QVB History Tour, SydneyCredit: Vicinity Centres
QVB History Tour participants in the main atrium, looking at the Royal Clock and historic shopfronts.
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From the city to the coastline, and all the way out to the country, there’s no denying Sydney and NSW can make you feel new, excited, rejuvenated and re-energised. But it can also make you feel like royalty...
NSW has had a long-standing history with British Royalty; from hosting the very first Royal visitor in 1967 to Prince Frederick and Princess Mary’s first meeting in Sydney in 2000, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Australian Tour in 2018, Queen Elizabeth’s 16 visits, Queen Elizabeth’s daughter, Princess Anne, in 2022, and the upcoming visit of King Charles and Queen Camilla in October 2024.
In honour of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s upcoming visit, here are 15 ways you can feel like royalty in Sydney and NSW:
QVB History Tour, Sydney Credit: Vicinity Centres
QVB History Tour participants outside the George Street side entrance.
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QVB History Tour, Sydney Credit: Vicinity Centres
QVB History Tour participants outside the George Street side entrance.
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Book yourself in for a show or tour at the Sydney Opera House. Queen Elizabeth first opened the Sydney Opera House on 20 October in 1973, which has since celebrated its 50th anniversary.
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Peruse the city’s many Zimmermann stores, with the brand being a favourite of the Royal Family, with Kate Middleton, Zara Tindall, Princess Eugenie and Meghan Markle, all photographed donning the label.
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Follow in the (literal!) footsteps of Prince Harry who climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge to raise the Invictus flag in 2018, with your very own BridgeClimb or Burrawa Climb experience.
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Grab a drink at The Slip Inn, where King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark first met 24 years ago during the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and discover more of Sydney’s nightlife including bars like Frank Mac’s in The Rocks or one of four ritzy bars in Shell House.
BridgeClimb, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Family enjoying the Burrawa Indigenous Experience at BridgeClimb, Sydney.
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BridgeClimb, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Family enjoying the Burrawa Indigenous Experience at BridgeClimb, Sydney.
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Visit the Borambola Wines cellar door in NSW’s Riverina, who not only hosted the future King Edward VIII and then, almost a century later in 2018, King Charles and Queen Camilla; but also named their “Double Joy” Rose after King Charles exclaimed, “Double joy!” upon sipping the wine on a neighbouring homestead.
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Fall in love with horses just like Queen Elizabeth, with your very own experience with Centennial Parklands Equestrian Centre at the beautiful Centennial Parklands.
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Dress the part and have your very own hat designed by NSW milliners, including Neil Grigg, based in Paddington, and Jonathan Howard, based in Nambucca Valley, who have both created masterpieces for the Royal Family including Princess Mary, Kate Middleton and Zara Tindall.
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Try your hand and perfect the game of the royals with polo at Sydney Polo Club.
Sydney Gold Cup 2018, Richmond Credit: Destination NSW
Friends watching the 2018 Sydney Gold Cup polo event at the Sydney Polo Club in Richmond.
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Sydney Gold Cup 2018, Richmond Credit: Destination NSW
Friends watching the 2018 Sydney Gold Cup polo event at the Sydney Polo Club in Richmond.
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Book a stay at Queen’s Cottage in Khancoban, in NSW’s Snowy Mountains, which was completed to provide accommodation for her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II when visiting the region in 1963.
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Shop up a storm in the name of the Queen – literally! - at the Queen Victoria Building. The ‘QVB’ as we know it, was built as a monument to the long reigning monarch 1898.
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Dig in to the fresh produce from the Murray River Smokehouse, who have established a reputation as Australia’s finest smoked goods – even receiving an order by the office of Parliament for the Royal Family during Princess Diana and (then) Prince Charles’ visit to Sydney in 1983.
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It’s all in the name! Take a stroll in the picturesque Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney and wander the several different garden spaces at leisure or on a Aboriginal Harbour Heritage Tour.
Aboriginal Tour, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Guests learning about the rich Aboriginal culture of the Gadigal people on a guided tour in the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.
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Aboriginal Tour, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Guests learning about the rich Aboriginal culture of the Gadigal people on a guided tour in the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.
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Visit the Queen Victoria Building and treat yourself to Traditional High Tea and Champagne at the Tea Room QVB, Sydney. Served on authentic British silverware and classic Royal Albert china, this is one experience guaranteed to make you feel like a royal.
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Cruise Sydney Harbour like the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge did in 2018, and hire your own charter with local operators like EastSail or My Sydney Boat.
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Indulge and feel like Royalty for the night in the Sydney Suite at the Park Hyatt, equipped with your very own private terrace with 360-degree harbour views, two bedrooms, a dining table for eight and butler service.
To discover more iconic Sydney and NSW experiences fit for a Royal, head to visitnsw.com.au or sydney.com.au. Share your Feel New moments with #FeelNSW and #FeelNewSydney.
Park Hyatt, The Rocks Credit: Destination NSW
Woman enjoying a bubble bath in a Park Hyatt suite surrounded by iconic views of Sydney Harbour.
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Park Hyatt, The Rocks Credit: Destination NSW
Woman enjoying a bubble bath in a Park Hyatt suite surrounded by iconic views of Sydney Harbour.
More Inspirational Stories
Mulwala Water Ski Club, MulwalaCredit: Destination NSW
Mulwala Water Ski Club located in the Riverina Murray region in Mulwala, offers an outdoor bar and casual relaxed dining overlooking Lake Mulwala. Learn to water ski on a world-class, private, twin lake the Max Kirwan Ski Park.
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Cool off with an adventure: NSW is a watersports playground
Mulwala Water Ski Club, Mulwala Credit: Destination NSW
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Hot sands, wild rivers, bays with towers of coral and waves that curl like a rockabilly quiff – NSW is a paradise for adventure on and under the water. For adrenaline-chasers, there are world-class waves and whitewater runs, foils and jet boats built for speed, and reefs home to sharks and turtles. For the quiet adventurers, try paddleboard expeditions, fishing for rainbow trout and bass in pristine rivers, and colourful snorkelling spots.
Your next adrenaline hit
Surfing may be the famous action-hero of the NSW watersports scene, but the state’s rivers, lakes, bays and beaches also host a huge diversity of aquatic adventures to get the heart racing. Take in Sydney Harbour’s icons, while spinning, splashing and thundering past in a jet boat with Oz Jet Boating or Thunder Jet Boat. In Western Sydney, Penrith is a hub for adventure. Penrith Whitewater Stadium, purpose-built for the 2000 Olympics, is uniquely set up for both beginner paddling and intense raft adventures, as well as kayak courses where you can test yourself against Olympic times; Cables Wake Park teaches you to wakeboard via zipline (jumps and obstacles included); and Jet Pack Adventures lets you feel like a water-powered Iron Man.
In Brooklyn, on the Hawkesbury River, Jet Ski Safaris will take you around the bends of the river at 30 knots, while Fliteschool Manly and OzFoiling (with multiple locations on the Mid North Coast) will teach you how to cruise the coastline via eFoil, a motorised surfboard that glides above the water like an elegant seabird. Outside of Sydney, on the Murray River, encounter one of the greatest and oldest waterski clubs in the world at Mulwala Water Ski Club.
Find a wave
With reliable breaks on some of the world’s most picturesque beaches, NSW is a premium spot on the international surf circuit. Surfers with their own board and years of experience behind them can find world-class waves all up the coast while newbies can join in on a surfing lesson, all you have to do is choose which one and which beach. You can also practice on a perfectly shaped, perfectly reliable wave (with multiple options suitable for beginners or experts) at URBNSURF, Olympic Park’s surf park, and finish off with a meal at RAFI, the onsite Applejack-run restaurant and bar that overlooks the waves.
URBNSURF Sydney Credit: Applejack_Sandy’s_URBNSURF Sydney
URBNSURF Sydney
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URBNSURF Sydney Credit: Applejack_Sandy’s_URBNSURF Sydney
URBNSURF Sydney
Oz Jet Boating, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Experience the incredible speed of the red shark boats as they blast across Sydney harbour at high speed with Oz Jet Boating.
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Oz Jet Boating, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Experience the incredible speed of the red shark boats as they blast across Sydney harbour at high speed with Oz Jet Boating.
Explore NSW’s coral reefs
The pristine, ecologically rich seas of NSW have seen the development of 10 protected marine parks covering more than 100,000 square kilometres, offering a haven to wildly diverse range of sea life. Beyond those areas, in the harbour and the bays of the coastal cities, there are also vibrant ecosystems ripe for snorkel or scuba dive trips. Self-guided snorkelling can be done in most places along the coast and, provided you have the equipment and training, so can diving. Or learn the ropes with a tour. Woebegone Expeditions and Courses will teach you how to explore the reefs of the South Coast with safe, freediving techniques; Region X Snorkel Tours has you jumping off a kayak with a snorkel around Batemans Bay; and Ecotreasures fits in a headland walk between time in the aquatic reserve around Manly. For new divers, you can explore the lower North Coast with Jetty Dive Centre or the tropical far North Coast with Cooly Eco Adventures. While Sydney Underwater Scooters will set you up with a handheld swim-assister and show you the clear waters and underwater fauna of Sydney’s Gordon’s Bay.
Paddling sunrise to sunset
Every river, bay and lake has a different scene and a different story, and cruising on a kayak, canoe or stand-up paddleboard (SUP) lets you discover at your own pace. NSW is also full of explorers and local experts ready to guide you along the way. In Sydney, Sydney Harbour Kayaks and Sydney by Kayak will introduce you to the harbour at its multicolour best with dawn and dusk paddles. Manly Kayak Centre has both hire and guided options for kayaks and SUP, as well as giving you the opportunity to try your hand at SUPBALL, which is like polo but replaces the horse with a SUP. Cronulla SUP and Balmoral Paddlesurf let you explore less famous, but no less beautiful, beaches of Sydney’s south and north respectively.
On the Sapphire Coast combine your next river adventure with a story, like on Navigate Expeditions’ Aboriginal Culture Tour, where you journey into the land’s Indigenous heritage, or a Kayak and Shuck Tour where you visit the oyster farms. On the North Coast, social enterprise and SUP tour guides Wajaana Yaam Adventure Tours offers cultural eco-tourism on a paddleboard around the pristine waters of Solitary Island Marine Park. Not far away in The Tweed, Watersports Guru offers SUP lessons and hire, allowing you to cruise the waters Cudgen Creek while taking in the local birdlife – if you’re lucky you may even see a pod of dolphins.
Reel in a new experience
With pristine rivers and wild oceans, NSW is a dream for fishing for both newbies and those looking for the next big catch. Out on the oceans of the South Coast Kiama Charter Service will help you pull in your first deep-sea fish (go for blue-eye trevalla, gemfish or hapuka). While Port Macquarie Fishing Charters, Reel Ocean Adventures (in Tuncurry) and Evans Head Deep Sea Fishing Charters, provide the boats, deep-sea equipment and vibes on the North Coast. Inland, learn traditional yabbying in the bush at Narrabri Fish Farm, or set up your own line on NSW’s most epic jetties at Coffs Harbour, Lake Macquarie and Lake St Clair in the Hunter Valley. If you know the ways of a fly fisher, the Snowy Mountains and Blue Mountains are the hot spots.
Kayaking, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying a day of kayaking on Sydney Harbour.
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Kayaking, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying a day of kayaking on Sydney Harbour.
Navigate Expeditions, Kalaru Credit: Destination NSW
Guests on a walking tour with Navigate Expeditions in Kalaru
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Navigate Expeditions, Kalaru Credit: Destination NSW
Guests on a walking tour with Navigate Expeditions in Kalaru