Darling Harbour is adjacent to the city centre of Sydney. It’s a family-friendly destination that has plenty of things to keep the children entertained all day. You can find fascinating museums, exciting wildlife, delicious dining and reasonable accommodations.
Darling Harbour makes a perfect central base to explore Sydney and the surrounding areas. It is a pedestrian district filled with entertaining things to do. The area gets high ratings from visitors citing the number of shops, activities and restaurants, calling it a vibrant and lively place to visit.
If you want to base your Sydney explorations in this area look for a hotel near Ultimo, an inner city hub of Sydney.
Australian National Maritime Museum
The museum has one of the largest and most diverse collections of ships in the world. You can see the Cold War submarine HMAS Onslow, the naval destroyer HMAS Vampire and a stunning replica of Captain Cook’s tall ship HMB Endeavour.
The museum has six permanent galleries with an ever-changing program of exhibitions. The exhibits are designed to explore the maritime history of Australia and the people who lived, worked and explored its waters. From the indigenous Aboriginal cultures to contemporary explorers and seamen.
Sea Life Sydney Aquarium
Located in the heart of Darling Harbour, Sea Life Sydney Aquarium is a journey of amazing discovery. The park is one of the world’s largest aquariums with over 700 different species and 13,000 animals in an amazing six million litres of water. It is home to the world’s largest variety of sharks and rays including rare dugongs and tropical reef fish.
Wander through nine differently themed zones from Jurassic Seas, Sydney Harbour and Dugong Island, the impressive Shark Valley ocean tunnel walk-through, penguins on Macquarie Island and the fascinating Great Barrier Reef Zone.
It’s a great place for you and your family to check out all the different sea animals. Make sure you plan ahead as it can get crowded at times.
Chinese Garden of Friendship
This is a tranquil retreat in the middle of the city. The garden is a collaborative effort between the Sister States of NSW and Guangdong of China.
Designed by the Guangzhou Landscape Bureau, the Garden was laid out according to the ancient Chinese philosophy of Taoism and its principles of Yin and Yang. The exhibit opened in 1988 and was modelled after ancient private gardens in China from the 5th century and is a masterpiece of traditional Chinese culture infused with Australian characteristics.
It’s a perfect place to escape and lose some time in nature, while still being in the middle of a modern industrial city.
Paddy’s Markets Haymarket
If you’re down for some shopping check out Paddy’s markets at Haymarket. You can find everything from souvenirs to fruits and vegetables. A real old-fashioned flea market with much cheaper prices than other parts of town.
Getting to Darling Harbour is easy. If you are coming from outside Australia fly into Sydney Airport on a tourist visa and catch a cab to the area. For locals, take the Western Distributor/Ar roadway. Whether you come for a day or a week there is enough to see and do to fill your day(s) with new experiences and adventures.
