Overview
An Australia vacation wouldn’t be complete without visiting the stunning city of Sydney.
Sydney is located on the east coast of the country in the state of New South Wales. It is Australia’s biggest and most cosmopolitan city and an essential stop on any traveller’s Australia vacation. Surrounding the city is a wonderland of national parks, forests, mountains, river valleys and historic riverside towns. The first settlers arrived in 1788 came here to create a penal colony, finding the world’s largest natural harbour, and 70 beaches along the coast within a reasonable distance of the city. In more recent times, Sydney also hosted the 2000 Olympic Games.
Must-See Attractions in Sydney
Sydney HarbourThe breathtaking Sydney Harbour is the heart of the city, surrounded by a mix of downtown attractions and charming suburbs. One of the best ways to explore the harbour is by hopping on a ferry from Circular Quay, where you can enjoy stunning views and access various destinations.
Iconic Landmarks
- Sydney Harbour Bridge: Known affectionately as "The Coat Hanger," this steel arch bridge is a defining feature of Sydney’s skyline. Don’t miss the exhilarating Bridge Climb for panoramic views of the city.
- Sydney Opera House: This architectural marvel, opened in 1973, is not just a feast for the eyes but also a cultural hub for music, opera, and the arts.
The Sydney Tower is the tallest observation tower in the Southern Hemisphere, soaring above the Harbour Bridge. Its observation deck offers breathtaking views of the cityscape and beyond.
Step back in time in The Rocks District, Sydney’s oldest precinct, filled with sandstone buildings, cobblestone streets, and rich history. This vibrant area offers some of the finest dining and entertainment options in the city.
Just a short stroll from the city center, Darling Harbour is a hub for shopping, dining, and attractions like the Sydney Aquarium and National Maritime Museum. Consider a sunset cruise for a magical end to your day.
Explore Sydney's Neighborhoods
Sydney's diverse neighborhoods each offer unique experiences:
- Darlinghurst: A lively district filled with nightlife, restaurants, and boutique shops.
- Paddington: Known for its charming Victorian terrace houses and trendy designer stores.
Just across the Harbour Bridge, you’ll find:
- Taronga Zoo: Home to over 2,600 animals, including exotic species like Sumatran tigers and Kodiak bears.
- Luna Park: Sydney's beloved amusement park, reminiscent of Australia’s Coney Island, offers fun for all ages.
Culture lovers will appreciate Sydney’s impressive array of museums and galleries:
- Australian Museum: The oldest in Australia, showcasing natural history and cultural artifacts.
- Museum of Sydney: Offers insights into the city's history from Aboriginal times to the present.
- Art Gallery of New South Wales: Features an extensive collection of both Australian and international art.
Just 7 km from the city center, Bondi Beach is Australia’s most famous beach, perfect for swimming, surfing, and soaking up the sun at nearby cafes and bars.
Reach Manly Beach by ferry for a stunning coastal experience. Enjoy swimming, scenic walks, and a variety of shopping and dining options.
A short drive from Sydney, Royal National Park boasts coastal cliffs, rainforests, and secluded beaches, ideal for swimming and bushwalking. Trails lead to Bungoona Lookout for breathtaking views and Uloola Falls for a picturesque hike.
A must-visit day trip, the Blue Mountains are about two hours from Sydney and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore awe-inspiring cliffs, eucalyptus forests, and charming villages, including the iconic Three Sisters rock formation. With 140 km of walking trails and the steepest cable railway, there’s plenty to discover.
Just 120 km north of Sydney, Hunter Valley is Australia’s oldest wine region and a must inclusion on any trip to Australia. Sample fine wines paired with local cuisine, or take a relaxing cruise on the Hunter River.
Plan Your Sydney Adventure Today
Incorporating at least one of our Sydney tours into your travel to Australia is a must. With its stunning landscapes, rich history, and vibrant culture, Sydney is one of the most desirable cities in the world to explore. Book your Australia vacation today and start your adventure in this incredible city!
Australia Travel Guides
Top 10 Things to do in Sydney, Australia
Four Perfect Ways to Spend a Day in Sydney
15 Ways to Explore Sydney, Australia
At a Glance
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Tasmania is under the radar for many travelers, but it’s great for hikes, natural landscapes and now modern art!
Sydney and Melbourne are a great combination for first-time visitors to Australia, with Brisbane, Adelaide and/or the Outback added in, depending on how much time you have. Returnees should take in Perth, Darwin and the Kakadu National Park area and/or Tasmania if they can, plus spend some time in the cities they loved the first time around
It might sound cliche, but you really can visit year-round. Australia is a big country, so there is always somewhere with amazing weather!
Goway’s trips to Australia are not stock itineraries. We can put together trips of a few weeks or a few months, allowing you to see as much of the land Downunder as you can. And we offer a mix of travel options, from self-drives to train journeys to long stays.
Goway has partnerships with many unique inns and hotels in Australia. Among the most memorable are Qualia on Hamilton Island, Longitude 131 at Uluru and Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island.
A land of adventure, diversity & natural wonders.
Every corner of Australia's largest city promises new discoveries and authentic Aussie character, from the iconic sails of the Sydney Opera House to the rugged cliffs of the Blue Mountains, historic pubs in the Rocks, and iconic golden beaches including Bondi, Coogee, and Manly Beach. Sydney's delicious and diverse culinary scene offers everything from fresh seafood markets to five-star harbourfront dining, while unique neighbourhoods like Newtown offer electric street art and cultural experiences at every turn.
The Sydney Opera house with the harbour bridge ...
Sunset view of Darling Harbour, New South Wales
The world famous Bondi Beach - a most certain i...
A view across the harbour at sunset is always a...
A beautiful Sydney sunrise
Walking through Hyde Park
Manly Cove
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Place
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Daily max temperatureMonthly rainfall
SydneyMostly Sunny
23°C / 74°F
45mm / 1.8"
Weather data is based on monthly averages.Popularity rating
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ExcellentBased on 5,229 ReviewsGoWay promise became a full reality with flexibility to adjust to life events such as 12 hours flight delay from Navegantes airport to Galeao airport.AVELINO LimaWe recently took at trip to China. We toured Bejing, Xi'an and Shanghai. We had a wonderful time. Everything was perfect. The Guides were very friendly and knowledgeable. The food was plentiful, the shows were wonderful and the accommodations were excellent. We saw everything we wanted to see and more.
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Sharon LevyOur Agent Katie Stephenson is what made this trip amazing...!! I mean the trip was great in itself...!!
Katie worked with me planning a getaway to Australia for my wife's 60th b-day... After going through a few dates and activities...I realized Our passports were going to be expired a few days before...!!
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Katies availability and response time we great. Whether it was via email, phone she was available.... even with time difference she would get back at a good time...
So, my wife and I had an amazing time..Melbourne then on to Cairns and lastly Sydney...!!
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I am grateful to Katie for working with me and making this trip an amazing experience. Katie & GoWay Travel reps. were available even while we were in Australia..
Great time, great experience and Katie was a huge part in making it happen...Thank you for an amazing time Katie/GoWay Travel..RSE- Development CorpI was looking at a month holiday in New Zealand and Australia and Natasa Jaric who is located in the Toronto area helped to make it happened by combining 2 already designed holidays in Oceania. From the beginning to the end, Natasa was "hands on" by explaining and providing everything I needed for our trip. During our trip, there were few bumps on the road that had nothing to do with Goway Travel as it was the airline company that cancelled our scheduled flight and created chaos. And the other problems (they were light) was because of the way hotels described their rooms. It should definitely be better worded! Db to me means double bed ... what does it mean to you? ;-) Anyhow, we ended up having two beds but with some arguments at one hotel only. The others accommodated us at no extra cost. I should also add that NZ and Aus. know how to treat tourists. I was particularly impressed with the transfers services offered by different companies both in NZ and Aus. Wow! No waiting at the airports, hotels or terminals. They were there ready to pick us up and drive us where ever we needed to be! Well done!!! It's the kind of service that I will have a hard time not to use again as it comes with a $ sign but definitely worth spending it! :-). I received a very good response from the "Help office" when the flight was cancelled and other inquiries I had made. Very good service once again. I live quite a few experiences during that month and all thanks need to go to Natasa and her team. So Natasa: Thank you very very much for a very well organized travel! Carole OuelletMy Wife and I finally had an opportunity to go on one of our Bucket list trips Goway Travel, Egypt Odyssey 9 days including the Nile river .The booking process was seamless,the Goway rep Harpreet answered all of questions, in a professional, and timely manner, the trip it self was incredible, the meet and greet at the airport was incredibly quick,the rep Mohammed Koda,had our luggage and visas in no time we were at the Sheraton Cairo, an amazing hotel in the heart of Cairo, a wonderful facility, 3 amazing restaurants ,a large pool, a bank, and a Starbucks .The Pyramids and Museum tour where incredible WOW, we still talk about it, the guide Marco was amazing, professional and personable gentleman an excellent combination. The shuttle to airport for the Nile river Luxor to Aswan was also very smooth, when arriving in Luxor another rep was waiting for us,we were quickly ,taken to the docks, the Sonesta boat was amazing ,the cabin was clean a good size, and the food very good, with excellent deserts and plenty of fresh fruits, pool with plenty of shade .Our daily trips to the tombs and sites were amazing, our guide Mr Honey is an incredible book of knowledge we are both very grateful for his skills and knowledge .The Nile river trip will stay in our minds for years, we returned back to Cairo to finish our Egypt Odyssey trip with a tour of the original Museum ,such incredible history, and an incredible trip ,thank you so much Goway Travel for making this dream trip happen for us
Tony and Rose Ferreira sharkman TonyThis was my first time planning a tour wth Goway Travel. I am truly delighted with the professionalism and personal relationship I had with the Goway Travel consultant Christine. She gave attention to every details I requested to curate my tour to Hong Kong and Bali. She addressed all my needs, answered thoroughly my questions and concerns. She is a touch of class in every respect. I will definitely recommend Goway Travel group. Excellent Hotels. Perfect guides in both countries. LE Asia TourIngrid did a phenomenal job creating a 22 day trip beginning in with 3 days in Turkey, that included a Turkish Bath and a private tour of the mosques, we then took a 10 day cruise through the Mediterranean, Greece, Croatia, plus a couple of other stops. We got off the cruise in Ravenna Italy our transportation was spot on picking us up (I would have to stay all of our transportation was impressive, always there, on time, very helpful) we traveled from Ravenna to Venice where we stayed for two nights. Venice is the only place we had a hiccup, we weren't sure if someone was meeting us at our Hotel to take us to the water taxi to get to the train station, we figured it out, made the train and all was good. Traveled to Florence, had the best time there with one of our most favorite excusions, stayed in Florence for two nights and then completed our trip with three nights in Rome. Rome is BUSY, I was not prepared for that but should of expected it. This is our second big trip planning through Goway Travel, I can not recommend enough, they are so detailed and take care of everything you need and everything you didn't know you needed. Paula Hall-KeefeThe booking processs was really easy. Katie was very communicative and was very responsive. Every change we asked for, she quickly replied. The room arrangements had a small hiccupp but Katie fixed it within minutes! All the excursions were a blast and well planned.
The trip was a bucket list trip and was everything we hoped for. Alison HAllan Birkett at Goway has been an absolute godsend! Over the past year, he has helped me plan numerous vacations—especially honeymoons—and has been an incredible partner every step of the way.
He is always quick to respond, patient with my clients' frequent changes, and goes above and beyond to help whenever an issue comes up. His knowledge, professionalism, and dedication make my job as a travel advisor so much easier.
I truly appreciate everything Allan does and highly recommend him to anyone looking for exceptional service. Thank you, Allan, for always being thereBrooke EcholsOur 2-week trip to Normandy, Switzerland and Italy after we disembarked from the Queen Mary 2 in Southampton in mid-May was superb. Michael Keon did an amazing job of putting together highlights for us to see and visit with the short time we had. All the train reservations, private and small group tours and transportations were very well coordinated, on time, and usually exceeded our expectations. Drivers were courteous and knowledgeable. Mike did a wonderful job getting everything coordinated, in spite of our almost “last minute” booking. I booked a month-long trip through GOWAY back in 1989 for Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, and they were superb then. So I tried them again, and found the entire organization to be even better. Mike was quick to respond to any questions that came up regarding booksings and times, regardless of the 6-hour time difference. Just superb! Although we had a nasty experience in Milan, GOWAY was very responsive and saw to our requests and our needs. Again, Michael Keon is the person who coordinated our travel. I will ask for Mike when I travel again with GOWAY. I recommend GOWAY highly. PJ Wheeler
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