Sydney is filled with wonderful places to visit and things to do. If you’ve climbed the Harbour Bridge and admired the Sydney Opera House, it might be time to try something new.  Here’s our selection for those who want to get off the well beaten track.

Wendy Whiteley’s Wonderful Secret Garden

Tucked near Lavender Bay is Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden — a wild, romantic public garden built by artist Wendy Whiteley.

Although it’s probably not such a secret, the garden has a magical, poetic atmosphere; one which inspires the heart while calming the mind.

Read the whole story of Wendy’s Secret Garden here: https://www.wendyssecretgarden.org.au/

Explore Cockatoo Island After Dark

Take a night tour of this UNESCO-listed former penal and shipbuilding site for a haunting, atmospheric experience unlike anywhere else in the city.

The convict history, abandoned tunnels, and industrial ruins become genuinely eerie. Stay overnight in a harbour-side tent for a strange, beautiful experience.

Plan your trip to Cockatoo Island here: https://www.cockatooisland.gov.au/en/

Do a Self-Guided Walk Through Rookwood Necropolis

Rookwood Necropolis (also known as Rookwood Cemetery) is one of the largest cemeteries in the Southern Hemisphere, the final resting place for over 1 million souls.

This heritage listed site is strangely peaceful, architecturally fascinating, and filled with forgotten stories of Sydney’s past.

Check opening hours here: https://www.metropolitanmemorialparks.com.au/locations/rookwood

Catch a Film at the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace

An Art Deco cinema in Cremorne that feels like stepping back into another era. Opened in 1935, the cinema looked doomed to be lost to an encroaching shopping centre until a restoration program began in 1986. Now restored to its former glory the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace is a splendid place to enjoy a movie or live show.

Check what’s currently showing and book tickets at https://www.orpheum.com.au/

Swim in the Wylie’s Baths at Coogee

One of Sydney’s oldest ocean pools, carved into the rocks and far less crowded than Bondi’s Icebergs. These baths were home to the first Australian Swimming Championship and was probably the first mixed gender swimming bath.

Check out everything Wylie’s Baths has to offer: https://wylies.com.au/

Walk the Hermitage Foreshore Track

The Hermitage Foreshore Track is a 1.8-2 km scenic, low-difficulty coastal walk in Sydney Harbour National Park (Vaucluse), taking 30–60 minutes (longer if you stop and enjoy the view). Offering stunning views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Shark Island, and city skyline, it passes secluded beaches like Milk Beach, Queens Beach, and historic Strickland House. 

More details on this fabulous walk here: https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/walking-tracks/hermitage-foreshore-track

Kayak Under the Harbour Bridge at Sunrise

A peaceful and surprisingly intimate way to experience one of the world’s most recognisable landmarks. Several operators offer these unique tours on the usually still morning waters, giving you a once in a lifetime opportunity to see marine life up close as Sydney begins a new day.

A Google search will offer you a number of companies offering this early morning jaunt.

Wander Under the Birdcages at Angel Place

A small alleyway in the CBD contains “Forgotten Songs,” an art installation of hundreds of empty birdcages suspended overhead. Speakers play the calls of native birds that once lived in central Sydney. The soundscape changes from day birds to nocturnal birds at night, making it strangely atmospheric.

Here’s details and a map: https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/installations/forgotten-songs

Walk the Brickpit Ring Walk

At Brickpit Ring Walk, you’ll feel like you’re inside a sci-fi industrial ruin as you make your way along a circular steel walkway suspended above a massive, abandoned brick pit.

Below you is a swampy landscape now home to thousands of endangered green and golden bell frogs.

Check opening times here: https://www.sydneyolympicpark.nsw.gov.au/things-to-see-and-do/brickpit-ring-walk

Paddington Reservoir Gardens

In the suburb of Paddington sits Paddington Reservoir Gardens, one of Sydney’s strangest public spaces.

Originally a 19th-century water reservoir, it collapsed and was later turned into a sunken garden. The result is a striking cross between Roman ruins, a Gothic cathedral, and a hidden underground park.

Further information here: https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/parks/paddington-reservoir-gardens

Lucy Osburn-Nightingale Museum at Sydney Hospital

At the fascinating Sydney Hospital Museum, you’ll find medical oddities including preserved specimens from the 19th century.

Hidden inside a working hospital, this tiny museum of medical curiosities will surprise you with a preserved hand once used to teach anatomy. But whose hand is it?

More details here: https://mgnsw.org.au/organisations/lucy-osburnnightingale-museum/

Watch the Sunset from Barangaroo Reserve

A modern park built with sandstone blocks, offering sweeping views and a quieter alternative to Circular Quay. This once disused container storage area has been transformed into Sydney’s best picnic spot with public artwork and cultural tours.

More information here: https://www.barangaroo.com/precincts/barangaroo-reserve

Chau Chak Wing Museum

Inside the Chau Chak Wing Museum, visitors can come face-to-face with an unexpected piece of ancient history — a small Egyptian mummy thousands of years old. Carefully preserved and displayed alongside other artefacts from the ancient world, the mummy offers a fascinating glimpse into the burial practices and beliefs of Ancient Egypt. Finding such an object inside a modern university museum in Sydney feels slightly surreal, making it one of the city’s most unusual indoor discoveries.

Entry is free. Check here for address and opening times: https://www.sydney.edu.au/museum/

The Big Dig

The Big Dig is one of Australia’s most significant urban archaeological sites, offering a fascinating glimpse into everyday life in early Sydney. Located within the heritage precinct of The Rocks, the Big Dig Archaeology Education Centre forms part of the Sydney Harbour YHA. The centre gives visitors the opportunity to explore the archaeological remains of a 19th-century neighbourhood and learn about the discoveries through interactive displays and educational experiences.

Bookings Essential: (02) 8272 0900

The Big Dig Archaeology Education Centre

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Let’s be honest, Sydney is a wonderful tourist destination for locals and travellers. There are hundreds of attractions, experiences and places to visit. This list is a just a sample.

Tell us your favourite things to do in Sydney in the comments below.