A spectacular harbour, the Opera House, surf beaches twenty minutes from the centre and coastal walks along the cliffs. Sydney is lived by ferry, in swimwear and over brunch.
or tens of thousands of years, the Gadigal and Eora peoples lived around the harbour. In 1788 the British First Fleet landed at Sydney Cove, now The Rocks, and founded a penal colony that would become Australia’s largest city.
The Harbour Bridge (1932) and the Opera House (1973) made the harbour one of the most famous in the world. Today Sydney mixes beaches and trendy neighbourhoods, Asian and Mediterranean food, and an outdoor culture where people swim in ocean pools carved into the rocks.
Find your bearings
For a first stay facing the harbour: the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, ferries and historic pubs. Spectacular and central, but pricey.
For cafés, restaurants and wine bars in Victorian terraces. Lively and walkable from the centre.
For the surf beach, Icebergs pool and the coastal walk. A relaxed beach stay, 30–40 minutes from the centre by bus.
For street art, thrift shops, Thai restaurants and live music. An alternative, student area, well served by train.
A first visit
A starting point to adapt to the weather, your energy and opening hours.
Morning in the lanes of The Rocks, then an Opera House tour. Walk across the Harbour Bridge. Afternoon in the Royal Botanic Garden to the Mrs Macquarie’s Chair lookout. In the evening, the ferry to Manly at sunset.
Morning on the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk, with a swim on the way. Afternoon in Surry Hills or Newtown. In the evening, dinner at a Surry Hills restaurant.
