
The seaside city of Sydney, Australia, has a fairly consistent climate throughout the year, but rains are a perpetual reality of living here. A lot of us share a love-hate relationship with the rains, especially when we are on a vacation, travelling to a new city. However, although rains are an unfortunate reality of Sydney’s often unpredictable humid weather because of its proximity to the sea, you can still find new and creative ways to spend your rainy days doing fun and productive things to spend time, entertain yourself and even learn new things about this city. So if you’ve found yourself stuck indoors, check out this fun list of things to do indoors when it rains in Sydney, Australia.
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1. See a movie at Dendy Cinemas Opera Quays
This is the ultimate cinema theatre in Sydney, if you want an amazing movie experience, with three state-of-the-art cinemas, fitted with surround sound and comfortable seating. This movie theatre provides the best in movie-viewing experience, with some of the best movies in the world showcased here. You can get a ticket all by yourself or with a friend, and have a great time here. The ambience of the theatre itself is enough to capture your attention, as it is a beautiful throwback to the golden age of cinema.
Dendy Cinemas Opera Quays
Address: Shop 9, 2 East, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Opening hours: Everyday: 9:00 am - 12:00 am, depending on show timings
Price: 22 USD for adults, 16 USD for children, 18 USD for students
Website: Dendy Cinemas Opera Quays
2. Learn to cook at Salt Meats Cheese
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Spend an afternoon learning to cook from the best chefs in Sydney at Salt Meats and Cheese. This class covers almost anything you will need to know to get better at cooking everything, from pizza to pasta. Each class is tailored around each specific type of dish, so you have multiple options you can choose from. Although the pricing is a bit hefty, you will learn a skill worth a lifetime of experience. So jump straight in and have a great time!
Salt Meats Cheese
Address: 3b/63 Skyring Terrace, Newstead QLD 4006, Australia
Opening hours: Monday - Saturday: 11:30 am - 3:00 pm; 5:00 pm - 9:30 pm; Sunday: 11:30 am - 9:30 pm
Price: 62 USD per person
Website: Salt Meats Cheese
3. Watch a live show at the Sydney Opera House

This incredible one-hour tour takes you through the amazing history and appeal of the Sydney Opera House, underneath the world-famous sails and the corridors of this famous heritage site. You will get to explore the halls and passages of this monument and learn about their history from a knowledgeable, friendly tour guide who will accompany you on the tour. You have options for multiple language choices in the narration, in case you prefer to go for a different language. The Sydney Opera House is considered a work of art and a wonder of the world, and now you can learn why.
Book Tours : Sydney: Opera House Guided Tour with Entrance Ticket
4. Immerse yourself in art at White Rabbit, Chippendale

The White Rabbit Gallery offers a ton of diverse thought-provoking artwork and film screenings for any artistically oriented person, spread across four floors, as well as a relaxing tea house to chill in after you are done exploring this magical place. It should take you about two hours to get through this amazing gallery, and you are sure to have a great time here. All in all, it promises a great and free way to spend a morning all by yourself or with a friend.
White Rabbit, Chippendale
Address: 30 Balfour St, Chippendale NSW 2008, Australia
Opening hours: Wednesday - Sunday: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm; Mondays & Tuesdays: Closed
Price: Free for general admission
Website: White Rabbit,Chippendale
5. Zap and chase at M9 Laser Skirmish
I will get you ! ! ?
Posted by Sairuethai Philomchai on Sunday, 14 January 2018
Laser tag is one of the most popular action-packed indoor activities to do on a rainy day in Sydney, for people of all ages. Your mission is to shoot your opponents to score the highest points in the game and win. There are also capture-the-flag options if you prefer a different mode of gameplay. It promises a wonderful time as you are transported right into a real-life battle royale videogame with your teammates, and you are sure to have a ton of fun.
M9 Laser Skirmish
Address: Level 3, Harbourside Shopping Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Opening hours: Everyday: 7:00 pm - 12:00 am
Price: 12 USD per person, per game
Website: M9 Laser Skirmish
6. Go deeper at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium

This world-famous aquarium is an absolute must-see when you visit Sydney, and what better day to go for this indoor tour than when it’s raining outside? This aquarium houses an impressive 12,000 animals from 650 different species, including sharks, platypi, sting-rays, penguins and sea horses, and it is sure to wow you and your family. It allows you to walk underwater through a tunnel, so you can see the animals swimming above you. This is an experience you definitely do not want to miss.
Book Tours : SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium Entry Ticket
7. Strike it lucky with ten-pin bowling at Strike Bowling Entertainment Quarter
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
When one of the squad suggests bowling via IG/fays113
Posted by Strike Bowling Bar on Tuesday, February 16, 2021
Bowling is a wonderful pastime to engage in on a rainy day and it has a small learning curve if you are a total beginner. This bowling alley has everything you need with eight bowling lanes, so you can bowl to your heart’s content. This is a complete entertainment arena, so you can go for a good meal or some drinks after you are done bowling. You are sure to have a great time here.
Strike Bowling Entertainment Quarter
Address: 207/122 Lang Rd, Sydney NSW 2021, Australia
Opening hours: Monday - Thursday: 11:00 am - 11:00 pm; Friday: 11:00 am - 12:00 am; Saturday: 10:00 am - 12:00 am; Sunday: 10:00 am - 11:00 pm
Price: 13 USD per person
Website: Strike Bowling Entertainment Quarter
8. Go ice-skating at Ice Zoo Sydney
An ice zoo is one of the places almost anyone can have a great time. This ice zoo also offers ice-skating that you can do alone or with your friends. They are open all seven days a week and provide public ice skating sessions. However, if you are new to ice-skating, they also provide ice-skating lessons, which are completely safe and 100% fun!
Ice Zoo Sydney
Address: 689 Gardeners Rd, Alexandria NSW 2015, Australia
Opening hours: Monday - Friday: 6:30 am - 10:00 pm; Saturday: 6:00 am - 9:00 pm; Sunday: 7:00 am - 8:00 pm
Price: 15 USD for adults
Website: Ice Zoo Sydney
9. Spend time at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Australia (MCA)

This museum is a must-see for anyone visiting Sydney, as it showcases the best contemporary work of today’s artists. Aside from the amazing art exhibits, this museum also hosts various events for other forms of art such as music and dance, and it does a great job at encouraging people to get interested in all kinds of arts and cultural activities. If you are interested in art, or would just love to spend an afternoon looking through this amazing museum, then it is totally worth it.
Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA)
Address: 140 George St, The Rocks NSW 2000, Australia
Opening hours: Thursday: 10:00 am - 9:00 pm; Friday - Wednesday: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Price: Free for general admission
Website: Museum of Contemporary Art Australia
10. Reach new heights at Sydney Indoor Climbing Gym
This is one of the biggest climbing gyms you can find, with 3700 square meters (39,000 square feet) of climbing walls, including bouldering. They have state-of-the-art climbing facilities, and they have hosted a world-championship-level competition. Whether you are a beginner looking for a new fun hobby, or an advanced climber with many years under your belt, this gym has a wide variety of easy and hard routes for you to choose from.
Sydney Indoor Climbing Gym
Address: U 4C 1-7 Unwins Bridge Rd, St Peters, Sydney, New South Wales 2044, Australia
Opening hours: Monday - Tuesday: 9:30 am - 10:00 pm; Wednesday: 6:00 am - 10:00 pm; Thursday: 9:30 am - 11:00 pm; Friday: 9:30 am - 10:00 pm; Saturday - Sunday: 9:30 am - 9:00 pm
Price: 20 - 25 USD for adults; 10 - 15 USD for children
Website: Sydney Indoor Climbing Gym
Make the most of the rains in Sydney, Australia
With such an array of cultural attractions, games, and nightlife in this vibrant city, a rainy day is really just an opportunity waiting to be taken advantage of. Sydney has so many indoor activities for bad weather that you will never be at a loss for what to do, from museums, aquariums, galleries, and indoor games and sports to educational experiences that will teach you a new skill. Truly, the sky is the limit in this amazing city.
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