Destination guide

Sydney

Your guide to where to stay, eat and the must-see highlights. Big, bright and beautiful with a flamboyant personality, the harbour city is dotted with restaurants and bars, beaches and designer shops.

20 things that surprise first-time visitors

Stick to the well-known highlights reel and you can be perfectly content. But Sydney is also a city with a few tricks up its sleeve.

Aboriginal dancers from the Jannawi Dance Clan perform during an immersive experience during on an Aboriginal cultural tour in Barangaroo.

The must-do highlights in three days

Yes, it’s brash and fun-loving, but the harbour city may just surprise you – more Sydneysiders attend cultural events than sporting ones. Here are a handful of ways to fill up 72 hours in Australia’s biggest city.

Sculpture by the Sea brings outsized artworks to coastal paths between Bondi and Tamarama beaches from late October.

The best times to visit

You'll never have a tedious time in Sydney. Whatever the season, the city is full of festivals and fun, museums and a beautiful outdoors, restaurants and nightlife.

Brutal Past: The Quarantine Station at North Head.

10 underrated highlights most visitors miss

This is the good stuff that many Sydneysiders, let alone visitors, don't think to look at.

You’d be hard-pressed beating the level of luxury, or the views, at Crown Sydney.

The best places to stay

Lofty luxe, urban grunge or beach retreat; whatever your taste or budget, the harbour city has something to satisfy everyone.

Luke Buchholz Wild Kingfish at North Shore newcomer Petermen.

Top places to eat and drink

You can taste the sunshine in the harbour city’s fresh, spicy, smoky, sunny food, at every level, from a special celebration overlooking the water, to a laneway coffee with perfect scrambled eggs.

Six of the best day trips from Sydney for families

Great news: a day trip with the family from Sydney doesn't have to be expensive. In fact, some of the best child-friendly attractions are not only affordable, but free.