Neighbourhood guide
The Rocks and Circular Quay
Where Sydney began: the ferries of the Quay, the Opera House, the sandstone lanes of The Rocks and the Bridge above.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Fin 22 · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsSydney Cove is where the First Fleet anchored in 1788. Today the ferries leave from Circular Quay, the Opera House stands on Bennelong Point to the east, and the sandstone lanes, pubs and warehouses of The Rocks climb the hill to the west, under the Harbour Bridge.
Sights
The Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and BridgeClimb, the MCA, Sydney Observatory, Cockatoo Island by ferry, and the harbour walk to Barangaroo.
Eating and drinking
Bennelong and Opera Bar under the sails, Aria on the Quay, Blu Bar on 36, the Glenmore’s rooftop, and the old pubs, the Lord Nelson and Fortune of War.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Rangasyd · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsStaying
Park Hyatt, the Four Seasons, the Shangri-La, The Langham, Pier One and Hotel Palisade.
Come by ferry, at least once.
Our advice: walk round to Campbells Cove at dusk for the Opera House across the water.
Why it's on our list
- Sights
- Eating and drinking
- Staying
What’s nearby
Distances from The Rocks and Circular Quay are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 12 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Nearest stations and wharves
- Circular Quay 6BFerry150 m2 min walk
- Circular Quay 6AFerry200 m2 min walk
- Circular Quay 5BFerry200 m3 min walk
Key sights
- Harbour Bridge900 mWalk 11 minCycle 5 minCar or taxi 11 min
- Hyde Park Barracks1.1 kmWalk 14 minCycle 6 minCar or taxi 11 min
- Darling Harbour1.2 kmWalk 15 minCycle 6 minCar or taxi 11 min
- Royal Botanic Garden1.2 kmWalk 15 minCycle 6 minCar or taxi 12 min
- Queen Victoria Building1.3 kmWalk 16 minCycle 6 minCar or taxi 12 min
- Bondi Beach6.8 kmCycle 34 minCar or taxi 28 min
- Sydney Airport10 kmCar or taxi 39 min
- Sydney Opera House12 kmCar or taxi 45 min
Main stations and the Quay
- Circular Quay250 mWalk 3 minCycle 1 minCar or taxi 9 min
- Wynyard Station700 mWalk 9 minCycle 4 minCar or taxi 10 min
- Central Station2.7 kmWalk 33 minCycle 13 minCar or taxi 16 min
Location
The map comes from Google Maps, which sets its own cookies once it loads.
More in depth
The back storySydney at the table: the harbour, the fire and the fishBennelong beneath the sails, Aria on the Quay, Oncore high over Barangaroo, Firedoor’s wood fire and Saint Peter’s fish: how Sydney eats, and where to book.
The back storyAustralian FoodRock oysters and prawns from the fish market, barramundi, the meat pie, lamingtons, pavlova and a flat white: what to eat in Sydney.
The back storyWhere Sydney sleeps: the harbour, the city and the eastern suburbsThe Park Hyatt beside the Harbour Bridge, the Four Seasons above Circular Quay, Capella in the sandstone heart of the city, Crown Towers at Barangaroo, and the design hotels of Surry Hills and Chippendale: where to stay in Sydney.