The Best Sight in Sydney, New South Wales

Background Illustration for Sights

Sydney is a giant, stretching nearly 80 km (50 miles) from top to bottom and about 70 km (43 miles) across. The harbor divides the city into northern and southern halves, with most of the headline attractions on the south shore. Most travelers spend their time on the harbor's south side, within an area bounded by Chinatown in the south, Harbour Bridge in the north, Darling Harbour to the west, and the beaches and coastline to the east. North of Harbour Bridge lie the important commercial center of North Sydney and leafy but somewhat bland suburbs. Ocean beaches, Taronga Zoo, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, and great shopping in the village of Mosman are the most likely reasons to venture north of the harbor.

Within a few hours’ drive of Sydney are the World Heritage–listed Blue Mountains and the renowned Hunter Valley vineyards. Although both these spots are worthy of an overnight stay, they're also close enough to visit on day trips from the city.

Barangaroo Reserve

Millers Point Fodor's choice

Barangaroo is Sydney's newest shopping and eating precinct, an ongoing redevelopment of the an old wharf area once known as “The Hungry Mile,” between Walsh Bay and The Rocks and a fast favorite with locals because of its central location, easy access, and multiofferings. The harbor front is punctuated with all levels of dining, from high-end to trendy burger bars, and in the newly cobbled streets that run behind them, toward the CBD, there’s a maze of fashion boutiques. There’s also a boardwalk that currently links Barangaroo to its neighbors, with Darling Harbour to its south and Walsh Bay and the Harbour Bridge to its north. The park's name, Barangaroo Precinct, honors the powerful companion of Benelong, the Indigenous man known to the first European settlers, whose name was given to the point on the other side of the city where the Opera House stands. Barangaroo was an outspoken woman who advocated against the colonization of Sydney. Learn more about the origins of the Barangaroo Precinct and the 15-acre headland that surrounds it on a daily Aboriginal culture tour ($36.30), leaving at 10:30 am.