Sydney Travel Guide
Weather, best time to visit, and the best food, culture, nature and activities.
Typical prices
- Budget mealA$22.00≈ $15.29
- Mid-range mealA$48.00≈ $33.36
- CappuccinoA$5.00≈ $3.48
- Domestic beerA$11.00≈ $7.65
- Taxi (per km)A$2.40≈ $1.67
- Public transport ticketA$4.80≈ $3.34
- Museum entryA$0.00≈ $0.00
- Mid-range hotel (night)A$220.00≈ $152.91
Food & Drink
- QuayModern Australian · $$$$
A fine-dining restaurant at Circular Quay with sweeping views of the Opera House and innovative modern Australian tasting menus.
- Mr. WongCantonese · $$$
A glamorous multi-level Cantonese restaurant in the CBD known for Peking duck and a lively atmosphere.
- Bourke Street BakeryBakery · $
A Surry Hills bakery famous for its ginger brûlée tart and sourdough, with queues most mornings.
- Icebergs Dining RoomItalian/seafood · $$$$
A restaurant overlooking the famous Bondi Icebergs ocean pool, serving Italian-influenced seafood dishes.
- Chat ThaiThai · $$
A long-running, reliably good Thai restaurant chain with its flagship in Sydney's Thaitown on Campbell Street.
- Fish Butchery Bistro by Josh NilandSeafood · $$$
A butchery-restaurant hybrid from acclaimed chef Josh Niland championing whole-fish cookery.
- Opera Bar
A waterside bar right beneath the Sydney Opera House with live music and harbour views at sunset.
- The Baxter Inn
A hidden whisky bar down a CBD laneway with one of the largest whisky selections in the Southern Hemisphere.
- Marquee Sydney
A large nightclub at The Star casino complex known for international DJs.
Culture & History
- Art Gallery of New South Wales
One of Australia's premier art museums, holding Aboriginal art, colonial works and a new underground Naala Badu wing.
- Australian Museum
Australia's first museum, with major natural history and Indigenous cultural collections in the CBD.
- Museum of Contemporary Art Australia
A harbourside museum at Circular Quay dedicated to contemporary Australian and international art.
- Sydney Opera House
The Jørn Utzon-designed UNESCO World Heritage icon, offering guided architecture tours and performances.
- Dendy Newtown
An independent cinema in Newtown known for arthouse and international film programming.
- State Theatre
A grand 1929 movie palace in the CBD, home to the Sydney Film Festival and occasional classic screenings.
- Sydney Festival
A major arts festival held every January across venues citywide with theatre, music and outdoor events.
- Vivid Sydney
A festival of light, music and ideas that transforms the harbour and Opera House with large-scale light projections.
- Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
One of the world's largest LGBTQ+ parades and festivals, culminating in a huge parade down Oxford Street.
Nature & Outdoors
- Bondi Beach
Australia's most famous beach, backed by cafes and the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk, popular with surfers and swimmers.
- Manly Beach
A harbour-side surf beach reached by ferry from Circular Quay, with a lively esplanade of shops and restaurants.
- Coogee Beach
A family-friendly beach south of Bondi with a netted ocean swimming area and coastal walking track.
- Wentworth Falls
A dramatic multi-tiered waterfall in the Blue Mountains, a popular day trip from the city.
- Blue Mountains
A UNESCO-listed sandstone plateau with the iconic Three Sisters rock formation, eucalyptus forests and cliff walks.
Active & Fun
- Fitness First Sydney CBD
A large, well-equipped gym in the heart of the CBD with extensive classes.
- Bondi Icebergs Pool
An iconic ocean pool carved into the rocks at the southern end of Bondi Beach, with waves washing over the edge.
- Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool
An outdoor harbourside pool in the Domain, popular with locals for lap swimming with skyline views.
- Luna Park Sydney
A historic harbourside amusement park beneath the Harbour Bridge, with its iconic laughing-face entrance since 1935.