19 Best Sights in Sydney, New South Wales

If you want an ocean beach that's close to the city and has a terrific setting, with both sand and grassy areas, this one is hard to beat. A wooded park of palm trees and Norfolk Island pines surrounds Bronte. The park includes a playground and sheltered picnic tables, and excellent cafés are in the immediate area. The breakers can be fierce, but swimming is safe in the sea pool at the southern end of the beach. Take Bus 378 from Central Station, or take the train from the city to Bondi Junction and then board Bus 378. Bus 362 runs between Bondi and Coogee beaches, stopping at Bronte Beach and Tamarama on the weekends only. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguard; showers; toilets. Best for: sunrise; surfing; walking.

This heated saltwater eight-lane swimming pool overlooking the navy ships tied up at Garden Island has become a local favorite. There's also a covered splash pool for younger children. Complementing its stunning location is a radical design in glass and steel. The pools also have a chic terrace café above Woolloomooloo Bay, serving breakfast and lunch. There's a kiosk for smoothies and fresh coconuts. It's open from September 1 until April 30.

The strength of this natural history museum, a well-respected academic institution, is its collection of plants, animals, geological specimens, and cultural artifacts from the Asia-Pacific region. Particularly notable are the collections of artifacts from Papua New Guinea and from Australia's Aboriginal peoples. One of the most popular exhibits is "Dinosaurs" on Level 2, containing 10 complete skeletons, eight life-size models, and interactive displays, while "Surviving Australia" (about Australian animals) and "Indigenous Australia" are the most popular with overseas visitors. There are behind-the-scenes tours (A$98), an excellent shop, and a lively café.

The six galleries of this soaring, futuristic building tell the story of Australia and the sea. In addition to figureheads, model ships, and brassy nautical hardware, there are antique racing yachts and the jet-powered Spirit of Australia, current holder of the world water speed record, set in 1978. The USA Gallery displays objects from such major U.S. collections as the Smithsonian Institution, and was dedicated by President George Bush Sr. on New Year's Day 1992. An outdoor section showcases numerous vessels moored at the museum's wharves, including the HMAS Vampire, a retired Royal Australian Navy destroyer, and the historic tall ship the James Craig. You can also climb to the top of the 1874 Bowling Green lighthouse.

Even on the roughest day it's safe to swim at the end of this long, keyhole-shape inlet, which makes it a popular family beach. There are toilet facilities, a kiosk, and a café. This is also a popular snorkeling spot that usually teems with tropical fish, including a huge blue groper, which has called this enclave home for more than a decade. Take Bus 339 from Argyle Street, Millers Point (The Rocks), Wynyard, or Central Station; or a train from the city to Bondi Junction, then board Bus 360. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; sunrise; swimming.

A reef protects this lively beach (pronounced kuh-jee), creating slightly calmer swimming conditions than those found at its neighbors. For smaller children, the southern end offers a small enclosed pool, or keep following the coastal path, and there's a small women's-only natural pool that costs just 20 cents entry. The grassy headland overlooking the beach has an excellent children's playground. Cafés in the shopping precinct at the back of the beach sell ice cream, pizza, and the ingredients for picnics. Take Bus 373 or 374 from Circular Quay or Bus 372 from Central Station. Or, take the CBD and South East Light Rail to Randwick and walk down to Coogee Beach, taking 25 minutes. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunrise; swimming; walking.

This is the place to see kangaroos, dingoes, wallabies, and echidnas (and even feed some of them) in native bush settings 40 km (25 miles) west of Sydney. The daily crocodile feeding sessions are very popular. Take the train to Blacktown Station and then board the 725 bus for the park.

The park is on the way to the Blue Mountains.

Every morning, redcoats would march to this 1840 Argyle Place church from Dawes Point Battery (now Dawes Point Park), and it became commonly known as the Garrison Church, although now officially called the Church Hill Anglican. As the regimental plaques and colors around the walls testify, the church still retains a close military association. Sunday services are held at 9:30 am and 4 pm.

At this private park in Sydney's northern outskirts you can feed a kangaroo or get close to a koala. (Koala presentations are daily at 10:20, 11:45, 2, and 3.) The sanctuary also has dingoes, wombats, emus, penguins, and wallaroos. There are sheep-shearing and boomerang-throwing demonstrations.

Opened in 1935, this classic amusement park, with its supersize clown-face entrance, can be seen from any angle of Sydney Harbour. It's a fun afternoon no matter your age, with traditional fair rides, like the ghost train and dodgems. The tourist attraction reopened in 2021 after a A$30 million face-lift, with brand-new rides and stylish places to eat. It's located just at Milsons Point Wharf, with regular ferries departing from Circular Quay.

Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, songstress Kylie Minogue, and Olympic champion Cathy Freeman are among the contingent of Australian wax figures at the Madame Tussauds Sydney, the only version of the well-known museum in Australia. Located between SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo at Darling Harbour, the museum has nine interactive themed areas where patrons can, for example, jump on a surfboard with world champion female surfer Layne Beachley or sing in the band with legendary Aussie rocker Jimmy Barnes. The 70 figures are grouped in themes such as world leaders, cultural icons, and music and film stars.

This museum built on the site of the original Government House documents Sydney's early period of European colonization. Aboriginal culture, convict society, and the gradual transformation of the settlement at Sydney Cove are woven into an evocative portrayal of life in the country's early days. A glass floor in the lobby reveals the foundations of the original structure. One of the most intriguing exhibits, however, is outside (and free): the striking Edge of the Trees sculpture, where Koori (Aboriginal) voices recite Sydney place-names as you walk around and through the collection of 29 wood, iron, and sandstone pillars.

Learning the principles of science is a painless process with this museum's stimulating, interactive displays ideal for all ages. Exhibits in the former 1890s electricity station that once powered Sydney's trams include a whole floor of working steam engines, space modules, airplanes suspended from the ceiling, state-of-the-art computer gadgetry, and a 1930s art deco–style movie-theater auditorium. The museum also stages many excellent exhibitions that are not science-based on everything from fashion and crochet and jewelry to computer games.

Bay of Rays and Shark Valley are among 14 themed areas at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium at Darling Harbour. Home to some 13,000 creatures, the huge aquarium also has two of only five dugongs (large, rare marine mammal [similar to a manatee] mainly found off the coast of northern Australia) that are on display anywhere in the world. The Sydney Harbour exhibit shows you what's underneath Sydney's huge expanse of water, while the new open coral tank is dazzlingly colorful. Fish and mammal feedings take place throughout the day, along with talks on some of these amazing creatures. A behind-the-scenes tour is a good value at A$18 over the online admission price. The aquarium is part of the Merlin Entertainments group and good combination ticket deals are available for the company's other attractions that include WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, the new Madame Tussauds (both located next door to the Aquarium), and the Sydney Tower Eye (A$63).

Originally a signaling station for communicating with ships anchored in the harbor, this handsome building on top of Observatory Hill is now an astronomy museum. During evening observatory shows you can tour the building, watch videos, and get a close-up view of the universe through a 16-inch mirror telescope. The digital Sydney Planetarium showcases the virtual night sky to just 20 visitors at a time in a small theater. Reservations are required for the evening shows only.

The center of the 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games lies 14 km (8½ miles) west of the city center. Sprawling across 1,900 acres on the shores of Homebush Bay, the site is a series of majestic stadiums, arenas, and accommodation complexes. Among the park's sports facilities are an aquatic center, archery range, tennis center, and the centerpiece: the 85,000-seat ANZ Olympic Stadium. Since the conclusion of the 2000 Games it has been used for major sporting events like the 2003 Rugby World Cup and concerts for international acts including the Rolling Stones. Don't miss the adjacent Bicentennial Park, made up of 247 acres of swamps, lakes, and parks dotted with picnic grounds and bike trails. The most scenic and relaxing way to get to Sydney Olympic Park is to take the RiverCat from Circular Quay to Homebush Bay. You can also take a train from Central Station, Sydney, to Olympic Park.

Sydney's zoo, in a natural bush area on the harbor's north shore, houses an extensive collection of Australian fauna, including everybody's favorite marsupial, the koala. The zoo has taken great care to create spacious enclosures that simulate natural habitats. The hillside setting is steep in parts, and a complete tour can be tiring, but you can use the map distributed free at the entrance gate to plan a leisurely route. The views of the harbor are stunning. Use of children's strollers (the basic model) is free. The best way to get here from the city is by ferry from Circular Quay or Darling Harbour. From Taronga Wharf a bus or the cable car will take you up the hill to the main entrance. The ZooPass, a combined ferry--zoo ticket (A$65) is available at Circular Quay. You can also stay overnight at the zoo in what's billed as the "wildest slumber party in town." The "Roar and Snore" program includes a night tour, two behind-the-scenes tours, drinks, dinner, breakfast, and luxury tent accommodation at A$288 per adult on weeknights and A$320 per adult on Friday/Saturday. Other special programs include being a "Keeper for a Day."

This Sydney attraction brings thousands of Australian animals right to the heart of Sydney. Kangaroos, koalas, and dozens of other species come together under the one huge roof—in nine separate habitats—next door to the SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and the new Madame Tussauds. All three attractions are run by the same operator, Merlin Entertainments, and all are able to be visited on one combination ticket. In Devil's Den you'll see the famed Tasmanian devils; in Wallaby Cliffs there are yellow-footed wallabies and hairy-nosed wombats, while you can walk among the eastern grey kangaroos and agile wallabies with their joeys and the spiky echidnas in Kangaroo Walkabout. Watch out for Rex, the 16-foot saltwater crocodile in the Kakadu Gorge habitat. A popular spot is Gum Tree Alley where you'll meet koalas, while the endangered (and very cute) greater bilby is in the Nightfall nocturnal zone.

The best deals for stand-alone tickets or combination tickets with other Merlin Entertainments attractions are online. There are savings of around A$12 for a single ticket, while the current combo ticket is A$69.