Top 5 Things to do with Kids in Sydney

We spent most of our time in Sydney outdoors exploring this beautiful city — we were blessed with some fantastic weather. We were floored by this town and how much there was for us to do. Here are our top 5 things to do with kids, which skews outdoors-y.

1. Visit the Taronga Zoo

We took a day to explore the Taronga Zoo and did not regret it. From penguins to red pandas, Taronga had it covered in an easy-to-explore zoo with fantastic views over the harbour. If you are staying in the city centre, you can take a ferry to get to Taronga, which  offers great views of the harbour and the Opera House. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to use this ferry, since the busses were always more convenient for us. We highly recommend a visit to Taronga. The total cost for a family of 4 was an affordable 130 AUD.

2. Do the Bondi to Coogee Walk

Mr. and Mrs. WorldSmith really enjoyed the 6 km walk from Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach, which offered some truly incredible vistas of the coastline and gave us a peek at some of the main beaches in this part of Sydney. While our children (ages 5 and 7) did start to complain partway through this walk, they were troopers and managed to make it to the end with a few snack breaks. We think they may have even appreciated all of the beautiful vistas.

It is best to do this walk when it is cooler — we suggest starting earlier in the day to avoid the midday heat. You can do the walk starting either from Coogee or Bondi and the mapped routes are fairly easy to follow. Expect some stairs and steep hills. And definitely bring sun protection.

3. Explore the Waterfront from the Botanical Gardens to the Opera House to Barrangaroo to Darling Harbour

We would also recommend the coastal walk from the Botanical Gardens in the east towards the Opera House, then the Rocks, then under the bridge to Barrangaroo, and around Darling Harbour.

While you can certainly break this into a number of separate walks, this route will provide a general sense of the city’s downtown waterfront areas, all of which offer lots of things for tourists to do. Along this route, there are tons of coffee shops and restaurants to keep you well fed. Again, sun protection is a must as you are fairly exposed to the sun on these walks.

4. Do a Beach Day

We were lucky to be situated on the lovely Coogee Beach, southeast of downtown Sydney. This to us was the perfect area for families, providing easy access to the city via tram and walking access to a great beach and shops. At the beach, the kids occupied themselves playing with sand toys and swimming and we adults were kept busy enjoying the views, the calming sound of the rolling waves, some chatter about the future, and some nice frosty drinks. There are also a couple of great ice cream shops nearby for the kids. Or if you’re in the mood for heartier fare, check out the Pavilion for some great food and drinks at reasonable prices.

5. Take a Ferry Ride to Manly Beach

If you want to get some unbeatable views of the Opera House, the harbour bridge, and the coast, definitely consider taking the ferry from Circular Quay over to Manly Beach. The ferries operate on the same transit system as the rest of Sydney, so you can just use your credit card or Opal card to get on the ferry to Manly.

We really enjoyed this ferry ride, but it was also a real highlight for our kids. While we did not spend a lot of time in Manly Beach, we did get a chance to check out the lively Corso shopping street and stop at a beachfront restaurant for some lunch.