeria (Newtown, around A$25): Neapolitan pizza, entirely vegan, on King Street.
• Continental Deli (Newtown, around A$20): Deli sandwiches, tinned fish and martinis.
• Govinda's (Darlinghurst, around A$24): Vegetarian all-you-can-eat buffet, about $24.
• Tanjore (Surry Hills, around A$25): Modern Indian on Crown Street.
• Pasta Emilia (Surry Hills, around A$28): Handmade pasta in a little Surry Hills shop.
• Toby's Estate (Chippendale, around A$6): Flagship roastery café on City Road.
• Da Orazio Pizza + Porchetta (Bondi, around A$30): Wood-fired pizza a block from the beach.
• Bondi Wholefoods (Bondi, around A$18): Healthy bowls and juices near the beach.
• Harry's Bondi (Bondi, around A$22): Hotcakes and smoothie bowls a short walk from the sand.
• Speedos (Bondi, around A$22): Clean-eating café overlooking North Bondi.
• Blackwood Bondi (Bondi, around A$25): Brunch café known for truffled scrambled eggs.
• Broth Bar & Larder (Bronte, around A$15): Bone broths, smoothies and raw treats near Bronte Beach.
• Adelaide's Kitchen (Paddington, around A$22): Walk-in Paddington café for coffee and pastries.
• Doyles on the Beach (Watsons Bay, around A$40): Seafood by the water since 1885. Takeaway fish and chips next door.
• Norma's Deli (Manly, around A$20): Greek-inspired deli plates and baked goods.

Step-free and pram-friendly ideas

• Sydney Opera House tour · step-free
• Royal Botanic Garden & Mrs Macquarie's Chair · step-free · pram-friendly
• Art Gallery of NSW · step-free · pram-friendly
• Australian Museum · step-free · pram-friendly
• Museum of Contemporary Art · step-free
• Taronga Zoo · step-free · pram-friendly

Access information can change. Check with the venue if access is essential.

Day trips from Sydney

Typical weather in Sydney

Approximate long-term averages, not a forecast.