Sydney Bucket List
The city is surrounded by such a beautiful harbor, with the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge making it even more iconic. There are beaches all around the city. People here casually go for a swim before work, and you will follow suit in no time after arriving here.
Why Sydney belongs on your bucket list
All cities have to fight with nature a bit. Sydney just gave up and let it win. Nature's owning this place, but in 30 minutes you can be surfing at Bondi Beach, hiking through coastal scrubland or whale watching from a sandstone outcropping. Food's kind of underrated – we're so multicultural you literally have incredible Vietnamese in one suburb, Lebanese in the next, Japanese in the next... no one really brags. It's just Tuesday. People swim at 6 AM here. Surf at lunch. Grill on the beach at sunset. Not because it's a long weekend. Because. You will spend the entire holiday wondering if you should just... stay.
When to go
Spring (September-November) and autumn (March-May) harbor months are peak months. It's warm, it's sunny, it's comfortable—and there aren't as many people around. Summer (December-February) is seriously hot and seriously crowded, but seriously good beach weather. The fireworks over the Harbour Bridge on New Year's Eve really are legendary, but you need to book a spot to watch them months in advance or you'll be huddling in a nearby alley. Winter (June-August) is seriously nice—15-18 degrees Celsius during the day. Serious jacket weather. Vivid Sydney (late May to early June) is a festival during which they project seriously enormous lights onto the Opera House. It's seriously amazing.
Must-visit places in Sydney
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House resembles sails, shells, or opening envelopes according to various interpretations, but in essence, it is the most iconic structure in the Southern Hemisphere. This architectural wonder hosts over 1,500 performances annually, hence, it’s recommended to not just pass through but to attend a show, even if it’s a low-cost matinee. While on a tour you’ll see the concrete genius of Jørn Utzon deep underground, but it isn’t until you’re seated inside and sounds are generated that you appreciate it. The other tip is to stop for that drink at Opera Bar down on the sunny promenade and watch the sun setting behind the coat hanger.
Harbour Bridge BridgeClimb
Standing 134 meters above the harbor. You will love the experience. You get to enjoy the beautiful Sydney view in 360 degrees. Yes, you will feel the wind on your face, but it is worth it. Some may think it is a tourist trap but trust me it is not, in fact, it offers the best views. The experience is approximately 3.5 hours inclusive of the briefing and gearing up for the climb. The Twilights (sunset time) climb is the most expensive climb, also one of the most popular. But I would safely say it’s the most special one too. If climbs aren’t your thing or the price is a pricey one, you can always opt to walk on the pedestrian path on the bridge. The views are free of cost and still fantastic.
Bondi Beach
Yes, it's that beach. Beautiful sandy beach, unique natural shape, and many surfers. This beach does not disappoint. The waves are good enough for beginners to take surfing lessons while providing enough excitement for the pros. You can always find a spot to relax and read a book. The markets held on the weekend offer a wide variety of local artists, clothing, and especially food. But let me tell you what the Bondi experience is. Swim at the south end in the morning. Grab a take-out coffee from a beach cafe. Sit on your deck while having a long breakfast watching the waves roll in. That's it. That's the whole damn religion.
Bondi to Coogee Walk
Stroll along six kilometers of sandstone cliffs with the ocean pounding at your feet the whole time. You pass Tamarama (Glamarama - and yes it does), Bronte, and Clovelly, arriving at Coogee Beach. If it's the right time of year the humpbacks migrate and you can see them from the cliffs. It's surreal. You're in the middle of the city but it's Right There. Amazing. It's going to take about 2 to 3 hours. Have a rest at Bronte. Go for a swim in the rock pool. Have a coffee at one of the beachside cafes. It's going to take about 2 to 3 hours. Oh, did I mention take your time? The walk is the thing, not getting to Coogee.
The Rocks
Stroll along cobblestone streets. Sandstone buildings dating back to the 1800s. The place where the white man planted his flag and his booze, the oldest pubs in town, stand to this day. The Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel is one of them, slinging suds since 1841. It brews its own, so belly up in the courtyard and try to keep up with the Aussies. If that's not your thing, then the Rocks Markets at the weekend are a nice surprise, full of (relatively speaking) authentic wares and foods. But all that is just the smell you have to put up with before you wander through to Dawes Point Park's free picnic sites under the Harbour Bridge and get to the real treat.
Bondi Icebergs
The rock pool located at the southern end of Bondi Beach is a place where the mighty Pacific Ocean surges over the walls and through the pool with each breath. Swimmers can literally get pounded against the sides with broken bits of shells and coral each time they try to turn. It is a place where people swim back and forth rather than in laps, balancing themselves against the wash of incoming waves. It's worth it, however. The waves come rolling in from the Tasman Sea, turning the ocean into a vast crystal wash heady with iodine. A single square of yellow tile on the ocean floor reminds us of the fragility of life, the proofs of war_SIGNATURE.
Taronga Zoo
A ferry ride that takes only twelve minutes from the city's main ferry terminal and transports you worlds away. A zoo that boasts the best view in Sydney (certainly the giraffes would agree; they gaze back at the city skyline from their leafy eyrie). A zoo with what must be one of the most jaw-dropping arrival experiences' of any zoos anywhere - no offense to the other zoos that are also doing their bit to save critically endangered animals, but seriously, nothing beats passing the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge in the early morning then thrilling to a magnificent giraffe silhouetted against the southern sky. The Australian animals, you won’t be surprised to hear, are excellent too. Koalas, kangaroos and dingoes plus a rare, rare, rare - and therefore among the most celebrated in the world - platypus. Add to all of this the first and finest Roar and Snore experience in the world (glamping in tents, listening to giraffes snoring; a good fifty meters away from your arranged bed) and you have something weird, wonderful and uniquely Aussie.
Royal Botanic Garden
There are 30 hectares of gardens along the harbour, with the Opera House at one end and the water at the other. Mrs. Macquarie's Point is where you get the postcard shot, where the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge are in the one photo. Get there at dusk, and get ready for the eerie experience of thousands of flying foxes (fruit bats) hanging from the trees, their silhouette against the fading light. It's beautiful, and it's strange, all at once. It's free, it's open every day, and if you're a jogger, the morning run through here is not to be missed.
Barangaroo
An old shipping wharf that has been gentrified into a dining and entertainment precinct. Still pretty new so none of the facilities are run down. The headland reserve at the north end is a naturally landscaped headland of historical importance and with significant Aboriginal cultural value. The walking trails are beautiful and the views over the harbour are amazing. The restaurants at the south end are mostly big-name Sydney chefs. It's expensive but not as over the top as Circular Quay. The ferry wharf is very well connected and the park and its facilities are great for kids.
Manly Beach
The half-hour ferry journey is an experience in itself. You depart Circular Quay, sail through the heads, and before you know it, you're on the Pacific Ocean. Unlike Bondi, Manly is not at all pretentious. It's more local, more family-orientated, and the pedestrian mall, the Corso, is still full of surf shops and eateries. The Manly-Spit Bridge walk is one of the finest urban walks in the world, taking in the Sydney Harbour National Park, and stretching 10 km. Best of all, rent a surfboard and tackle the breaks at the north end. They're consistent, and easy to surf.
Sydney insider tips
- Opal Card: Tap on, tap off. Works for trains, buses, ferries, and light rail. You can use your credit card or phone. Daily and weekly limits, so you can't accidentally spend too much. The ferry system is the best-kept secret. Harbour cruise, transit prices.
- Sun Protection: No joke. Australian sun on a cloudy day can give you a burn in 15 minutes. Don't be stupid. Get the highest SPF sunscreen you can find. A hat. Sunglasses. Reapply sunscreen as often as you can. The locals take this very seriously, and they're right to.
- Coffee: Sydney has some of the best coffee in the world, and the locals are coffee snobs... in a good way. Go get a flat white at any independent coffee shop. It was invented here, and it's the default coffee order. Chain coffee shops? Forget it. They're rare and mildly looked down upon. Single O, Mecca, Edition... all great places to start.
- Ferry Rides: The ferries aren't just for tourists. They're actual public transportation that happens to have million-dollar views. The Manly ferry, the Taronga Zoo ferry, the Parramatta River ferry... all of them at opal card prices. All with views that cost ten times as much on a paid cruise ship. Take the ferries.
- Tipping: Don't stress about it. Tipping isn't necessary in Australia. Your server will actually earn a decent wage. If someone goes way out of their way to serve you at a fancy restaurant? 10% is a rich thank-you. Nobody's keeping track, though, and it's perfectly normal to leave nothing.
Save your Sydney bucket list
Discovering these locations in a reel? Triply will pull each destination and pin them on a map for you. Automatically.
Get on the App Store