Top 10 Things to Do in Sydney

Sydney is wrapped around one of the largest natural harbours on Earth, and almost everything worth doing follows the water. The city rewards a mix of the obvious icons and the things locals actually do on a weekend. Here are ten of the best, plus how to fit them together.

Ten things to do

1. Get out on the harbour. A private vessel, a public ferry to Manly, or a sailing charter all show Sydney from the angle it was built to be seen.
2. Tour the Opera House. A guided or backstage tour goes well beyond the postcard view of one of the 20th century's defining buildings.
3. Climb the Harbour Bridge. BridgeClimb leads you over the arch for the definitive view down the harbour.
4. Walk Bondi to Coogee. This six-kilometre clifftop path links a string of beaches, parks and rock pools, and takes about two hours at an easy pace.
5. Spend a morning at the beaches. Bondi and Manly are the famous names; the northern beaches and the harbour coves are quieter.
6. Wander The Rocks. The city's oldest quarter, with colonial-era lanes, weekend markets and harbourside pubs.
7. Relax in the Royal Botanic Garden. Harbourside lawns running to Mrs Macquarie's Chair, with the classic Opera House and Bridge view.
8. Eat well. Sydney's dining runs from harbourfront fine dining to the seafood at the Fish Market and the restaurants of Surry Hills.
9. Day-trip to the Blue Mountains. Eucalyptus valleys, the Three Sisters at Katoomba, and Scenic World, about 90 minutes west.
10. Visit the Hunter Valley. Australia's oldest wine region, around two hours north, known for Semillon and Shiraz.

How to fit it together

Three to four days is enough to cover the harbour, the city and the beaches, with one day set aside for either the Blue Mountains or the Hunter Valley. Ferries are the most enjoyable way to move around, and the harbour is the thread that ties a Sydney visit together.

When to visit

Spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May) bring the most reliable weather and thinner crowds. Summer is warm and lively but busy, particularly around the New Year's Eve fireworks, which draw more than a million people to the foreshore.