Introduction
Welcome to the Rusty Compass independent guide to the best things to see and do during a stay in Sydney. Our guide to Sydney is skewed towards travellers keen on active exploration with an interest in history, culture and the arts. You probably enjoy enjoy walking and a bit cycling. Sydney offers all these things in spades. Check the list to dig deeper, or read on for the condensed version. We're still updating in 2023 so stay with us.
Everything we do - words, images and video - is original and independent. Read on....
Australia's unique Indigenous art heritage will be a highlight of your exploration of Sydney's galleries. Since colonisation, European artists have been interpreting the landscapes and the settlement. This work is another interesting feature of Sydney's galleries. The Art Gallery of New South Wales houses Sydney's finest collection of art. In 2022 New South Wales Art Gallery opened Sydney Modern - a major expansion. Don't miss both galleries. The MCA - Museum of Contemporary Art - with its focus on the new is also very good. There are a number of excellent smaller galleries. All those that we list are free.
Check out our independent guide to Sydney's galleries here.
Photo: Mark Bowyer Art Gallery of New South Wales
When travellers think Sydney, they're more likely to think beaches, the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and outdoor life, than museums and galleries. And you get the sense that Sydney has dropped the ball a little on the museum game. Sydney has nothing to match the great museums of Europe or North America. It's a patchy affair really. Some of the smaller museums and historic houses will be a a highlight.
Check out our guide to the best of Sydney's museums.
Photo: Mark Bowyer Tasmanian Tiger - Chau Chak Wing Museum, Sydney
Sydney's Opera House is the best known performance space in the world. And with more than 10 million visitors per (non-COVID) year, it's the most popular tourism site in the city. The Opera House been grabbing global attention since well before it was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1973.
In 2007 the Opera House became the youngest World Heritage listed site. Few buildings are as well known and few are so proudly adopted by a city's residents. Make Sydney Opera House a recurring theme of your Sydney exploration. Get to know it well. And explore its backstory too.
Click here for more on Sydney Opera House.
Photo: Mark Bowyer Sydney Opera House - almost 50 years and fresh as ever.
Sydney Harbour Bridge was the city's first iconic man-made structure of the post-colonial era. It opened to great fanfare in 1932 in the middle of the Great Depression and carries tremendous symbolism for the city. It has gone on to serve Sydney as a central piece of infrastructure for almost 100 years. It's also a formidable creation of design, engineering and planning. Take a walk across Sydney Harbour Bridge and walk around it too.
Check out our full guide to Sydney Harbour Bridge here.
Photo: Mark Bowyer Sydney Harbour Bridge - Observatory Hill
Orientation self-guided walking tour of Sydney - heritage and highlights
This walk a a great way to get started in Sydney. You'll pass by many city highlights, museums and historical sights. You'll get a sense of the city layout and places you'll be interested in taking a longer look at during your stay, including Hyde Park, historic Macquarie St, Royal Botanical Gardens, Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.
For details of our self-guided Sydney walk, click here.
Photo: Mark Bowyer Hyde Park Barracks and the Spires at St Mary's Cathedral - Sydney
Royal Botanical Gardens, Sydney
Sydney's Royal Botanical Gardens were created in 1816, in the early decades after the British invasion. The focus was science. Botanist Joseph Banks was especially excited by Australia's unique flora and fauna after his visit in 1770 aboard James Cook's Endeavour. The gardens are stunning. The harbour setting sublime. Spend an afternoon or morning wandering in awe.
For more on Sydney's Botanical Gardens, click here.
Photo: Mark Bowyer Royal Botanical Gardens, Sydney
The Powerhouse Museum - or Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences - is all about technology, science and design in an old industrial setting. The old tram powerhouse, is spectacular (hence the name). It's enough reason for a visit. There are classic bits of Australian industrial history on display, as well as temporary exhibitions on design and technology. Admission Free.
For more on the Powerhouse Museum, click here.
Photo: Mark Bowyer Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
From lesser known beaches and ocean pools, to harbour gems and suburban swimming centres - this is our list of Sydney's best places for a casual dip. They've been selected not just because they're amazing places to swim, but because they're in interesting, often beautiful settings. The settings will be at least as rewarding as the swims.
For our guide to Sydney's best swimming spots, click here.
Photo: Mark Bowyer Camp Cove, Watson's Bay
The 1819 Hyde Park Barracks is one of the oldest convict sites in Australia. It's a serious piece of history designed by convict architect Francis Greenway under Governor Lachlan Macquarie. Inside is a museum remembering convict life, the building's time as a women's immigration depot, and Indigenous dispossession. Adults $24.
For more on Hyde Park Barracks click here.
Photo: Mark Bowyer Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney
The Chau Chak Wing Museum opened in late 2020. It's Sydney's newest museum and one of its best. Located on the campus of Sydney University, it brings together the university's three old museums in a single gleaming new complex. Admission is free.
For more on the Chau Chak Wing Museum click here.
Photo: Mark Bowyer Chau Chak Wing Museum, Sydney
Watson's Bay - Camp Cove, The Gap, South Head Heritage Trail
You'll easily fill a leisurely afternoon or longer at Watson's Bay. The gateway to Sydney's South Head has a mellow village feel, dramatic coastal views, great walks, sweet harbour beaches and a fascinating history. Its location at the end of the peninsula feels pleasantly removed from the city and the neighbouring suburbs. It's where you'll find the site of Australia's oldest lighthouse, The Gap, historic Camp Cove and views across the harbour from South Head. A good supply of eateries will keep you covered through your visit too.
For more on Watson's Bay and what's there, click here.
Photo: Mark Bowyer Camp Cove
If your interest in history runs to cemeteries - as ours does - we've compiled a collection of the most interesting cemeteries in Sydney. It'll take you from the coast into the suburbs with interesting things to see along the way.
Check out our full guide to Sydney's cemeteries here.
Photo: Mark Bowyer Waverley Cemetery, Sydney
The Chau Chak Wing Museum (above) is the main attraction of a visit to the historic campus of Sydney University. Sydney's newest museum sits in the grounds of its oldest university. The university is also interesting for a walk and a look - especially the original 1850s gothic sandstone buildings of the Main Quad.
For more on visiting Sydney University, click here.
Photo: Mark Bowyer The historic Main Quad at the University of Sydney
Museum of Contemporary Art, MCA
Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) is Australia's premier gallery of contemporary art. Indigenous art is well represented in the collection of more than 4000 works. Housed on the site of the former colonial-era Commissariat, the museum looks over Circular Quay to the Opera House. It's a fabulous location for a must-see gallery.
For more on visiting the MCA, click here.
Address: 140 George St, The Rocks - right by Circular Quay
Photo: Mark Bowyer Museum of Contemporary Art - MCA, Sydney
Our independent selection of the best things to see and do in Sydney, was updated in January 2023 and is in development. Let us know if you have any suggestions.
