What to do for a LONG WEEKEND in Sydney?!
 

Hello all,

I am going to be studying abroad in Australia this fall and I am stopping in Sydney before I go to Canberra for school.

I will be in Sydney from all day Wednesday to all day Saturday (so a long weekend). Any tips, places I have to stop at, things to do, etc.?!?!?


THANK YOU!

What are your interests? The zoo and aquarium are both very good. There are several museums which could take you a few days. The Sydney Opera House and Bridge (you can climb the bridge). If you want to get out of the city, you could go to the Blue Mountains or one of the beaches (Manly and Bondi being the more famous ones). I would suggest picking up a guide book which give you loads of ideas and help orient up. Especially since you will be spending an extended time in Australia, you will probably want to visit other cities, so a good guidebook will be a great help to you.

Here's a start: http://www.sydney.com/

When I am in Sydney I enjoy:

Taking the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly Beach or Darling Harbor. The views are amazing. Take the ferry once during the day and once at night. It is also fun to just walk around Manly and Darling Harbor.
http://www.sydneyferries.info/
http://www.manlyaustralia.com.au/inf...do/beaches.asp
http://www.darlingharbour.com/

Walking around the Rocks and then walking along the water all the way to Sydney Opera House, and then through the Royal Botanical Gardens/Domain to the Art Gallery of New South Wales (if you enjoy contemporary art also check out the Museum of Contemporary Art at the Rocks).
http://www.therocks.com/
http://www.therocks.com/sydney-Shopp...nd_Markets.htm
http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/
http://www.mca.com.au/

See walking map here:
http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/a...kTourWater.pdf

Going to the Aquarium at Darling Harbor (there is also a smaller aquarium at Manly).
http://sydneyaquarium.myfun.com.au/index.htm

Having a drink or meal across from Bondi Beach.
http://www.bondivillage.com/index.htm

Take the ferry to Taronga Zoo. I can't imagine a zoo with better views.
http://www.taronga.org.au/taronga-zoo

Dining in restaurants and shopping.

Still on my "bucket list" (or wish list of things to do):

Do the Harbor Bridge climb:
http://www.bridgeclimb.com/

Swim at one of Sydney's outdoor pools:
http://www.visitnsw.com/Outdoor_pools_P644.aspx

Go to a performance at the Sydney Opera House (even though I have dined at the opera house):
http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/

thanks for all the links! I will definitely look into these things!

You are going to LOVE IT! Your long weekend will not be long enough.
Though I have never done this, if you feel up to it and if the weather is good, you might consider a surf lesson at Bondi or Manly.
http://letsgosurfing.com.au/
http://manlysurfschool.com/index.php

Are you coming in our autumn or spring? If it's spring you should definitely go to the beach. Bondi or Manly, as Diamantina suggests, or maybe Clovelly which is excellent for snorkeling. The northern beaches: Palm Beach, Avalon, Whale Beach are also stunning.

I am going to be there the first weekend of August. It is going to be during the tail-end of winter, right?

Yes, it will be winter and often August is the coldest month. I'd suggest some walks instead: Bondi to Bronte and back is a lovely coastal walk, Sydney sculpture walk is a good urban pathway through the centre of the city.

Museums that are worth a look: Museum of Contemporary Art (currently at the National Art School in Darlinghurst), Art Gallery of NSW (particularly the indigenous galleries), Museum of Sydney.

The Studio at the Opera House has cheaper tickets for more avant-garde performances. An Opera House tour is highly recommended.

In terms of colonial Sydney, there's The Hyde Park Barracks and my current favourite, Cockatoo Island (the ferry ride is great too).

Yes I think some walks too... Sydney city council has some good maps on their website SOme of these URLs are ridiculously long so I have tiny URL'd them

Sydney City Council Historical Sydney Walks
http://tiny.cc/wg9tb

and the Urban walkabouts website lists some ideas for strolling around the inner suburbs
http://www.urbanwalkabout.com/sydney/

Walks on the Harbour http://tiny.cc/hp920

or my 10 favourite Sydney walks http://tiny.cc/h94tf

I would also go out on the harbour... a ferry ride to Manly or Watson's bay for fish n chips.

BTW the Aquarium and Sydney Wildlife World are closing some areas at the moment for renovations... not sure for how long but we had to cancel a school excursion there this week. Might be good to call ahead.

For animal experiences try this website for ideas... some of them are free.
http://www.squidoo.com/where-to-see-australian-animals

That's a great resource site Emerald - thanks a million!

thank you so much emerald! this is great!

No Problem sammy.. I love Sydney and spend most of my day helping backpackers and students find their way around it so happy to help. Feel free to message me if you have any more questions.

i had 2 long weekends in sydney during my month there. i lived in suburban sydney (campbelltown) and during 2 long weekends tayed in central sydney for touring reasons. I did a rocks walking tour and the musuem, the bridgeclimb, took a apt tour to the blue mnts, toured the opera house, went to manly and bondi, the aquarium, zoo, hyde park and the barracks, alot of walking around...