There’s nothing like being excited for a holiday and then having it rain when you get to your destination! Don’t let the weather dampen your trip. I’ve put a list together of places to go when the weather isn’t cooperating. Here’s some ideas for what to do in Sydney when it rains.
The main things I would recommend doing when it’s raining is to check out the Wild Life Zoo, Sydney Sea Life Aquarium, and Wax Museum. All three are located near each other in Darling Harbour, and they are all indoors! You can even buy an annual Merlin pass for $99 that lets you in to all 3 and a few other tourist spots (Sydney Tower Eye, Manly Aquarium) around town. If you only want to pay for one, I recommend going to the The Wildlife Zoo; try to catch a keeper talk if you can. The Sea Life Aquarium offers a unique boat penguin ride that’s short but pretty cool.
Next, I would check out the Queen Victoria Building (QVB). It’s located above Town Hall station, so you don’t have to go outside once you’re off the train. In addition to the beautiful building, you can go shopping, or even just have tea.
Another option is going on an Opera House Tour. You’re mainly inside for this one, although you may walk outside to get in between buildings. Learn about how the Opera House was built and what shows they offer! You can also check out the harbour from indoors. Did you know that Sydney has the largest natural harbour in the world?
Looking for other things to do? Why not check out one of Sydney’s many museums! You can find some around popular spots like Circular Quay (Contemporary Art Museum) and even Darling Harbour (Maritime Museum). While you’re out, check out the library which is near the Royal Botanical Gardens; you may get lucky and catch a break of rain after your tour so you can visit the garden.
St. Mary’s Cathedral is another beautiful place you can visit. It’s the largest church in Australia and it is magnificent! You can walk inside, but it’s asked not to disrupt the people praying inside.
Once the rain is gone
Now, when the weather does clear up, be sure you have these things on your Sydney to do list! Want to get outside? Go on one of Sydney’s many Eastern Coastal walks. Here are some of the more popular ones:
Bondi to Coogee walk
Manly Cove and Manly to Spit Bridge
North Head National Park and Sydney Harbour National Park walk
Things to do in Sydney
Here are a few things to do in the city center. Go to The Rocks (and the park above the Rocks), walk across the Harbour Bridge, go on a picnic at Milsons Point across from the Opera House, visit Luna Park and the POOL, and get a birds eye view of Sydney from the Sydney Tower Eye (mentioned above, comes with part of the Merlin pass and takes 44 seconds to get 250 meters above sea level). If you wanted to go on the Sydney Tower Eye Walk, it’s only $30 with the Merlin pass instead of the regular $70. Also be sure to hit up the popular beaches Sydney has to offer, Bondi and Manly (learn more about Manly HERE-link to my Manly blog post).
Day Trips from Sydney
One thing outside of Sydney that is a must do is a trip to the Blue Mountains (click here for more details). Have a little more time? Go on a wine tasting tour (all day tours are available from Sydney CBD to Hunter Valley) or take a day trip to Kiama and Bombo (read more about this here).
If you’re in Sydney for longer than a week, you can get on social media for some ideas. Like places where you’re visiting on Facebook and search cities/places on Instagram to see things you wouldn’t have known about (and deals!)! Of course, use Pinterest to check out any other things to do and places to eat.
