The Sydney Opera House is a major Australian landmark and the most recognizable icon of Sydney – one of the greatest architectural works of the 20th century. Occupying a prominent place at Sydney Harbor, the building's creative use of a group of white interlocking shells as its roof makes it one of the most photographed buildings in the world.

There are several types of tours that visitors can take to learn more about the history behind this iconic structure. Visitors can also tour the backstage area or take a tour that has special activities for kids.

This opera house hosts six venues, offering different experiences depending on your interest. The Concert Hall, seating 2,000, hosts the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. For opera and ballet, the Joan Sutherland Theatre, with 1,500 seats, is the place.

Several dining options combined with excellent harbor views are also available, should you decide to grab something to eat or drink. The Opera Bar and Portside offer indoor and outdoor dining featuring Australian favorites, while Bennelong has a more formal setting with modern cuisine. If quick bites are more up your alley, try the Theatre Bars or The Lounge.

Tips:
Try a Foodie Tour that includes dining as a part of the experience.

Mrs Macquarie's Chair (also known as Lady Macquarie's Chair) is an exposed sandstone rock cut into the shape of a bench, on a peninsula in Sydney Harbour. It was hand carved by convicts in 1810, for Elizabeth Macquarie, the wife of Major-General Lachlan Macquarie, Governor of New South Wales. The peninsula itself was known to the Gadigal as Yurong Point, and is now widely known as Mrs Macquarie's Point, and is part of The Domain, near the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Mrs Macquarie was the wife of Major-General Lachlan Macquarie, Governor of New South Wales from 1810 to 1821. Folklore has it that she used to sit on the rock and watch for ships from Great Britain sailing into the harbour. She was known to visit the area and sit enjoying the panoramic views of the harbour.

Surrounded by 260 acres of parkland, the Old Government House commands sweeping views of the Parramatta River and is an undisturbed natural reserve amid Australia’s biggest metropolitan area.

The house itself was built in 1799 and is Australia’s oldest public building. For seventy years, it served as the governor’s rural residence. The colony's first 10 governors resided here.

Governor Macquarie and his wife, who lived here from 1810 to 1821, are responsible for the majority of extensions and renovations made to the property, turning the originally small and rather simple structure into a Palladian-style English mansion.

Recently restored, the building's interior features typical Anglo- and Indian-style furnishing, sandstone flags, and a large hand-cut glass chandelier once common in fashionable houses during the 1820s.

The property occupies Darug land that was home to the Burramatta Tribe. Some of the trees surrounding the house still bear scars of the bark stripped to make canoes by the Aborigines. The Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales managing the Old Government House operates tours including a “haunted house” tour of the property.

The Royal Botanic Gardens, located to the East of the Sydney Opera House, overlooking Farm Cove, is the former farmland established by Governor Philips, the founder of Sydney.

Surrounding the gardens is the Domain, a green space adjacent to the Government House, founded by Governor Macquarie in 1916. The first Colonial Botanist, Charles Frazer, began the collection and study of plants in the garden thus making it the oldest scientific institution in Australia.

Each year, the gardens welcome over a million visitors coming to see the trees and plants (some of which are quite rare) from across Australia, plus the population of unique birds and fruit bats. There is a large pond with ducks, the white-faced heron, and other aquatic birds.

The Royal Botanic Gardens are divided into several themed sections such as the Palm Grove, the Oriental Garden, and the Herb Garden. Also interesting are the Rainforest Walk, the Succulent Garden with desert plants, and the Australian Native Rockery.

The place is family friendly and children and adults are free to walk and play on the grass and observe the plants at close quarters. The entry is free and visitors can enjoy picnics right there on the lawn.

This super cool location on the side of the Bay is the place you can hardly get bored of; a visit here easily can be a whole day's entertainment. You can use the train for an overview of the place; however, walking is just as entertaining a way to get around. If you plan to have longer hours in the Gardens, there are also restaurants, as well as a café, plus plenty of benches in the shade, where a tired visitor can have a rest.

Tip:
Don't forget to check out Mrs. Macquarie's Chair, from where the wife of Governor Macquarie was watching the ships sailing into the Harbour – a great vantage point with beautiful views!
Also, try and book the Aboriginal Heritage tour, which is about an hour long and runs on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday mornings at 10 am.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is the world’s 2nd widest long-span bridge. It connects the city’s Central Business District and the North Shore. It carries rail, vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian traffic. The arched shape of the bridge has earned it the popular name, Coat Hanger.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House are symbols of the city and of Australia. It was built under the supervision of Dr. J.J.C. Bradfield of the New South Wales Department of Public Works and constructed by British firm, Dorman Long and Co. It stands 440 feet high and 503 meters long. There is a pair of granite pylons at each end of the bridge designed by Scottish architect, Thomas S. Tait. The southeastern pylon has a museum and a lookout from which tourists can see beautiful views of the opera house and Sydney Harbour. Today, there are 6 lanes for traffic on the main roadway, two road traffic lanes and a pedestrian pathway on the eastern side, and two railway tracks and a bicycle path on the western side.

Since 1998, tourists have been permitted to climb the southern half of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It is also the venue of spectacular New Years Day fireworks and many commemorative celebrations. It is a monument of national pride in Australia.

Why You Should Visit:
This bridge provides you with so much entertainment that it would be a sin to miss it if you're holidaying in Sydney.

Tip:
Try to walk in the early morning or in the late afternoon. When the sun is down and all the lights are on, you'll see something different again.
To make your bridge walk even more attractive, go up to the Pylon Lookout – the 360 degrees view from the top is breathtaking.
If you're fit and capable, go for the bridge climb as well. Not as scary as you may think, but a certain adrenalin level makes it even more fun.
Alternately, access the bridge from Cumberland and then run/walk all the way to the north end. The views from Kirribilli of the bridge and the Opera House are outstanding.