Sydney Sydney Surrounds North Coast South Coast Snowy Mountains Heart of Country Outback Lord Howe Island Inner Sydney Greater Sydney Back to main Sydney map Northern Beaches Manly Mosman Sydney Harbour The Rocks Darling Harbour Balmain Leichhardt Glebe Newtown Chinatown City Centre Kings Cross Double Bay Darlinghurst Paddington Moore Park Coogee Bondi Back to main Sydney map Hawkesbury Valley Hawkesbury River Penrith Parramatta Cabramatta Sydney Olympic Park Picton Macarthur Cronulla
Sydney

The London Hotel, Balmain (Photo: J. Morgan/Tourism NSW) Balmain One of Sydney's oldest suburbs, now a vibrant and artistic community.

Bondi Icebergs Swimming Pool, Sydney. Bondi One of Sydney's most eclectic and exciting precincts.

Cultural activities in Cabramatta, Sydney Cabramatta An authentic slice of South-East Asian sights and tastes.

Strolling in Chinatown, Sydney Chinatown and Haymarket Asian streetlife with a bit of Spanish pizzaz.

An aerial view of Sydney's Central Business District City Centre A beautiful harbourside capital, with historic precincts and cosmopolitan style.

Family fun on Coogee Beach, Sydney Coogee and Randwick Classic Sydney surf scene popular with everyone

Bushwalking in Maianbar, Cronulla, Sydney Cronulla Coast Sydney's longest beach is just a ferry ride from the Royal National Park.

Darling Harbour, Sydney Darling Harbour A lively harbourside precinct that throbs with activity day and night.

Cafes on Victoria Street, Darlinghurst (Photo: Tony Yeates) Darlinghurst Boutiques and bookshops by day, bars and nightclubs by night.

Dee Bee's Café, Double Bay, Sydney Double Bay Fashion central and the playground of Sydney’s beautiful people.

Waterside strolls at the end of Glebe Point Road, Glebe, Sydney Glebe is one of Sydney's most vibrant alternative areas.

Explore the Hawkesbury River (Photo: P. Blackmore/Tourism NSW)Hawkesbury River A fascinating mix of natural attractions and a peaceful country ambience.

Tizzana Winery, Ebenezer, Hawkesbury Valley (Photo: P. Blackmore/Tourism NSW) Hawkesbury Valley The Hawkesbury River winds its way through a fertile valley.

Dining on Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf, Sydney (Photo: F. Quimby) Kings Cross and Woolloomooloo This lively entertainment area buzzes with nightclubs, bars and...

The Leichhardt Forum, Sydney Leichhardt Sydney's Little Italy, the place to go for all things Italian, from gelato to espresso.

St John's Anglican Church, Camden, Sydney Macarthur A vibrant, bustling area with country charm

Manly BeachManly 

Nestled between the harbour and a surf beach – a quintessential Sydney experience.

Bent Street, Fox Studios, Moore Park, Sydney Moore Park Major sports stadiums, entertainment venues and an expansive park.

Taronga Zoo, Sydney Mosman and Balmoral Beach Harbourside suburbs blessed with great cafes, shops and views

One of Newtown's many café spots on King Street, Sydney (R. Billington/Tourism NSW) Newtown Colourful, unconventional and gay-friendly with a strong arts culture, great shopping and dining.

Manly Walk, Sydney (H. Lund/Tourism NSW) Northern Beaches and Pittwater Peninsula with the Pacific Ocean on one side and Pittwater on the other

Shopping for the latest trends in Paddington, Sydney (J. Morgan/Tourism NSW) Paddington Stylish terraces, a great shopping precinct lined with cafés and restaurants.

St Johns Cathedral, Parramatta, Sydney (3stroke Photography/Tourism NSW) Parramatta Parramatta is a city of historic charm with a multicultural footprint.

Overlooking the Nepean River, Penrith precinct Penrith Valley An aquatic playground at the foothills of the Blue Mountains.

George IV Hotel in Picton, Sydney Picton and Surrounds All the charm and tranquillity of the country.

Fort Denison, Sydney Harbour (Photo: Hamilton Lund / Tourism NSW). Sydney Harbour and Islands All kinds of water craft jostle for a piece of the world's best harbour.

Biking around Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney. Sydney Olympic Park Home of the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games, major social and sporting venue.

Some architectural details in The Rocks, Sydney The Rocks and Circular Quay Historic harbourside area with shops, pubs and restaurants.



Sydney art galleries, walks and tours

Why go there

Sydney’s art scene is a moveable feast, energised and refreshed by vibrant, constantly-emerging, new talent. You’ll be inspired by the collections in art galleries dotted around the city.

Major galleries

  • The Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney With five floors of creative brilliance, the State’s leading public art gallery chronicles the major arts movements throughout world history, with emphasis on the Australian scene.
  • Museum of Contemporary Art, The Rocks This is Australia’s only museum dedicated to exhibiting, interpreting and collecting contemporary art from across Australia and around the world.
  • S.H. Ervin Gallery, Observatory Hill A showcase for the richness and diversity of Australian art, especially from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Boutique galleries

  • 2 Danks Street, Waterloo Nine galleries offering a sweeping view of the art scene, from Aboriginal and Pacific Islands art to provocative contemporary works.
  • Ann Snell Gallery, Surry Hills A gallery dedicated to the astonishing works by Aboriginal artists from Central Australia.
  • Australian Centre for Photography, Paddington The best photographic and video art from the contemporary Australian scene and around the world.
  • Boomalli, Leichhardt An Aboriginal Artist Co-operative with contemporary works from more than 40 Aboriginal artists.
  • Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills One of Sydney’s favourite painters, Whiteley lived and worked at the extremes of art and life; the studio where he painted from 1988 to 1992 offers a unique perspective on this compelling artist.
  • CarriageWorks, Redfern A vast, multi-purpose space for visual and performing arts in Sydney’s emerging avant-garde district, the former Eveleigh Rail Yards.
  • Eva Breuer, Paddington Shows illustrious Australian painters such as Sidney Nolan, Margaret Olley, James Gleeson, Donald Friend, Grace Cossington-Smith, Garry Shead and Brett Whiteley.
  • Object Gallery, Surry Hills The Australian Centre for Craft and Design’s gallery presents the very finest works from Australia’s designers in metal, wood, ceramics and wearable artworks.
  • Tim Olsen Gallery, Paddington This leading Sydney gallery shows more than two dozen illustrious artists from Tim Storrier and Philip Hunter to Rhys Lee and Melinda Harper.

Don’t miss tours and walks

  • Sydney Art Tours Guided tours for art lovers, featuring the best shows at major galleries, new galleries and artists' studios.
  • Sydney Arts Discovery Trail A self-guided walk uncovering some of the city’s best galleries, public sculptures and museums.
  • City of Sydney Sculpture Walk A two-hour guided tour to the beautiful sculpture sprinkled throughout the Royal Botanic Gardens.
  • Public, Art and Space Sculpture Walk Guided tour of Sydney’s best loved and most used public art spaces.
  • Take in bold and bright sculpture along the newly-installed Walsh Bay Sculpture Walk

Events

  • Sculpture by the Sea, October
  • Art and About, October
  • Bundeena and Maianbar Art Trail open days, first Sunday of each month

Arts, culture and music in Sydney