The Perfect Sydney Itinerary for Families

For a memory-making Sydney minibreak, follow this fun-filled family itinerary.

Holidays with the kids are a cinch in sunny Sydney, where icons and activities are plentiful and all easily accessible. From world-famous beaches and water-based adventures to playgrounds, museums and parks set to amuse, there are more days of delight than you can pack into a single stay. To help curate it all, we’ve whittled some top picks down to a three-day vay-cay that will please the whole family.

Day one

Morning

The Rocks Market has a colourful mix of art, food, music, and culture. (Image: Destination NSW)

Welcome to Sydney! Your family-forward itinerary begins with a hearty serve of history with a side of pancakes. Head to the city’s heritage heart, The Rocks and take a seat at Pancakes On The Rocks, a cafe that’s been tending to sweet tooths since the mid-’70s with their fluffy creations. Once sated, if it’s the weekend, steer your tribe toward The Rocks Market, where you’ll peruse an array of artisan creations from local makers. From there, meander along the water’s edge, ogling the large cruise ships docked in Circular Quay and spotting the green-and-gold ferries putting out into the harbour, until you reach the Museum of Contemporary Art. Swing in to check out what’s happening. You’ll usually find an interactive kids’ area or an exhibition to suit budding art critics.

Midday

The iconic Sydney Opera House is the perfect spot for a family snap. (Image: Destination NSW)

Carry on strolling or pram-rolling toward the white sails of the Sydney Opera House, where tired legs can enjoy a reprieve while you lunch at House Canteen or Opera Bar on the lower concourse. After snapping the requisite family selfies backdropped by the House and the equally iconic Harbour Bridge, jump onto the train at Circular Quay for the trip across the aforementioned bridge, where you’ll alight at Milsons Point for what’s sure to be a highlight of the kids’ itinerary – Luna Park. This Art Deco amusement park opened way back in the 1930s and has been thrilling the pants of kids (and kidults) ever since. In its modern iteration, the bygone aesthetics remain, but the park has been recently upgraded to include nine new rides and updated amenities. It’s nostalgic, old-fashioned family fun with some shiny new bells and whistles, but the classic Wild Mouse rollercoaster is still one of the best.

Evening

Swing, fly and enjoy the magic of Luna Park. (Image: Destination NSW)

It’s been an action-packed day already, but as you leave the neon glow of Luna Park behind you, jump in an Uber and head up the hill for an early dinner at The Greens in north Sydney. From its hilltop position, look back on the sun setting behind the city skyline as the brood tucks into sausages and spaghetti and you enjoy a hard-earned gin and tonic.

Day two

Morning

The expansive park is made for families to relax and enjoy open-air activities.

After yesterday’s robust activity, start things off a little slower with a visit to Centennial Parklands in the eastern suburbs. These sprawling parklands offer shaded pockets, waterside vignettes, playgrounds and cafes. Begin with a life-affirming coffee and breakfast at the Centennial Homestead or Pantry, where the kids can run on the green while you savour those restorative sips. Next stop is the Ian Potter WILD Play Garden, an enclosed wonderland of tunnels, splash ponds, slides and treehouses. Keep a lazy eye on their discovery of this veritable Neverland as you embark on your second coffee of the day. Keep the energy high and hire bikes for a circuit around the park. If you’re visiting during the school holidays, check out the park’s roster of activities, which may include the Fairy Escapades theatre or an evening spotlight prowl for families. The Moonlight Cinema takes up residence in the park every summer, which is a great activity for families with older kids.

Midday

Bondi Icebergs’ famous pool is open to visitors all year round.

From Centennial Park, exit back onto Oxford Street and follow the road down to Bondi. Summer at the world-famous beach is a seemingly continuous celebration with sun-worshippers colonising the grassy parklands all the way down to the edge of the water. Set up for a beach session and refresh under the waves, but if you have tiny tikes in tow, make your way to the north end, where you’ll find a toddler-appropriate ocean pool. The protected sweep of Bondi is a great place to learn to hang ten, so if you have kids aged 7–12, book them in for a lesson with Let’s Go Surfing. Meanwhile, parents can take turns to tap out and enjoy a sauna and swim at the iconic Bondi Icebergs pool on the south end of the beach. Then regroup and head to the Icebergs club bistro for the best ocean views and family-friendly fare without the premium price tag. Post-lunch, if your little ones are up for the challenge, either wander along the Bondi to Bronte walk for uninterrupted horizon vistas or hit the boutiques on Campbell Parade and Hall Streets. If you require a bribe to keep complaints in check, the beautifully made Mapo Gelato provides the perfect dangled carrot.

Evening

Spice Alley has an array of authentic and flavourful dishes.

Retreat from the beach with enough time to regroup and reset for the evening’s activities. Given Sydney’s wonderfully diverse cultures and proximity to Asia, open small palates and minds to the synapse-firing flavours of our nearest neighbours with dinner at Chippendale’s Spice Alley. From Japanese to Malaysian, Cantonese and Singaporean, there’ll be flavours to tempt even the most stridently beige eaters. Or head to Chinatown to dine on dumplings at Din Tai Fung and wander the colourful shops along Dixon Street. The Chinatown Night Markets are held every Friday night and are a vibrant explosion of stalls pedalling everything from snacks to crafts and massage. Be sure to line up for a bag of hot, custard-filled emperor’s puffs at the unassuming window of the Emperor’s Garden bakery.

Day three

Morning

Explore different animal habitats and trails at Taronga.

Get your walking legs on today for a Sydney bucket list must-do, the incredible Taronga Zoo. You can drive to Mosman or catch the bus, but for a quintessential Sydney experience, hop the 12-minute ferry from Circular Quay. You can easily spend most of the day marvelling at everything from koalas to Komodo dragons, but be sure to plan your around some of the truly fascinating keeper talks, especially the well-loved Free Flight Birds showcase that’s been dropping jaws for 20 years. If your little monkeys are restless to join the animals in the trees, book them in for Taronga’s Wild Ropes Treetops Adventure, where they can climb through the canopy on two junior rope courses.

Afternoon

The garden was built to symbolise the friendship between Sydney and Guangzhou, China.

It’s been another big day of fun, so some downtime may be in order to recharge batteries. Head along to Sydney IMAX in Darling Harbour for a little (big) screen time, then shake the sillies out with a play at the Darling Quarter playground, where kids can splash about in shallow water channels, spider-monkey along a tangle of ropes and woosh down slides. While here, seek a moment of serenity in the heritage-listed Chinese Garden Of Friendship. An ice cream from nearby Gelatissimo will provide the necessary sugar rush to propel the kids onwards for a walk or ride to Barangaroo in time for dinner.

Evening

Observatory Hill Park has panoramic views of Sydney Harbour.

The waterside precinct of Barangaroo is a playground for all ages with restaurants, bars, art, culture and a rotating roster of events. If you’re visiting in summer when the days are warm and long, refresh with a harbour dip at Marrinawi Cove or simply sit on the sandstone edge with your toes cooling in the water. For a laidback dinner, choose from the plentiful takeaway options, from pasta bowls to burgers and fried chicken, to enjoy on the lawn or dine in for more elevated fare. If you have an avid astronomer aged six or older in your fold, take the 11-minute walk up to the Sydney Observatory for an hour-long guided family tour at this geographical high point. Running every Friday and Saturday night, you’ll learn all about flag signalling and weather measurement and eyeball some astronomical and terrestrial objects through modern and historic telescopes.

Day four

Morning

The Powerhouse Museum offers interactive experiences that kids will love.

It’s departure day, but you can delay the inevitable and squeeze in one more incredible experience. Depending on your lil’ darlings’ area of interest, you may decide to hit the Powerhouse Museum for its super-engaging and interactive science, technology and art displays. Or for animal lovers who didn’t quite scratch that itch at Taronga Zoo, the natural history on display at the Australian Museum will have them in deep awe. Here fledgling palaeontologists will also be in their element with a visual journey through the life and times of these ancient beasts. For kids who love everything under the waves, Sea Life brings them face-to-face with some of the ocean’s greatest creatures.

It may be time to bid the harbour city farewell, but you’ll no doubt leave with the promise to return for more family memory-making before the kids grow up too much.

Looking for more activities? Read our guide to the best things to do in Sydney

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!

The ultimate Sydney itinerary for families

For a memory-making Sydney minibreak, follow this fun-filled family itinerary.

Day one

Morning

Midday

Evening

Day two

Morning

Midday

Evening

Day three

Morning

Afternoon

Evening

Day four

Morning

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.