Sydney City

Sydney dazzles day or night, with great theatre, wonderful museums and delicious delights. The Sydney Opera House is the jewel on sparkling Sydney Harbour. In the heart of this vibrant city are many hidden gems too, such as Forgotten Songs, an artwork canopy of 120 birdcages in Angel Place.

Explore cobblestone lanes and other heritage in The Rocks. Australia’s oldest pubs are here and the Argyle Stairs lead to Cumberland Street for access to the free Sydney Harbour Bridge walk, or a BridgeClimb tour to the top of the mighty steel arch, nicknamed the Coathanger by Sydneysiders.

Next to the Sydney Opera House is the Royal Botanic Garden, a tranquil oasis with a free daily tour and intriguing exhibitions in the Calyx. You can walk through the lovely garden to Mrs Macquaries Point for spectacular views of the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and the deep blue harbour.

Ferries depart from Circular Quay for destinations dotted around one of the most beautiful natural harbours in the world. Or stroll through the historic Rocks and under the bridge to Walsh Bay – home to a theatre on a heritage wharf – and then around to Barangaroo’s harbourside parkland.

Amid the gleaming towers in Barangaroo South is the imaginatively designed Barangaroo House - three levels of enticing places to eat and drink. Along the waterfront are more restaurants and Darling Harbour, where you’ll meet penguins, dugongs and sharks in the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium.

A short walk away is the bustling city centre, a shopping paradise of elegant boutiques, department stores and enticing fashion malls. The palatial Queen Victoria Building and the stylish Strand Arcade are two beautifully restored colonial arcades where you’ll be delightfully surprised on every level.

From evocative art to blockbuster musicals, checkout the ever-changing events calendar. Reserve your tickets for musicals at the Sydney Lyric in Pyrmont, the Capitol Theatre near Chinatown and other venues. The Art Gallery of NSW and the Museum of Contemporary Art are fine public galleries.

The epitome of Art Deco architecture is the ANZAC Memorial in Hyde Park, near Museum Station and the Australian Museum. For more splendid Art Deco buildings as well as outdoor dining on one of the longest timber wharves in the world, visit charming Potts Point and Woolloomooloo.