Sydney Things to Do

Sydney remains a coveted destination for cruise ship visitors, and the popularity of a port stopover continues to grow. The year of 2013 will see 265 cruise ship visits to the port at beautiful Sydney Harbour where travelers then get the opportunity to explore the city’s top attractions. Timing varies by cruise ship itinerary, so sometimes travelers must keep track of how long they have for their shore excursions. The best options are to visit the attractions closest to the harbor, or to sign up for a guided shore excursion.

As a day to day form of transportation, the ferry would not rank high in usefulness for most travelers in Sydney. However, for certain destinations, as well as a feeling of being on the waters of Sydney Harbour, the ferry definitely ranks high.

Ballets, musicals, comedy shows and concerts fill event calendars in Sydney, so the possibility of booking into a night out or two during your stay is extremely high. The most coveted destination for a show in Sydney would be at the world famous Sydney Opera House, right on the stunning Sydney Harbour, as it had been constructed inside to produce and carry the richest, warmest sound. Other popular show locations include the ANZ Stadium, the State Theatre, and the Allphones Arena.

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.

People gather far and wide to experience and take part in one of the world’s biggest LGBT events: Sydney’s Mardi Gras. From the second Thursday in February to the first Saturday in March, LGBT festivities occur across the city of Sydney, such as the Bondi Beach Drag Races, with the culmination being the famous Oxford Street parade.

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.

Beaches are a dime a dozen in Sydney, and Australia in general for that matter, but good surfing beaches should be noted. We’ve compiled a list of the good surfing beaches in the Sydney area so that you can easily know where to go in order to “hang ten” while visiting.

Locals in Sydney know Oxford Street for two main reasons: partying and shopping. We’ve already written about partying on Oxford Street, so this post will cover the shopping aspect.

Sydney‘s diverse food culture, ranging from trendy cafes to hatted restaurants, draws food lovers from around the world to partake in the local fare. Created from the combination of cultures that have migrated to Australia, Sydney’s local food culture presents visitors with options ranging from top Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Lebanese, Portuguese and of course, your modern Australian fare. Even American and Latin American food options have grown in Sydney in recent years.