Discover Sydney

Sydney is the thrilling and vibrant capital of New South Wales in Australia. With its iconic harbour front opera house, hip bars and restaurants, glorious beaches and national parks it’s the glitzy city equivalent of a firework display. It’s beautiful to see with plenty to wow around every corner.

If you like shopping, relaxing or surfing at the beach, eating fine cuisine before you party all night as well as discovering Australia’s indigenous and convict history. Sydney is a must-visit. Equally if you enjoy harbour-side walks, boat trips, landscaped green spaces and drinking a coffee or a beer with the sun on your face, this is a city that should be on your bucket list. In this post, we’re going to look some of Sydney’s unique highlights.

Beaches and harbours

Sydney Harbour Bridge and the iconic Sydney Opera House with its distinctive architecture; an arrangement of expressionist shells, are two key highlights of the Sydney harbour area. From here you can take a tall ship tour, go whale watching or take a boat over to Manly Quay to explore Manly beach. There, you can swim, surf and shop, taking in the sophisticated vibe.

Bondi beach is one of the most well known beaches in Australia, taking up a large swathe of the Pacific shoreline, where as well as surfing and other beach activities, you can experience fine dining, plenty of shopping and coastal walks with some great views. It’s also possible to walk from Bondi to Coogee Beach, which is a laid back suburban affair with sun, swimming and snorkelling.

Shelly beach is another local favourite near Manly. It’s a port off Cabbage Tree Bay and a protected marine reserve, where you should keep a look out for all sorts of wildlife. Enjoy snorkelling and picnics to stay close to nature here, but if you prefer, it’s just as easy to take advantage of the beach restaurant.

For excellent seafood and snorkelling, Watson’s Bay is a popular choice. This is a fishing village filled with restaurants serving delicious seafood specialities.

Sydney Gardens and Parks

The Royal Botanic Gardens are a green, sculpted Jewel in Sydney’s garden crown. Displaying plants from Australia and abroad, you can see threatened and endangered species, Aboriginal heritage plants and themed garden areas all in the same park.

As themed parks go, the Chinese garden of friendship is awash with waterfalls, pavilions, lakes filled with koi carp, walled gardens and strategically placed Chinese tea houses.

Finally Centennial Park is a huge urban green space built in the Victorian tradition of the people’s park, which combines formal gardens with sports and recreation areas.

Museums and culture

There’s plenty to inspire and pique your curiosity about Sydney’s cultural and social history. An exciting day can be spent in the National Maritime Museum, which is great for kids and houses submarines, the Spirit of Australia; the world’s fastest boat and details the journey of Cook’s Endeavour. The Jewish Museum tells the many and varied histories of Jews in Australia, including during the Holocaust period, and the Art Gallery of New South Wales is the place to be for extraordinary artworks.

Whether you revel in the cobbled old quarter known as The Rocks, or you prefer flashy high end boutiques, a shopping experience in Sydney is like no other. For a trip to the city that truly has everything, please give the Aspen Travel team a call. We’ll be able to advise on the Australian escorted tours and packages we provide, as well as be able to find you the best prices for your dates.