Ready, set, snap! See Sydney in a new way while exploring the New South Wales capital through your camera lens. Uncover the city’s best angles as you navigate from its urban heart to its sparkling beaches, capturing dazzling vistas and hidden details along the way. Here are some Insta-worthy spots to add to your itinerary.

Get the money shot at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair

Revel in the magnificent views of Sydney Harbour, the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge all in one frame at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair. Set on a peninsula east of the Sydney Opera House in the Royal Botanic Garden, this bench chiselled into rock is a serene spot to pause for a quiet moment after filling your camera roll. 

Soak up the calming setting for longer over a mouth-watering meal at Botanic House, where modern Asian cuisine designed by top chef Luke Nguyen ignites all the senses. Then stroll over to the neighbouring Art Gallery of New South Wales to take conversation-starting images of the gallery’s outdoor artworks, from the towering figures of Francis Upritchard’s Here Comes Everybody at the entrance to the gallery’s Naala Badu modern extension to Yayoi Kusama’s colourful Flowers that Bloom in the Cosmos. 

Be awed by Bondi Icebergs at Bondi Beach

Feel enlivened by the energy of the ocean as waves crash below Bondi Icebergs, an idyllic 50m ocean pool tucked into the southern corner of Bondi Beach in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. Whether you’re lining up a shot from the sparkling turquoise water as locals dive in for their morning laps, or enjoying a bird’s-eye view from Icebergs Dining Room and Bar as you savour a modern Italian seafood feast, you’ll soon understand why Bondi Icebergs is widely considered to be the most photogenic pool on the planet.

Sidle down south to Cronulla and follow the Cronulla Esplanade Walk for more picture-perfect ocean views – the 4km coastal trail runs from Wanda Beach to the north all the way to Bass and Flinders Point to the south. Grab a front-row seat at Bobbys, a seafood-focused restaurant on the esplanade at South Cronulla Beach, and snap away as surfers catch wave after wave and a stream of laidback locals stroll past. 

Soak up the beauty of Bronte Baths

Be mesmerised by the coastal views as you follow the popular Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk to Bronte Baths, a historic ocean pool built into the sandstone cliffs between Bondi and Coogee. Admire the dreamy contrast of the golden sandstone against the aquamarine water as you frame the perfect shot, then dive in for a refreshing swim. Continue on to Coogee, where elegant seaside restaurant Mimi’s sets the scene for a memorable Mediterranean lunch as the sun streams in through the wide, arched windows.

Frame your plate with foliage

Take your foodie snaps to a whole new level at The Grounds, recently crowned the world’s most Instagrammed café. Have your phone at the ready as you explore the collection of camera-ready spaces in this urban oasis in the Inner Sydney suburb of Alexandria. Feel spoilt for choice as you take in the industrial-chic Grounds Cafe, the plant-filled The Garden Bar & BBQ and the lush greenery of the Potting Shed. Or bring a half-dozen friends and bliss out with a Glasshouse High Tea around a table styled with flower arrangements, candles and chic tableware.

Venture to the upmarket eastern Sydney neighbourhood of Vaucluse to discover another garden sanctuary, The Botanica Vaucluse. Take a seat amid the overflowing greenery in the restaurant’s inviting courtyard and frame your burnt-pear-and-ricotta pancake against the vibrant blue of the tabletop. It’s an eye-catching contrast that’ll look right at home on your Instagram wall.

Get a new perspective on the city

You can’t fly drones over Sydney Harbour, but you can still get scroll-stopping bird’s-eye views of this beautiful body of water on a Sydney Highlights scenic flight with Sydney Seaplanes. You’ll take off from the pretty harbourside suburb of Rose Bay and soar high over the crescent-shaped Bondi Beach before making a loop past the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. Sip a pre-flight glass of champagne at Sydney Seaplanes’ dockside Empire Lounge as you document every minute of this incredible experience. 

Get up close to Australia’s iconic animals

Roll out of bed, draw back the curtains, watch the sun rise over the harbour – and possibly snap a candid photo of a koala straddling a gum tree mere metres away – from your room at the incredible Wildlife Retreat at Taronga Zoo Sydney. Whether you choose a Treetop Suite, an Animal View Room or a room overlooking bushland or the harbour, your stay at the retreat includes two days of Taronga Zoo access, a wildlife sanctuary guided tour, privileged access to the retreat’s N’Gurra Lounge, and countless opportunities for amazing photos.

Make a splash at rooftop pools

Check into Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour for exclusive access to the harbourside hotel’s Insta-worthy Infinity Pool looking out over the inner harbour and the city skyline. In the warmer months, enjoy a slice of the French Riviera as you sip premium champagne poolside and post envy-inducing images from the guest-only Le Rivage Pool Bar.

Base yourself at The Eve Hotel Sydney, straddling Surry Hills and Redfern in the city’s inner east, and recline in a cabana by the rooftop pool, waiting for the sun to hit just the right angle to bring out the rich colours of the beach umbrellas against the blue sky and the green-tiled swimming pool. 

Snap a margarita against the backdrop of cayenne terrazzo and pink travertine in The Eve’s rooftop Mexican restaurant and mezcaleria Lottie. Or step out of the hotel lobby and into the Wunderlich Lane dining and retail precinct, where Olympus Dining serves village-style Greek fare in a stunning space dominated by a 50-year-old bougainvillea tree that spreads its branches below an expansive glass roof. 

Aim high for the perfect shot

Capture the moment the sun dips below the horizon from your perch at one of Sydney’s sky-high bars. Press your phone to the glass for almost surreal image of the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Circular Quay at Blu Bar on 36, on the 36th floor of the Shangri-La Sydney in The Rocks. 

At the other end of Circular Quay, take a panoramic photo of the harbour and its iconic structures from the terrace of the rooftop bar Aster, on the 32nd floor of the InterContinental Sydney. Then sit back and enjoy the view while sipping one of the bar’s creative cocktails featuring native Australian ingredients. 

Or head to the city centre and ascend a head-spinning 83 floors to Bar 83 at Sydney Tower. Sink into one of the revolving bar’s retro-style seats and gaze out at views stretching across the inner city and the harbour to a distant horizon. Guarantee your spot by the window by booking a Sky High Seats package, which includes shared plates of finger food, cocktails and a bottle of champagne to enjoy over a two-hour seating. 

Lean into a sense of serenity

Step into the Chinese Garden of Friendship in Darling Harbour and you’ll be transported to a private walled garden in 5th-century China. Follow the Meandering Pathway of Tranquillity through this sanctuary symbolising the friendship between Sydney and the city of Guangzhou in the Chinese province of Guangdong, pausing for photos with a wall of dragons, the sleeping boy Buddha, a rock forest and much more. Take a break at the garden’s One Dining tea house and savour a cup of jasmine, lychee or green chai tea as you review your overflowing camera roll. 

Admire the opulence of the Queen Victoria Building

Be transported to 19th-century Sydney at the Queen Victoria Building, a fantasy of elaborate Romanesque architecture on George Street in the heart of the city. Focus in on photogenic details in every corner of this heritage-listed 1898 shopping centre, from the grand arches to the stained-glass windows and the soaring domed ceilings. Then indulge in a decadent high tea served on Royal Albert fine china at the elegant Tea Room QVB.

Be seduced by Forgotten Songs in Angel Place

Follow the sounds of native bird calls to Angel Place, where a whimsical cluster of more than 100 birdcages suspended above this pedestrian lane in the heart of the city offers a delightfully unexpected photo opportunity. Embrace the calming effect of the ethereal audio element of this striking installation by Michael Thomas Hill, which explores how Sydney’s birds have adapted to coexist with urbanisation. Then discover another hidden treat on Angel Place in the form of lauded wine and pasta bar Ragazzi.

Find refuge at Paddington Reservoir

Imagine you’ve stumbled into ancient Rome at this hidden garden in Paddington, tucked away in heritage-listed Paddington Reservoir. Decommissioned in 1914, the reservoir has been transformed into a Romanesque green refuge, sunken from the street and replete with a lake of contemplation, wall of edgy art and hanging floral canopy. Explore the photo opportunities proffered by the dramatic backdrop of towering archways, brick and iron structures before flopping by the pool at Oxford House, a stylish new boutique hotel in Paddington with plenty of cool angles of its own to uncover.

Enjoy the serenity of Wendy’s Secret Garden

Step into a real-life fairytale in Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden, a fantastical tangle of plants, trees and flowers webbed with paths and dotted with artworks on the north shore of Sydney Harbour. Created by Wendy Whiteley, the widow of famed artist Brett Whiteley, this gorgeous garden – part of the Lavender Bay Parklands – comes with plenty of hidden coves for picnics and quiet contemplation, not to mention photo opportunities. 

Drink in more garden vibes at The Botanist, an atmospheric bar and restaurant just a 10-minute walk away in harbourside Kirribilli. Or cross the Sydney Harbour Bridge to gaze back across the water towards Wendy’s Secret Garden from Pier One Sydney Harbour, a stylish heritage hotel nestled under the southern pylon of the iconic bridge.

Uncover the mysterious Manly Wormhole

Channel your inner urban explorer on an excursion to the Northern Beaches to snap one of Sydney’s best-kept secrets. Officially named the Queenscliff Tunnel, the ‘Manly Wormhole’ is thought to have been dug by fishermen a century ago as a shortcut between Freshwater Beach and Queenscliff Beach in Manly. Follow the 50m-long passage as it burrows through the cliff, and clamber over boulders to reach the uplifting end: shimmering views over the ocean, perfectly framed by the tunnel’s mouth. Extend your visit with a stay at the beautifully refurbished Manly Pacific hotel, revelling in its exclusive location just steps from Manly Beach.