10 unique ways to experience Sydney's magical icons

Soak up Sydney Harbour on a sunrise kayak tour

There’s a certain kind of magic in Sydney Harbour you can only find before the city wakes up. In the quiet before the ferries start, paddle out on a serene sunrise kayak tour with Sydney Harbour Kayaks. Starting from Darling Harbour, you'll glide across crystal-clear waters to the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge, Opera House and Luna Park for a photo op, before exploring several of the surrounding bays. As the sun rises, watch the sky above the city skyline turn from lilac to peachy gold, before paddling back.

Kayaking, Sydney Harbour

Go behind the sails of the Sydney Opera House

Feel your jaw drop as you approach the distinctive white ‘shells’ of the Sydney Opera House and take in the iconic building’s striking location beside the deep-blue waters of the harbour. Ascend the banked front stairs — used as a stage for artists over the years — and step inside to discover the world’s busiest performing arts centres, hosting shows ranging from opera and ballet to comedy and rock. Explore the hidden side of the working venue on an early-morning backstage tour, while away the late afternoon sipping cocktails and watching the sun light up the Sydney Harbour Bridge at Opera Bar, or savour fine dining with incredible views at Sydney Opera House’s Bennelong restaurant.

Sydney Opera House Backstage Tour, Sydney Opera House - Credit: Sydney Arts

Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge with an Indigenous storyteller

An ascent up the Sydney Harbour Bridge offers jaw-dropping views of the city and the sea. But on the BridgeClimb's Burrawa Aboriginal Climb Experience, you’ll see Sydney Harbour through the lens of thousands of years of Aboriginal history. Led by an Indigenous guide, you’ll climb the bridge’s summit and look down on the shores of Gadigal land. Learn the origins of the harbour’s familiar place names, from Bennelong Point to Barangaroo, and gain a deeper perspective of this beautiful city and its Aboriginal history.

BridgeClimb, Sydney

Discover paranormal activity at Cockatoo Island

Did you hear something? It could be one of Cockatoo Island’s shady former residents, who have been known to haunt the historic island from time to time. Feel your spine tingle as you join a ghost tour of this former convict prison island after dark. You’ll have your own K-II EMF reader to detect any ghostly behaviour as you wander the abandoned buildings and learn the hair-raising true stories of the island, from grisly murders to botched prison escapes and gang violence. Are you having too much fun to leave? Book into the island's waterfront camping to spend a night under the stars in the heart of the world’s prettiest harbour.

Cockatoo Island, Sydney Harbour

Get a bird’s-eye view of Palm Beach

Fly up, up and away and watch Sydney get smaller through the window of your seaplane. This scenic day trip with Sydney Seaplanes takes you high in the sky from Rose Bay to Palm Beach (famous for being the setting of the TV show Home and Away). You’ll see the sails of the Sydney Opera House transform as you fly overhead, the glittering shores of the Northern Beaches, Barrenjoey Lighthouse and the surrounding peninsula, and lush green pockets of Sydney’s national parks beneath you.

Sydney Seaplanes, Rose Bay

Cruise to Taronga Zoo (and sleep among the animals)

Thrill at the sight of Australia’s unique native wildlife while taking in the million-dollar views over Sydney Harbour to the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge at Taronga Zoo Sydney. Enjoy a mini harbour cruise on the 12-minute ferry ride from Circular Quay to the wharf below the hillside zoo. Feel a sense of amazement as you encounter iconic native animals such as koalas and kangaroos alongside creatures from around the world — the zoo is home to more than 5,000 animals from around 350 species. Immerse in the animal world overnight at Taronga’s luxurious Wildlife Retreat or drift off to sleep in a safari-style tent on a Roar and Snore experience.

Taronga Zoo, Sydney 

Learn about bush tucker at the Royal Botanic Garden

Feel yourself unwind as you reconnect with nature’s astonishing diversity while strolling through the harbourside Royal Botanic Garden, right next to the Sydney Opera House. Lose yourself for a moment in the oldest botanic garden in Australia, a haven for more than 27,000 plants from around the world, including a significant section dedicated to Australian natives. Discover new flavours on an Aboriginal Bush Tucker Tour, before savouring modern Asian cuisine at celebrity chef Luke Nguyen’s Botanic House restaurant.

Aboriginal Tour, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney

Discover an underwater world in Manly

Feel the fins of a blue grouper brush past you. Watch the tail of a Port Jackson shark disappear behind coral. Spot the neon stripes of a tiny nudibranch shimmering on the ocean floor. Beyond Manly’s famous surf and sandy beaches, Shelly Beach is a treasure trove of marine life. Swim up close to this underwater world with Dive Centre Manly. Hire snorkel gear, or join a snorkel safari or dive tour and discover the best spots in this protected marine reserve.

Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, Manly

Learn to surf at Bondi Beach

Feel part of a special community when you grab a surfboard and paddle out through the waves at Bondi, Sydney’s most legendary beach. Rent a board and join the locals riding the swell before they head off to work in the morning – then follow the sandy footprints to the surfing tribe’s favoured cafes for a post-surf breakfast. Or get tips on paddling, catching waves and maintaining your balance as well as learn the sport’s essential safety rules from the experienced instructors at Let’s Go Surfing, and you’ll be chasing breaks in no time.

Let's Go Surfing, Bondi Beach

Lace-up your shoes to explore the stunning coastline

Stir your senses as well as your heart rate as you follow one of Sydney’s spectacular coastal walks, enjoying uninterrupted ocean and harbour views as you walk from rugged headlands to secluded bays and beaches. Follow delightful trails through national parkland and along clifftops all across the city. Join local joggers on the 6km Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk, snaking from the Bondi Icebergs ocean pool to the golden shores of Coogee in the eastern suburbs. Closer to the city, plunge into the netted harbour pool at Vaucluse’s Nielsen Park for a refreshing swim after tackling the Hermitage Foreshore Track, a hidden gem offering up views of Shark Island and Sydney Harbour Bridge. Or weave through rainforest and past lighthouses with Sydney Harbour views on the 10km Spit Bridge to Manly Walk on the North Shore. 

Coastal views of Tamarama Beach along the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk