Darling Harbour Highlights | Nightlife & Entertainment on Sydney’s Top Port

This bustling and vibrant waterfront area, located in the heart of Sydney, is home to an enormous amount of entertainment, dining, shopping, museums, and attractions. Named after Lieutenant-General Ralph Darling, the governor of New South Wales from 1825 to 1831, Darling Harbour used to be part of the commercial port of Sydney and was the site of the Darling Harbour Railway Goods Yard. The entire area was scrapped and developed for the Australian bicentenary in 1988 to be a celebration, entertainment, and tourist destination that would become the most lively point in Sydney. This collection of museums and attractions includes the most popular spots in this entertainment-filled district of Darling Harbour!

Getting There

Darling Harbour is reachable by just about every mode of transportation — by bus, train, ferry, light rail, train, car, and foot.

• From Sydney Airport (SYD), it takes 25 minutes to reach Darling Harbour if you take the Sydney T8 Airport train to Town Hall Station and then walk. Alternatively, you can take a 28-minute bus which only costs $2 – 4.
• From Central Station, trains depart every 15 minutes towards Darling Harbour every 5 minutes, taking only 2 minutes and $2 – 3. Sydney Trains operates a train from Central Station to Darling Harbour every 5 minutes. You can also take a bus from Central Station to Darling Harbour which departs every 15 minutes.
• Take the train to Town Hall Station. Exit south onto Bathurst Street.
• From the Central Business District (CBD), take a bus to Bathurst, Liverpool, Market, Park, or Druitt Streets.
• Take a water taxi from The Rocks, Circular Quay, Sydney Opera House, or Luna Park.
• From Circular Quay, Wharf 5, Side A, take a 19-minute ferry to Barangaroo, Wharf 2, Side A. Ferries depart every 15 minutes daily, and drop you off right near SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, Cockle Bay Wharf, and King Street Wharf.
• If you have a vehicle, you’ll have to park in the parking garage located underneath Novotel Sydney on Darling Harbour Hotel since Darling Harbour is a pedestrian-only district.

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Darling Harbour Highlights

While each place has its own admission charge, most tourists opt for a Sydney Attraction Pass which allows discounted entry into multiple attractions: WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Tower Eye, and Madame Tussaud’s. For two attractions, the pass is $55; for three, $65; for all four, $75.

SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium

One of the largest aquariums in the world and one of Sydney’s tourist hotspots, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium features 12,000 marine creatures from 650 different species, including 13 unique species of sharks, dugongs, turtles, stingrays, penguins, and fish. Watch one of the daily feedings and listen to experts talk about either marine fossils, little penguins, or dugongs. For an extra $300 with a full-day pass (ages 14+), you can get your adrenaline pumping as you go cageless scuba diving with the Grey Nurse sharks as part of the Shark Dive. Or go on the complimentary (with a full-day pass) Penguin Encounter, a 75-minute raft ride that takes you and 5 others through the state-of-the-art sub-Antarctic exhibit to see the penguins. There are multiple zones to tour which take roughly 90-120 minutes to visit. SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium is open 9:00am-7:00pm and is air-conditioned, making it a great escape from the heat. Tickets are 20% cheaper if you book online, but if you wait until the day of, adult tickets start at $46, children ages 3-15 are $33, students and seniors are $37, and children under 2 years old are free.

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WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo

Australia is known for its unique, funny-looking, and sometimes terrifying animals and WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo has them — koalas, kangaroos, wombats, wallabies, platypuses, crocodiles, emus, butterflies, and more. The keepers will entertain you with their talks as you go through interactive, walk-through exhibits. While it is technically illegal to cuddle koalas in New South Wales, you can have your photo taken with them at the Koala Encounter (for $25), and you can walk among the kangaroos at the Kangaroo Walk-About. Most locals will tell you that the Taronga Zoo is much better and larger, but the location of WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo is hard to beat. The zoo opens at 10:00am each day with the admission cut-off at 4:00pm; most people finish in under two hours. Single-day tickets cost adults $35 and children $24.60.

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Australian National Maritime Museum

With such a strong maritime history, it’s no wonder that Sydney’s Australian National Maritime Museum is one of the best in its class. Although entry does cost AU$32 for adults, the number of exhibits, activities, and interactive trails are well worth the price. You can also tour the docked boats in Darling Harbour, including a destroyer ship, HMAS Vampire, a submarine, and a racing yacht from the 1800s. There are plenty of activities to keep the kids entertained, and the National Maritime Museum’s guides will keep you rapt with attention as they explain each of the ships. To enter the permanent galleries is free, but if you want to see the ships and temporary exhibits, make sure you purchase a Big Ticket (children under the age of four are free). The museum is open from 9:30am to 5:00pm.

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Madame Tussaud’s

This celebrity wax museum gets you up close and personal with the stars for some incredible photo ops. Mingle with Madame Tussaud’s most recent additions by taking a portrait with the Royal Family, including Prince Harry and Meghan. Help the Justice League save the world. Master a Bollywood dance routine, grab a traditional Indian outfit, and perform on the production set of Bollywood film. Accept an award with Adele, play soccer with soccer legend Tim Cahill, or even get a photo of you with Australian heartthrobs, Chris and Liam Hemsworth. There’s so many chances to get some epic Instagram shots! General admission will cost you $44 on the day of, but like most Sydney attractions, tickets are cheaper if booked online.

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Powerhouse Museum

This museum is the major branch of Sydney’s Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, and while it’s referred to as a “science museum,” it actually has a wide array of exhibits to check out. With a focus on technology, Powerhouse Museum has collections of transportation, communication, costume, furniture, media, computers, space technology, steam engines, and even decorative arts. Named Powerhouse Museum due to its location inside a former electric tram power station building, only about 5% of its total artifacts are on display here. As part of the New South Wales’ government’s plan to provide easier access for children to culture, arts, and sciences, admission to the Powerhouse Museum for those under the age of sixteen is free, while adults will pay $15. The museum is open each day from 10:00am to 5:00pm.

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Australian Museum

The Australian Museum is a world-leader in scientific research, STEM education, and Aboriginal cultural exhibitions. It was actually Australia’s first museum, and it has been closed recently for renovations to add Project Discover. It will re-open in Spring 2020 to include a new Egyptian exhibit with the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts outside of Egypt, new education facilities, museum shop, additional cafe, and new amenities.

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Chinese Garden of Friendship

Built for 1988’s Bicentennial as a symbol of friendship between Sydney and its sister city, Guangzhou, China, the Chinese Garden of Friendship is a serene and picturesque oasis in the city. Designed by architects and gardeners from Guangzhou, the pleasant garden features exotic plants, a pond with koi fish, willow trees, and waterfalls, and a traditional teahouse. The Chinese Garden of Friendship is the perfect place to grab some Instagram-worthy shots that will make people question whether you’re in China or Australia. Admission is only $6 for adults, $3 for children, and it is open every day from 9:30am-5:00pm.

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Darling Quarter Playground

If you have children, no trip to Darling Harbour would be complete without some play time at Darling Quarter Playground. This incredible playground is not only fabulous for kids, but it’s free, too. There are more challenging areas for older kids, easier areas for the young ones, and water park areas for all ages. The playground is huge and has tons of fun play equipment like giant tunnel slides, a 10-meter high spiderweb rope climb, a giant ring swing and other swings, a sandpit, a long flying fox, water fountains, water scoopers, screws, and dams, and balance ropes for tightrope walking. There is so much for kids of all ages to do here; the only downside is that it can get quite busy.

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Harbourside Shopping Center

Located next to the International Convention Center (ICC Sydney), Harbourside shopping center offers much more than shopping. Inside you have the only bowling alley in Darling Harbour, laser tag, and a jet flight simulator. Waterfront dining, live entertainment, and beautiful views of Sydney’s skyline make Harbourside a family-friendly location to check out the spectacular Darling Harbour Fireworks display at 9:00pm each night.

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Other Great Places to Check Out at Darling Harbour

• LG IMAX Theatre and 9D Action Cinema
• Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre
• Cockle Bay Wharf
• Paddy’s Markets
• Tumbalong Park
• The Star Casino & Entertainment Complex
• Darling Square Library
• Darling Harbour’s various cruises
• Darling Harbour Carousel
• James Craig 1874 Tall Ship
• Monkey Baa Theatre Company

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