Between blue skies and even bluer waters, summer in Sydney truly sparkles. Take a dip in one of the city’s many ocean pools, etched into coastal cliffs and protected by rocks and reefs. If you’re feeling jet-lagged, a sunrise paddle around Sydney Harbour or an early morning stroll in Surry Hills is a perfect way to wake up, and thankfully, there’s excellent coffee around every corner. Whether you’re learning to surf, visiting koalas and kangaroos at the zoo, or enjoying the favorable currency exchange while shopping at a sun-dappled Victorian-style arcade, you’ll find friendly locals eager to share their favorite haunts.
Photography provided by Fullerton Hotel
Stay
Originally constructed with local sandstone as Sydney’s Victorian-era General Post Office, The Fullerton Hotel Sydney preserves the historic landmark’s classical Italian architecture, with a prime location in the heart of the city’s central business district. Complimentary heritage tours are available most days, and postmaster teddy bear mascots make for adorable keepsakes. The sunny atrium connecting the two buildings is an elegant meeting place for afternoon tea, and pastry chef Jessica Timpano is a sweet genius.
Rooms and suites are split between the contemporary high-rise tower and heritage building, and the 28th-floor club lounge is a lovely spot to relax and enjoy canapés and cocktails overlooking the city. Luxurious touches like Bluetooth speakers, a pillow menu and garment pressing for club-level guests make for a pampered stay. Even with more than 400 rooms, the long-tenured staff provides kind and attentive service that feels more like what you’d expect at a boutique hotel.
Photography by Christopher Pearce
Dine
Dry-aged, bigeye tuna Wellington, swordfish belly bacon and John Dory liver pâté are just a few creative preparations of fish that you’ll find on the menu at Saint Peter. Chef Josh Niland‘s first experience of dry aging fish was an honest accident when he forgot to put plastic wrap over the dish one night when he was a young cook. The serendipitous mistake resulted in super crispy fish skin and inspired him to develop his own dry-aging method, hanging whole fish by hooks for several days.
At Saint Peter, an expansive skylight frames the open kitchen with curved brass hoods where diners witness fish cooking over a charcoal grill and rotisserie. Niland’s cookbooks unlock the full potential of fish cookery, including all the visceral and gnarly bits, from scales to eyes (which can be used to thicken ice cream), in an effort to use as much of the fish as possible.
Photography provided by Art Gallery of New South Wales
See
Art Gallery of New South Wales
After adding a new campus on Sydney Harbour, designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architects SANAA, the Art Gallery of New South Wales has nearly doubled in size, connecting art, architecture and landscape seamlessly between historic and modern spaces, including a public outdoor art garden. Admission is free, and the gallery is open daily, with art after hours every Wednesday until 10 p.m., featuring complimentary film screenings, performances, artist talks and workshops.
For a more exclusive visit offered through Cultural Attractions of Australia, budding artists can indulge in a three-course lunch with Australian ingredients and wines followed by a drawing workshop in the Grand Courts, sketching their favorite painting or sculpture. Or book a private after-hours tour and five-course dinner with a senior curator tailored to your artistic preferences. There’s even a Yiribana experience that focuses on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art collection led by an Indigenous host.
Photography provided by Margaret
Dine
Sydney-born chef and restaurateur Neil Perry is an absolute legend who put Australia on the global culinary map with Rockpool in the 1990s. He was honored with the Icon Award at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants last year. You may have even tried his food on Qantas Airways.
Perry tried retiring but returned with this gem of a restaurant in the tony Double Bay neighborhood, where sustainable Australian seafood is king, always cooked perfectly and simply dressed to accentuate natural flavors. Fishermen are gallantly credited on the menu, whether it’s Ben’s coral trout or Bruce’s King George whiting, grilled with just a dash of lemon and a generous drizzle of hojiblanca olive oil. At 67 years old, Perry looks spry, suavely expediting and chatting with guests seated in leather banquettes. The restaurant is named for Perry’s late mother, and he works alongside his wife and three daughters in the dining room.
Photography provided by BridgeClimb Sydney
Do
Climb one of Sydney’s most iconic historic landmarks and take in panoramic views of the city. You’ll step into a sturdy jumpsuit and climbing harness, safely hooked in with carabiners all along the way, unlike the brave men (and convicts) who risked their lives to weld and rivet the formidable steel arch in the thirties.
The trek is not nearly as intimidating or strenuous as you might fear — most tours head up to the summit and then loop back to the same place you started, lasting about three hours. Save for a few ladders, you’re ascending stairs at a leisurely pace with several stops for photos. A First Nations guide and storyteller leads a new Burrawa Aboriginal Climb Experience, sharing an Aboriginal perspective of the city’s history, languages and culture, including an ochre ceremony. Twilight climbs are timed to coincide with the sunset and are famous for proposals.
Photography provided by Crown Sydney
Stay
This flashy new hotel overlooking the harbor in Barangaroo doubles as a casino and is a destination unto itself, with 11 restaurants and bars, plus the best spa in Sydney. The gleaming skyscraper is the tallest building in Sydney, designed by Wilkinson Eyre to look like three flower petals twisting toward the heavens.
Chefs Nobu Matsuhisa and London’s Clare Smyth have restaurants here, and there’s an extravagant all-day, all-you-can-eat international buffet akin to what you’d find in Las Vegas but with considerably more finesse. Spend an afternoon at Crown Spa, and you’ll feel like royalty, from the modern purple decor and lavish water features to caviar-infused La Prairie facials. There are even stress-relieving sleep therapies designed for jet-lagged travelers and massages on warm quartz sand if you’re interested in trying something different. Relax afterward at the heated outdoor infinity pool, or try your luck on the gaming floor.
