Jacarandas, Royal Botanic Garden SydneyCredit: Destination NSW
See Sydney landmarks from a fresh perspective on a private tour.
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From backstage access and sportsground passes to exclusive restaurant bookings and luxury cruises, private tours in Sydney take you behind the scenes to reveal the fascinating history hidden within some of the city’s most famous landmarks.
Explore the Sydney Opera House
Sign up for a Beyond the Stage tour of the Sydney Opera House to discover what really happens behind the curtains at one of the world’s most recognisable buildings. Start your private, small-group tour with VIP access to the Stage Door, where the likes of Cate Blanchett, Dame Joan Sutherland, Bob Dylan and Prince have walked before.
Your passionate tour guide will take you to unseen vantage points usually off-limits to the public, revealing fun facts, anecdotes and history from both on and off the stage. You will also visit some of the many venues and theatres within ‘the House’ and gain some insight into how the magic of theatre happens. The one-hour tour concludes with a leisurely brunch at Opera Kitchen. Keep in mind that the tour requires you to climb about 300 stairs, so you need a moderate fitness level.
Sydney Harbour aerial at dawn Credit: Ethan Rohloff; Destination NSW
Sydney Opera House invites you on a private tour that provides VIP backstage access.
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Sydney Harbour aerial at dawn Credit: Ethan Rohloff; Destination NSW
Sydney Opera House invites you on a private tour that provides VIP backstage access.
Cruise the harbour in style
If you love the idea of getting to know Sydney’s spectacular harbour more intimately, step aboard a luxury cruiser for a private tour with Sydney Princess Cruises. Designed for couples or small groups, the Sydney Harbour Long Dinner Cruise starts at 5pm and takes you past key landmarks, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House.
You’ll learn about the harbour’s history from your experienced crew member as you enjoy wine, beer or sparkling refreshments from the open bar and you cruise past sites like Woolloomooloo Bay, where the Royal Australian Navy has its Sydney base, as well as the beautiful homes lining the Double Bay and Point Piper shorelines.
After taking you past Clarke and Shark islands, your cruiser will stop while you feast at a harbourside restaurant. It’s then time to reboard and experience the harbour by night, when the city lights are switched on and the water sparkles. Dessert will be served on board before you disembark, with your camera full of Sydney memories.
Sydney Harbour in Summer Credit: Destination NSW
View towards Shark Island and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
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Sydney Harbour in Summer Credit: Destination NSW
View towards Shark Island and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Take a private tour of the city
Unlock some of the city’s delights with a customised Sydney Luxe Tour by Sydney Privé, an operator specialising in exclusive experiences and culinary adventures. Options include starting your day with a private sunrise yoga lesson and breakfast at a café favoured by locals before exploring the world-famous Bondi Beach for a short coastal walk or swim.
You’ll then be transported in luxury to Watsons Bay, soaking up the glorious coastal views, before visiting must-see landmarks such as Kirribilli Point, Mrs Macquarie’s Chair and the Royal Botanic Garden. Along the way you can wine and dine at one of several outstanding restaurants.
Add a seaplane flight for a bird’s-eye view of the city’s spectacular coastline or opt for a sailing cruise on beautiful Sydney Harbour — you can take the helm yourself for extra exhilaration, or sit back and relax with a drink and a cheese platter.
Bondi Icebergs, Bondi Beach Credit: Destination NSW
People enjoying a morning swim at Bondi Icebergs, Bondi Beach.
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Bondi Icebergs, Bondi Beach Credit: Destination NSW
People enjoying a morning swim at Bondi Icebergs, Bondi Beach.
Sydney Cricket Ground, aerial Credit: Ethan Rohloff; Destination NSW
Aerial of Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) at dawn
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Sydney Cricket Ground, aerial Credit: Ethan Rohloff; Destination NSW
Aerial of Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) at dawn
Check out the Sydney Cricket Ground
Walk in the footsteps of sporting legends with an unforgettable behind-the-scenes tour of the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in Moore Park, where domestic and international cricket matches have been enthralling crowds in summer since 1876 — rugby union, rugby league and Australian rules football games are also played here. As well as being treated to entertaining stories of players, spectators and events on this 90-minute tour, you’ll see the fields of play, dressing rooms and the media room, and your knowledgeable guide will even lead you down the Walk of Honour. Immerse yourself in the architecture and heritage of this iconic venue as you head to the SCG Museum, home to memorabilia such as the red handkerchief former Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh kept in his pocket for luck.
Guides can tailor the commentary and focal points to meet the educational, special interests or physical needs of your group.
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Art Gallery of New South Wales, SydneyCredit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying a visit the the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney.
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Come alive with the possibilities as you delve into Sydney’s dynamic arts scene and cultural institutions. Feel moved as you immerse in striking contemporary artworks at public and private galleries, and take in cutting-edge performances and exhibitions across the city.
Be moved by must-see cultural landmarks
Marvel at the ‘sails’ of the Sydney Opera House as you approach this iconic performing arts venue, then join one of several fascinating tours on offer here. Discover the building’s unique history and construction on an Architectural Tour, or go behind the scenes on a Backstage Tour. See a show from an ever-changing program of theatre, dance and music in one of the venue’s many impressive performance spaces, then head to the Opera Bar to take in the front-of-house harbour view as you enjoy seasonal fare and a refreshing drink.
Appreciate the striking art deco façade and waterfront location of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), across the water from the Sydney Opera House at Explore the diversity of Australian modern art as you view highlights of a collection of more than 4,000 works, including a significant body of works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. Take time out and digest the wonderful works you’ve just seen as you enjoy panoramic views across Sydney Harbour from the museum’s rooftop café.
Feel far away from the bustle of the city centre as you enter the Domain parklands next to the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and make your way to the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the leading museum of art in the state. Step back in time to view colonial and 19th-century Australian works and European masters, as well as a dedicated gallery of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. Then explore Sydney Modern, the AGNSW’s dynamic new addition, to discover site-specific works by leading Australian and international artists.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoy a tour in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
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Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoy a tour in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, The Rocks Credit: Destination NSW
Friends arriving outside the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in The Rocks, Sydney...Artwork: Moon in a Dew Drop.Artist: Lindy Lee
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Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, The Rocks Credit: Destination NSW
Friends arriving outside the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in The Rocks, Sydney...Artwork: Moon in a Dew Drop.Artist: Lindy Lee
Immerse in art in cutting-edge galleries
Lose track of time as you explore a myriad of inner-Sydney art galleries. Delight in a dip into one of the world’s most significant collections of Chinese contemporary art at the White Rabbit Gallery in Chippendale, on the fringe of the city centre. Be intrigued by the selection from philanthropist Judith Neilson’s collection of almost 3,000 works created in China since 2000 by around 750 artists, before taking in the tranquil vibe at the gallery’s Teahouse as you snack on handmade dumplings and fine Chinese and Taiwanese tea. (You can also plan ahead and enter the ballot for tickets to cutting-edge performances at Phoenix Central Park, Judith Neilson’s risk-taking cultural centre a short walk from White Rabbit Gallery.)
Lean into the grand scale of Carriageworks, a multi-arts centre housed in expansive former railway workshops in Eveleigh, a five-minute drive or around a 15-minute walk from White Rabbit Gallery. Keep an eye on Carriageworks’ events page for visual arts exhibitions and new performance works.
Take your time exploring the many art galleries dotted around the hip inner-city suburb of Surry Hills. Enter the fascinating world of significant Australian artist Brett Whiteley at Brett Whiteley Studio, tucked away in a side street off Crown Street, one of the main streets running through Surry Hills. Take in the singular atmosphere of the late artist’s former home and workplace, with its unfinished paintings, art equipment, books and graffiti wall of quotes and images, and view one of the changing exhibitions of the artist’s works.
Find yourself challenged and stimulated by the conceptual and design-driven art at independent Surry Hills gallery China Heights, then take the short walk under the train tracks to 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art in Haymarket. Learn about the Asian diaspora in Australia via contemporary art at this fascinating gallery run by the non-profit Asian Australian Artists’ Association Inc.
Thrill to a sense of discovery as you find leading commercial art galleries tucked away in the leafy streets of Paddington in Sydney’s inner east. Roam the side streets of this fashionable suburb to find the likes of Saint Cloche, where gallery director Kitty Clark fosters the city’s emerging artistic talents; Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, one of the most influential commercial art galleries in Australia; and Olsen, founded by Tim Olsen to represent the late John Olsen, one of the country’s greatest painters, and showcase contemporary Australian artists.
White Rabbit Gallery, Chippendale Credit: Destination NSW
Women walking through an exhibition at the White Rabbit Gallery, Chippendale.
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White Rabbit Gallery, Chippendale Credit: Destination NSW
Women walking through an exhibition at the White Rabbit Gallery, Chippendale.
Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills Credit: James Horan; Destination NSW
Brett Whiteley Studio in Surry Hills
#feelnewsydney #ilovesydney
Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills Credit: James Horan; Destination NSW
Brett Whiteley Studio in Surry Hills