Australia > Sydney

Travel Specials > Destination Information > Sydney, Australia

A trip to New South Wales would not be complete without a visit to Sydney. One could easily spend a week in Sydney and never run out of things to do.

Some of the highlights of Sydney include;

Sydney Opera House is one of Australia’s most recognized and most visited tourist spots. It is situated on Sydney Harbour at Bennelong Point. It was designed by Jorn Utzon, and it’s construction was completed in 1973. Approximately 300 events run here annually, including Opera Australia, Australian Chamber Orchestra and The Australian Ballet. Guided back-stage tours are offered year-round.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a favorite of tourists and locals alike. After nine years of construction, the bridge was completed in 1932. The bridge is used by cars, bicyclists, pedestrians and trains; pedestrian walk ways exist on both sides of the bridge. For a more rewarding experience, try BridgeClimb Sydney - a three-and-a-half hour adventure. At the top you will be rewarded with fantastic views of Sydney Harbour and the city skyline. 

Darling Harbour is a huge waterfront precinct that is just a ten-minute walk from the city center. It is one of Sydney’s largest shopping, dining and entertainment areas with myriad waterfront dining options and bars at Cockle Bay Wharf and King St. Wharf. 

Also located in Darling Harbour is the Sydney Aquarium, which showcases the world’s largest collection of Australian marine life, such as sharks, eels, sting rays and crocodiles.

Sydney Tower is Sydney's tallest free-standing structure, and the second tallest in Australia. The Sydney Tower is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers. It is known by locals as the Centerpoint Tower, after the shopping centre building the tower sprouts from.

Sydney Tower Skywalk, or just Skywalk, is an open-air, glass-floored platform circling Sydney Tower at a height of 260m above ground level. The moving viewing platform extends out over the edge of the main structure of Sydney Tower. This attraction is more than twice as high as the popular BridgeClimb walk to the top of Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Some other attractions worth visiting in Darling Harbour include the Chinese Garden of Friendship, the Australian National Maritime Museum and the Sydney Fish Market.

The historical precinct of The Rocks is the site of the first settlement in Australia, which was in 1788. Today the beautifully restored buildings here are homes to shops, restaurants, boutique hotels and galleries. The Museum of Contemporary Art is also located in The Rocks, featuring modern art and exhibitions from around the world. And don’t miss The Rocks Market, open only on weekends, to find one-of-a-kind art, ceramics, souvenirs and crafts. The Rocks Walking Tour offers a great way to see this colorful neighborhood.

The Kings Cross area is infamous in Australia as being a red-light district, similar to Kings Cross, London with numerous strip clubs and "girlie" bars along Darlinghurst Road. The Kings Cross district was the City of Sydney's bohemian heartland from the early decades of the 20th Century, but due its proximity to the naval docking area at Garden Island it also came to serve as the city's main tourist accommodation and entertainment centre, as well as its red-light district.

Beaches:

Located just seven miles from the city center, Bondi Beach is Australia’s most popular beach. Bondi is a great place for surfing (and surfing lessons), diving, snorkeling and people-watching. Campbell Parade, which runs along the beach, offers an abundance of shops, restaurants and bars.

Manly Beach is a well known beach situated at the southern end of Sydney's Northern Beaches. Manly Beach's access to the city via a 30-minute ride on Sydney's ferries makes it popular with tourists and is host to a number of international surfing events.

These are Sydney's most popular beaches, but there are numerous other beaches in its eastern suburbs, northern beaches suburbs and Cronulla area.

Nightlife:

Weather:

Sydney has a temperate climate with warm summers and cool winters, and rainfall spread throughout the year. The warmest month is January, with an average air temperature range of 65-78 °F. The winter is mildly cool, with temperatures rarely dropping below 41 °F in coastal areas. The coldest month is July, with an average range of 46-61 °F.

Check out our Australia Independent Packages to help you get started planning your trip or if you like a more organized style of traveling see our Australia Escorted Tours. Any way you travel to the great land of Oz, be sure to include Sydney on your itinerary.

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