What to do in Sydney

Activities, attractions and tours

Sydney
Cronulla Beach showing surf
Sydney
Sydney
Sydney showing a city, night scenes and general coastal views

Places to Visit in Sydney

Ready for the adventure of a lifetime? Let Expedia.co.nz help you find the most exciting and fun things to do in Sydney, New South Wales while also allowing you to save a ton on travel arrangements. Regardless of whether you’re an urban explorer or an intrepid outdoor enthusiast, we can help you decide exactly what to do and see during your time in town.

Our thorough travel guides offer you an insider’s perspective on all of the best Sydney attractions from NZ$4, making it easy for you to decide which places to visit and when. And by using Expedia.co.nz to set your sightseeing schedule, you can take in more of the enchanting attractions this area is famous for.

From group Sydney tours and must-see landmarks to personal guides who take you off-the-beaten track, Expedia.co.nz offers you over 328 of the most popular events, activities, and attractions in this corner of the world. So whether you’re travelling alone, alongside a loved one, or with the whole family in tow, be sure to browse through our extensive travel guides prior to your plane touching down in this spectacular Sydney. We even have a massive selection of flights, car hires, and accommodation for you to choose from. So what are you waiting for? Start your search today, and you’ll be having the time of your life before you know it.


Explore thousands of activities with free cancellation and no added fees.

Design your experience with airport transfers, excursions, day tours & more.

Get an insider's look in what to book before you travel.


Top places to visit

1. Circular Quay

Circular Quay isn't just Sydney's premier transport hub, where boats, buses and trains converge in an endless and elegantly choreographed dance. It's the cove where Sydney was christened, and where Australia itself was born as a nation. The first British settlers arrived on this very spot in 1788, as part of the country's founding First Fleet. Sydney Cove it was named, and the 1,300 who made it across the 24,000-kilometre sea journey from Great Britain were to form the nucleus of New South Wales, Australia's first State.
Learn more
Circular Quay showing street scenes, a city and a sunset

2. Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is right up there with Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower, as a brand name for the exclusive elite of global cities. In fact it has long-since ceased to be just an Opera House. It's an icon. A powerful symbol, not just of Sydney, but of the whole of Australia. Those serenely simple, white-curving shells say something unexpected about this youthful nation. That Australians can do bold, as well as brash – and culture as well as brawn. When it opened back in 1973, it was a sign that Sydney, and Australians, were growing up.
Learn more
The bold lines of the Sydney Opera House speak more about Sydney than any other part of this cosmopolitan city of four million.

3. Sydney Harbour Bridge

You'll be hard-pressed to find a photo of Sydney Harbour Bridge without the Opera House. The two go together like koalas and cute. But the long lines of Sydney's 'coat-hanger' deserve more than just a passing glance. This feat of Oz engineering stands with a majestic yet 'gallant restraint' – a counter-weight to the showy cultural aspirations of the Opera House. This is a bridge that reaches across a mile of sea, held together by six million rivets, and which turned Sydney's separate halves into a true Harbour City.
Learn more
A colossus of engineering, the Harbour Bridge brings the pieces of Sydney together, and offers you a different perspective on the city's wide-angle drama.

4. Taronga Zoo

If you want to get up-close to the wild side of Australia – hop with the wallabies, snap a crocodile, or cuddle a koala – you can hire a 4x4, employ a guide, and head out into the outback. Or you can get on the ferry to Taronga Zoo and do all of the above, ice-cream in hand. That's the beauty of a city like Sydney. It may be a sprawling modern metropolis, but it's one packed with open spaces, parks, reserves and botanical gardens. And Taronga Zoo sprawls over just such a wide open green space – 21 hectares of bush land in North Sydney that have been an uncaged refuge for wildlife since 1916.
Learn more
Taronga Zoo featuring zoo animals and bird life as well as an individual male

5. Manly Beach

Manly. An odd-name for a beach you might think. But then again, you weren't there in 1788 when Captain Philips was greeted by the fine upstanding men of the Cannalgal people and declared their manner as most 'manly'. And so a fitting name for the place was born. What Manly Beach most certainly has now is a haven for beach-lovers, one just “seven miles from Sydney and a thousand miles from care.” A place to swim, surf, bike, and walk – or just let the sun soak in.
Learn more
Manly Beach featuring a coastal town, boating and swimming

What to do in Sydney


Discover the most popular places to visit in Sydney

Explore areas of Sydney

Default Image

Sydney Central Business District

4.5/5(8,551 area reviews)

Known for its captivating waterfront views and popular shops, there's plenty to explore in Sydney Central Business District. Check out top attractions like Circular Quay and Sydney Opera House, and jump on the metro at Martin Place Station or St. James Station to see more of the city.

Sydney Central Business District
Darling Harbour featuring night scenes, city views and a bay or harbour

Darling Harbour

4.5/5(3,097 area reviews)

The best place to get acquainted with Sidney's nautical passions – sailing, pleasure-boating, whale watching – or the Maritime Museum if you prefer dry land.

Darling Harbour
Default Image

Sydney Olympic Park

Unique features of Sydney Olympic Park include the theatres and live music. Make a stop by Accor Stadium or Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre while you're exploring the area.

Sydney Olympic Park
Parramatta showing general coastal views and a city

Parramatta

Discover the cultural diversity, rich heritage and scenic river parks of the second-oldest settlement in Australia, in the heart of the greater Sydney region.

Parramatta
Circular Quay - The Rocks showing street scenes, a city and heritage architecture

The Rocks

A noteworthy feature of The Rocks is its captivating waterfront views. While you're in town, be sure to stop and check out Circular Quay and Museum of Contemporary Art.

The Rocks
Manly Beach which includes swimming, tropical scenes and a coastal town

Manly

Venture to Sydney’s northern coast to explore this picturesque beach suburb, the perfect spot for surfing, shopping and sunbathing.

Manly

 

Looking for fun things to do nearby? Check things to do near me to find and book the best things to do, fun activities, and top attractions wherever you happen to be.

 


 

Day trip destinations from Sydney