Top Sydney Attractions Your Kids Will Love

If you’re visiting Sydney with your children, you’ll want to ensure you’ve booked family-friendly accommodation and planned an itinerary packed with attractions to keep everyone entertained. 

Thankfully, Sydney has plenty to do for all ages. Whatever it is that keeps your kids happy, you’re sure to be able to check the box in Sydney. 

We’ve curated a shortlist of top Sydney attractions including outdoor activities to let the kids burn off some energy, unique interactive museum exhibits, fun carnival rides, and unforgettable animal experiences at the zoo and aquarium. 

These top Sydney attractions will not only keep your kids happy, but we have a feeling you’ll enjoy them too.  

Is this the world’s most scenic zoo? We think so. Just take a look at the view the giraffes enjoy! If you’re staying in central Sydney, the best way to get to Taronga Zoo is on the ferry from Circular Quay.  

Taronga Zoo is home to 5,000 animals from over 350 species which means there’s plenty to see and so many new friends to meet. Some of the animals you can see at Taronga Zoo include giraffes, seals, lions, tigers, elephants, gorillas, meerkats, and of course Australian animals like the koala, kangaroo, emu, bilby, and dingo. 

Taronga Zoo is committed to conservation and when you visit you can learn all about the protection of wildlife with engaging experiences and talks that are both fun and educational. 

Pick your destination or simply enjoy a cruise around Sydney Harbour.  

A ride of a Sydney ferry provides a great vantage point from which to see the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. 

Looking for some inspiration on where to go on your ferry adventure? Some fun family-friendly ferry rides from Circular Quay include: 

• Watsons Bay: pick up fish and chips from Doyles (a Sydney institution) and swim in the calm harbourside Camp Cove beach. 
  
• Cremorne: a waterfront reserve home to a playground, walking tracks, plenty of area to picnic and play, and the heritage harbourside Maccallum Pool. 
• Manly: enjoy a beachside lunch and a swim over at Manly. 
• Cockatoo Island: this island in Sydney Harbour was a convict gaol in the 1800s. Today it has plenty of green space to picnic and runaround, cafes to enjoy lunch, and historic buildings to explore. 

Sydney Aquarium is a must-do experience for families visiting Sydney. There’s over 4000 animals to meet at the SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium. See sharks swim overhead, visit the penguins, and meet Pig the rescue dugong. 

You can book a behind the scenes tour to experience even more as you’re introduced to the inner workings of the aquarium with special access and hands-on experiences. A visit to the aquarium is fun for the whole family. 

Stay at nearby ibis Sydney Barangaroo which is a five-minute walk from the aquarium. 

When it comes to fun things to do in Sydney with kids, you can't miss Luna Park. It’s been a longstanding beacon of family fun in Sydney since it first opened in 1935.  

The brightly coloured amusement park stands out thanks to its iconic heritage facade: a wide, smiling face greets you as you walk through the open mouth into a world of wonder and adventure. 

Thrilling rides, family activities, carnival sideshows, and plenty of fun awaits you behind the iconic Luna Park face and it's a great option for families of mixed aged groups. 

In the evening as the sunsets over the harbour, the lights at Luna Park light up against the night sky. 

If you’re staying in the city, you can take the ferry across Sydney Harbour to the Milsons Point ferry wharf which is right in front of the harbourside entrance to Luna Park. 

No visit to Sydney is complete without a trip to the beach. Take the ferry from Circular Quay in Sydney’s CBD across the harbour to Manly. Or stay beachside at one of Accor’s Manly hotels. Take your pick from the Manly Pacific Sydney MGallery Collection, The Sebel Manly Beach, or Peppers Manly Beach. 

You'll find Fairy Bower Rockpool on Marine Parade between Manly Beach and Shelly Beach. The tidal pool was built in 1929 and provides a protected place to swim and enjoy the Manly coastline. 

The play areas at Tumbalong Park and Darling Quarter are a great place to let the kids burn off some energy.  

Located between Darling Harbour and Darling Square and surrounded by dining options and benches, you can grab some family lunch together or pick up a coffee and watch on as your kids enjoy the play equipment.  

The playgrounds are located close to both Novotel Darling Harbour and Novotel Darling Square. If you’re looking for centrally located, family-friendly Sydney accommodation, these are perfect options to consider. 

The Maritime Museum at Darling Harbour is a fun place for kids to learn about Australia’s maritime museum and explore the tall ships, warships and a submarine too!  

When you stay at Novotel Darling Harbour you’re a short walk away from the Maritime Museum.  

If you’re staying elsewhere in Sydney CBD, you can take the ferry across to Pyrmont which is just a few minutes' walk from the harbourside museum.