New South Wales · best-of list
9 Top Things to Do in New South Wales
All 9 things to do our route editors picked in New South Wales, across 2 destinations, gathered in one list. Each one is a stop on a route you can open and copy into a trip.
Our curated picks
9 things to do in New South Wales, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Sydney 5 picks
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Sydney · On our Sydney, Blue Mountains & the Reef route
Free gallery with Australian and First Nations art, plus the Sydney Modern building.
Photo: Chris Olszewski · CC BY-SA 4.0
BridgeClimb Sydney
Sydney · On our Sydney, Blue Mountains & the Reef route
Guided climb over the arches of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, 134 m above the water.
Tip: Dawn and twilight climbs cost more but give the best light.
Photo: Servite et contribuere · CC0
Manly Ferry
Sydney · On our Sydney, Blue Mountains & the Reef route
30-minute public ferry across the harbour from Circular Quay to Manly's surf beach.
Tip: Sit on the right outbound for Opera House and Heads views.
Photo: File:Entrance to Manly Ferry Wharf July 2022.jpg: Nick-D derivative work: Georgf · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sydney Opera House
Sydney · On our Sydney, Blue Mountains & the Reef route
Jørn Utzon's sail-roofed performing arts center, with daily tours and a full program of shows.
Tip: Take the one-hour tour or catch any performance to see inside.
Photo: Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand · CC0
The Rocks
Sydney · On our Sydney, Blue Mountains & the Reef route
Sydney's oldest quarter of sandstone lanes, pubs and a weekend market.
Photo: J Bar · CC BY 3.0
Blue Mountains 4 picks
Govetts Leap Lookout
Blue Mountains · On our Sydney, Blue Mountains & the Reef route
Lookout over the Grose Valley and Bridal Veil Falls near Blackheath.
Photo: Govetts Leap lookout · Google
Scenic World
Blue Mountains · On our Sydney, Blue Mountains & the Reef route
Steep railway, cable car and skyway over the Jamison Valley, with rainforest boardwalks.
Tip: Buy tickets online and ride the railway first.
Photo: MrActiniuM · CC BY-SA 4.0
Three Sisters
Blue Mountains · On our Sydney, Blue Mountains & the Reef route
Three sandstone pillars above the Jamison Valley, seen from Echo Point Lookout.
Tip: Come at sunrise or late afternoon to avoid coach tours.
Photo: SidyBee · Google
Zig Zag Railway
Blue Mountains · On our Sydney, Blue Mountains & the Reef route
Heritage steam and diesel trains running down the 1860s zig-zag line from Clarence near Lithgow, with sandstone cuttings and viaducts.
Tip: Book the 90-minute run to Bottom Points; drive via Bells Line of Road.
Photo: Richard Taylor · CC BY 2.0
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the things to do in New South Wales?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 9 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of New South Wales has the most things to do on this list?
Sydney has the most (5 of 9), followed by Blue Mountains (4).
Are any of these free?
4 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Three Sisters, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Govetts Leap Lookout and The Rocks. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for New South Wales
Top things to do nearby
Destinations on this list
- Sydney 5 on this list
- Blue Mountains 4 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.