Feel your senses come alive as you absorb the energy and the natural beauty of Sydney. Rediscover the joys of life as you plunge into the ocean, trace the paths of the city’s Traditional Owners, scale new heights or delve into the city’s vibrant multicultural dining scene.
Hydrate your soul
Stock up on Vitamin Sea as you dive into one of the dozens of ocean pools dotted around the city, such as Bondi Icebergs, Bronte Baths or Freshwater Rockpool, where sparkling seas have revitalised Sydneysiders since the 19th century. Or breathe in the crisp salt air and feel the sun and the breeze across your skin as you learn to sail across Sydney Harbour with EastSail. You’ll feel like you’re part of a living postcard as you bob along surrounded by countless yachts on the glittering harbour.
Tune in to an ancient heartbeat
Reach out and feel the sacred rhythm that beats strong and proud beneath the buzz of the city. Expand your horizons as you come to learn of the deep connection Sydney’s original inhabitants have with the harbour and its foreshores on Dreamtime Southern X’s The Rocks Aboriginal Dreaming Tour (Illi Langi). Cross Circular Quay for an Aboriginal Bush Tucker Tour through the Royal Botanic Garden’s Cadi Jam Ora garden. Or be transported back in time as your Barangaroo Aboriginal Cultural Tours guide explains how the Gadigal people, the Traditional Owners of the land now known as Barangaroo, used the native trees and plants in this harbourside headland for food and medicine.
Savour a new flavour
Feed both your hunger and your appetite for discovery on a foodie tour of Sydney’s multicultural neighbourhoods, from classic Vietnamese in Cabramatta to Afghani street fare in Merrylands. Get your hands on just-caught fish and learn how to showcase the incredible flavours of the ocean’s bounty at a cooking class at the Sydney Fish Market’s Sydney Seafood School in inner-city Pyrmont. Taste a new ale on an odyssey through the inner city’s craft breweries with Dave’s Brewery Tours, or seek out hidden bars in the heart of the city on a Drink & Discover Secret Bar Crawl with Local Sauce Tours.
Soak up a glamorous sunset
Feel the excitement in the air as the sun sinks down behind Sydney Harbour Bridge, setting the scene for a night full of possibilities. Take a dip in Crown Towers Sydney’s infinity pool and catch the moment when the city lights glitter to life from the dining hub of Barangaroo. Bask in the last rays of sunshine from a rooftop bar such as Smoke in Barangaroo, or a waterfront watering hole like the Wharf Bar in Manly. Fill your glass with sparkles at Opera Bar, at the foot of the Sydney Opera House, as locals loosen their ties, then feast on fine fare at Bennelong, under the sails of the Sydney Opera House.
A feast for your senses
Invite Sydney’s dazzling harbour views to the table when you dine at some of the city’s finest restaurants. Toast the Sydney Opera House from Quay, across the water from the iconic building in the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay, or Cafe Sydney, on top of Circular Quay’s grand Customs House. Feel on top of the world at Crown Sydney’s fine-dining restaurants, including Nobu Matsuhisa’s Nobu or Oncore by acclaimed British chef Clare Smyth, in Barangaroo. Or sip sparkling wine and devour fresh seafood at beachfront and harbourside restaurants like Coogee Pavilion, Doyle’s on the Beach at Watsons Bay or the Boathouse Balmoral Beach.
Conquer the world together
Feel your love soar as you take to the skies for romantic moments that’ll bring you closer. Soak up spectacular views over the harbour and the city’s Northern Beaches on a Sydney Seaplanes flight to the lush Hawkesbury River, where you’ll find treasure at Broken Bay Pearl Farm. Or whisk away your partner away to pretty Pittwater for an unforgettable lunch at outstanding restaurants such as Cottage Point Inn or Berowra Waters Inn. Get your hearts pumping in unison as you stand hand in hand atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge on an adventure with BridgeClimb, then cosy up together in a restaurant in The Rocks for a date night you’ll never forget.
Be moved by powerful stories
Laugh, cry or wonder at stories that bring you and the rest of the audience together at theatre and shows in Sydney. Watch more than 60,000 years of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture spring to life in contemporary dance at a Bangarra performance in the Walsh Bay arts precinct, where you can also thrill to tales brought to life by the Sydney Theatre Company. Lose yourself in a musical at the Sydney Lyric Theatre or explore a wide range of comedy, music, dance and more at the Sydney Opera House, including performances by Opera Australia and Sydney Dance Company.
Go wild in the city
There’s nothing like seeing some of Australia’s astonishing wildlife up close for you to recapture your childhood fascination with the natural world. Gaze up at slow-moving koalas in eucalypt trees at Taronga Zoo Sydney, a short ferry ride away from the city centre, or at Wild Life Sydney Zoo, in the waterside entertainment hub of Darling Harbour. Feel a surge of adrenaline as grey nurse, Port Jackson and wobbegong sharks swim past you during the cage-less diving experience Shark Dive Xtreme at Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, also in Darling Harbour. Take yourself out of the ordinary when you encounter kangaroos, Tassie devils and wombats at Sydney Zoo, near Blacktown on the city’s fringe, and platypuses and crocodiles at the Australian Reptile Park, an hour’s drive north of Sydney on the Central Coast.
