Sydney at a Glance

Sydney is one of the world's premier city destination. It is a city of spectacular natural beauty and world famous architecture. Sydney is renowned for its free-spirited outdoor lifestyle.

The central area of Sydney and its surrounding regions are well supplied with all the services to be expected of a major international city and visitor destination. Despite its size, Sydney is a relatively easy place to obtain assistance and to move around and Sydneysiders are a friendly bunch of people.

Here are some essential Sydney and surrounds experiences that no visitors will want to miss out.

• Sydney Harbour Bridge - Sydney's famous bridge can be explored in several ways. You can take a walk across the Rocks and admire the view, join a guided day or night tour to the very top with Bridgeclimb or visit the fascinating Pylon Museum and its Lookout.
• Sydney Opera House - Sydney's other international famous icon, you can walk around it and admire the futuristic architecture, or you can join a guided tour of the impressive interior or see one of the performances.
• Visit the Beach- You will find plenty of sand, surf, sun and water sports at Sydney's beautiful beaches. The most famous beaches around Sydney are Bondi, Tamarama, Coogee in the Eastern Suburbs and Manly and the spectacular beaches in the Northern beaches.
• Explore Sydney Harbour- the Sydney Ferries take you on a fantastic journey past the Opera House to Taronga Zoo or Manly but there are other ways you can explore this spectacular harbour through water taxis, sailing boats, or even jet skis.
• Meet Australia's fauna - You can come face to face with kangaroos, koals, wombat, emus, crocodiles at Taronga Zoo, Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Wildlife World or at Featherdale Wildlife Park.
• Colonial Sydney - When you Visit The Rocks, you can delve into Australia's unique European history. There are many museum and galleries that are well worth exploring in the Rocks. The area is packed with attractions which will easily fill a day - many 1900 buildings to admire, plenty of shops and cafe to explore.

Although the metropolitan region is vast. the Central Business District (CBD) is very compact and the most important sights are centally located.

The easiest way to get around the city is through public transport. Circular Quay is the main transport hub for ferries trains and buses. Bus and timetable information for all of them are available at the Visitors Information Centre.

The Sydney Visitor Centres offer a comprehensive information service, they have visitor Services Advisers many of whom are multi-lingual, they also have Free information brochures and tourist guides and maps.

The centre also have souvenirs and gifts, postcards, phone cards, travel cards, tickets and passes for purchase .

Sydney is very well equipped with a wide range of accommodation alternatives with everything from backpackers, hostels, to five-star hotels that will suit every one's budget. Check Sydney Accommodation for more details.

There are open-top bus that on a gorgeous day is a great way to see Sydney.  It has become a popular sight on Sydney's streets.  All tours are 90 minutes in duration and run at minimum 30 min intervals with 22 stops for the Sydney tour and 8 stops for the Bondi Tour and you can hop on and hop off at any top. 

The open-top bus allows great views and photo opportunities from above without window glare as you listen to a full professional commentary.