Sydney
A harbour city that lives outdoors: ferries, surf beaches and the Opera House sails.
Sydney is built around one of the great natural harbours, with the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge at its centre, ferries fanning out to bays and beaches, and the Pacific surf at Bondi and Manly a short ride from the towers. The Blue Mountains rise inland; the Hunter's vineyards are a couple of hours north.
Why go
For the harbour, first and always: a ferry to Manly, a walk across the bridge, the Opera House from the water and the water from the Opera House. Then for the beaches, the coastal walks between them and a city that eats and drinks outdoors most of the year.
And for the easy days around it: the cliffs and eucalyptus of the Blue Mountains, the whales passing the heads in winter, the markets, the galleries and the neighbourhoods from Surry Hills to Newtown.
Highlights
What people go for, in no particular order.
01The Opera House and the Harbour Bridge
The sails on Bennelong Point, seen from the Botanic Garden, the ferries and the bridge; and the bridge itself, walked across the deck, climbed on a guided ascent or seen from the Pylon Lookout.
02Bondi to Coogee
The coastal walk from Bondi's crescent past Tamarama, Bronte and the ocean pools to Coogee, with a swim at each. The Icebergs pool at Bondi's southern end is the picture.
03Manly by ferry
Half an hour across the harbour past the heads to the surf beach, the Corso and the walk round to Shelly Beach for a snorkel.
04The Rocks and Circular Quay
The old sandstone quarter under the bridge, with the weekend markets, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the pubs, beside the ferry hub of the city.
05The Botanic Garden and the harbour walks
The garden around Farm Cove to Mrs Macquarie's Chair, the Hermitage foreshore walk, and the harbour islands and bays reached by ferry.
06The neighbourhoods
Surry Hills and Darlinghurst for restaurants and bars, Newtown for the bohemian strip, Paddington for terraces and the Saturday market, and Chinatown for late noodles.
07The Blue Mountains
Sandstone cliffs, waterfalls and the Three Sisters at Katoomba, two hours by train, with bushwalks and lookouts for a day or an overnight.
Areas
Where to base yourself, and what each area is like.
Circular Quay and the Rocks
Harbour views, the Opera House and the ferries at the door. Central and grand.
Darling Harbour and the CBD
The business centre and the waterfront of museums, restaurants and larger hotels.
Surry Hills and Darlinghurst
The eating and drinking quarters just east of the centre, with boutique hotels and a lively evening.
Bondi and the eastern beaches
Surf, cafés and the coastal walk, a bus ride from the city.
Manly
The beach town across the harbour, with the ferry as the commute.
When to go: Sydney
- SummerDecember – February
- Hot, bright and busy, with the beaches full, the New Year fireworks over the harbour and the festival in January. Humid spells and storms.
- AutumnMarch – May
- Warm sea, clear days and fewer crowds.
- WinterJune – August
- Mild and often sunny, with cool nights, whales off the coast and the Vivid light festival in late May and June.
- SpringSeptember – November
- Jacaranda in November, warming water and long days returning. Comfortable for the walks.
Getting there
Airports
One airport in our search serves Sydney. Distances are measured in a straight line.
- SYDKingsford Smith
Distance from
- SINSingapore6,290 km
- BOMMumbai10,160 km
- JNBJohannesburg11,030 km
- DXBDubai12,040 km
- JFKNew York16,010 km
- CDGParis16,940 km
- LHRLondon17,020 km
Getting around: Sydney
Trains, buses, light rail and ferries cover the city, and a contactless bank card taps on and off all of them. The airport is on the train line to the centre.
The ferries are the way to see the harbour and the way to Manly, Watsons Bay and Parramatta. The centre is walkable; the beaches are buses or a car.
Practical facts
The country, its currency and languages, the time zone and the time there now.
- Country
- Australia
- Currency
- AUD · Australian Dollar
- Languages
- English
- Time zone
- Australian Eastern Time
- Local time now
- Calling code
- +61
The atlas
Sydney in figures
The figures under this guide: the climate on modelled 2001–2020 averages, how far it is from the UAE, and the places around it.
Climate
The weather in Sydney, month by month
- Jan26°
- Feb25°
- Mar24°
- Apr22°
- May20°
- Jun17°
- Jul17°
- Aug17°
- Sept20°
- Oct22°
- Nov23°
- Dec24°
- Mild to warm and dry
- Mild to warm, humid or showery
- Hot
- Cool
- Wet
- Cold
Good for going, on these averages: September to May.
Mean highs run from 17°C in July to 26°C in January, with about 888 mm of rain in a year.
These are modelled averages for 2001–2020; the seasons described above are our own reading of a typical year.
Month-by-month climate for SydneyModelled averages for an area about 50 km across, not a weather station's record: NASA POWER climatology, 2001–2020.
Airports
How far it is from the UAE
From DXBSydney
12,040 km
14 hrs 55 mins · Estimate
From AUHSydney
12,060 km
14 hrs 55 mins · Estimate
The great-circle distance, and a rough flying time: the distance at an average 850 km/h plus 45 minutes for take-off and landing. Real flights follow airways, meet headwinds and wait for traffic, so schedules differ.
On the map
Places near Sydney
From the journal
Related reading
Plan this trip: Sydney
Open the trip builder with Sydney already filled in. Flights, stays and everything else are priced together in one quote, prepared by a person on our team.
