Top 29 Attractions in New South Wales

Popular New South Wales landmarks and tourist spots

• 1 Sydney Opera House

  8.4 /10

  

  Australia’s most iconic building is the Sydney Opera House which nestles on the shores of Sydney Harbour at Bennelong Point. This multi-venue performing arts center was designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon and completed in 1973, before being added as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.
  
  The Sydney Opera House is home to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Theatre Company, The Australian Ballet and Opera Australia, with shows scheduled throughout the year for visitors to experience its interior ...

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• 2 Museum of Sydney

  7.8 /10

  

  The Museum of Sydney explores the people and events that have shaped the city, built on the ruins of the house of New South Wales' first Governor, Arthur Phillip. Remnants of the original 1788 building, such as drains and privies, can still be glimpsed today through glass openings in the museum’s forecourt. Australia’s first Government House served as the social, ceremonial, and political heart of the New South Wales colony during its initial years and the focal point of the first contact between the indigenous Gadigal people and the colonizing British ...

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• 3 Featherdale Wildlife Park

  7.8 /10

  

  Located around 45 minutes drive west of Sydney’s city center is the Featherdale Wildlife Park, set across seven acres of land in the suburb of Doonside. It was established in 1972, primarily as a nursery for Australian native trees and plants while also providing a refuge for native animals. Today the Featherdale Wildlife Park is dedicated to educating the public about conservation and is home to Australia’s largest native animal collection ...

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• 4 Sea Life Sydney Aquarium

  7.8 /10

  

  Home to more than 700 different marine species, the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium is one of Australia’s largest and most impressive aquariums. It’s set across 14 themed zones, including Jurassic Seas, the Shark Walk, Dugong Island, the Southern Ocean and the Discovery Rockpool, as well as the world’s largest display on the Great Barrier Reef. The exhibits cover both fresh and saltwater environments, including Australia’s riverine species and the fragile nature of these ecosystems ...

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• 5 Customs House Library

  7.8 /10

  

  With a magnificent setting at Circular Quay near the ferry wharf, the Customs House Library is set within one of Sydney’s finest historical landmarks. It was constructed from 1844 to 1845 to serve as the Customs Service headquarters before becoming a venue for exhibitions and functions in 1990. Since 2003, it has been home to the City of Sydney Library, set across three levels in the heritage-listed building ...

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• 6 Taronga Zoo

  7.8 /10

  

  Just a short ferry ride from Circular Quay across beautiful Sydney Harbour will take you to the world-famous Taronga Zoo. It boasts magnificent water views across its 69 acres (“Taronga” is an indigenous Aboriginal word meaning “beautiful view”) and is home to more than 4,000 animals from 350 different species. Not only is there native Australian wildlife, but animals from across the globe, with the grounds divided into eight zoogeographic regions ...

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• 7 Royal National Park

  7.8 /10

  

  Just to the south of Sydney lies the magnificent coastal cliffs, untouched beaches and native bushland of the Royal National Park. It stretches across 151 square kilometers and was the second national park to be established in the world, after Yellowstone in the United States. Tall limestone cliffs back idyllic and secluded beaches, while hardy, salt-tolerant species dominate the coastal heathland that stretches inland ...

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• 8 The Rocks

  7.8 /10

  

  On the Sydney Harbour Bridge's doorstep and immediately adjacent to Circular Quay lies The Rocks, a historic neighborhood of charismatic sandstone architecture and cobblestone streets. It was established as Australia's first European settlement in 1788 and is today packed with fascinating museums, boutique shops, and iconic pubs, making it worthy of an entire day’s exploration. Admire one of the colony’s original buildings at Cadman’s Cottage that dates to 1816 or tour the Susannah Place Museum's terrace houses that were built in 1844 by Irish immigrants ...

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• 9 Royal Botanic Gardens

  7.8 /10

  

  Australia’s oldest scientific institution, the Royal Botanic Gardens sprawl across 30 acres on the edge of Sydney Harbour. It was opened in 1816 and remains one of the most important botanical institutions in the world, home to an impressive collection of plants from Australia and around the globe. A historic hand-hewn sandstone seawall wraps around Farm Cove all the way to the Sydney Opera House, with the gardens gradually sloping up from here ...

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• 10 Darling Harbour

  7.8 /10

  

  Sydney’s hub for entertainment is Darling Harbour, which lies a ten-minute walk from the CBD or a short ferry ride from Circular Quay. It’s home to the SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo for up-close animal encounters, as well as great cafes and restaurants overlooking the water. Soak up the comings and goings at its historic wharf area, watch live street performers and musicians or get some retail therapy at its numerous shopping destinations ...

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• 11 Sydney Tower Eye

  7.8 /10

  

  Soaring above the city skyline as Sydney’s tallest structure, the Sydney Tower Eye, also named Sydney Eye Tower, measures 309 meters. It features a 360-degree observation deck that offers unparalleled panoramas across the city, making it one of Sydney’s most popular tourist attractions. Look out across Sydney's iconic beaches through high-powered binoculars, with views stretching all the way to the Blue Mountains in the distance ...

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• 12 Wild Life Sydney Zoo

  7.8 /10

  

  Located in the heart of Darling Harbour, adjacent to the SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and Madame Tussauds, is WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo. This award-winning, native wildlife park is designed like a rainbow serpent from the Aboriginal Dreamtime stories, with open-air exhibits enclosed by a stainless steel mesh roof that resembles the serpent’s ribs. The exhibits feature native trees and plants in their landscaping to provide a natural home for koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, platypus and even Tasmanian devils ...

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• 13 Capitol Theatre

  7.8 /10

  

  Entertaining Sydneysiders since the early 19th century, the beautiful Capitol Theatre is located in Haymarket. It hosts world class musicals, theatrical plays, ballets and concerts within its magnificent historic setting. The site was used by Sydney’s early settlers as a market for produce and hay (hence the name “Haymarket”), with the building designed by architect George McRae and structural engineer Norman Selfe ...

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• 14 Wharf Theatre

  7.8 /10

  

  The Wharf Theatre in Sydney is a small, but famous, double-theatre located at Pier 4/5 in Sydney. It is the home of the Sydney Theatre Company, which performs both here and at the nearby Roslyn Packer Theatre. The company was formed in 1978 and initially worked out of numerous rented premises throughout the city, with actors such as Geoffrey Rush, Hugo Weaving, and Cate Blanchett having developed their careers here ...

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• 15 Powerhouse Museum

  7.8 /10

  

  The Powerhouse Museum is situated in the old Ultimo Power Station building, just a short walk from Darling Harbour. It’s the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences’ main venue (aside from the historic Sydney Observatory), with outstanding collections that span science, technology, communication, transport, furniture, media, fashion and contemporary culture. While the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences has been in existence for more than 125 years, its Powerhouse Museum opened its doors in 1988 ...

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• 16 Manly Sea Life Sanctuary

  7.8 /10

  

  Located in the beachside suburb of Manly on Sydney’s northern shores, the Manly Sea Life Sanctuary is a much-loved aquarium, dedicated to the conservation of marine species. It first opened its doors in 1965 as Marineland and has undergone numerous name changes and revamps since, eventually being launched as Manly Sea Life Sanctuary in 2012. The aquarium is divided into three sections - Penguin Cove, Shark Harbour and Underwater Sydney - with everything from octopuses to lion fish, seahorses and baby sharks on display ...

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• 17 Sydney Harbour Bridge

  7.8 /10

  

  The Sydney Harbor Bridge is an iconic image, along with the Opera House, of the city of Sydney in Australia. Experience the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the most thrilling way possible with BridgeClimb, an adrenalin sports company that will take you up and over the southern half of the bridge. You can opt to climb at dawn, during the day, at twilight, or at night, with the full experience of taking just over three hours ...

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• 18 Art Gallery of New South Wales

  7.6 /10

  

  Set across five levels on the edge of the Domain Parklands, the Art Gallery of New South Wales is one of Australia’s most popular art galleries. It boasts an impressive collection of Australian art, including one of the country’s largest galleries of indigenous art, as well as an extensive Asian gallery and the works of European masters. The Australian art collection includes celebrated works by John Glover and Arthur Streeton, as well as 20th-century icons Sidney Nolan, Russell Drysdale and Arthur Boyd ...

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• 19 Blue Mountains National Park

  7.5 /10

  

  Located just inland from Sydney and forming part of the Great Dividing Range, the Blue Mountains National Park is one of New South Wales’ most popular natural attractions. It’s home to the towering Three Sisters sandstone rock formations and sacred Aboriginal sites, with plenty of walking trails to discover its waterfalls, magnificent gorges, and scenic lookout points. The Three Sisters Walk boasts incredible views of these weather-eroded sandstone turrets, which rise spectacularly above the blue-tinged Jamison Valley ...

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• 20 Luna Park Sydney

  7.4 /10

  

  Fronted by its famous nine-meter-wide smiling face, Luna Park Sydney is an amusement park situated at Milsons Point on the northern shores of Sydney Harbour. While it originally opened back in 1935, it’s undergone numerous name changes and revamps since then, reopening in 2004 after an extensive redevelopment. A number of its buildings are heritage-listed and it has been a popular filming location for movies and television shows ...

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• 21 Museum of Contemporary Art (Sydney)

  7.4 /10

  

  Set within the former Marine Services Board Building on the edge of Circular Quay, Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art is one of Australia’s most impressive modern art galleries. It features more than 4,000 works by both Australian and international artists, spanning media that includes painting, sculpture, photography and moving image. Depending on when you visit, the museum might be showcasing major thematic exhibitions or collections of particular artists, as well as new works by emerging artists and solo exhibitions ...

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• 22 Sydney Chinatown

  7.2 /10

  

  Located in Haymarket, in the southern part of Sydney’s CBD, Chinatown is the heart of Asian culture in the city. It was originally established in The Rocks area of Sydney in the late 19th century, before moving to near Market Street in Darling Harbour. It gradually moved to its current location in the 1920s, centered around bustling Dixon Street. Sydney’s Chinatown is packed full of restaurants serving authentic dishes, as well as bakeries and sweet shops where you can grab a snack on the go ...

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• 23 Snowy Mountains

  7 /10

  

  Home to Mount Kosciusko, the highest mountain in Australia, the Snowy Mountains form part of the Great Dividing Range in New South Wales. It’s a hub for winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding, with glacial lakes and magnificent snow gum forests that attract bushwalkers, anglers and mountain bikers throughout the year. Much of the region is protected within Kosciusko National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that is a popular destination for trout fly fishing, white water rafting and horse riding ...

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• 24 Hunter Valley

  7 /10

  

  Scattered with vineyards and cellar doors, the Hunter Valley is Australia’s oldest wine-growing region and situated around two hours’ drive from Sydney. It’s renowned for its Semillon, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignons, with boutique restaurants serving locally-sourced produce overlooking the rolling landscapes. Visit the well-known wineries at Lindemans and Tyrrells and discover the boutique cellar doors at Tullavera Grove and Brokenwood ...

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• 25 South Coast

  7 /10

  

  Stretching from the southern edge of Sydney’s suburbs to the border with Victoria, the South Coast of New South Wales is one of the state’s most attractive regions. It’s blessed with beautiful beaches backed by the dramatic peaks of the Great Dividing Range and a picturesque landscape of rolling green hills. The mild year-round climate lures holiday makers to fish, surf and swim, while there are plenty of scenic drives to discover the charismatic towns and villages ...

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• 26 Norfolk Island

  7 /10

  

  A tiny speck in the South Pacific Ocean, Norfolk Island lies a 2.5-hour flight from the East Coast of Australia. It once served as a convict penal settlement under British rule, with a permanent civilian populated established in 1856. It is renowned for its iconic Norfolk Island pines and jagged cliffs, with sheltered swimming waters protected by an outer reef ...

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• 27 Lord Howe Island

  7 /10

  

  Just a short flight from Australia’s East Coast, Lord Howe Island is a UNESCO World Heritage-listed destination of outstanding natural beauty. This crescent-shaped volcanic remnant forms part of a larger archipelago of islands and islets in the Tasman Sea, surrounded by coral reefs teeming with life. Lord Howe Island maintains a strict quota of only 400 visitors at any one time, giving it an exclusive feel and ensuring its breathtaking landscapes are preserved for years to come ...

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• 28 Port Stephens

  7 /10

  

  Enclosed by two volcanic headlands, Port Stephens is both the name of a bay and a town to the north of Newcastle. The area is renowned for its white sandy beaches and protected bushland that makes it a popular holiday destination for locals. Be sure to make the one-kilometer-long hike to the summit of Mount Tomaree for magnificent views along the coast and the Port Stephens entrance ...

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• 29 Outback New South Wales

  7 /10

  

  While the coast of New South Wales is heavily populated with beach resorts and big cities, the outback of the far west is a different world altogether. Classic country towns offer a warm welcome, while rugged national parks boast magnificent desert landscapes and sacred Aboriginal sites. Discover the mining legacy of Broken Hill while admiring its grand Federation-era architecture and learn about remote living in Australia at the Royal Flying Doctor’s Service and Broken Hill School of the Air ...

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