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15 fun things to do in Sydney

Sydney SeaplanesCredit: Sydney Seaplanes

A Sydney Seaplane flying over Sydney harbour

#ilovesydney

15 fun things to do in Sydney

Sydney Seaplanes Credit: Sydney Seaplanes

A Sydney Seaplane flying over Sydney harbour

#ilovesydney

Hashtags #ilovesydney

Freedom has arrived and Sydney is ready to play. It’s time to book into enjoy the city’s first-class hospitality, discover a hidden beach or new cultural wonder, meet up with mates at a rooftop bar or reignite your romance under the stars. Sydney is open again and here are 15 fun ways to celebrate freedom in the city. 

1. Sail away, sail away
Sandy shores all to yourself don’t have to just be a dream – a cruise on the harbour can lead to some of the city’s most secluded bays and private seaside experiences. Reignite the loved-up feels on a My Sydney Boat tour, who can organise a romantic picnic on a beach only accessible by boat. Or reconnect with your mates and charter a private yacht with Lifestyle Charters Sydney, for on-board wine-tasting, end-of-year parties, live music and even clay-bird shooting.  

2. Find a pool with a view
Sydney’s ocean pools are famous for their natural beauty, from the aquamarine lanes of Bondi’s Icebergs to the cliffside Mahon pool carved into the rocks at Maroubra, and many have the bonus of being sheltered from waves, family-friendly and free. Feeling fancy? A staycation at one of Sydney’s sky-high hotels gives you access to their rooftop pools – try the InterContinental Double Bay, The Old ClareSofitel Sydney Darling Harbour or Crown in Barangaroo. 

3. Restaurant hop like a local
Ditch the dishes and rediscover Sydney’s first-class hospitality. Spend an evening grazing the vibrant dining scenes of Potts Point, Surry Hills or Darlinghurst with Maree from The Sydney Connection. Maree takes guests to some of the hottest restaurants in each precinct, from underground French restaurant Bon Vin to modern Israeli eatery Ezra, stopping at local small bars for a cocktail and history lesson along the way.  

4. Paddle out to an uninhabited island
Take in Sydney’s golden glow before the city wakes up with a sunrise kayak to Clark Island with Rushcutters Bay Paddle Sports. Join the guided tour to arrive on this tiny island just in time to watch the sky turn pink and purple behind the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House. Or rent your own craft and spend as long as you want exploring Sydney Harbour. 

My Sydney Boat, Sydney Credit: My Sydney Boat

My Sydney Boat offers private luxury charters on Sydney Harbour.

#ilovesydney

My Sydney Boat, Sydney Credit: My Sydney Boat

My Sydney Boat offers private luxury charters on Sydney Harbour.

#ilovesydney

Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour Credit: Destination NSW

Couple enjoying Sofitel Sydney's rooftop pool with views across Darling Harbour.

#lovensw #ilovesydney

Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour Credit: Destination NSW

Couple enjoying Sofitel Sydney's rooftop pool with views across Darling Harbour.

#lovensw #ilovesydney

5. Catch up with friends over lunch somewhere new
Gather your gang and refresh your palates at one of Sydney’s newest restaurants. Award-winning seafood chef Josh Niland has opened his new eatery Charcoal Fish in Rose Bay. Head to Amah in Chatswood to try family-style Malaysian by two of Sydney’s best chefs, Hun Loong from Mr. Wong and Junda Khoo from Ho Jiak. Neil Perry’s new restaurant Margaret has opened in Double Bay or say cheers with friends over cocktails and Cuban snacks at La Palma in Bondi. 

6. Learn a new skill from Sydney’s coolest mentors
Expand your horizons on your next catch-up with friends. At the Archie Rose Distillery in Rosebery, you can join a gin masterclass, and learn to blend a variety of botanicals to make your perfect spirit. If you prefer to get your hands dirty, head to Eveleigh Works to learn to forge your own chef’s knife or hammer. Or dance like nobody’s watching (except for the watchful eye of a pro dance teacher) at one of Sydney Dance Company’s ballet, hip hop or jazz classes. 

7. Dine on fresh seafood right by the water
Swap views of the kitchen table to views of Sydney’s dazzling waterfronts. Sitting right on Rose Bay, Empire Lounge sources only the freshest local seafood, including Appellation oysters flown in directly by seaplane. Better yet, book your own Sydney Seaplanes flight and take to the skies for lunch, soaring above Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park to Cottage Point Inn for grilled octopus or barbecued prawns. For serene scenes of the Parramatta River, Angelo’s Cabarita infuses their seafood menu with an Italian twist. 

Archie Rose Distilling Co., Rosebery Credit: Destination NSW

The cocktail masterclass experience at Archie Rose Distilling Co., Rosebery.

#lovensw #ilovesydney

Archie Rose Distilling Co., Rosebery Credit: Destination NSW

The cocktail masterclass experience at Archie Rose Distilling Co., Rosebery.

#lovensw #ilovesydney

Queen Victoria Building, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW

Shoppers in Queen Victoria Building in Sydney's CBD.

#ilovesydney

Queen Victoria Building, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW

Shoppers in Queen Victoria Building in Sydney's CBD.

#ilovesydney

8. Transform your lockdown wardrobe
It’s time to emerge from your activewear cocoon. Retire the activewear and immerse yourself in Sydney's fashion scene with an expert stylist on a shopping tour with Splendour Tailored Tours. In line with your style, you’ll be guided to some of the hottest Australian fashion labels as well as emerging designer boutiques, from the QVB to Paddington, and finish off the day with a chic lunch at one of the city’s coolest eateries. 

9. Make a splash in Western Sydney
Turn the adrenaline levels up as you take on the rapids at Penrith Whitewater Stadium – the challenging course recreates the characteristics of a wild river with 14,000 litres per second of raging whitewater flowing over a series of obstacles. Get your first taste of flying with Jetpack Adventures – a jetpack blasts hundreds of litres of water to propel you 10 metres high. Or speed along the water and feel the thrills (and the spills!) on a wakeboarding or waterskiing experience at Cables Wake Park.     

10. Bar hop on Sydney’s rooftops
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After-work drinks are back, no video calls allowed. Meet up for happy hour (and golden hour) at one of Sydney’s buzzing rooftop barsThe Glenmore has picture-perfect views of the Harbour and Sydney Opera House in the Rocks; see Barangaroo from up high on Crown’s 26th-floor terrace bar, Cirq, indulge in bottomless brunch at Untied; or pair your al fresco beers with Mary’s burgers on top of The Lansdowne Hotel in Chippendale.  

Penrith Whitewater Stadium, Penrith Credit: Destination NSW

Friends enjoying a whitewater rafting experience at Penrith Whitewater Stadium, Penrith.

#lovensw #ilovesydney

Penrith Whitewater Stadium, Penrith Credit: Destination NSW

Friends enjoying a whitewater rafting experience at Penrith Whitewater Stadium, Penrith.

#lovensw #ilovesydney

The Glenmore Hotel, The Rocks Credit: Destination NSW

Friends enjoying drinks in the afternoon at the Glenmore Hotel, The Rocks.

#lovensw #ilovesydney

The Glenmore Hotel, The Rocks Credit: Destination NSW

Friends enjoying drinks in the afternoon at the Glenmore Hotel, The Rocks.

#lovensw #ilovesydney

11. Watch a movie under the stars
Cuddle up close to your other half and watch a movie by moonlight. Pack the car with snacks and head to Skyline Drive-in in Blacktown, Sydney’s only drive-in cinema. Or set up a picnic in Centennial Park and watch the latest films at the Moonlight Cinema. In North Sydney the Sunset Cinema has food trucks and a full bar serving cocktails with Manly gin. And for a movie with a view, Westpac OpenAir screens outdoor movies at Mrs Macquarie’s Point, with sparkling views of Sydney Harbour as the sun goes down. 

12. Try a Middle Eastern feast
Follow a local along the flavour trails of Sydney’s diverse cultural diasporas. Let the expert foodies at Taste Tours guide you to the most delicious suburban secrets on a Taste of Persia Food Tour in Merrylands. You’ll sit down for bright and herby Afghan street food like spiced mantu dumplings, try a Syrian feast and stock up on Iranian pastries like baklava and Persian cookies for dessert. 

13. Go behind the sails of the Sydney Opera House
You’ve seen it from the outside, and you may have even seen it from the inside. But unless you’re one of the many star performers who have graced its legendary stages, you probably haven’t seen it from backstage. The Sydney Opera House Beyond the Stage Tour invites you to explore this iconic theatre like a VIP. Find secret vantage points, learn fun facts and amazing history, and even sing on stage to hear the acoustics of this unique building. 

 

Skyline Drive In Blacktown Credit: Destination NSW

Couple sitting in their car ready to watch a movie at the Skyline Drive In Blacktown.

#lovensw #ilovesydney

Skyline Drive In Blacktown Credit: Destination NSW

Couple sitting in their car ready to watch a movie at the Skyline Drive In Blacktown.

#lovensw #ilovesydney

Snorkelling at Shelly Beach Credit: Destination NSW

Snorkelling at Shelly Beach with Damien McClellan from Ecotreasures.

#ilovesydney

Snorkelling at Shelly Beach Credit: Destination NSW

Snorkelling at Shelly Beach with Damien McClellan from Ecotreasures.

#ilovesydney

14. Discover an underwater world in Manly
Beyond Manly’s famous surf and sandy beaches, Shelly Beach is a treasure trove of marine life. Swim up close to this underwater world with EcoTreasures. Join a guided snorkelling tour with one of their marine experts and feel the fins of a blue grouper brush past you or spot the neon stripes of a tiny nudibranch shimmering on the ocean floor as you explore this protected Cabbage Tree Marine Reserve. 

15. Feel like a whole new person
Recharge your soul and your skin and let the magic hands at Sydney’s best spas work their wonders. Unwind with a massage at The Day Spa by Chuan at The Langham, get cleansed with a facial by Melanie Grant, steam out all your toxins with a Darling Spa treatment and a session at their Moroccan hammam, and reconnect with your inner calm in a meditation session at The Well

The Day Spa by Chuan, at The Langham, Sydney Credit: The Langham

Set underground at The Langham, Sydney, The Day Spa by Chuan boasts a 20m heated pool.

#lovensw #ilovesydney

The Day Spa by Chuan, at The Langham, Sydney Credit: The Langham

Set underground at The Langham, Sydney, The Day Spa by Chuan boasts a 20m heated pool.

#lovensw #ilovesydney

For more information on things to see and do in Sydney go to www.sydney.com.   

Share your favourite holidays in Sydney and NSW on social media using @sydney #ilovesydney @visitnsw #lovensw.   

To read about Six Energising Destinations in Regional NSW we’re planning to visit now, go here.  

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