12 Best Things To Do In Darling Harbour, Sydney

Don’t miss Darling Harbour if you visit Sydney. This should be the takeaway of this post, and I can’t believe we made this mistake when we visited Sydney for the first time. Now that we’ve been living here, Darling Harbour has become one of our favorite neighborhoods to hang out in Sydney, because it offers so much to do – and well, there’s the scenery.

But first thing first: what is Darling Harbour, and where is it? It’s a pretty, lively waterside precinct on the western outskirts of the Sydney CBD, quite easily reachable from either Circular Quay or Central Station, or any other part of the business district. It’s a pedestrian-friendly area with a strong focus on both recreation and entertainment, and it’s popular among travelers and locals alike. Also, it’s one of the best family-friendly destinations in Sydney. You simply can’t help falling for it.

After spending quite a few fun hours and days there, in this post I tell you all about the best things to do in Darling Harbour.

Top things to do in Darling Harbour

Darling Harbour is framed by a scenic, paved waterfront pathway, with the historical Pyrmont Bridge spanning over it. Along the way you find an abundant choice of cafes, bars, restaurants, shops, outdoor spaces and museums. Let’s see the highlights, including some very cool free things to do in Darling Harbour.

Take the ferry from Circular Quay to Pyrmont Bay

First of all, getting there could be an experience on its own – if you take the ferry. The main ferry station is at Circular Quay, and there are several ferry routes all over Sydney Harbour. The F4 line takes you to Darling Harbour. You’ll see the famous Opera House from the water (it’s true for any ferry line though), then ride under Harbour Bridge, enjoy views of the CBD skyline, Luna Park and North Sydney. Then the ferry arrives at Darling Harbour, offering more views of the business district and the bay. 

Riding these public ferries are among the best things to do in Sydney. They offer wonderful views for a very affordable price.

You can get off at either King Street Wharf (Barangaroo station) or Pyrmont Bay Wharf (the station is also called Pyrmont Bay). I recommend getting off at Pyrmont Bay Wharf, because that’s the last stop on the F4 line, and it means a 30 minute long scenic ferry ride, with views of Darling Harbour from the water.

Pyrmont Bay Wharf is a great starting point for a walk around Darling Harbour, or to visit an exciting museum right on the corner:

Visit the Australian National Maritime Museum

One of the best Darling Harbour tourist attractions is the Australian National Maritime Museum. It’s right on the waterfront, and it’s a favorite in our family. 4-year-old Tomi likes it just as much as me or Csaba, and the main reason is the collection of floating historical vessels it hosts.

Yes, it means that part of the museum is actually docked in the harbour. Visitors can board these vessels and learn interesting facts about their usage. The specific vessels which you can board might be a bit different depending on the day of your visit. We visited HMAS Vampire, a giant gun ship, which is Australia’s largest museum vessel and served in the navy from 1959 to 1986. The steel monstrum is quite impressive, still equipped with weapons.

But we were even more excited about entering HMAS Onslow. It’s a cold-war era submarine which tracked the movements of Soviet submarines. Docked in Darling Harbour today, it tells stories about its missions and the life onboard.

Finally, we got aboard HMB Endeavour, a replica of James Cook’s famous ship and learnt about sailing in those times.

In addition to the floating vessels, there’s the museum itself. The permanent exhibitions are actually free to visit, and they include exhibits about Australia’s maritime culture and history, and also the famous Aussie beach culture. They usually host exciting temporary exhibitions, too. We visited a shipwreck exhibition where we learned lots of exciting stories, and the shipwrecks were all built from Lego, with great detail.

The main exhibitions are free, but you need to buy a ticket for visiting the vessels and the temporary exhibitions. It’s one of the best things to do with kids in Darling Harbour, but just as enjoyable for the big kids, too. It’s also a good option to choose for a rainy day, though walking on the vessels means being partly outdoors. 

Pro tip: if you’d like to visit several attractions, purchase a combined ticket.

Walk through Pyrmont Bridge

One of the best things to do in Darling Harbour for free is walking through Pyrmont Bridge, the loveliest bridge in Sydney. It’s also one of the oldest surviving electrically-operated wingspan bridges in the world, opened in 1902. It spans for 369 meters, and it’s a pedestrian bridge that offers wonderful views of Cockle Bay, Port Jackson and the CBD.

Meet a dugong at Sea Life Sydney Aquarium

Are you looking for fun things to do in Darling Harbour? How about meeting a dugong? A what….?

The dugong is a sea cow, a relative of the manatee, only their habitats are in different parts of the planet. Dugongs live in the Indo-West Pacific, and Australia is home to the largest dugong population, stretching from Shark Bay in Western Australia to Moreton Bay in Queensland. Do you want to see one at Darling Harbour? Visit the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium.

It’s the best aquarium you can find in Australia, with 14 themed zones and 700 species, including sharks, rays, penguins, seals and Pig, the rescued dugong. The exhibits focus both on education and entertainment, and they are fun for any age.

Everyone’s favorite is the stroll through Shark Valley, a 100-meter glass tunnel where you can see sharks and rays swimming around you. You find Pig, the dugong, at Dugong Island, surrounded by eagle rays and bamboo sharks. And there’s a hands-on exhibition, too: the Discovery Rockpool where you can touch sea stars, shark eggs and shells.

The only drawback? Due to its central location, the aquarium is in a relatively small area, so it can get incredibly crowded. We visited it with a stroller, which is possible, because the exhibition spaces are all accessible, but navigating through the crowds with a bulky stroller was not the best. They limit the number of visitors though, so make sure to book a ticket in advance, because they might sell out on popular weekends. Tickets allow a timed entry.

Meet Taylor Swift at Madame Tussauds

Or whoever your favorite star or public figure is, dead or alive (or imagined). The famous Madame Tussauds has a wax museum in Sydney, too, and it’s one of the exciting museums at Darling Harbour.

You can take selfies with your favorite stars, like Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Pink, Ricky Martin or Kylie Minogue. Of course, you find Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn, but also lots of Australian leaders and politicians, members of the Royal family or your favorite Marvel superheroes.

You can access the museum from the King Street pedestrian bridge, the Market Street pedestrian bridge and also Pyrmont Bridge.

Stroll the Chinese Garden of Friendship

The Chinese Garden of Friendship has a very different vibe, as suddenly you find yourself on meandering pathways among willow trees, lotus plants, Chinese bonsai, peaceful pavilions and ponds with koi fish. This garden symbolizes the friendship between Sydney and the city of Guangzhou (in the province of Guangdong, China), and it was designed to incorporate the five elements of earth, and to follow the Taoist principles of the yin-yang.

There’s a small entrance fee to visit this garden.

Find the Exchange Building on Darling Square

The most fancy “meet and eat” place in Sydney is Darling Square, a modern district right behind the harbour. It offers a wide selection of laneway bars and restaurants, and it’s dominated by the iconic Exchange Building. This six-story building is special as a piece of modern architecture,  wrapped in 20 km of timber strips, but also special as a social space, being home to a modern marketplace, the Maker’s Dozen, Darling Square Library and an innovation lab.

The Darling Square Library is a pleasant, modern space, spanning on two floors. It has great community spaces, with lounges and desks, and also outdoor tables and benches, and there’s even a colorful children’s area. Anyone can visit it for free, and New South Wales residents can also get a library membership for free.

Go on a whale-watching cruise in winter

Whale-watching is one of the fun things to do in Sydney in the winter months. The east coast of Australia is along the migration route of the whales between Antarctica and the warm waters of Queensland. Whale-watching cruises regularly depart from Darling Harbour during the whale-watching season, and we highly recommend joining one. Seeing these magnificent creatures from up close is an experience not to ever forget.

It’s worth planning for half a day for this activity alone. This tour is 2.5 hours, which is great if you’re short on time. It’s suitable for kids and stroller-accessible, too. They guarantee a whale sighting, and it departs from Darling Harbour.

But timing is crucial. You have very slim chances to see any whales outside of the season, which is from May until November. And even during the whale-watching season there are two peaks: one is from mid-June to mid-July when the whales are heading north, the other is from late August to early September when they’re heading back south. Most of them are Humpback whales, who are known to be playful, and we saw them jump out countless times even from the shore, but you can sometimes see Southern Right whales, too.

If you tend to be seasick, choose a bigger boat for a more stable run. In any case, stock up on anti seasick tablets before you board, because once you leave the sheltered waters of Sydney Harbour, it’ll be rough. It’s the open ocean, it’s never calm. I advise you to pack an extra sweater and a windbreaker for the same reason.

Eat and drink at Cockle Bay

Cockle Bay and King Street Wharf are packed with restaurants and cafés, and you’ll surely find one where you love both the food and the views. Then one of the best things to do in Darling Harbour at night is exploring the bars.

The Loft has an incredible waterfront setting and an “old New York City” vibe. Cargo Bar is a bar, bistro and restaurant in one, they have great cocktails and pizza, and a scenic outdoor terrace. Helm Bar in Cockel Bay is one of the biggest bars in the area.

2022-2023 update: Harbourside Shopping Center is permanently closed, and there’s a large redevelopment project in progress.

Take the kids to the Darling Quarter playground

Spending too much time on playgrounds in the past few years, I’m not exactly a fan. But the Darling Quarter playground is a masterpiece, I have to admit, and quite a pleasant place to hang around in general. Visiting it is one of the best Darling Harbour activities with kids in the midst of a busy sightseeing day.

In the shade of large palm trees, you find a large selection of play structures: different climbing ropes and a rope dome, a 21-meter flying fox, a large climbing wall, a selection of slides suitable for kids of different ages, and a spacious water play area, with lots of interactive fountains.

The only thing I don’t like? It’s such a huge area, with lots of play structures and lots of kids, and my son usually enthusiastically runs around and wants to try everything at once, so I have to keep two eyes wide open not to lose him.

Visit the Powerhouse Museum

Powerhouse is actually a museum group, and one of their museums is near Darling Harbour. It’s a mix of arts, design, science and technology, and it deals with contemporary ideas and issues. Whether you’re interested in science, space, transport, computer technology, steam engines, social history or decorative arts, you’ll find an exhibition to check out. Oh, and it’s free to visit.

Why the name – which does implies a connection mainly to science and technology though? It’s a converted electric tram power station that was first built in 1902.

Take The Goods Line from Darling Harbour to Central Station

Last but not least, another one of the best things to do around Darling Harbour is walking The Goods Line. This lovely walkway connects Darling Harbour with Central Station. It starts just behind the Powerhouse Museum (or from the Devonshire Street Pedestrian Tunnel if you start from the Central Station) and runs on an abandoned railway track that was turned into a green walkway.

It’s one of the best short urban walks to do in Sydney, and a great example of how to turn a dead part of town into an attractive outdoor space. During the roughly 500 meters you walk under large fig trees on a paved path, enjoy urban views and can sit down on the benches. You’ll surely notice the Business School of the University of Technology Sydney, designed by Frank Gehry, because it stands out from its surroundings. It looks like a giant squashed brown paper bag – in other words, wonderful!

The Goods Line is suitable for prams and wheelchairs. Though there are stairs at one end, you find alternate ramp access.

Darling Harbour attractions to skip – what to do instead?

Don’t take a boat tour in Sydney Harbour. There are several sightseeing boat tours that start from Darling Harbour. But unless they include something extra (like a romantic dinner or a thrilling jet boat ride), I don’t think they are worth doing. Take the Sydney ferry instead. Public ferries are so much cheaper, they run frequently and offer you just as excellent views. They vary in size, but all of them have some kind of an outer deck where you can get the best views. Go up to the top deck if it’s open.

Skip the WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo. Sydney has several wildlife parks and zoos, and this is not the best one. You can see koalas and kangaroos, and it’s right in the city center. But it’s an indoor zoo, much smaller than others, and that doesn’t only mean fewer animals, but fewer space for visitors to get around, as well. It can get incredibly crowded.

If you’re looking for a full day zoo experience, I really recommend Taronga Zoo. It’s famous for a reason: it has a variety of animals, including Australian animals, it offers great animal talks and shows, and also amazing views of the Sydney CBD. If you’re looking for a smaller wildlife park that focuses on Australian animals only, the Koala Park Sanctuary in West Pennant Hills is great. You can walk around in an hour or two, and there’s koala talk and a kangaroo petting area.

We also like the Australian Reptile Park very much. Though it’s outside of Sydney, it will be on your way if you head north to the Central Coast. It doesn’t only have reptiles, you can actually see most of Australia’s famous animals, pet kangaroos or see a crocodile feeding. I recommend spending at least half a day here, but you can easily stretch it for a full day, especially when visiting with kids. (They have a large playground and play space.)

Where to stay in Darling Harbour?

Darling Harbour is a great place to stay in Sydney. Most attractions downtown are within walking distance or a ferry ride away.

Luxurious places to stay in Darling Harbour

The best luxurious stay is Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour. This 5-star hotel offers iconic views of the Sydney CBD and Darling Harbour, and you might even see the fireworks over the harbour from your room. Facilities are just as tempting, like a rooftop infinity pool, a fitness center, fine dining and 3 bars on-site, including a rooftop bar. The staff is highly rated for their kind and professional attitude.

The Grace Hotel is a few blocks behind King Street Wharf, in the central business district. It has a rooftop fitness center with an indoor swimming pool and a sauna, the rooms are spacious and comfortable, and you can even get breakfast in your room. It offers excellent value for the price, and you can choose from different kinds of rooms and suites.

Mid-range accommodation in Darling Harbour

The PARKROYAL Darling Harbour has great views of Darling Harbour and the city skyline, and is 5 minutes walk from Town Hall Station. It has a restaurant, a bar and a fitness center on site, and all rooms include an ergonomic work desk with high-speed internet access so that it’s ideal for business trips, too.

Families will prefer Adina Apartment Hotel, overlooking Cockle Bay. It has a swimming pool, a fitness center and a sauna for guests, and rooms have a kitchen or kitchenette, most of them also have a private balcony.

Budget accommodation in Darling Harbour: Tequila Sunrise Hostel Sydney

Tequila Sunrise Hostel Sydney is located in the CBD, a short walk away from Darling Quarter. It offers sleeping pods in shared rooms, with a common dining area and kitchen. The beds are double and have privacy curtains. Breakfast and dinner is complimentary. It’s one of the most affordable options in the heart of Sydney, and it’s nicer and more comfortable than your usual hostel.

How to get to Darling Harbour?

If you’re not staying at Darling Harbour, then the quickest way to get there is either via train or ferry. Town Hall Station and Central Station are both a short walk away, and the ferry connects the Darling Harbour wharfs with Circular Quay.

If you drive, Darling Quarter offers parking. However, don’t expect cheap parking in this central area. We’ve never driven here, public transport is quite convenient.

Which are your favorite places to go in Darling Harbour?