Best Things to Do in Sydney
Explore Sydney in 4 Days
DAY 1 – Harbour area
1. The Rocks, 2. Sydney Opera House, 3. Royal Botanic Gardens, 4. Sydney Harbour Bridge
DAY 2 – Zoo & beach
5. Taronga Zoo, 6. Bondi Beach
DAY 3 – Art and culture
7. Art Gallery of New South Wales, 8. Woolloomooloo, 9. Potts Point, 10. Darlinghurst
DAY 4 – Blue Mountains
11. Red Hands Cave, 12. Katoomba
So what is the best way to get to see the essence of Sydney if you have 4 days in the Australian metropolis – which things to include and how to do it?
Based on our experience, we have made up this itinerary for the Sydney area, including the topmost sights and awesome things to do to get all the best of Sydney in just 4 days. Of course, the itinerary includes the fabulous Taronga Zoo, featuring many unique Australian animals!
The things we have included are based on our best experiences and judgment about some of the best things to do in Sydney. If you want to include other things in your itinerary, feel free to change this itinerary accordingly!
St. Mary’s Cathedral | Photo: Travel In Culture
Day 1: Best things to do in Sydney – Sydney Harbour area
On your first day, you will explore the area around Sydney Harbour. You will find several significant sights within a very short distance!
You will start the day taking a stroll in The Rocks on the western side of Circular Quay which is Sydney’s vibrant precinct featuring old sandstone buildings, uneven cobblestone streets and a wealth of galleries, artisan markets, trendy cafés and rustic restaurants. It is also the precise location where the European colonists once settled when they arrived in Australia towards the end of the 18th century.
Pass by the historic buildings: Susannah Place, 58 Gloucester Street and Cadman’s Cottage from 1816 in George Street. Cadman’s Cottage is today the second-oldest residential building in Sydney, once a sailor’s home and a water police station. Susannah Place is now a museum, but in 1844, when it was built, it served as a grocery store and workers’ cottages.
Photo: Travel In Culture
To go even further back in time, visit the Rocks Discovery Museum (it is free). Here, you will go all back in history with exhibitions right from the pre-European period before 1788, the colonist period (1788-1820), the port period (1820-1900) and modern Sydney (1900 onwards). You will get the chance to learn about the Aboriginal heritage in the Sydney region. It is a fine museum providing a historical understanding of Sydney’s development from a primitive, indigenous society to the world-class metropolis it is today. It shows how the Cadigal people were driven out of Sydney by the European colonists.
You will now set foot on the stairs of the famous Sydney Opera House, designed by the Danish architect Jørn Utzon and completed in 1973 by Peter Hall. This specific architectural design was chosen among 233 contributions submitted in a design competition! Construction was initiated in 1959 and was expected to take 4 years. However, it took 14! Not surprisingly, it is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site with over 8 million annual visitors!
When the Sydney Symphony Orchestra plays in the Concert Hall, the temperature is required to be 22.5 degrees centigrade (72.5 degrees Fahrenheit) – to ensure that all instruments play in tune!
Sydney Opera House by night | Photo: Travel In Culture
If you wish to take a tour inside the Opera House, there is a range of tours. A standard tour takes approximately 1 hour.
Alternatively, you can enjoy the stunning architecture from the stairs outside and take some unique photos of the iconic Sydney landmark. Notice how the architect has played with the light in constructing the white tile shells. The tiles are covered with a glossy glaze developed by the Höganäs ceramics factory in Sweden, which was experienced in such solid tile productions. It gives the construction a unique shine.
After soaking up the atmosphere around the Opera House, it is probably time to grab lunch in one of Sydney’s plentiful restaurants.
Now, you can spend a few hours chilling in the unique Royal Botanic Gardens. Australia’s oldest botanic garden is just behind the Sydney Opera House.
The Gardens have a bit of everything. In particular, you can locate local plants and fruits that for hundreds or even thousands of years have been used by the Aboriginal Cadigal people as food ingredients – and for medical purposes to produce native medicine. You may consider doing a guided tour to get insight into these particular plant species and maybe try some real bush food!
Even in winter the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens have a nice green appearance | Photo: Travel In Culture
There are many free guided and self-guided tours inside the Gardens, so check out the Royal Botanic Gardens’ website beforehand. There are so many exciting things to discover!
The park is a lovely green space in the midst of bustling Sydney. You will most certainly be overwhelmed by the number of species and the diversity of the plants and flowers. Stay for a couple of hours exploring, enjoying the Lotus Pond and the views of the harbour, the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge from the park lookouts.
Bridge walking is next on your agenda!
Among the best things to do in Sydney is a stroll on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, from where you will enjoy stunning panoramic views of Sydney. It is an experience you absolutely must allow yourself time to have!
If you want a unique bridge experience, you can book a guided tour like the BridgeClimb Sydney. Alternatively, you may want to ascend to the Pylon Lookout, providing outstanding views. Consider that a guided tour/climb may take up to 3.5 hours, depending on your choice.
Sydney Harbour Bridge | Photo: Travel In Culture
If you do the bridge walk, it will take 15-30 minutes in each direction, allowing you to enjoy the panoramic views and get the coolest photos through the steel construction. Ascending the bridge is free. You can get up on it on the eastern side of Cumberland Street.
Back in the Rocks, it is time to look for a restaurant here to have dinner! There are plentiful dining places to choose from – and they come in all styles, price levels and cuisines. There is something for any taste – whether you are looking for a high-class restaurant, a fast food-like experience or an authentic historic pub.
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Day 2: Best things to do in Sydney – Zoo and beach
No visit to Sydney is complete without a visit to the renowned Taronga Zoo just across the harbour. It excels at featuring a wealth of Australian animals you cannot see in a zoo anywhere else in the world – including a large number of marsupials!
It is a short ferry ride – just 12 minutes across the waters – and an excellent sightseeing tour in Sydney’s harbour. You will get to see the Opera House from various angles!
You can even bring along a picnic to Taronga Zoo if you like. The Zoo features a dedicated picnic area, so you have this lunch option. Alternatively, buy your lunch at the Food Market inside the Zoo.
Photo: Travel In Culture
The first thing to do when arriving at the Zoo is to take the cable car (included in your entry), the Sky Safari, from the terminal up to the very top. The Zoo is on a hillside, and it is rather convenient that you only have to walk downhill during your visit!
If you do not have the time to see all the animals in the Zoo (which is understandable since they are plentiful – about 4,000!), do concentrate on the native Australian species that you cannot easily see anywhere else – and which you, maybe, have not been lucky enough (yet) to see in the wild in Australia! Go for the koalas, kangaroos, tree kangaroos, crocodiles, Tasmanian devils, emus, cassowaries, platypuses and wombats – to mention a few.
You may find inspiration for zoo activities on Taronga’s website for today’s animal encounters, shows, and talks!
During the whale migration season, you may be lucky to spot a whale from Bondi Beach | Photo: Travel In Culture
After the zoo experience, you will find your way to another iconic Sydney site. Catch the train / bus to Bondi Beach, approximately 7 km (4.5 miles) east of Sydney CBD – possibly with a change at Bondi Junction.
Bondi Beach is the world-famous beach where Sydneysiders can plunge into the crystal blue sea, ride the waves on a surfboard or chill out on the golden sandy beach. The sea is warm enough to have a dip all year round!
‘Bondi’ originates from an Aboriginal word meaning ‘water breaking over rocks’. Until 1882, Bondi Beach was privately owned and not open to the public. Additionally, it was not easy to reach the beach since there was no public bus service. Around 1930, an electric tram served the crowds arriving at the beach on a sunny day. Today, the trams have been replaced by a regular bus service.
Bondi Beach is a paradise for surfers | Photo: Travel In Culture
In the very early days, swimming at Bondi Beach was even forbidden! A surf lifesaving club opened in 1907 due to the strong waves swimmers and surfers exposed themselves to. The lifesavers’ presence was justified on February 6th 1938, Black Sunday. Massive waves wiped hundreds of people into the sea, and the lifesavers became true heroes in rescuing them.
Bondi Beach is also the place to do some people-watching. The Sydneysiders come here regardless of age and spend a leisurely day at the sea. Notice the vibrant graffiti on the walls along the beach – it is one of Bondi’s cultural facets.
Photo: Travel In Culture
Afterwards, stroll along the main promenade and discover the small shops and trendy restaurants.
If you are here during the humpback whale migrating season, find an elevated spot – maybe on the sloping grounds to the right – and look out for the enormous animals playing in the sea! Another excellent spot to observe the giant marine mammals is at the Ben Buckler Point lookout.
Photo: Travel In Culture
If you are more up to an active experience, consider the Bondi to Coogee walk! It is a 6-kilometre (4-mile) or 2-hour walk along the coast with breathtaking views, cliffs, idyllic beaches and bays, and small parks for a picnic. Due to the rocky terrain, there are some steep paths and staircases along the way, so you’d better wear appropriate shoes!
Alternatively, you may choose to stay all evening at Bondi Beach and have your dinner here in one of the cosy restaurants.
Day 3: Art and culture
Today, you will dive into Australian art and explore the Sydney culture by walking through some eastern Sydney districts.
Just south of the Royal Botanic Gardens, you will find the Art Gallery of New South Wales – one of the largest galleries in Sydney and Australia. Admission is free to the general exhibition showcasing Australian art, as well as European and Asian art. The Gallery’s first public exhibition dates back to 1874!
That is your chance to see great Australian art covering the periods from European settlement to contemporary art. The contemporary collection initially nearly exclusively represented Australian artists, but since then, it has extended to include international art.
The Art Gallery of New South Wales features great Australian art and Aboriginal works | Photo: Travel In Culture
The museum features some outstanding artworks with Aboriginal inspiration. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Gallery, also known as the Yiribana Gallery, features works from the unique Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander collections. If you are generally fascinated by Aboriginal art, you must see this part of the museum!
In the olden days, the Cadigal clan lived around the Sydney Harbour and depended on the sea for food, fishing with spears, and kayaks. The tribe was one of seven tribes or clans living in coastal Sydney speaking the same language, believed to be a dialect of the Dharug language. They were also known as the Eora people.
Continue to the Australian galleries presenting some of the finest Australian art. Sculptures and paintings by artists like Ralph Balson, Dorrit Black, John Brack, Grace Crowley and Russell Drysdale, among others, are on display. You will also find Aboriginal-style bark paintings by artists like Munggurrawuy Yunupingu and Mawalan Marika.
The collection of colonial and 19th-century Australian works is impressive – and you should take a look here!
4-day Sydney itinerary | Photo: Travel In Culture
At the end of your visit, you may want to have lunch in the gallery restaurant ‘Chiswick at the Gallery’ with stunning views or in the gallery café.
Day 3: Art and culture
Today, you will dive into Australian art and explore the Sydney culture by walking through some eastern Sydney districts.
In the afternoon, you will explore the eastern Sydney districts Woolloomooloo, Potts Point, and Darlinghurst on foot. Up to the 1840s, it was, to some extent, farmland here, but the European colonists divided the land into suburbs, now being Woolloomooloo, Darlinghurst, Potts Point and Surry Hills.
A walk through these districts is an interesting glimpse into the city’s development throughout the last centuries.
Woolloomooloo is situated a few kilometres east of the Sydney CBD and west of Potts Point. The word ‘Woolloomooloo’ is an Aboriginal term of which several interpretations have been suggested: ‘place of plenty’ or ‘young black kangaroo’. Woolloomooloo is a former dockland area and was at first home to rich merchants with imposing houses.
Towards the end of the 19th century, factories appeared, and Woolloomooloo changed and became a Sydney working-class district with terraced houses and wrought iron balconies. You will notice these stunning houses on your way through the Sydney suburb.
Woolloomooloo mural | Photo: Travel In Culture
Woolloomooloo has, during recent years, changed the influx of new, more affluent residents, although public housing, to some extent, still exists here among the new residential developments. It has a suburban character with an ethnic twist. You will also spot the occasional renovated industrial building, which today serves other purposes – like a school.
In the 1980s, the wharf was close to demolishment due to its dilapidated state, but the Green Ban in 1991 spared it – together with many other old buildings. It has been renovated, is home to fine restaurants, and is the upmarket residential dockside area in Woolloomooloo. You may feel like trying the iconic pie shop Harry’s Café de Wheels!
Therefore, today, the suburb appears as a rare mix between 1880 Victorian terrace houses along the laneways and the more modern parts with trendy restaurants and cafés.
Old terraced houses flank the streets in Woolloomooloo | Photo: Travel In Culture
Continue into the adjacent Potts Point, a more upmarket area, likewise set in historic surroundings. It is one of Sydney’s oldest neighbourhoods, named after the landowner Joseph Potts. Here, you will find the classic Sydney heritage character, townhouses, tree-lined streets, Art Deco and modern architecture. It is a bohemian suburb with a vibrant nightlife.
On the fringe of Woolloomooloo, Darlinghurst and Potts Point, you will arrive at King’s Cross. That is where designer fashion shops and upscale hotels lie side by side. The giant Coca-Cola neon billboard from 1976 has become another landmark in the Sydney streets!
In the late afternoon, you will cross over to Darlinghurst, further south.
The iconic Coca Cola billboard at King’s Cross | Photo: Travel In Culture
Darlinghurst was named after the former Governor Ralph Darling from the 1820s. Initially, Darlinghurst was a residential area of terraced houses and the location for many public institutions like the Darlinghurst Gaol and the Courthouse, as well as schools and industrial sites. Although the neighbourhood was already, at that time, somewhat mixed with both poor and rich, singles, families, and workers… it was still quite a reputable part of Sydney.
However, from the 1920s, the environment became more doubtful with gangs of criminals, drug trade and betting. It lasted until the middle of the century. Then, little by little, a process of gentrification has taken place. The suburb has changed with the migration of students, professionals, bohemians and artists who have replaced the working-class majority, the prostitutes and the drug traders.
In Darlinghurst, you will find many restaurant options for tonight’s dinner! This is one of Sydney’s most fashionable districts, featuring immense shopping facilities, top trendy bars, restaurants, entertainment venues and nightclubs – and it is especially popular with young people!
Sydney itinerary 4 days | Photo: Travel In Culture
Day 4: Day trip to the Blue Mountains
Today, you will take the train from Sydney Central Station to the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. A direct line will take you to Katoomba in approximately 2 hours. On a Sunday, you can even take advantage of the Opal card Sunday offer – where you can use the public transport all day long for just a few dollars. It is also valid on the trip to the Blue Mountains! You’d better set off from Sydney as early as possible to get the most out of your day in the mountains – preferably no later than 8:30 am. Check out the train timetables.
You will make two stops in the Blue Mountains. The first one is at Glenbrook, and the second in Katoomba. Today’s itinerary will take you to places with spectacular views in the Blue Mountains and a cool hike to intriguing Aboriginal cave rock art in the lush forest.
You may consider bringing along a picnic for lunch – since there are few lunch options on your morning hike!
Halfway to Katoomba, you will get off the train at Glenbrook Station. From the station, walk a little back in the direction the train came from and follow the road and the bridge over the rails to get into the National Park. Continue to the car park, where you will find a map of the area and the tracks.
You will be doing the loop Red Hands Cave walking track, an 8 km (5 miles) hike, following the same trail the Aboriginals used for thousands of years. It is a fascinating route, where you will experience varied nature like remarkable rock formations, lush forests and small creaks. You may even include the Blue Pool swimming hole or the Jellybean Pool for a refreshing dip!
Photo: Travel In Culture
The hike will take at least two hours – and possibly more if you find a scenic spot to have a welcome picnic somewhere along the track!
Specifically, it was the Dharug (or Darug) tribe that created the spectacular rock paintings at the Red Hands Cave between 500 and 1600 years ago. Their descendants have maintained the remarkable hand collage ever since. Not surprisingly, the colourful handprints of distinct hands are some of the sparse traces of the indigenous people living in clans in the Blue Mountains.
Photo: Travel In Culture
In front of the Red Hands Cave with its impressive, ancient ochre handprints, you cannot help sensing the breath of history! That is the heritage of Aboriginal Australia!
Around 12:30 – 13:00, you should be back at Glenbrook Station, ready to get on towards Katoomba.
You will continue for another hour by train to Katoomba, located deep inside the Blue Mountains. It is the top visited site in the Blue Mountains – and only known since 1879 when Katoomba Coal Mine was opened!
That is the place to get awe-inspiring views of the landscape. You now have many options for the afternoon.
The Scenic World presents you with some of the most spectacular sceneries in the area (See Scenic World tour and other activities). The Scenic Railway will take you steeply down the valley, passing the abruptly falling cliffs. On the way, you will catch sight of the Orphan Rock, as well as pass through a small tunnel. It is the steepest railway in the world!
Another option is the Scenic Cableway. It will take you down and 545 m into the rainforest of the Jamison Valley.
You may conveniently want to combine all three of them into a round-trip!
Finally, from the top, you can also choose to do the Scenic Skyway, which takes you across the valley! The views through the glass bottom floor are breathtaking!
Three Sisters in Katoomba | Photo: Travel In Culture
Towards the end of the day, find your way to the Echo Point Lookout. Here, you will have the most breathtaking view of the Three Sisters – with a good light around sunset! Perfect for photo shoots! There are several other lookouts on the rim, but you will probably not have time for them all.
Either you now have dinner in Katoomba before returning to Sydney – or you catch the train back to Sydney in due time for your dinner there (the train ride is approximately 2 hours!).
Read more about Australia: 10-Day Itinerary in Queensland
Read next: Aboriginal Art in Red Hands Cave and Exploring Daintree Rainforest
Going to Melbourne or the Great Ocean Road? Then take a look at 15 Awesome Things to Do in Melbourne and Exploring The Great Ocean Road
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‘Best Things to Do in Sydney’
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Best Things to Do in Sydney in 4 Days:
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Best Things to Do in Sydney 4 Days Itinerary
