Top Things To Do In Sydney

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Tourist in summer clothes and a hat posing in front of Sydney Harbor Bridge

Top things to do in Sydney

From exploring cool neighborhoods to eating with the locals to seeing iconic sites, these are some of our favorite experiences

When in Osaka
make sure to try
“kushikatsu”!

See the city like
you would with a friend who lives there

See all

When in Osaka
make sure to try
“kushikatsu”!

See the city like
you would with a friend who lives there

Wondering what to do in Sydney?

With its crystal clear beaches, colorful cockatoos, and super-cool crowd, Australia’s most vibrant city demands attention with its endless list of things to do. Lovers of the outdoors will be treated with bush-fringed coastline and manicured gardens; foodies will be spoiled for choice at century-old markets and quaint cafés. Many of the best things to do in Sydney can be found in and around the central pedestrian precinct, Darling Bay Harbor. From this perfectly positioned starting point, see major attractions like the Opera House before heading deep into the inner-city suburbs, where rows of 19th-century terrace houses sandwich tiny book shops and boutiques.

Meet some of our Sydney local hosts

Like the people who travel with us, they have different backgrounds and interests – but they’re all so passionate about the place they call home, they choose to spend their free time sharing it with the like-minded travelers matched to them.

We’ve handpicked them and we’ll match you to your perfect one!

Tourists and locals enjoying a beautiful sunset with Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbor Bridge in the background

A very pretty city

With sleek architecture, sun-dappled streets, and heritage buildings harking back to Sydney’s maritime history, finding a city with more aesthetic wow-factor would be a tall ask – and yet, Sydney is somehow upstaged by its natural surroundings. With so many outdoorsy things to do in Sydney, it’s no wonder getting outside is what locals do best. Whether you stroll the lawns of the centuries-old Royal Botanic Gardens, hike between cliffs, explore the sun-soaked harbor, or tuck into seafood on the beachfront, the city-to-surf lifestyle offers plenty of things to do in Sydney.

Tourists and locals enjoying a sunny day out at a local beach in Sydney

Breathtaking beaches

Sydney’s seaside is a paradise for beach bums, and each of the city’s beaches has its own appeal. There’s Manly Beach, a haven of golden sand and bronze bodies sunbathing and surfing, while street art-plastered Bondi Beach is perfect for beachside bar-hopping with beautiful people. For coastal walks, Coogee can’t be matched, and the secret sheltered shorelines and hidden coves in all corners of the city lure locals for balmy beachside afternoons. Wherever you decide to soak up the sun, one of the most unique things to do in Sydney is to travel between the beaches by ferry!

A typical food stall at a local market in Sydney

Phenomenal food

It’s not all shrimp on the barbie – Sydney’s food scene is a celebration of flavors from all over the world. Many of the most memorable things to do in Sydney involve food, from tucking into crispy fish and chips along on a beachfront to trawling historic inner-city markets for street food. Whatever cuisine you fancy – Turkish, Thai, Indian, Mexican, Chinese – you’ll find it here, and while fusion food is predictably huge, there’s no shortage of local fare. Once you’ve had your fill, grabbing a drink at a tiny heritage bar is one of the best things to do in Sydney at the end of your day.

Sydney travel tips and inspiration from our Travel Magazine

Find essential city info, travel tips and the best things to do in Sydney and around the world recommended by our local hosts

Latest reviews from our guests

My husband and I booked a Sydney Layover Tour with a Local on our way to Tasmania. We really only had a short stay between flights! Our tour guide John was on the ball. The company reached out early with plenty of time asking us for our interests. With the time and interests they crafted an itinerary for us to review and adjust as needed. John met us at the airport and helped us to navigate the public transportation and locate luggage storage, that he scoped out for us to use. John was a great tour guide for us! Very helpful and knowledgeable. I really felt I had a local guiding me. Good, friendly rapport, John made friends with everyone and generally enjoys talking with people. It was a very good introduction to how nice the people of Australia are! He is very into local activities and government and was happy to explain things to us that we would not have known about. When we walked down a street that had a historic display that was removed he immediately knew which city representative he was going to reach out as soon as the tour was done. At first he seemed a little scattered brained and I had a hard time piecing together the history he was telling. To be fair I had slept sitting up on a plane from the states so I wasn't thinking the most clear either! Once I got used to his style it started to make a lot more sense and I really enjoyed talking with him. From John I get the sense that the tour guides really care about the work they do and take a lot of pride in it. On the tour John showed us a lot of things he had paid out of pocket to preview in advance, and since he had gone the extra mile was able to explain to us what these locations were. For the tour itself it's important to remember that you are paying for the local guide, and any other activities are not included even the ones the guide has worked with you on to make your itinerary. My husband had planned it so I wasn't aware of that coming in to it. Despite the cost, for us to have our 10 hour layover (total to go through customs, and back through on a flight) and get a Sydney experience I think we got to see as much as we did because we had a local tour guide helping us get on trains, ferries, navigating walkways, etc. It would have taken us a lot of research and time to get an experience like we had on our tour in such a short time.

April 2022

Kimberly S
Wonderful overview of the city.

March 2020

Jennifer p
I was pleasantly surprised with the day tour. Our guide John covered all the must sees with us where we learnt so much about the history of Australia whilst visiting the historical monuments and walking around the city. We visited the Opera house, Mrs Macquire’s bench, Hyde Park, Botanical Gardens, the Art Museum and the library and also stopped by key landmarks. We were given several opportunities to capture views of the Harbour and the Opera House. We also got the chance to experience local transportation to the area of New Town which was quite different to the city area. Our tour guide went above and beyond to accommodate our needs and he was very pleasant to spend the day with. I highly recommend this tour if you would like to experience Sydney in a day.

March 2020

Giltan B
Peter was an excellent tour guide and provided us with a true insiders view to the city. We enjoyed the insight and the experience.

March 2020

Matthew B