Things to do this Easter in Sydney

Sydney Royal Easter Show

While the Easter weekend doesn't coincide with the Sydney Royal Easter Show this year, you can attend during the weeks leading up to the events. Enjoy carnival rides, tasty produce, farm animals and show bags, and there is even a petting zoo for the kids to meet friendly farmyard animals.

The easiest way to get to Australia’s biggest agricultural show at Sydney Olympic Park is by public transport. There are regular trains from the city centre to the Olympic Park railway station and the travel time is only about 30 minutes.

Read more: A guide to Sydney Royal Easter Show

Royal Easter Show, Sydney Olympic Park

Easter activities

Sydney has many Easter activities and a fun event for kids is Easter in Nature, an annual event held at Centennial Parklands between Paddington and Randwick, where children get introduced to Easter Bilby and engage in nature-based games and art projects celebrating Australia’s native plants and animals as well as plenty of other fun activities. 

The Fairfield Easter Fair is an exciting, gold coin entry event featuring rides, games, animal shows, fireworks, and movie nights from 28 March to 2 April 2024. The Sydney Family Show at the Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park has lots of fun activities, kids rides and stage shows from 23 March to 1 April 2024. Meanwhile across the bridge, join the Easter Egg-Stravaganza at Q Station on 30 March 2024, for one of the biggest easter egg hunts in Sydney.

Read more: 8 budget-friendly school holiday activities

Egg-cellent Easter Trail, Vaucluse House - Credit:  James Horan - Sydney Living Museums

Outdoor adventures

Enjoy exhilarating walks along the spectacular coast (or bring the whole family along on a kid-friendly or dog-friendly hike), and explore magnificent national parks and gardens. Take a ferry from Cronulla to Bundeena and explore the Royal National Park, Australia’s oldest national park, or get lost in one of the national parks closer to the CBD. 

A harbour cruise is an enjoyable way to relax and soak up some of Sydney's most iconic sights. For more on the water adventures, discover Sydney's secret islands.

Captain Cook Cruises, Sydney Harbour

The mild autumn weather is perfect for a family day at Sydney beaches including Bondi, Coogee, Cronulla and Manly. You Can enjoy a swim, surf, or snorkel in the mild waters before they cool as winter sets in. Autumn also means pretty autumn leaves – find out the best places to go for that pretty brown, orange and yellow Instagram shot.

For something adrenaline-pumping, challenge yourself with one of the many thrill-seeking activities in Western Sydney. Try indoor skydiving at iFly, be propelled into the air by hundreds of literes of water with Jetpack Adventures, ride with rapids of a wild 'river' at Penrith Whitewater Stadium, tackle the high ropes courses at Treetops Adventure or indulge your need for speed at Cables Wake Park.

Read more: Different ways to play at Sydney's best beaches

Friends taking a selfie at the southern end of Bondi Beach, Bondi

Museums, galleries & zoos

Head to Darling Harbour and climb aboard a submarine at the Australian National Maritime Museum, and then meet the penguins and sharks at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium or get close to Australia’s cutest mammals like koalas, wombats and platypus at WILDLIFE Sydney Zoo. Catch a ferry from Circular Quay and head to Taronga Zoo where you can be entertained by a seal presentation and admire all the animals. 

In Western Sydney, meet the city's only rhino, hand-feed squirrel monkeys, get up-close to elephants and much more at Sydney Zoo, which is home to over 4,000 native and exotic animals. Nearby in Penrith, the headline attraction at Zambi Wildlife Retreat are the big cats, including lions, tigers and a puma. 

SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, Darling Harbour

For cultural attractions across Sydney, try one of these four Sydney Culture Trails that will take you on a self-guided tour to find significant cultural attractions across the city. Or find out what exhibitions are currently showing at Sydney's top art galleries and museums, or what musicals, theatre shows and concerts are on. For something a bit more quriky, check out the spookiest ghost tours on offer, from the Q Station to Cockatoo Island.

Read more: How to get a dose of arts & culture in Sydney

Australian Museum, Sydney City 

Escape the rain

We hate to admit it, but occasionally Sydney's famous perfect weather gets interrupted by the rain, especially in the autumn months. But there's plenty to do when the clouds roll in. Feast on delicious dim sum at one of the city's excellent yum cha spots; grab your mates and head to an escape room for an afternoon of problem-solving; pamper yourself at a day spa; laugh along to a few jokes at a comedy club; or order a craft beer paddle at a brewery.

Read more: 22 fun things to do in Sydney when it rains

Uncle Ming's Bar, Sydney City