The Best Family Sydney City Guide!

Sydney is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and that's not an exaggeration! There is incredible wildlife, pristine white beaches, amazing food, a fascinating history, world-class museums and plenty of sunshine!

We at Family Days Out just love Sydney, so we're excited to share with you our Sydney City Guide featuring our "Top 9 Family Attractions", which are really just the tip of the iceberg in what you can find in one of Australia's most vibrant cities!

If you're planning a trip to Sydney (or you live there and need inspiration!) make sure check out our entire Sydney City Guide we've carefully put together especially for you, so you know just how to plan your exciting family day out in this unforgettable city!

Featured Image Credit: Destination NSW

Image Credit: Destination NSW

In this Sydney City Guide, we list our top 9 things to do with kids in the city, as well as some VERY fun experiences that will bring out the child in everyone!

We do realise that budgets are a factor to consider when travelling with kids and as a family, so also in this Sydney City Guide we share some really fun FREE things to do that won't break that bank account!

Getting around Sydney without a car is one of the best things about the city - they have an incredible public transporation network, and we tell you all about it!  We also have some really fun facts about Sydney that might just surprise you! 

If you want to explore a bit further out, our Sydney City Guide deep dives into one of our favorite day trips you can enjoy, plus we let you know some famous faces who were born right in the city!

So whether this is your first trip saying "Yes, take me to Sydney" or maybe you have lived in the city your whole life yet you never took the time to explore and wonder "What is there is to do near me in Sydney?", keep reading because we have the top 9 things to do in Sydney with kids...and so much more!

Image Credit: Destination NSW

Whilst Sydney as a city was officially formed in 1842, the regions history goes back thousands of years with Aboriginal Australians having inhabited the region for at least 30,000 years. In fact, Aboriginal sites and carvings are common in the Sydney area!

These Aboriginal Australians had actually migrated from northern Australia and before that, from southeast Asia.

The modern of Sydney as we know it began with the "First Fleet", which refers to the first fleet of 11 British ships that arrived in 1788 under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip, and started the foundation of a penal colony by Great Britain.

Prior to that, the actual first meeting between the Aboriginal people and British explorers was on 29 April 1770 at Botany Bay, when Lieutenant James Cook famously landed.

Between 1788 and 1900, Sydney was actually was the capital of the British Colony of New South Wales, before the colonies federated in 1901 and the Commonwealth of Australia was born. 

Much of modern Sydney's history can be found in The Rocks region, and the Aboriginal Australian culture remains celebrated. By immersing yourself in both during your time in the city, you'll have the most incredible and invalable experience!

Image Credit: Destination NSW

Where to start! Sydney has SO many things to do with the family and kids - from museums, to nature, beaches and opportunities to see some of the most unique wildlife on the planet.

For that iconic Australian wildlife, head on over to Taronga Zoo, SEALIFE Sydney and Wildlife Sydney Zoo - all great places to come face to face with koalas, kangaroos and more!

Love history? Attractions such as Q Sydney, Hyde Park Barracks and the Australian National Maritime Museum are great to really understand the history, or visit locations such as The Rocks where you can walk amongst it!

From free attractions such as Hyde Park and the Museum of Contemporary Art, to the many incredible beaches including Manly, Bondi and Coogee, and opportunities to get lost among the stars at Sydney Observatory, you won't be short of fun things to do!

With so many fun things to do in Sydney with the family, you'll soon have that family itinerary filling up! The biggest question now is, which activity will you enjoy first?

Image Credit: Destination NSW

Sydney is such an incredibly easy city to get around on public transport. So much so, you might not even need to think about a car at all!

The metropolitan area offers an incredibly great and easy to use network of public transport and walking paths. All you need to do is just hop on a bus, train or ferry and start exploring!

One of the easiest ways to use public transport (and this includes buses, trains, ferries and light rail in Sydney) you can either purchase an Opal card or use your credit card with tap-and-go functionality.

You can purchase an Opal card from certain newsagents, post offices, and convenience stores as well as supermarkets. You can also purchase them at the domestic and international airport terminal stations.

It's worth noing that before using an Opal card, you’ll need to load it with money to cover your fares.

Jumping on a train and getting around the city is so simple - just follow The City Circle! This runs a loop around the city, stopping at Central, Museum, St James, Town Hall, Wynyard, Circular Quay and Martin Place.  You can also pick up the ferries from Circular Quay out to places such as Manly Beach. 

Then, you have the light rail network which has three main lines. This line takes you to very popular areas including Circular Quay, Chinatown, the Powerhouse Museum and Australian National Maritime Museum! 

To top it off, you'll find a host of buses that travel through the city from Wynyard and Circular Quay, and out to Sydney’s suburbs, beaches and regional areas.

Don't forget that walking is another great way to get around! So grab those walking shoes and Opal card and enjoy your stay!