Top 5 things to see and do in Sydney

We’re in Sydney now, for three whole weeks! Frits goes to the office every weekday, while I have this whole period to explore Sydney. I know, I’m one lucky gal!

I love exploring new neighbourhoods. Especially with regular coffee breaks. Yummie lattes in cute cafes keep me fueled up during my urban walks.

Now I’m not a first-timer, having visited Sydney on three other occasions. (Read more about those visits here, here and here.) That means, that I do not have to do and see the highlights of Sydney this time, but instead I can go beyond and behind the obvious. Not that there’s anything wrong with a city’s top attractions. On the contrary.

So if and when you visit Sydney for the first time, be sure not to miss these top 5 things to see and do in Sydney:

1. Spend a day in the Harbour area

There are a lot of things to do and see around Sydney’s magnificent harbour:

- Circular Quay, a hub for ferries, trains and buses. Walk around and soak in the hustle and bustle and enjoy the overlook on the harbour. (Watch out for pestering seagulls.)

THIS seagull seemed very well behaved;-). Unlike dozens of others, flocking around everybody with the tiniest piece of food.

- take a ferry. Does not matter to where; just for the experience and the views.
- the Sydney Opera House, Sydney’s number 1 attraction. The architecture is just magnificent. Walk around it to take it in and to take pictures from all sides and angles. It’s possible to go on a guided tour inside. And of course you can buy tickets for concerts and shows at the Opera House.

- check out the Sydney Harbour Bridge aka the Coathanger. You can cross it on foot, climb in the Pylon to the Lookout (interesting, and great views) and you can even choose to climb over the arches of the bridge!

If you look at the Harbour Bridge in the picture above, you see the two flags on the highest point. Well, on this picture you see a group bridge-climbers. Tickets are quite expensive. And of course it’s windy and cold up there, so participants have to wear special suits.

2. Explore the Rocks

The Rocks is the eldest neighbourhood of Sydney, next to the Harbour, chuck full of history, with a busy weekend market.

The Rocks look a bit artificial, like the decor of a movie. Like Disneyland or like Quebec City;-). Still it is a charming area and vital for learning about the origin and history of Sydney and Australia.

Be sure to visit the free, interesting MCA (Museum of Contemporary Art Australia) and to have drinks or food at one of the many nice bars and restaurants.
Insider tip: the rooftop bar of the Glenmore hotel has superb views of the harbour. It can be very busy, so be sure to make reservations on weekend nights or get there early.

3. Relax in the Royal Botanic Gardens

These gardens are vast, spacious and gorgeous. It’s unbelievable, to have so much space and green and quiet at such a location! Right at the sea. Wow! I love it and go back there again and again.

On the bottom left you see Ms Macquaries Chair. Towards the top on the left side you will find the Succulents Garden.

Insider tips:
- have a picnic in the park
- check out the succulents garden. It is a bit hard to find and fenced off in the outskirts of the park, but it’s my favourite part of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney.

- find the trees filled with sleeping fruit bats. It is the most peculiar sight. They are a furry type of bats and when the sun shines on their fur, it gives them a golden glow. Magical!
- walk along the sea to Ms Macquarie’s Chair. It is the furthest point of the Gardens with the most beautiful views of the Harbour, the Opera House and the Bridge.

Views of the sea and north shores of Sydney, as seen from the coastal path leading to Ms Macquaries Chair. Watch out for overly fanatic runners!

- go jogging or training in the park. It’s not my cup of tea, but you will not be alone. The numerous seagulls and fruitbats might only be outnumbered by the runners, joggers and sporters that seem to be everywhere in the Gardens;-).

Group doing a sports training in the Gardens.

3. Enjoy the beaches

Spend a day at one of some of Sydney’s many, many beaches. Bondi and Manly are two of the most-known ones, but there are many more. It all depends what type of beach and beach experience you are looking for.
Activities you can do:
- go for a coastal cliff walk. There are shorter and longer ones. I did the one at Manly and I am going for the one from Bondi to Bronte, including a stop at the Waverly Cemetery, later this week.
- go sunbathing and swimming. Be careful: the hole in the ozonlayer IS real and it is above Australia! Slap on sunscreen. Take notice of possible warning signs on the beach regarding the tides, currents and other dangers.
- play beach volleybal
- find yourself a nice cafe, bar or restaurant and just chill the day and evening away, sipping a latte or a cocktail

4. Be enchanted by Sydney’s most beautiful shopping malls

The two most beautiful shopping malls in Sydney are , IMHO, the Queen Victoria Building (also known as QVB) and The Strand. Both malls are located along George Street, not too far from each other.
Now I never buy anything at either of these two malls. They are simply above my budget. But it’s lovely to stroll in and around them anyway. Both buildings are beautiful, inside and out. While QVB has all the high-end, well-known brands, The Strand is more of a boutique mall. A feast for the eye!

Queen Victoria in front of the mall named after her.

5. Ride on the hop on hop off bus

These well-known red double-decker bus rides may seem touristy and cliche, but I think they are very good value for money and a handy way to get a feeling for a city.
I would even advice you to do a whole round first, without hopping on and off, make notes on your map of stops that you see where you want to get of, then make a second round and get off at all the places you marked.

In case you still have time left, then you can add the following things to your to-do-list:

6. explore hip neighbourhoods, like Surry Hills and Newtown, my personal favourites.

Surry Hills has some lovely, leafy lanes.

7. go street art hunting. Sydney’s street art is often located in it’s many, many lane ways, alleys and tiny streets. Finding them requires some research and perseverance. But go to Newtown and you will surely come across some nice pieces.

8. plan your visit so that you can catch one of Sydney’s seasonal events like: whale watching, Sculptures at the Sea, Mardi Grass, open air opera, cricket or St. Patrick’s Day.

On St Patrick’s Day it’s your chance to wear green AND to drink lots of beer;-)

9. enjoy Sydney’s many restaurants, bars and cafes. The city is filled with great coffee places and skilled baristas. Sydney’s bars know their beers. And their is food available from every cuisine in the world. And the good news is: food and drinks are very affordable in Sydney!

Coffee Time mural.

10. take a ferry to visit the other side of the shore, like Sydney’s North beaches and neighbourhoods. Or go even further and plan a day trip to the Blue Mountains.

Hope you have a lovely time in Sydney! I would love to hear from you what are/were your favourite things in Sydney.