https://https://au.trip.com/toplist/tripbest/recommend/canberra/best-things-to-do/10070000321091
Best Things to Do
Top 50 Best Things to Do near Canberra [2025]
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Taronga Zoo Sydney
4.7
/5
2474 reviews
9.7
From AU$ 69.03
>100 km from downtown
Phone +61299692777
Address: Bradleys Head Rd, Mosman NSW 2088
Recommended sightseeing time: 3-5 hours
Highlights:
Feed giraffes & touch koalas
Take photos while feeding giraffes
Saved by 1518 users1686 positive reviews
Verified user reviews
Very fun and worth visiting, suggest to go in at 9:30 am to book the Koala encounter at 12pm, then go to watch the flight bird presentation at 11am & seal show at 2pm. You will need roughly 4 hours to fully tour the entire zoo.
Taronga Zoo is a must-see for every first-time visitor to Sydney. It's a rare "seascape zoo," boasting a unique hillside location that offers panoramic views of Sydney Harbor. The zoo isn't large, so half a day is enough to explore. The main attraction is the uniquely Australian animals: koalas, dingoes, emus, capybaras, and more. The zoo offers a variety of animal shows, with showtimes listed on a sign at the entrance. I recommend starting with the sea lion show, which is quite exciting. Reservations are required for feeding the carabao, and there are specific time limits. We visited Sydney during the Spring Festival holiday, the height of summer in Australia. The animals were lazing around in the sweltering heat, which was a bit disappointing, but overall, we were very satisfied.
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Sydney Opera House
4.7
/5
3778 reviews
9.6
From AU$ 67.33
Based on 25,457 reviews
Sydney Central Business District | >100 km from downtown
Phone +61292507111
Address: Bennelong Point, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Recommended sightseeing time: 1-2 hours
Highlights:
World-class shows & backstage tours
Shell-shaped architecture with modern art
Saved by 1520 users1790 positive reviews
Verified user reviews
1. The most famous Sydney Opera House is surrounded by many of Sydney's most popular check-in spots: the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Harbour Bridge, Circular Quay, etc.
2. You can choose to tour the opera house or watch an opera to see the interior.
3. We checked out "Carmen," a very familiar opera in China with Chinese subtitles. The house was usually full, the actors performed excellently, and the audience was very polite.
It's a truly worthwhile place to visit. Hearing Mozart's masterpieces at the Sydney Opera House was a real treat! "Carmen" was also playing, so taking photos during the performance was forbidden, so I only managed one during the curtain call. The performance, including the intermission, lasted over three hours.
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Blue Mountains National Park
4.6
/5
802 reviews
8.8
Based on 151 reviews
>100 km from downtown
Phone +61247878877
Address: New South Wales, Australia
Recommended sightseeing time: 1-2 days
Highlights:
World Heritage Site since 2000
Eucalyptus mist & four seasons
Saved by 993 users399 positive reviews
Verified user reviews
How to live? You have to take a ride when you come, but it's just an ordinary cable car. It's very steep but the speed is very slow, and you won't feel weightless. It is recommended to play this project first after you come. After going down, you can take a walk on the mountain trail. It will be very hard if you don't do it.
Blue Mountains National Park is a natural wonder. Eucalyptus trees in the park release gases to form blue mist. The Three Sisters Peak, Ginolan Cave and other magnificent landscapes are also rich in Aboriginal cultural heritage. The scenery here varies in seasons, and there are many ways to play, such as hiking, sightseeing and cable car rides. It can make people feel the beauty of pure nature away from the hustle and bustle.
No.
4
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Sydney Whale Watching Cruise
4.4
/5
115 reviews
8.7
From AU$ 70.66
Darling Harbour | >100 km from downtown
Phone +61295187813
Address: There are over 1 departure pier for the cruise, please see the product information for details.
Recommended sightseeing time: 1.5-3 hours
Highlights:
Whale migration viewing: May-November
Capture whales with advanced tech
Saved by 441 users87% positive reviews
Verified user reviews
Nice and friendly guide! Recommend to book as the captain will do really detailed explanations & drive the boat up close for you to see the whales! Suggest to get the 3-hours ride so got better chance of seeing more whales up close!
We chose a small white boat with a canopy to avoid the sun. We were incredibly lucky and soon encountered whales. They were incredibly clever, constantly breathing and spraying water. The boat was so close to the whales that we occasionally felt weightless. If you're prone to seasickness, take medication beforehand.
No.
5
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SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium
4.6
/5
1786 reviews
8.3
From AU$ 61.12
Based on 5,219 reviews
Darling Harbour | >100 km from downtown
Phone +61293339200
Address: 1-5 Wheat Rd, Sydney NSW 2000
Recommended sightseeing time: 1-3 hours
Highlights:
100-foot glass tunnel & marine life
Sharks swimming overhead in tunnel
Saved by 954 users912 positive reviews
Verified user reviews
This place is value for money. We spent around 2 hours there and watched lots of marine animals. Although it’s not a big place, the arrangement inside is pretty good and every tourist has got chances to experience.
Works very well. Highly recommended for those who want to cover multiple activities within a day. It works as easy, just scanning the QR code at the tourist locations. Thank you.
No.
6
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Sydney Tower Eye
4.7
/5
1093 reviews
8.1
From AU$ 26.00
Based on 4,388 reviews
Sydney Central Business District | >100 km from downtown
Phone +610293339200
Address: Westfield Sydney, Level 5/108 Market St, Sydney NSW 2000
Recommended sightseeing time: 1-2 hours
Highlights:
360° Sydney view from 820ft
360° transparent observation deck
Saved by 780 users575 positive reviews
Verified user reviews
Very simple, you can go in directly with the redemption code. The entrance is on the 5th floor of the mall, and you can take the escalator up. After going up, the sightseeing floor is on the 4th floor, and you can't go outdoors. It is recommended to come in after 4 o'clock and leave after watching the night view. Some of the glass above is not very clean, resulting in poor shooting effects. You can experience delayed shooting. Some buildings seriously block the view of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.
Sydney Tower is one of the best places to enjoy the panoramic view of Sydney. Standing on the top of the tower, you can see the beauty of the entire city, from the Harbour Bridge to the Opera House. I especially like the night when the lights are flashing and the city is dotted with stars. There is a transparent floor in the tower. Standing on it and looking down, your heartbeat will speed up.
No.
7
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WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo
4.6
/5
858 reviews
8.0
From AU$ 28.30
Based on 2,043 reviews
Darling Harbour | >100 km from downtown
Phone +611800195650
Address: 1-5 Wheat Rd, Sydney NSW 2000
Recommended sightseeing time: 2-3 hours
Highlights:
Get close to Australian wildlife
Koalas & kangaroos up close
Saved by 844 users450 positive reviews
Verified user reviews
good experience , can see a lot of different animals in door. As heavy rain on the day we went there.
The reviews were too harsh tho.. I have very high expectations but it did not disappoint me except for not seeing Quokka and the ppl there r not even sure if there’s quokka.I’m lucky to see few awake koalas, eating and walking around and scratching themselves, wayyyy to cute. Kangaroos are lazy, nothing much other than that, spent an hour, skipped most part just mostly starred at the koala hopping they would do something, cute.
No.
8
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Big Bus Tours Sydney
4.6
/5
78 reviews
7.9
From AU$ 59.52
Based on 2,331 reviews
>100 km from downtown
Phone +61295678400
Address: Booth 3 East Commuter Wharf, 3 Circular Quay, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Recommended sightseeing time: 1.5 hours
Highlights:
Sydney Tower Eye: Citywide views
Flexible & convenient hop-on hop-off
Saved by 291 users89% positive reviews
Verified user reviews
It's a great way to get on and off the train repeatedly, from morning to afternoon! It passes by famous attractions like Central Station, Bondi Beach, the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, and Chinatown. It's convenient to get on and off at Central Station because it's right in the heart of the city!
You can get on and off the bus at will within 24 hours, from the time you get on the bus on the first day to the time on the second day, not just on the day. The red and blue buses need to be arranged at the right time. There are no buses at Bondi Beach around 4 o'clock.
No.
9
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Darling Harbour
4.7
/5
1362 reviews
7.8
Based on 11,414 reviews
Darling Harbour | >100 km from downtown
Phone +61292408500
Address: Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Recommended sightseeing time: 2-5 hours
Highlights:
Iconic sails & photography haven
Fireworks & water screen show
Saved by 764 users432 positive reviews
Verified user reviews
Darling Harbour in Australia is really beautiful and worth a visit. The tour guide publishes the perfect itinerary every day and reminds us patiently every day. It is really convenient for a family to go out with a personal butler. It is more comfortable to have a small group with fewer people than a large group.
A romantic landmark that you must check in at Sydney! Darling Harbour (Darling Harbour) is a textbook interpretation of the harbor style!
Strolling along King Street Wharf during the day, yachts dance with seagulls, and palm leaves sway in the breeze. Every shot is postcard-like. Here you can not only see the dreamy underwater tunnel of the Sydney Aquarium, the superstar interaction of Madame Tussauds, but also the audio-visual feast brought by the largest IMAX theater in the Southern Hemisphere.
Crossing the Pyrmont Bridge, the retired warships and submarines of the National Maritime Museum instantly take you back to the Age of Navigation, while the Chinese Garden on the other side of the river amazes the eye with its winding oriental aesthetics.
If you have plenty of time and have children, you can also take your children for a walk in the nearby children's tourist facilities!
PS: It's another flavor to come here to see the night view at night, and there will be fireworks shows on certain holidays!
No.
10
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Scenic World
4.5
/5
167 reviews
7.4
From AU$ 59.64
Based on 5,067 reviews
>100 km from downtown
Phone +61247800200
Address: Violet St &, Cliff Dr, Katoomba NSW 2780
Recommended sightseeing time: 0.5-1 hour
Highlights:
Unique geology near Three Sisters
Rainforest views by three transports
Saved by 245 users56% positive reviews
Verified user reviews
Blue mountain was quite fun! Can take the different rides in scenic world but it was quite crowded so might have to wait awhile but overall I think it’s worth it.
It's easy to redeem, cheaper to buy online, and you must join all the routes.
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