Sydney - highlights for your city trip

No road trip on the east coast of Australia is complete without a city trip to Sydney. For many tourists, Sydney is the starting point of their trip to Australia and an absolute highlight!

Sydney - highlights for your city trip

Sydney Opera House

The Opera House is Sydney’s most iSydney’s best-known attraction and landmark. The Danish architect Jørn Utzon won the tender at the time, although he only submitted sketches and not a proper design. Construction work on the Sydney Opera House began in 1959 without completing the building plans. Due to rising costs and other differences, Utzon and the Prime Minister were repeatedly disputed.

Eventually, the funds for the construction of the opera house were frozen. Construction work came to a standstill, and workers could not be paid. Utzon unexpectedly left the construction site, which the government interpreted as a resignation. A group of Australian architects was hired to complete the construction of the opera house. Utzon never saw the finished opera—his great masterpiece—with his own eyes. After leaving Australia in 1966, he never returned to Australia. Queen Elizabeth II opened the Sydney Opera House in 1973.

Viewpoints of the Sydney Opera House

You can admire the Sydney Opera House for free from many vantage points in the city:

Royal Botanical Garden from Harbour View Lawn
Mrs Macquaries Point (there are also benches above the viewpoint with views of the Opera House)
Campbell Cove in the Rocks (only works if there is no cruise ship blocking the view)
Footpath of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Footpath from Luna Park to Beulah Street Wharf

Sydney Harbour Bridge

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is Australia’s main attraction alongside the Sydney Opera House. The bridge was opened in 1932 and connects Sydney’s north and south coasts. Sydney’s across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which the locals call the ‘Coathanger’ (coat hanger), is worthwhile because of the fantastic view of the Opera House alone.

There is a Pylon Lookout on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, but we didn’t visit it. A walk across the Tdidn’tney Harbour Bridge is one of the highlights of a city trip with children to Sydney. Bicycles have an extra lane on the bridge’s other side and are more mobile than pedestrians on the Manhattan Bridge in New York. And if you want to increase your children’s motivation, Luna Children’s is the other side!

Queen Victoria Building

The Queen Victoria Building is a must-see building in Sydney. We found its interior particularly impressive: The shops are located in magnificent arcades, the painted windows and dome emphasise the glamorous ambience of the staircase, and many tiles are still in their original state.

In front of the entrance to the QVB, towards Sydney Townhall, is a sculpture of Queen Victoria and a wishing well. It’s worth looking at the Royal Clock inside the building. Ideally, time your visit so that you are at the Royal Clock on the hour (between 9 am and 9 pm)—little trumpet players appear on the towers every hour, and a piece of British history can be seen in the clock’s windows.

A short stroll to the Queen Victoria Building is worthwhile. The Strand Arcade is also a beautiful building with a magnificent shopping mall.

The Rocks

The historic district ‘The Rocks‘ is located on the Sydney Harbour Bridge – with great views of the bridge and the Sydney Opera House. Old brick buildings and small alleyways still convey the old charm of the working-class neighbourhood and give a small insight into what life may have been like here in European settlement.

Be sure to go to Campbells Cove for the perfect view of the Sydney Opera House. Unfortunately, large cruise ships sometimes block the view.

Rocks Discovery Centre

A visit to the Rocks Discovery Centre is free of charge and offers an overview of the district’s settlements and settlements. It’s worth a people’s inside. It’s more about Australia’s history. There are Australia’sinteractive games for children. Due to the constant rain, we spent an hour in the small museum. You don’t need much more time here. Don’t not a must-see for your visit to Sydney.

Luna Park

If you are in Sydney with children, you can plan a detour to Luna Park Sydney. Luna Parks are theme parks for which you don’t pay admission, but only for the attractions you want to use. Luna Park Sydney has rides for all ages, from a Ferris wheel to a sledgehammer. When we visited, it was the spring holidays in New South Wales, and the queues were quite long.

You can combine a trip to Luna Park with a stroll through the Rocks district. Then, walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and enjoy the various photo spots at Milsons Point overlooking the Opera House.

Darling Harbour

During the Great Depression in 1930, this area of Sydney was also known as the Hungry Mile due to the many job-seeking harbour workers. The buildings fell into disrepair until they were finally demolished in the 1980s.