My 15 Favorite Activities in 2026

There’s three tents to choose from, all overlooking the beautiful Capertee Valley. With a 360 degree view you’ll be able to enjoy the stars from every angle. Since 1892 The Strand Arcade was the hotspot for fashion and it still is today. The beautiful thoroughfare offers a huge range of fashion powerhouses and premium Australian fashion designers like favourites Sass & Bide, Dion Lee and more. Australia’s Museum of Contemporary Art is a great way to spend the day when finding out what to do in Sydney.
You really can’t visit without seeing the Sydney Opera House or walking across the Harbour Bridge, if you’re up for it, climbing the bridge is unforgettable. Bondi Beach is a classic, and the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk gives you some of the best ocean views in the city. Taronga Zoo is always a favourite, especially for families, and the Royal Botanic Garden is a beautiful spot to relax or have a picnic. Art lovers will want to check out the Art Gallery of NSW and the Museum of Contemporary Art for inspiring exhibitions. The Bondi to Coogee walk is a classic – cliff views, beach stops, and plenty of spots to grab a coffee along the way. Cremorne Reserve is perfect for a quiet picnic, and if it’s whale vr experience season (May to November), head to the Royal National Park and keep your eyes on the water.

This experience is $85 AUD and has multiple departure times throughout the day. This top-rated jet boat tour will take you on a 30-minute ride from the Circular Quay through the Sydney Harbour and play music through a loudspeaker as you whizz past the city’s top landmarks. The fast turns, twists, and fishtails will certainly get your heart pumping, especially since the boat travels at speeds up to 75 km/h (47 mph).
Overlooking Freshwater Beach, this historic cottage is a sea of Sardinian flavours and old-school techniques. There’s little surprise that Pilu is often booked out for weddings given its beautiful, intimate private dining room and terrace overlooking the crashing waves. The day includes designated warm-up and stretching time, obstacle training, team-based activities and even an arts and crafts section of the day. Their holiday program is all about building strength, new skills, agility and self-confidence, all while having fun and making new friends. There are also other exciting immersive experiences, including the pulse-pounding Carnival Carnage 7D Experience,  which is perfect for teens. You’ll be transported to a creepy carnival ground where you’re tasked with blasting lasers at enemy clowns.
The aquarium is easily accessible via ferry or you can simply walk down from the CBD towards Darling Harbour. Well, look no further than these top bowls of steaming, delicious noodle soup on offer across the city. This humble pub pastime gets a 21st-century glow-up at this ritzy AR darts bar. We certainly don’t get the snow fall of our European cousins, but New South Wales has some beautiful alpine resorts that makes going to the snow a lot cheaper.

Lyne Park at Rose Bay, the site of Sydney’s first international airport, keeps tradition alive with scenic seaplane flights over the Emerald City. Strap in for 15- or 30-minute air safaris with bird’s-eye perspectives of the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach and the colourful Sydney coastline. Make like a movie star and hire a superyacht for the day from Sydney Harbour Exclusive, where fully crewed vessels accommodate anywhere from two to 100 guests. At the budget end of the spectrum, DIY in a two-person red speedboat, touring in groups of no more than six, with a guide leading the way. Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park shelters one of the largest concentrations of First Nations engravings on the continent. Guringai elder Laurie Bimson leads three-hour tours into the bushland to decipher this extraordinary “giant road map” marking food sources, marriage, initiation and education sites and gathering places.
Remember Sydney’s weather is generally good year-round, so outdoor activities work in any season. Just avoid outdoor attractions during heavy rain and choose something off this list instead. Every Friday, Dixon Street transforms into a bustling food market. Follow your nose to find Korean fried chicken, fresh dumplings, and Thai desserts. The atmosphere is lively with lanterns overhead and buskers performing.

For the perfect date night , head to one of Sydney’s enchanting concerts held by Candlelight. These dreamy concerts pay tribute to stellar musicians and bands like Whitney Houston, David Bowie and more.  Le Marché French Markets will take over the Entertainment Quarter every first Sunday of the month. May’s market will feature over 45 stalls, selling all the best French goods and fashion, including cheeses, truffles, baguettes, berets and more.
This weekend, you can still get tickets for their feel-good Friday film, Dirty Dancing, plus the absurdist, black-comedy-thriller Bugonia, starring Academy Award winner Emma Stone. Sydney Festival continues its ultimate citywide takeover with a whole new array of events. We’re particularly excited to check out WAKE by Dublin trailblazers THISISPOPBABY, who will be bringing spectacle, music, stories and laughter to Carriageworks this weekend. Also at Carriageworks, BURGERZ by Travis Alabanza received a standing ovation on opening night, with Alabanza’s authenticity and powerhouse performance leaving the audience captivated. Enjoy the amazing must-see Vivid Sydney festival spectacular held each year in Sydney in May-June.

A great way to discover this area is to take a walking tour with a knowledgeable guide who can explain the area’s history to you. This area is perfect to explore the little laneways and enjoy lunch at an historic pub with harbour views, like at the Glenmore Hotel. The Rocks is also home to a few excellent cafes and great markets on the weekends.
Throughout this list, you’ll find a batch of natural rock pools, old-school baths and beautifully built landmarks that are perfect for swimming in with kids. There’s truly no better way to end a ripper day than watching the sunset at one of these top-tier lookout spots. Choose between a leafy perch, a breezy beachside spot or a grassy hill with panoramic harbour views.
It might feel like an impossible task right now, but with RedBalloon’s family activities in Sydney, it’s a cinch. If you're looking for the best things to do in Sydney, there are plenty of options with RedBalloon, whether you want to explore by sky, land, or sea, let us help you plan the perfect day out. Partway along the Taronga to Balmoral walk, you will find Headland Park. The park is home to Artists Precinct, a collection of studios set up in old military buildings. Home to  21 artists, there are regular exhibitions, and you can often wander into the studios to look around.

It is also the central port for the ferry network, enabling you to get around the harbour by ferry. Wondering where you can enjoy culture late at night in Sydney? The Culture Up Late initiative sees some museums and galleries around Sydney open late with live music, workshops, screenings and more. These include Art After Hours at the Art Gallery of NSW and MCA Late. If a long-haul flight to Europe isn’t on the cards for you anytime soon, you can experience something close to the real deal less than an hour’s drive from Sydney. There’s an Italian-style bed and breakfast in the semi-rural suburb of Arcadia that boasts Tuscan-style gardens, cobblestone laneways and gelato and wine nights.