Well it’s official, I can add Sydney to the list of international cities I’ve traveled to! Honestly, I never anticipated being able to cross Sydney off the list this year or next. I assumed we’d head back to Italy or even take the year off from a big trip, so when my husband presented the idea of going to Australia earlier in the year, I was onboard!
Guys, Sydney is so much more than kangaroos and koalas! Don’t get me wrong, I went for those two things and I loved every second of being near them but there are also platypuses, echidnas and emus! Joking. Yes, there are lots of amazing animals and birds in Sydney but there are also incredible beaches, structures and views.
We stayed in the Hyde Park neighborhood close to the Museum train stop, which was incredibly convenient. This stop got us to all of the locations on our “must see” list in two train stops or less which provided easy access to ferries via Circular Quay ( pronounced “key” by the way). We purchased Opal transit cards our first day there and used them all week to ride the trains, busses and ferries. One thing we learned after utilizing our cards all week is after you’ve paid for eight journeys (Monday to Sunday) with your Opal card, you reach the Weekly Travel Reward. This means, your fares will be half price for the rest of the week but you have to tap on and tap off each time to receive the discount! There’s also a weekly max of $50 for adults. P.S. this paragraph is in no way sponsored by Opal, I just loved how many places these cards got us!
If you’re looking for things to do in Sydney though, I’m sharing enough to fill up your week below! Also, I recommend starting your day early because everything (except transit) seems to shut down around 6 or 7pm UTC.
- Take the ferry to the Taronga Zoo. Book a private tour online to get up close and personal with animals native to Australia!
- Visit Luna Park for vintage amusement park charm.
- Visit Manly and Bondi Beach, both incredible but so different from one another!
- Have lunch in the Sydney Tower, Sydney’s tallest structure and the second tallest observation tower in the Southern Hemisphere. The view is amazing!
- Go whale watching! There’s nothing like seeing a humpback whale in the wild.
- See a show in the Sydney Opera House, this iconic landmark doesn’t disappoint. Talk about acoustics!
- Explore the Royal Botanic Gardens, 74 acres of beauty!
- Enjoy sunset in the harbor/Circular Quay.
One thing we didn’t get to do was visit the Blue Mountains 😭 I guess that means we’ll have to go back! Have you been to Australia? Which cities did you visit? Let me know in the comments!
