It’s not the capital, but undoubtedly Sydney is Australia’s most vibrant urban destination. In this guest post, Cheapflights.com outline their ten best reasons to fly down under…

Sydney is one of the world’s most amazing and diverse cities. No matter what your interests, you can find many fascinating features in Australia’s most populated city. Let’s look at 10 of the top attractions that help make Sydney so special.

1. Bicentennial Park and Sydney Olympic Park

Australia has some of the world’s most unique landscapes and wildlife, and you are never far from this in Sydney. At Bicentennial Park you can explore the Badu Mangroves and wander along the picturesque meadows and hills. There is plenty of room for hiking or hiring a bike, as well as playgrounds and picnic areas. Bicentennial Park is part of Sydney Olympic Park, a large entertainment and sporting complex and the site of the 2000 Olympics.

2. Royal Botanical Gardens

The Royal Botanical Gardens, which were built in 1816, is another attraction not to be missed in Sydney. Here you will find a diverse collection of plants, specializing in those native to Australia and the South Pacific. This is one of the world’s most beautiful gardens and it’s situated right in between the central business district and the harbour. Many people enjoy the contrast between the tranquil gardens and the bustling city nearby. The Royal Botanical Gardens consist of over 30 hectares, giving you plenty of opportunity to walk around and appreciate their grandeur. 

3. Sydney Harbour

One of the world’s most beautiful harbours, this body of water provides visitors and residents alike with scenic views and lots of activities. Another attraction not to be missed is Sydney Harbour Bridge, which accommodates vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians. You can climb this bridge and get unparalleled views of the city. There are four different climbs available, and you can do this any time of day or night. 

4. Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House, which opened in 1973, is one of the city’s premier attractions. It offers a wide variety of performances such as concerts, operas, theatre and more. In addition to being a great place to catch some amazing performances, this building is one of the world’s architectural marvels. Designed by the Danish architect Jorn Utzon, construction began in 1959 with 10,000 workers assigned to the project.

5. Beaches

Australia has some of the world’s best beaches, and many are right in Sydney. Some of the more popular beaches are Manly and Bondi. These are places where you can enjoy relaxing, surfing, scuba diving or eating a meal at one of the many beachside restaurants or cafes. Sydney’s temperate climate also means that any time of year is perfect for enjoying beach life.

6. Dining

You can find an incredible diversity of cuisines in Sydney and your choices range from casual to the most luxurious in fine dining. The city has lots of cafes where you can relax over a cup of coffee or espresso. There are restaurants of every description as well. Sydney is renowned for offering lots of fresh produce and seafood. You can pick up many of these items at fish and farmer’s markets as well.

7. Shopping

You will never run out of exciting places to shop in Sydney. There are lots of specialty shops, trendy boutiques, malls and markets. Paddington Markets, open every Saturday, offers more than 150 stalls featuring food, jewelry, fashion and other items of every kind. One of Sydney’s most distinctive shopping complexes is the Queen Victoria Building, a 19th Century building where you will find more than 180 stores.

8. Museums and Galleries

Sydney has lots of museums and art galleries for lovers of art and history. The Museum of Contemporary Art has a wide range of exhibits featuring some of today’s most exciting new art. This museum overlooks the Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House and is a great place to experience some amazing views of the city. The Australian Museum, which opened in 1857, has exhibits on topics ranging from Indigenous Australia to birds and minerals. The Art Gallery of NSW contains 29,000 items and has collections featuring Australian, Aboriginal, European, Asian and Contemporary works as well as photography and prints.

9. New Year’s Celebrations

Sydney is one of the best places to spend New Year’s Eve. Some of the most popular celebrations occur at Sydney Tower Eye, Bradley’s Head and Clark Island. There is also the Sydney Harbour New Year’s Eve Cocktail Cruise, where you can get spectacular night time views of the city as well as fireworks displays. Aside from this, the city is full of New Year’s celebrations in many of the city’s bars and restaurants.

10. Fort Denison

Originally a prison, Fort Denison later became a fort to guard Sydney Harbour. Now you can take the Fort Denison Ferry and explore this famous landmark. There are two daily tours of Fort Denison. The ferry is also one of the best places to get views of Sydney Harbour.

Well, here we are: 10 reasons why you should visit Sydney. Whatever your plans are for the next year, make sure you add this amazing destination to your bucket list. And if you are going be sure to check out Urban Travel Blog’s secret seven list of fun things to do!

You can often find deals on flights to Sydney, just head over to one of the flight comparison sites and see if they offer any good deals. Tip: if you’re a traveller exploring the best of Australia’s cities one by one, then you may wish to use the Cheapflights website to search for flights from Melbourne to Sydney as trains and buses take around 12 hours to connect these two great metropolises together.