UltimateCity Guide Sydney
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Stories from Sydney, Australia

Every story, long read and guide in the ULTIMATE Sydney City Guide, in one place.

Areas

Sydney, neighbourhood by neighbourhood

Ten neighbourhoods, each with its own guide: the Quay and The Rocks, the sandstone city and Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, the kitchens of Surry Hills, Paddington’s terraces, Potts Point, Bondi, Manly, Newtown and Mosman.

Sandstone warehouses turned shops and galleries in The RocksNeighbourhood guideThe Rocks & Circular QuayWhere Sydney beganThe sandstone and copper domes of the Queen Victoria Building on George StreetNeighbourhood guideThe City & BarangarooSandstone and the new waterfrontDarling Harbour and the city towers on a bright dayNeighbourhood guideDarling Harbour & PyrmontThe western waterfrontA corner pub in Surry HillsNeighbourhood guideSurry Hills & ChippendaleTerraces and kitchensIron-lace terraces in PaddingtonNeighbourhood guidePaddington & the harbour eastTerraces and harbour beaches

Harbour or beach

For a first visit, stay by the harbour and take the ferries; the beaches are a bus or a ferry away.

  1. Neighbourhood guidePotts Point & WoolloomoolooArt deco and the wharf
  2. Neighbourhood guideBondi & the eastern beachesThe ocean beaches
  3. Neighbourhood guideManly & the northern beachesAcross the harbour
  4. Neighbourhood guideNewtown & the inner westKing Street and the workshops
  5. Neighbourhood guideMosman & the north shoreThe zoo and the headlands

History

History & heritage

Gadigal Country before 1788, the First Fleet and the convict city, the gold and railway age, the Bridge and the Opera House, and the city of today.

The Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge across the waterHistory & heritageSydney: from Gadigal Country to the harbour cityGadigal Country, the First Fleet and the harbour city

Practical

Before you go

The ETA or eVisitor, Opal and contactless, the airport trains, the seasons and the itineraries that work for a first visit.

The Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge across the water on a clear dayBefore you goSydney essentialsThe ETA, 000 and the seasonsLight rail trams on George StreetGetting aroundGetting aroundOpal, metro, ferries and trainsThe sails of the Sydney Opera House from the forecourtItinerarySydney in three daysThe Opera House, Manly and BondiA Manly ferry crossing the harbourItineraryThe harbour by ferryTaronga and the headsThe Opera House and the Harbour Bridge at dusk with a ship passingLuxury guideLUX LivingThe finest addresses

On the move

On Fridays and at weekends the daily Opal cap is $9.65: the day for ferries.

  1. ItineraryThe Gold weekendCrown Towers and Oncore
  2. ItineraryThe Platinum weekendThe Park Hyatt and Aria

Our advice

Take the Manly ferry

The ferry from Circular Quay to Manly crosses the harbour past the Opera House and the heads: the finest harbour cruise in Sydney, at a commuter fare. Manly

Day trips

Beyond Sydney

The Blue Mountains by train, the cellar doors of the Hunter, Royal National Park, West Head and Palm Beach, the Southern Highlands and Canberra.

The Three Sisters at KatoombaBeyond SydneyThe Blue MountainsSandstone and eucalyptsVineyards of the Hunter ValleyBeyond SydneyThe Hunter ValleyThe wine countryThe lagoon and beach of WattamollaBeyond SydneyRoyal National ParkThe second-oldest national parkPalm Beach and Pittwater from Barrenjoey HeadBeyond SydneyKu-ring-gai Chase & Palm BeachWest Head and BarrenjoeyFitzroy Falls in the Southern HighlandsBeyond SydneyThe Southern HighlandsFalls and the coast road
  1. Beyond SydneyCanberraThe capital

Our advice

Walk the coast early

Walk from Bondi to Coogee in the early morning, before the heat, and swim between the flags at Bronte on the way. Walks in Sydney

In depth

In depth: Sydney’s back stories

The harbour city’s great sights, the table from Bennelong to the fish market, the arts from Naala Badu to the Opera House, the hotels, the ferries and what a foreign buyer should know: the stories behind Sydney.

The Martin Place Christmas tree lit at nightMartin Place and the harbourChristmas in SydneyThe tallest tree in NSW and fireworks at midnightNorth Head from the waterIn depth: nature & wildlifeWild SydneyFlying-foxes, penguins and whalesThe Opera House lit at night across the harbourThe back storySydney at the tableThe harbour, the fire and the fish

At the table

Book the harbour rooms weeks ahead; the neighbourhood kitchens of Surry Hills and the inner west are where Sydney eats every day.

  1. The back storyFrom Naala Badu to the Opera HouseSydney’s arts
  2. The back storyWhere Sydney sleepsHarbour or city
  3. The back storyGetting aroundMetro, ferries and Opal
  4. The back storyBuying in SydneyThe rules for foreign buyers

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