10 Top Day Tours In Sydney, Australia - Updated 2024

Anaanya
Anaanya 
Updated
| 5 min read

Sydney, Australia, is a very popular tourist hub. People from all around the world visit Sydney for its beautiful landscapes, architectural beauty, happening nightlife and, of course, the gorgeous beaches and harbours filled with yachts. Sydney is a rather cosmopolitan city, known for its food, culture, art and entertainment scenes. Of course, the infamous and very iconic Opera House is another famous tourist attraction here. One of the best ways to really see everything that Sydney has to offer is by going on a tour. If you’re planning a trip to Sydney with your family or friends, here is a list of the top day tours in Sydney, Australia.

1. Explore Sydney on a hop-on hop-off bus tour (from USD 43.0)

This hop-on hop-off bus tour is the perfect way to see all the popular attractions of Sydney and Bondi Beach. With unobstructed views of Darling Harbour, Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge and so many more, this double-deck bus tour is the perfect way to really roam around the city. The bus ticket is valid from 24 to 48 hours, so you can easily see Sydney at your own pace. You can choose between two routes; the red route that has fifteen points of interest and the blue route that has eight points of interest.

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Big Bus Sydney and Bondi Hop-on Hop-off Tour

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

2077 reviews

2. Explore Sydney on a bike (from USD 66.0)

Cycling is one of the best ways to really explore Sydney, take in the sights, enjoy the landscapes and ride along the coast. If you’re into biking and you’re looking for a tour to explore Sydney, then this tour is pretty much made for you. This day-long tour includes 30 prominent tourist attractions such as the Sydney Opera House, Darling Harbour, Royal Botanic Gardens and so on. There are four different routes for you to choose from, depending on where you want to go and what you want to see in Sydney.

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Sydney Bike Tours

Duration: 5 hours

930 reviews

3. Enjoy a beer and brewery tour (from USD 102.0)

Are you visiting Sydney for the beer? In that case, you have to take this beer and brewery tour! This three to six-hour guided tour starts from the Sydney Brewery, followed by which you get to stop at many other breweries where you get to sample various types of beer. If you choose the six-hour tour, you get a delicious lunch at a pub along with the various pit stops at the different breweries. If you choose the three-hour tour, this includes a quicker tour of the different breweries, minus the lunch. You’ll get to meet brewmasters, sample new beers, visit an ultra-modern brewery and see the brewing process up close.

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Sydney Beer and Brewery Tour

Duration: 180 to 210 minutes

385 reviews

4. The ultimate hop-on hop-off cruise (from USD 26.0)

If you’re not interested in a hop-on-hop-off bus, how about a hop-on-hop-off cruise? This cruise starts and stops at prominent tourist destinations like Circular Quay, Manly, Watsons Bay, Taronga Zoo and many more. During the cruise, you get to enjoy an uninterrupted view of the ever-popular Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. You can get off at as many stops as you like, and hop back on the cruise when you’re ready to go. It’s that easy.

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Sydney Harbour Hop-on Hop-off Cruise

Duration: 7 hours

194 reviews

Sydney Tour Guide

Jo Henwood

Jo Henwood

<p>Jo Henwood has been a Tour Guide since 1998, working primarily as a site Guide and Education Officer in many heritage sites around Sydney, building a rich understanding of Sydney’s history and culture, particularly around the Harbour. Jo is passionate about sharing stories about Sydney’s history, leading her own walking tours in Windsor and Liverpool, and women’s history tours of Sydney. </p><p>Jo is an Accredited Storyteller with Australian Storytellers, an accredited Professional Guide with the Institute of Australian Tour Guides, and a member of Interpretation Australia and the Australian Folklore Network. She coordinates the Australian Fairy Tale Society. </p><p>Jo’s qualifications include BA (Library Science), Tour Guiding Cert III, Grad Dip Museum Studies, Grad Cert Gifted Ed, and M. Cultural Heritage.</p>

Tours by Jo

5. Cruise the harbour and enjoy the Sky Safari cable car (from USD 45.58)

cruise the harbour and enjoy the sky safari cable car

If you want to go for a cruise along the harbour, visit Taronga Zoo, and take a ride on the Sky Safari cable car, then this tour is perfect for you. This whole day tour usually starts around nine in the morning, when you travel to Taronga Zoo by ferry. At the zoo, you get to interact with thousands of animal species, ride the sky safari gondola and view popular attractions like the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge during your ferry ride. Once you’re done watching the animals, you can enjoy a picnic with your family or friends in the zoo or grab a meal at the on-site cafes.

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Sydney: Harbour Cruise and Taronga Zoo

Duration: 1.0 day

882 reviews

6. Enjoy all that Sydney has to offer in a small-group tour (from USD 177.0)

This small-group tour allows a maximum of 16 participants, making it perfect for those looking for a private tour for their friends and family. A combination of a cruise and a mini coach, this tour allows you to see the best that Sydney has to offer by land and by water. From iconic landmarks, like the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House, to the Royal Botanic Gardens, you’ll get to see it all. This is a luxury tour indeed - you’re going to love this one.

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Small-Group Sydney City Tour with Unique Sydney Harbour Cruise

Duration: 8 hours

20 reviews

7. See Sydney like a local (from USD 188.0)

Have you really seen a city until you see it like a local? This really unique day tour allows you to explore Sydney in the comfort of a classic car that is driven by a local and private tour guide. You get to walk through the Redfern District, see the iconic Sydney Opera House, learn about the Aboriginal history, and you even get to drive along the coast and enjoy a stroll on the beach. Sounds just about perfect, right?

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Private Tour: See Sydney Like a Local

8. Enjoy a ballet and dinner experience at the Sydney Opera House (from USD 257.0)

Until you have seen the Australian Ballet Company perform at the Sydney Opera House, your trip to Sydney is just incomplete. That is why this tour is the ultimate Sydney package. The tour begins with a walkthrough of the Sydney Opera House, afterwards, you’ll get to enjoy a two-course meal at Bennelong Restaurant, which is a very popular restaurant inside the Sydney Opera House, or you can opt for a meal at Portside Sydney. After your meal, you get to watch the ballet performance of your choice! How magnificent does this tour sound?

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Sydney Opera House and Australian Ballet Dinner Package

9. Go on a beach tour and harbour cruise (from USD 161.0)

If you’re thinking about visiting Sydney just to visit the beaches and enjoy a cruise along the harbour, then this beach tour and harbour cruise tour is perfect for you. This tour starts with a lunch cruise at Sydney Harbour, which is then followed by a bus tour to see all the popular attractions in the city. This includes the Royal Botanic Gardens, Rushcutters Bay, Sydney Opera House, Kings Cross and so many more. A really unique and fun-filled tour indeed, this is one of the best ways to explore the city and see the place like a local.

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Bondi Beach and Kings Cross Tour, Sydney Harbour Lunch Cruise

Duration: 5 hours 30 minutes

10 reviews

10. Roam around Sydney on this comprehensive tour (from USD 166.0)

A comprehensive tour indeed, this five-hour excursion is perfect for the people who want to see everything that Sydney has to offer. One of the most prominent features of this tour is the lunch at Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. During this tour, you’ll get to see the historic Rocks district, Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Parliament House, Royal Botanical Gardens, Sydney Opera House and so much more. You will even get to see some of the most picturesque suburbs in Sydney, such as Watsons Bay and Rose Bay.

Tip from tour guide

Fabrizio

Fabrizio
Sydney

Mrs Macquarie's Chair, Sydney

Mrs Macquarie's Chair is believed to have been handcrafted for the benefit of Governor Lachlan Macquarie's wife, who often visited this spot. The chair now provides one of the best viewpoints for those of you who wish to check out the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

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Sydney Sightseeing Tour with Yacht Club of Australia Lunch

Duration: 5 hours

12 reviews

Explore Sydney

A tour is the best way to explore a city, and there are so many interesting tours in Sydney for you and your family. Which ones out of these top ten tours in Sydney, Australia, are you going to book?

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
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A freelance content writer by profession, Anaanya is an avid traveller whose main goal in life is to visit as many new places as possible. Anaanya enjoys travelling, not just because of her love...Read more

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