Sydney Things to Do

Believe it or not, winter snow skiing opportunities are but a hop, skip and a jump from Sydney city. Just head to the Snowy Mountains, about a half day’s drive to the south, and find yourself gliding down the slopes in no time.

Sydney’s Vivid Festival will once again flood the city with a multicolored canvas of light, music and ideas in late May 2012.

Ranked one of the Top Ten global ideas festivals by the UK’s Guardian newspaper, Vivid Sydney celebrates the world’s creative industries and is the biggest festival of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

Beaches are a top attraction in Sydney. Locals know it, visitors know it, and many of the most well-known beaches can see dozens of thousands of people in a single day. If that sounds crowded, then you might be a person on the lookout for those hidden and secret beaches instead. Although we understand that sharing secret and hidden beaches means they will no longer be as such to the public, Sydney is blessed with mile after mile of coastline meaning hidden beaches are really a dime a dozen.

Planning the perfect day in Sydney could go every which way depending on your personal travel style. With beaches galore, big city comforts, a glorious harbor, food of international flare, mountains and rainforest filled national park… one has to pick and choose wisely in order to create the perfect day. We’ve been racking our brains at Viator, so here’s what we recommend if you have to cram in one last brilliant day in Sydney city.

In Sydney, the cafe culture lives large. Whether it be because of excellent coffee, good food, or just an overall trendy vibe, cafes draw people of all walks of life for a quick burst of caffeine or a social gathering with friends. Weekdays and weekends see their fair share no matter what part of the city you happen to be in.

A 90 minute train ride separates visitors from Sydney city and the beautiful Blue Mountains. It’s just an hour and a half to fresh, clean air, speckled with breezes of eucalyptus, and plenty of panoramic views. The Blue Mountains makes the perfect destination for relaxing, shopping, eating or even adventuring for a day or long weekend.

Flea markets are typically known as markets held in the outdoors and that usually involve the resell of old goods, secondhand items and antiques. In Sydney, there might not be many of these traditionally known flea markets, but you can be sure that markets in general are never hard to find. Best of all, they make for a fun and perfect way to spend a day on the weekend, with friends and with the incorporation of a nice market snack or lunch in the middle.

To get a better grasp on the layout of the expansive Sydney city and its over 600 suburbs, a trip up to some of its heights would be in order. As a person who took this approach on her first visit to Sydney, I can attest that not only does this help you to gain a perspective on where suburbs and landmarks lie (much better than looking at a map from street level), but it also provides spectacular, sometimes 360 degree, views of this beautiful harbor city.

Check out any guidebook on Sydney and you’re sure to find the usual suspects at the top of their “must-do” lists: Bridgeclimb, Blue Mountains, Harbour Dinner Cruise. We wouldn’t argue with any of that. But what about the lesser-lights of Sydney experiences? In a city with 130 things to do listed on the Viator site, what are some of our favourites from nearer the bottom of the list?

The Sydney Festival transforms Sydney for around 3 weeks every January, taking on major art displays that attract nearly half a million people to the numerous festival events. During those 3 weeks, Sydneysiders can expect various shows of artistry from music, dance and drama to visual.