Unique Fun Things To Do In Sydney
Sydney is a city of unique, fun activities. If you are looking for great outdoor and adventure experiences, you don’t need to travel far from the city. Sydney surroundings offer various things to do to suit all ages, interests, and fitness levels.
A jet boat experience, a scenic flight, skydiving, a top-tree adventure, canoeing or abseiling, Sydney has it all. Sydney combines a great location with good weather, offering the perfect environment for various outdoor activities that are hard to beat.
How to experience fun in Sydney
Depending on the type of adventure and the level of fitness you have, there are many fun Sydney activities to choose from. From fundamental ones, with no skills required for extreme adventures, that need training and some experience.
Here is our list of unique and fun things to do in Sydney for the first time traveller.
1. Jet Boating in Sydney – A great boat adventure
Sydney is known for its unique surf beaches, spectacular harbour and coastal settings, making it ideal for a wide range of water activities. From surfing and wind-surfing, jet boating, jet skiing, to white-rafting, kayaking, stand-up-paddle boards and many more.
If you are keen to have a fun adventure, love speed and the adrenalin rush, but don’t fancy the extreme challenge, then a Jet Boating in Darling Harbour may be something for you. It’s a great way to experience the Sydney Harbour and Darling Harbour attractions on a jet boat ride while enjoying the thrill of impressive spins and twists.
2. TreeTop Adventure Park in Sydney – Get active in the Forest
If you are a nature lover and like to get active outdoors, then the TreeTop Adventure Park in Sydney should be definitely on your bucket list of fun things to do. This adventure park is located in western Sydney and includes some enjoyable tree-top climbing, 15-meter high flying foxes, and Australia’s longest zip line (360 mt). Walking on suspension bridges from tree to tree and more fun eco-activities in the forest.
Photo credit Flambulle via Flickr
3. Sydney indoor skydiving – An indoor flying adventure
Indoor Skydiving in Sydney is a new adventure concept and the ultimate indoor flight experience for those who love the thrill of flying but are afraid of skydiving. How does indoor skydiving work? The flight occurs in a large vertical glass-wind tunnel where turbine fans generate wind speeds of about 250km/h. You will experience acrobatic twists, spins in all directions as if you were flying. It does, simulate the exact free-fall that you experience during a real 14,000 ft outdoor skydive.
Here are the benefits of indoor skydiving?
Well, first of all, you don’t have to train for months, and you don’t need any skills to try the thrill of indoor skydiving. It’s one of the safest adventurous Sydney activities. It’s something for everyone, from adults, family and kids alike. And also is an excellent chance for those afraid of heights to get familiar with outdoor skydiving before seriously considering jumping out of the plane.
4. Visit Taronga Zoo – A unique Sydney Wildlife Experience
If you are a wildlife lover, then Taronga Zoo is one place to see in Sydney. This is the most impressive Zoo in Australia for its exclusive location, situated on top of a hill overlooking the Sydney Harbour. Here sightseeing and wildlife encounters are perfectly combined.
Don’t miss out on the special birds-of-prey shows and various animal-feeding offered during the day while enjoying stunning views of the harbour. You can also add a treetop adventure, walking on rope lining and suspension bridges.
And if you want something entertaining, then try the Taronga Zoo behind the scenes, the roar and snore adventure: Stay overnight in purpose-built tents and awake to growls and roars of the animals! 🙂 For more info, check out all the Taronga Zoo Adventures.
5. Visit Cockatoo Island – Sydney’s World Heritage Site
Only a short ferry ride from the city, Sydney Cockatoo Island, lies in Sydney Harbour. First-time travellers mostly underrate it. Not man,y people know that this is the largest island in Sydney Harbour and a World-Heritage-listed site of Australia. Visiting the island is free. You can either explore it on a self-guided tour, or if you prefer, you can go on a guided tour to explore the island’s rich maritime and convict history.
You can also stay overnight on Cockatoo Island for a “Glamping Adventure” in the spectacular campsite located at the Harbour’s edge.
6. Sydney Whale-Watching – See Humpback Whales up close
It’s hard to believe, but Sydney is a magnificent spot for seeing humpback whales. You don’t need to travel long distances; you can have this unique wildlife encounter in Sydney’s surroundings.
This is a seasonal outdoor activity, though. Between June and September is the time to go on a whale watching tour, when the annual Humpback migration occurs along Australia’s Eastern Coast.
7. Explore Sydney’s Royal National Park – Marley Walking Tour
Royal National Park is Sydney national park, only half an hour train ride from the city. It’s the oldest national park in Australia and one of the best natural places to visit in Sydney. It offers unique coastal trails and limestone rock formations. Among the different walking trails, I would recommend the Marley Walking Tour that takes you through the spectacular landscape, to see some iconic indigenous and natural landmarks like the white cliffs, also known by the locals as the “wedding cake”.
8. Scenic Flight over Sydney – Experience Sydney from the air
Last but not least, why not experience the city from the sky and go on a scenic flight over Sydney Harbour. I did this a few years ago, and it was a memorable flight that I still remember as if it were yesterday. The view of Sydney Harbour and Sydney coastline from the air is magnificent. A fun adventure to add to your bucket list when exploring Sydney.
More things to do in and around Sydney
If you are a nature lover, visit the Centennial Parks in Sydney, here is a map of the park or by using public transport you can go on many day trips from the city.
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This is our list of unique, fun things to do in Sydney that will help you map out your own Sydney adventures. To get your visit to Sydney organised, you can start from these pages here below.
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First published in 2015, last updated in April 2021
Brian
November 23, 2015 @ 11:54 am
Great tips on things to do in Sydney. We loved our time there and one of the most enjoyable experiences for us was exploring Sydney Harbour using the superb ferry system. Every view is picture postcard and every destination is worth a visit. Can’t wait to go back and try some of the things you’ve highlgihted which we haven’t done yet.
rockytravel
November 23, 2015 @ 12:10 pm
Hi Brian, I haven’t done all of them…definitely the indoor skydiving is something for me who needs a bit of training before jumping out of the plane… 😉 followed by the Tree Top Adventure! Thanks for stopping by!
Richard
November 25, 2015 @ 10:27 am
I look forward to trying some of your tips out the next time I’m in Sydney. I think I will like stay on Cockatoo Island and see it in a different light. i worked there many years ago when it was used for ship building and maintenance. it looks so different now with rows of tents and bars, but the old sand stone blocks of the slave docks and plugs as well as the old tunnels and convict buildings on the hill. you can also play tennis on top of the island which has a wonderful view to Sydney and the harbour bridge. thanks for the tips
rockytravel
November 26, 2015 @ 7:59 am
Hi Richard, glad you liked these fun things to do in Sydney! I am sure staying on Cockatoo Island and playing tennis there will be good fun! 😉
Rockhopper
November 28, 2015 @ 5:33 pm
I don’t like so much these crazy things, but nature sounds always interesting for me! I’d love to do whale watching there!
rockytravel
November 29, 2015 @ 12:13 pm
Whale watching is great if you are lucky to be there on the right day, at the right moment, you may be lucky to spot humpback whales breaching very close to Sydney Harbour!
Katja
November 28, 2015 @ 6:27 pm
We lived in Sydney for three years but during that time I never visited the Treetop Adventure Park. We did enjoy all the other things on your list however, as well as the harbour bridge climb, which I loved.
rockytravel
November 29, 2015 @ 12:03 pm
The Treetop Adventure Park is something relatively new in Sydney and seems to be very popular among locals and travellers alike! 🙂
Fiona
November 28, 2015 @ 8:30 pm
I’d love to visit Sydney. My Godfather lives there – but I’ve never been. I like the lookof the royal national park
Jackie
November 28, 2015 @ 9:04 pm
The treetop adventure, whale watching and the Royal National Park look like great things to do! I haven’t been to Sydney yet, but my list of things to see and do keeps growing! How cool there’s also a simulated skydive! I would imagine that is a big hit with the kids! Thanks for all the great ideas!
rockytravel
November 29, 2015 @ 12:05 pm
Thanks, Jackie! The simulated skydive is something high on my list, as I have fear of jumping out of the plane and this will help me become more confident and prepare for the real free-fall! 🙂
Anne
November 29, 2015 @ 10:05 am
Jet boating and tree top adventure is definitely on my adventure list when I get there.
rockytravel
November 29, 2015 @ 12:09 pm
Hi Anne, I went on a jet boating ride in Auckland and loved it. Lots of screaming, laughing, so much fun! Would love to hear back from you when you try this in Sydney! 🙂
melody
November 29, 2015 @ 2:02 pm
Is that Cockatoo Island a UNESCO site? Loved your photos.I will have to confess that Australia has never been on my list of places I would like to go but Sydney looks adventurous in addition to stunning. That National Park is visually stunning. What gorgeous beaches!
rockytravel
November 29, 2015 @ 7:17 pm
Thanks Melody! Cockatoo Island was listed in the Unesco World Heritage list in 2010. If you love nature, get active in the outdoors coupled with a bit of adventure there are many fun Sydney activities to choose from! 🙂
Brianna
November 29, 2015 @ 3:49 pm
All look like great fun but I’d definitely go for the whale watching adventure!
rockytravel
November 29, 2015 @ 7:19 pm
Sydney offers great whale watching tours, so if you are visiting Sydney in season (June-September) then go for it: You will not be disappointed! 🙂
Claudia
November 29, 2015 @ 7:39 pm
All of those activities look fun and very accessible. I like the idea of indoor sky-diving, versus the real terror of jumping from a plane!
rockytravel
November 30, 2015 @ 12:10 pm
Thanks Claudia! Indoor sky-diving is truly fun and can’t wait to try it out myself! 🙂
Mel
November 29, 2015 @ 8:14 pm
As an adrenaline junkie, this is the kind of list I need for Sydney, all I have to do is get there now! 😀 I’d love to go whale watching, I recently went to Iceland on a tour and didn’t see any so I’m scouting for new places where a sighting is an (almost) assured thing.
rockytravel
November 30, 2015 @ 12:13 pm
Hi Mel, Australia is one of the best places in the world for whale watching. Depending on the time of the year, you can see humpback whales between June- September in Sydney and till Ocotber along the southern Eastern Coast of Australia. If you are an adrenaline junkie, then Sydeny is the right place for you! Hope you get there soon! 🙂
Joe
November 30, 2015 @ 3:33 am
Great tips! Sydney is one of the places I need to spend more time in and your list is a great way to start!
rockytravel
November 30, 2015 @ 12:08 pm
Thanks Joe, glad you liked the post about unique Sydney activities! 🙂
Lyn
December 11, 2015 @ 11:27 am
I have lived in Sydney almost my whole life. A helicopter flightseeing flight over the harbour is the most fun thing I have ever done. I would highly recommend it. My husband and I stayed on Cockatoo Island a few years ago and it was quite surreal – waking up to those stunning views. We don’t camp so even the glamping was a bit too basic for us. We stayed in a cottage – a bit more expensive than glamping but a whole lot more comfortable.
rockytravel
December 11, 2015 @ 3:51 pm
Thanks Lyn for sharing your experience an a Sydney insider! I have camped in the Outack and quite liked it. Now and then I like to try something different and the glamorous campsite on Cockatoo Island is something I’d like to try out! 🙂
Louise
March 26, 2018 @ 6:10 am
I finished my itinerary for my incoming vacation trip to Australia easily after reading this blog and thank you for that.
Eva
May 7, 2018 @ 10:15 am
The reason why we start travel is such a great tool for spending holidays, especially when it comes about Sydney! So colourful, it always brings a wonderful mood! By the way, great list of activities! i will try it in the near future!