Sydney is officially one of the world's most romantic proposal spots

One Australian city rules them all. At least, when it comes to loved-up couples.

Oh Paris, city of love. City of romance. City of cheesy proposals. Well, it can move over, because there’s an Australian city in town and it’s the third most popular place in the world when it comes to dream proposal destinations.

The Bucket List Company analysed social media data to curate a list of the top destinations to pop the question. While Bali remains in top spot for yet another year, and London came in at number two, seaside Sydney took out third place (with an honourable mention to Byron Bay scraping in at number 10).

Imagine dropping to one knee with the world-famous Opera House or Harbour Bridge in the background (because many other couples did). Or planning a sunrise moment on Bondi Beach. Perhaps a special candlelit dinner with harbour views?

Keen for some romantic inspiration (whether there’s a proposal involved or not)? Here are some of our top picks around the city.

1. Sydney Opera House

I don’t think one can live in Sydney and not have seen a proposal on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. Often, I have seen this done by passers-by, seemingly stopping for a look during their early morning or sunset walks. And who can blame them? A world icon, surrounded by beautiful harbour views, plus the changing colour of the sky? It’s the stuff that rom-coms are made of.

Imagine kicking it up a notch, however, and including not only a show but also a meal at the famous Bennelong restaurant housed inside the Opera House. The decor here is truly beautiful, while views of Circular Quay form the backdrop. Of course, for a different view of the Opera House, jump on a ferry and propose to your loved one on the water.

Catch a ferry and wait for it to pass the iconic Opera House. (Image: DNSW)

2. Quay Restaurant

Australian Traveller Co-founder, Quentin Long, recommends Quay Restaurant (just make sure there won’t be any cruise ships in port ruining the view), where he popped the question to his wife years ago.

“It was her birthday the next day. I waited until dessert and asked if she wanted her birthday present," he explained. “I gave her a photo album – it had pictures of her and us and notes from me about how much I loved her. Then the last photo was asking her to marry me."

“The thing is, while she was reading, I started crying. She didn’t look up, or say anything, and just went back to the start to read it again. Then she started crying and finally looked up to see me crying. She asked, ‘Are you sure?’ and I said something like, ‘Well your dad said it was alright.'"

“Meanwhile, the restaurant staff were all confused by this silly crying couple, and eventually, the matre de came over to ask if everything was okay with our desserts. When we explained we’d just gotten engaged, he seemed relieved and said usually proposals happen at the start of the meal, then sent us over champagne."

Book dinner for a time when no cruise ships are docked, and try not to cry. (Image: Nikki To)

3. Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb

Another classic Sydney icon that remains one of the most popular proposal sites in the city. You can walk across the bridge at pedestrian level, but for a truly memorable moment with on the the best views of the harbour, join a Bridge Climb experience, they’ve hosted over 5000 proposals (and counting).

Book one of their romance packages and let all the details be taken care of for you (including keeping the ring safe, and not dropped into the ocean below).

Climb your way to love. (Image: DNSW)

4. Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden

My best friend was proposed to after a very romantic picnic in this secret Sydney garden, which is possibly one of the most romantic places in the entire city – especially if your future spouse is a fan of the arts.

This small, romantic oasis is actually privately owned, but open to the public. Wendy (and her renowned artist husband, Brett Whiteley) lived in this spot in Lavender Bay for two decades. After Brett passed away, Wendy started tidying up the garden in front of their home as a way to cope with the grief. The result is a unique garden setting, driven by “aesthetics, colour, form, beauty and whimsy", and stunning views out to the Harbour Bridge.

It also remains a quiet pocket of the city, as not many people know about it, even now.

Wendy Whiteley's Secret Garden is one of the most romantic places in sydney

Propose surrounded by love and greenery. (Image: DNSW)

5. The Royal Botanic Garden

Flowers are a universal symbol of romance, so it makes sense that the Royal Botanic Garden has also been the site of more than one proposal (and many couples taking wedding or engagement photos), including that of two good friends of mine.

A popular picnic spot just around the corner from the Opera House, and so large it’s easy to find a place to yourself even on a busy day, let the scent of the jacarandas fill the air as you share Champagne and start the rest of your lives together. Settle in amongst the wildflowers, or set up for a Harbour Bridge view.

Heck, you could even hold an intimate wedding here after you secure a ‘yes’, with several venues available for hire within the grounds.

woman walks under blooming jacaranda The Royal Botanic Garden sydney

Before going to the chapel, picnic in The Royal Botanic Garden. (Image: DNSW)

6. Callan Park Conservation Area & Buildings

A hidden gem of Sydney, heritage-listed Callan Park is a 60-hectare site in Lilyfield (Sydney’s Inner West) with not only beautiful heritage buildings, lush rolling lawns, remnant bushland and even evidence of Indigenous shell middens and engravings of the Wangal people. But it also houses some picturesque secret beaches.

It’s these beaches that create the perfect backdrop for a proposal, though take a word of warning from Australian Traveller Co-founder Nigel Herbert and avoid burying the ring.

“I buried the ring as treasure at a hidden beach in Callan Park. I meant to have a romantic picnic with my (now) wife and our son, then they’d build a sandcastle and find the ring. All went well until they started digging in the wrong place and promptly gave up digging before they found the ring."

“Not to mention a few dog walkers came by and their dogs were digging dangerously close to where the ring was. All in all quite stressful."

Callan Park Conservation Area & Buildings beach in sydney

Enjoy a secret beach, but beware of burying the ring. (Image: Phillip Marsh)

Find more romantic inspiration in our list of favourite Sydney restaurants and best beaches.

Welcome to the first instalment of Hotel Addict, a monthly column where I check into Australia’s best hotels, exploring not just the rooms, but the stories, service and settings that make each stay unforgettable and worth adding to your wishlist.

Hotel stays have quietly become my thing. Long before I became a travel journalist, I was booking staycations just for a change of scenery. Some had charm, some had character, some had neither. Once, I even stayed in a hotel directly opposite my own apartment – partly for the novelty, partly because I wanted to see my life from a different angle.

For me, hotels represent a kind of mystery – I find myself wanting to know what these buildings contain. Many of them are designed with intention: lighting, materials, scent and sounds that often reflect the city they sit in. Time seems to gently pause in these spaces, which have increasingly become the destination itself for modern travellers.

It only felt fitting for the first hotel in this series to be in my home city and at the hotel that’s been at the top of my list: Capella Sydney.

A sandstone heritage building and palm trees

Capella sits within an Edwardian Baroque‑style sandstone building.

An email with a hotel program from the “Culturist Team” lets me know this will be a luxurious stay. There’s a guided walk around the Botanic Gardens, a weaving workshop and a Sydney contemporary art tour – the kind of addition that signals a hotel that’s tuned into the finer details, and one that’s not surprising given that Capella’s ethos centres on delivering personalised, immersive experiences.

Capella opened in 2023 within a transformed Edwardian Baroque‑style sandstone building in Sydney’s CBD that was originally designed by renowned Scottish-Australian architect George McRae. I often walk past this building and once attended an event inside – I distinctly remember being surprised by how beautiful it was. Bar Studio, Make Architects, and stylist Simone Haag were engaged to sensitively adapt the building for contemporary luxury while honouring its past, in collaboration with Heritage NSW and the City of Sydney.

When I arrive, I’m greeted by three different staff members along the way to reception. There’s a lovely subtle scent, which I later learn combines notes of bergamot, green tea leaves, peony, freesia, vetiver and cedarwood. This hotel strikes such a beautiful balance between grandness and intimacy, with large floral bouquets, contemporary artworks, impressively high ceilings that give it an international feel and quieter nooks to unwind in. Each space is unique, but they’re all unified by a warm, textural and layered design.

Sydney has been deserving of a hotel of this calibre for quite some time, with many of the accommodations in the city looking and feeling dated.

A modern hotel reception with high ceilings

The design strikes the perfect balance between grandness and intimacy.

I have a treatment booked at the hotel’s Auriga Spa prior to check-in. The space is ultra-luxe, moodily lit and intimate, featuring timber joinery, green walls and a sleek design that’s so perfect it almost transports me to Japan. I opt for the Replenish Beauty and LED Facial – a strategic choice with a TV segment on the horizon, and a hopeful bid to look extra fresh for the camera.

The treatment begins with me sitting in the softest robe of my life, wearing slippers and sipping chamomile tea. I’m then whisked away to my private treatment room, which has its own bathroom, a large skylight and a small Japanese-style garden. The treatment is extremely relaxing and moves through cleansing, exfoliating, massaging (arm, head, neck and face) and LED Light Therapy. There’s so much attention to detail – even at the end, the facialist puts my slippers back on me, while I’m still lying down.

Spa treatment room with a massage bed, featuring timber walls and a serene Japanese-style garden visible through a window.

A treatment at Auriga Spa might be the best way I’ve ever started a hotel stay. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

While this treatment certainly hasn’t had a Benjamin Button effect, my sister seems to think I’m glowing, so I walk away happy, or at the very least, zen.

Auriga Spa has a sauna, steam room, ice fountain and a beautiful indoor heated swimming pool. There’s also “experiential showers” – new to me, but essentially it combines water flowing from different places, changing temperatures, mood lighting, gentle sounds, and a subtle lemongrass scent.

You could easily spend the better part of a day at the spa and pool, even if you’re not a guest.

The indoor heated swimming pool with glass ceiling at Capella Sydney.

Guests outside the hotel can use the spa and swimming pool. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

I’m escorted to my room, drunk on relaxation, but I make sure to take note of how noisy the hallways are – answer: dead quiet. My room is 50 square metres, which is huge by hotel standards, but particularly for one in the CBD. It feels like a high-end apartment with floorboards, a freestanding bath and a seating/dining area. My eyes are immediately drawn to the line-up of macarons waiting for me on the dining table.

I’m thrilled to see the mini bar armoire includes a small wine fridge stocked with Minuty Prestige Côtes de Provence, Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Handpicked Wines Pinot Noir, and Moët Grand Vintage. Not that I plan on using it (I simply could not justify the prices) – but it’s a nice extra that makes the room feel that much more luxurious. The drinks lineup reads like a who’s-who of local favourites – Young Henrys, Maybe Sammy cocktails, Four Pillars gin and Archie Rose gin. Snacks include Tyrell’s chips, Pringles, Natural Confectionery lollies, and a Carman’s oat bar.

Some small touches I appreciate that some hotels don’t offer: the option to choose your housekeeping time, an iron that actually works well, a Bluetooth speaker, the beloved wine fridge, aluminium water bottles and a bathroom without a glass door or screen that awkwardly exposes you. The one downside is that some of these rooms don’t offer much in the way of a view.

A modern hotel room with a monochrome paletter.

I stayed in a Premier Room which was elegant and relaxing. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

4:30pm is Swill Hour – a daily tradition that nods to the historical “six o’clock swill” in Australia. This one-hour event takes place in the Living Room and invites guests to gather and enjoy each other’s company with a signature cocktail in hand. This afternoon’s tipple is a Eucalyptus Gimlet, a clever, herbaceous little cocktail, by the multi-award-winning Maybe Sammy Team, served on coasters depicting drawings of the historic building. The canapé of the day is a tomato and stracciatella tart. I noticed several staff members chatting with guests like old friends, asking how their adventures earlier in the day went – clearly remembering previous conversations from earlier visits.

Dinner is booked for 6:30pm in Aperture – arguably the most beautiful area of the accommodation. It’s decorated with Australian flora and features a kinetic sculpture hanging from the roof that opens like flowers, with softly changing lights. Tyler, who is serving us, clearly admires the Capella brand, speaking enthusiastically about the other international properties he’s been to and sharing how he sometimes brings his five-year-old daughter here to use the pool.

Interior of Aperture at Capella Sydney, featuring lush greenery and a striking ceiling-mounted sculpture.

The scale of Aperture gives it an international feel.

I kick things off with a basil melon margarita – a winning recommendation – before tucking into the best prawn toast I’ve ever had. For mains it’s crispy Ōra King salmon and spaghetti with mud crab.

When I arrive back at my room, there’s a vegan leather journal on my bed with a note that says: “The ritual of journaling allows us to pause, reflect and focus.” This is part of the turndown service, and my slippers are neatly lined up next to my bed. Will I journal? No. Do I think it’s a nice touch? Yes.

Brasserie 1930 at Capella Sydney, where Art Deco elegance meets contemporary Australian cuisine.

Brasserie 1930 boasts Art Deco elegance.

The next morning, I make the predictable choice of smashed avo for breakfast at the on-site restaurant, Brasserie 1930. There’s also a buffet brimming with all the usual suspects.

Afterwards, I head to the pool to relax for a few hours before the 11am checkout. Despite my earlier resolve not to journal, I find myself reflecting nonetheless – an irony not lost on me – on my 21st hotel stay in Sydney. I write this with growing assurance that great hotels don’t just provide a place to stay; they create memorable moments, thanks in large part to fantastic staff. Kudos to the hiring manager.

Next stop: The Tasman, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Hobart!

Guess which city is the Paris of Australia when it comes to romance?

One Australian city rules them all. At least, when it comes to loved-up couples.

1. Sydney Opera House

2. Quay Restaurant

3. Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb

4. Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden

5. The Royal Botanic Garden

6. Callan Park Conservation Area & Buildings

Travellers get relief as Sydney Airport introduces flat-rate taxi fares

This iconic Bondi venue is about to land at Sydney Airport

Soft Forest: A free, immersive show is on in this historic Sydney garden

Be transported to an Italian summer at this new Sydney restaurant

I’ve stayed in 21 hotels in Sydney and this is my favourite

Welcome to the first instalment of Hotel Addict, a monthly column where I check into Australia’s best hotels, exploring not just the rooms, but the stories, service and settings that make each stay unforgettable and worth adding to your wishlist.