Begin your morning with breakfast in Darling Harbour. Filled with restaurants and bars, you’re spoilt for choice! You could spend a whole day exploring this fantastic family friendly destination, home to Madam Tassauds Wax Museum, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, the Chinese Garden of Friendship, the Australian National Maritime Museaum and more!
Follow the footpath along the banks from Darling Harbour, through the beautiful Barangaroo Reserve, a landscaped park with 75,000 native trees and shrubs and thousands of sandstone blocks.
From Barangaroo and around the corner and you’ll soon find yourself looking up in awe at the mighty Sydney Harbour Bridge. Affectionately known as the ‘Coathanger’, the bridge was opened on March 19th, 1932. For a small fee, you can climb the 200 stairs to the Pylon Lookout for fantastic 360 degree views of the city and the harbour. If you’re really keen, why not walk the 1149 meters across the bridge to the other side of the harbour?
Continue your walk, pass under the bridge and you’ll soon reach The Rocks. This area is full of historic laneways and beautiful colonial buildings as well as some of Sydney’s oldest pubs. Learn more about the neighbourhood at The Rocks Discovery Museum. If you are there on a Saturday or Sunday, don’t miss The Rocks Markets. Offering more than just shopping, it’s an institution. Set amongst the convict carved sandstone and cobblestone laneways, the markets are home to more than 200 stalls offering everything from fashion and accessories to photography and handicrafts.
As you leave the laneways, walk to the water’s edge, stop, look across and smile – you are looking at our World-famous Sydney Opera House! You’ll get there soon.
From The Rocks it is a short stroll to Circular Quay, Sydney’s busy ferry hub. From here you can catch a ferry to Manly, Taronga Zoo, Paramatta and more!
Walk around the quay and head for the Sydney Opera House. Opened in 1973 it is now a UNESCO World Heritage-listed building and hosts more than 1600 performances and millions of visitors every year. Take a selfie on the steps with sails in the background or perhaps you might want to take the hour-long Sydney Opera House tour and discover where the magic happens? You could spend a few minutes, an hour or the whole day at this hugely popular attraction. It’s also the perfect spot for lunch at one of the many harbour side restaurants.
Let’s keep those legs moving and stroll through the spectacular Royal Botanic Gardens. Established in 1816, the gardens are perched right alongside the city and the harbour. You can enjoy one of the free daily tours and delight in the tropical oasis. From here, walk around Farm Cove and take a seat on ‘Mrs Macquarie’s Chair’. This iconic spot is a sandstone bench carved by convicts in 1811 for the then-governor’s wife. It has prime position overlooking the harbour and it is hard to describe the amazing views you will enjoy.
Let’s leave the chair and make our way back towards the city. Head to Macquarie Street where you’ll find the State Library of New South Wales. From here it is a short walk to Hyde Park and the Anzac Memorial. The Anzac Memorial is NSW’s principal memorial to all Australian’s who have served in the defence force and the building is a remarkable piece of architecture. The Hyde Park are is a little gem in the city, with footpaths, open grass areas and interesting statues, right next to busy Elizabeth Street. The contrast is fascinating!
From here you can cut across the city, which street will you choose? You could stroll down Pitt Street Mall, visit the Sydney Tower Eye or discover the beauty of the Queen Victoria Building. Before long you’ll find yourself back in Darling Harbour – a fantastic spot for a sunset drink as you reflect on your incredible day exploring Sydney!