There’s no shortage of things to do in Sydney. The following are just a few ideas to get you started.

Museums and Galleries

Art Gallery of NSW

The Art Gallery of NSW is one of the country’s top art galleries, and the principal gallery for the state of New South Wales (NSW). It is 2.1km from the ICC. If the weather is good, it’s a lovely walk. You’ll see a wide range of art from indigenous art to exhibitions featuring Australia’s premier art prizes. Entry is free (extra for special exhibitions).

Museum of Contemporary Art

The MCA is 2.3km from the ICC on the edge of Circular Quay. It describes itself as Australia’s leading contemporary art museum. The location itself is worth the visit, so if you’re interested in contemporary art, you should have this on your list. $20 admission.

Australian Maritime Museum

The Australian Maritime Museum is just 500m from the ICC. You can see many of the large exhibits from the Pyrmont Bridge. There’s lots to see, from nature to nautical history. If you’re interested in photography you may enjoy the Ocean Photographer of the Year Exhibition. Entry is free (extra for special exhibitions).

Australian Museum

The Australian Museum is one of the nation’s top museums of science, culture and nature, and just 1.5km from the ICC. It is Australia’s oldest museum. A good way to discover more about Australia’s first nations people – one of the oldest continuing cultures in the world. Entry is free (extra for special exhibitions).

Theater and Music

The Opera House

The iconic Sydney Opera House is worth a visit for the architecture alone. It’s a 3km walk through the heart of the city, walk to QVB and then catch the L2 or L3 light rail, or arrive in style, catching the F4 Ferry from Pyrmont Bay. The Opera House has a diverse roster of events including opera, dance, theater, and contemporary music. Find out what’s on here.

The Capitol

The Capitol Theater an iconic building just 1.3km from the ICC. Find out what’s on here.

The State Theater

The State Theater is a spectacular venue just 1.1km from the ICC. Friday and Saturday January 30 and 31 it will host the Whitlams with Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Thursday February 5 it will host The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight. The full calendar is here.

The ICC Sydney Theater

The ICC has a large theater, just a few hundred meters to the south of where we’ll be meeting for our conference. If you arrive a week early you can catch David Byrne. On February 7 you can see the Music of John Williams. The full list is here.

The Lyric Theater

The Sydney Lyric Theater is just 800m from the ICC. Unfortunately it appears it will be between shows at the time of the conference.

Attractions

Bats

You won’t find wild kangaroos or koalas in the city, but Sydney is home to large numbers of fruit bats (a.k.a. flying fox). Three kinds are found in Sydney: grey-headed flying-fox, black flying-fox, and little red flying-fox. These are megabats. The most common is the grey-headed flying-fox, which is the largest bat in Australia and one of the largest in the world, with a wingspan of up to 1m. You can see these for free from around the ICC if you take the time to look up. They routinely move westward over Darling Harbour at dusk. If you have the time, walk to Pyrmont bridge (500m north) at dusk and wait and watch. You’ll likely see hundreds of them. They regularly roost in the large native fig trees on Pirrama Rd (750m).

Bridge Climb

You can pay to climb the harbour bridge if you want to get a spectacular view.

Taronga Zoo

Taronga Zoo is set in a wonderful location and accessible via the F2 ferry or the 100 bus.

Aquarium, Waxworks

The Sealife Aquarium and Madame Tussauds are located just 800m from the ICC, on the other side of Pyrmont Bridge.

Beaches

Sydney has spectacular beaches. Unfortunately the complex topography of the harbour and the city of Sydney means that access to the beaches is not great by public transport. Top beaches to visit include Bondi, which is by far the most touristy, Bronte, Tamarama, and Manly. You can get to Manly via the amazing F1 ferry. The other beaches are in the eastern suburbs and are best reached by bus or train via Bondi Junction (55min), or car (19min).

Shopping

QVB, George St and King St

The Queen Victoria Building (QVB) is an impressive late-19th-century building 1.1km from the ICC. It’s worth a visit just to enjoy the architecture. The building is full of high end shops, including some good chocolate. It also houses a slightly manic cookware shop in its basement, where you can find all manner of things culinary, often at bargain prices if that’s the kind of thing you like.

From the QVB you can make your way down George Street, which is now a pedestrian mall with the light rail running along its center. You’ll find major retailers like the Apple Store along the way. King St runs perpendicular to George St two blocks north of the QVB. King St is thick with high end stores such as Hublot, Tiffany, etc. and is also the way to get to the city’s two biggest department stores, David Jones and Myer.

Groceries

The three dominant grocery chains in this part of Australia are Coles, Woolworths and ALDI. There are not a lot of large grocery stores in the city. Stores nearest to the ICC include Coles Pyrmont (700m), in a little mall where you’ll also find a pharmacy and liquor store. Other options include Woolworths Metro, Pyrmont (900m), Woolworths Town Hall (900m) and Woolworths Metro, Haymarket (1.1km).

Hikes

Sydney has some great hikes. With the completion of the Bondi to Manly Walk, the entire Sydney coastline can be walked. There’s a great list here. If you have the time and it’s not too hot, this is a great way to get a sense of Sydney. You can stop for coffee and food along the way, and take a swimsuit with you.

Exercise

Running & Walking

The ICC is a fantastic starting point for a run or walk. Your General Chair’s favorite run is along the waterfront from the nearby Pyrmont bridge to the Sydney Harbor Bridge and back. It’s a great 3.7km walk or run (7.4km return). You can extend it out to the Opera House and make it 5.4km each way, 10.8km return. You can do the whole thing without crossing a road. Depending on the time of day pedestrian traffic near the ferry terminals can be a bit hectic.

Swimming

If you want to get some laps in in something better than a hotel pool, you will probably want to check out the Ian Thorp Aquatic Centre, just 650m away. Or you can take a swim in the harbour at Marrinawi Cove, which will cost you nothing and, thoughtfully, has a shark net. You can walk or run there (2.8km) – the run described above goes right by it. Alternatively, grab the 324/325 bus or walk to Gadigal and get the metro to Barangaroo. If you really want to do it right, you should visit Bronte Baths or Bondi Icebergs Pool. These are a little hard to reach by public transport, so you may want to get cab or Uber (about 20 min).