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    Darling Harbour

    4.1 (70 reviews)

    Darling Harbour Photos

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    10/22/23 FYI, nearby activities
    Lee D.

    Originally named Long Cove. Quality/Quantity - Also known as Barangaroo, Cockle Bay, King Street Wharf. They also have many events often here. Cultural events, Lunar New Year, Greek Festival, Latin nights, "Beat Breakdown," Outdoor Movies at the Beach Cinema, etc. The area is also good for picnics, etc. See pictures. Atmosphere - Tourist attractions, so expect to pay tourist prices. This is a place for people watching. This is supposed to be a higher end area in Sydney. Chinese garden. Street performers. Imax theater. Public art trails - Free. https://www.barangaroo.com/editorials/public-art-in-barangaroo Arts and culture. Barangaroo reserve. Service - Good. Family friendly. Price - Tourist prices. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 1825, what a cool place to hang out.

    Darling Harbor
    Elizabeth S.

    Arrived in Sydney and booked at Mantra hotel at Kent St. Lovely view of the Harbour from our room. Walking distance to the place shops restaurant. Wear comfortable shoes beautiful view to enjoy. The harbour the waterfront the sceneries. The streets were well directed. We were able to enjoyed the night fireworks.

    Marlon T.

    Darling Harbour is place to go in the evening for drinks and the light show. I went during the day when there just wasn't much going on and honestly, it's just a harbour. The views were not particularly spectacular and tourist prices are never fun. So, my recommend is to only come before just before sunset to see the colors change and otherwise have a good view of anything going on!

    Map
    Donna B.

    A very busy and touristy area of Sydney now. But almost 200 years ago it was called Long Cove. But referred to as Cockle Bay until 1826. Governor Darling renamed it after himself. It was originally part of the commercial port and home to Darling Harbour Railway Goods Yard. Today it's home to many attractions, restaurants and shops. I spent a day and a half and only covered the Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney Aquarium, and Sydney Wildlife World. I ran out of time for Paddy's Markets, Chinese Garden of Friendship, Tumbalong Park, Madame Tussauds, The Star Casino, Aboriginal Centre, and Powerhouse Museum. Those are just a few of the sites. Then there's a huge list of restaurants, cafes and bars. Enjoyed happy hour one afternoon at a waterfront spot call Mecca Bah. A ton of fabulous outdoor dining venues. You could try for a month and never repeat it seems. Several great billboard like maps dot the area to help you navigate. Heavy in foot traffic. So enjoy the view and enjoy life. Darling Harbor was an entertaining area.

    Christina R.

    Quintessential place to visit when coming to Sydney. This area has a lot of things to do. There's general touristy stuff like sightseeing on Pyrmont Bridge; there are the tourist trap places like Sea Life and Madame Tussauds; there are A LOT of restaurants and bars to check out; there seems to be events that happen here, we watched them breakdown a concert series of some sort; there are docks for boating activities; and probably so much more that I don't know about. It's a fairly easy walk into the CBD and down to Circular Quay.

    Jacob D.

    A hop and a skip from where we stayed! It was a hidden treasure cause I heard about it but didn't realize how close it was to where we were. A great people watching venue and there was a Ukranian Fest going on which was cool to see. Aquarium and other venues nearby and one of the ferry stops (realized that when we were at Circular Quay). Walking over the Pyrmont Bridge was cool! A definite "must stop" in Sydney!

    Andrea U.

    We took the ferry to Darling Harbor. Dinner cruises, showboats, restaurants, aquarium,, Madam Tressau's, and an easy walk to Chinatown and the business district. The restrooms were stocked, clean & attractive. There are many hotels here, the Crown, W and a Hilton.

    Mel B.

    #64 for 2021 I don't know where to begin. There is so many things to do. What ever you are in the mood for you will find something to satisfy. My met my cousin here to for lunch, dinner, desserts, drinks on many occasions . The food is incredible. Lots of shopping to. And, there is still so much more Darling Harbour has to offer. We spent several days attending the Oz Con in the International Convention Centre Sydney. They have fireworks every Saturday night. I was able to catch that a couple times. Harbourside Shopping Centre, besides some wonderful shopping, has some other interesting things to do there like bowling, laser tag and flight simulators with other 3D simulators. You can also entertain yourself at the Star Casino. Visit the the Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney Aquarium, Power House Museum, Madam Tassauds. The IMAX theater will be reopening this year 2021. Tumbalong Park was still being completed but you can visit there. On one day we picked up some food and had a picnic. It was a nice reprieve from the hustle and bustle watching activity in the harbour. But wait there's more. Paddy's Market with more food options. The Aboriginal Centre, Chinese Friendship Garden and the Sydney Wildlife World. Cockle Bay Wharf is where lots of the action is especially at night. By day it is a smorgasbord of restaurants and bards serving up some of the elegant and tasteful food in Sydney. At night they turn into dance clubs and party centers for the hipsters, young entrepreneurs and those coming of age and well... everyone else. lol It is incredible how much food is there. Even though we were there for a month it was not enough time to hit all the good spots. And that's why a return trip is necessary. There are many ocean adventures to do here too. Travel on a glass bottom boat. Scuba diving if you want to do more sight seeing. Get up in the sky with parasailing. Sunset dinners and booze cruises are on several boats. My cousin was able to bring us into her building where she works. I was really impressed with the whole floor and where her department was located but the main reason we were there was to have a different view of Darling Harbour. I don't know how she can work looking at that all day. It's too sinfully tempting to want to go down and enjoy it all. The view from up high, I forgot what floor we were on, was amazing. We stayed there an hour admiring the view. The AC too was nice. Talk about 1st dates. Actually any date here would be impressive. You can easily fall in love over and over again with Darling Harbour. Oh, and your special someone too.

    Jennifer K.

    Darling Harbour is a touristy area with shops, restaurants and tourist attractions. We ended up coming here after our visit to Chinese Garden of Friendship. Not worth a special trip and the water does smells a little funky. The view though is ok. We ended up getting a coffee and just chill out for awhile.

    With these guys following you on the sidewalk, you're safe. LOL!
    Marqus R.

    Darling Harbor, named after Lieutenant General Ralph Darling, a former Governor of New South Wales, running adjacent to the City of Sydney, Australia along Cockle Bay, Darling Harbor Warf and opening north into the main Port of Sydney, which is actually Port Jackson, is one of my favorite harbors to come into. It is surrounded with all sorts of restaurants, boarders near Sydney's China Town, shops and points of local interest. I've spent whole days wondering the area and have yet to have taken in all there is to see. Best off from a tourist's point of view, the locals couldn't be more friendly, helpful or accommodating, plus with security being rather tight, no worries of any dangerous situations. And for me, being from America, a driving on the right hand side of the road as opposed to what is here with traffic driving on the left, plenty of cautionary reminders warning me which way I should be looking.

    Priscilla W.

    I walked around Darling Harbour a couple times when I vacationed in Sydney, once at night and once in the day. When I visited at night, it was extremely packed with hundreds of people watching the fireworks on Australia Day. So it was a BIG mistake arriving during the show rather than a couple hours before. Getting run over by baby strollers and trying to maneuver around people packed like sardines wasn't the best way to start my first night in Sydney. However, when I revisited again during the day, it was a pleasant experience. It was a weekday, not too crowded, yet peaceful enough to stroll along the pier, grab some gelato, and just take in the warm sun and watch the day go by. Darling Harbour is a must-visit when in Sydney. It reminds me of Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco - both are along the waterfront, are heavily touristy, have several museums with pricey admission, and have lots of seafood restaurants. Just replace those sea lions at Pier 39 with jellyfish, and you've got Darling Harbour! On the side note: There's a firework show almost every Saturday night at 9pm, not just on New Years and Australia Day.

    Waterfall Swing, Darling Harbour
    Dan P.

    What's in a name? That which we call a sewer by any other name would smell as sour. dHarb as the cool kids call her (actually just Benny B... errrr... and me) is a victim of its own name. It purports to be a dahlink. An affluent lady born of high society and high tea. Sadly it's more effluent - the disgorging of tourists from another disappointing expensive meal, and the casual discarding of over-priced, tactless souvenirs. Nomenclature has an interesting way of giving the opposite impression of a person or place. Remember that girl at school named after a precious gem or expensive sports car brand? (big sad-face emoji to Mercedes at Maccas, Opal at Oporto, and Porsche at Pizza Hut). The primary purpose of this man-made attraction (distraction?) is to act as a hub that provides access to a large number of infinitely more interesting attractions (Chinese Gardens, Tumbalong Park, the now-defunct Exhibition Centre), and a blank-space buffer between the city and Pyrmont. "Darling", is really an aussie bogan slang term that superior types use to patronise their local pizza waiter Dazza (or his female equivalent Shazza). On the very odd occasion when you come across a Derek, it's shortened to Darls (with or without the ess). So Darling Harbour, should really be named Dazza Harbour or Derek Harbz as a nod of authenticity to its real roots, or even Darls Harba. Calling a place Darling, doesn't make it one. Admiral Ackbar said it best..."It's a trap!"

    The Pyrmont bridge
    Richard A.

    Great place to spend the day. Plenty of shops, restaurants and tourist attractions. It's central to China town, fish market and the Chinese Garden. They have fireworks every Saturday night and I will go down there tomorrow night to see them.

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    We had a great afternoon walking around and taking in the sites. Highly recommend for food and drinks too

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    Darling Harbour Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Darling Harbour

    Aquarium and other venues nearby and one of the ferry stops (realized that when we were at Circular Quay).

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    Lucy Osburn-Nightingale Museum - Outside of the old nurses' house, museum is currently on the first level

    Lucy Osburn-Nightingale Museum

    5.0(1 review)
    1.6 kmSydney

    I literally passed by this museum on my way to the botanical gardens several days ago. Noting the…read morelimited hours I slightly rearranged my schedule to make the Tuesday hours work. I was expecting a small museum that would take 30 minutes max to go through. Thankfully I was so wrong. Before even opening the door of the museum I was greeted by one of the docents who was lovely throughout the tour. The entire tour lasted about 70 minutes and was fascinating. She explained the origins of the hospital and detailed history of the nursing staff who truly started the practice of nursing, as directed and sent by Florence Nightingale. While I was vaguely aware of the Nightingale connection I was surprised to find so many items that were either owned by Nightingale or given to the nurses from Florence Nightingale. With all the objects of the museum donated I think they have a truly remarkable collection, including old medical objects, photos of nursing staff, training uniforms, chemist set, to go bag of pharmaceuticals (for visiting rural areas), and medals received for service in the Crimea War. In general, I think it helps to have a medical background in order to understand how great this collection is and to be able to easily compare the collection to current medical practice. That being said, the docents ask prior to the tour if you have any medical knowledge. The only area of the museum that I didn't enjoy was part of the new wing and was two rooms of medical specimens, including the preserved fetus from an abortion. There were many different cancers (breast, ovarian, colorectal) also on display. I think generally people should be warned prior to going into those rooms. $5 Admission per person, cash only Photos are ok, no flash Will be asked to leave larger items (camera bags, backpacks) in the office Very limited hours! Martin Place metro stop

    Photos
    Lucy Osburn-Nightingale Museum - Outside museum

    Outside museum

    Lucy Osburn-Nightingale Museum - Photos of the women who started nursing practice in Sydney

    Photos of the women who started nursing practice in Sydney

    Lucy Osburn-Nightingale Museum - The to-go box for a chemist

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    The to-go box for a chemist

    Dawes Point Battery - Info...

    Dawes Point Battery

    5.0(1 review)
    2.4 kmDawes Point, The Rocks

    Love this spot! I stumbled upon it purely by accident, wasn't looking for it or knew it was here. I…read morewas just taking a stroll around the Rocks with the folks. I was wondering why it was so clean and immaculate. I didn't realize it was an official State Heritages Site. The Battery looks like it is still functional and ready to go...no rust, the paint is clean and smooth, doesn't look like a historical artifact. The Dawes Point Battery remains and site are of State heritage significance for their historical and scientific cultural values. The site and building are also of State heritage significance for their contribution to The Rocks area which is of State Heritage significance in its own right. [1] Dawes Point maintains vestiges of all periods of its occupation. The Point has been terraced and filled with each successive land use. All of these land uses have been closely linked with the site's unique position, occupying as it does a prominent headland with vistas up and down the harbour. Dawes Point Park still encompasses more than 90% of the area set aside for military purposes in the 18th century. Very little of this area has been alienated from public use, allowing the potential for interpretation of this period of the site's history in particular. The layers of history at Dawes Point have great potential to be used as a rich educational, cultural and tourism resource. [2] [1][2] totally stolen from the New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage site. Self explanatory, and a brilliant explanation of the significance of the Dawes Point Battery. Another thing I love about the Dawes Point Battery is the lack of tourists and crowds...at least when I went there...

    Photos
    Dawes Point Battery - My..what a big UPPER GUN BATTERY you have...

    My..what a big UPPER GUN BATTERY you have...

    Dawes Point Battery - UPPER GUN BATTERY. Heavy Artillery from back in the day...

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    UPPER GUN BATTERY. Heavy Artillery from back in the day...

    The Rocks Walking Tours - Explanation of mural in The Rocks

    The Rocks Walking Tours

    5.0(2 reviews)
    1.9 kmThe Rocks

    We booked this 90-minute tour of a historical part of Sydney is to take advantage of every minute…read moreof our short time there after our cruise. It as absolutely worth it! We had Judith as our knowledgeable and personable tour guide. She clearly loves her home city and was excited to share her extensive knowledge about The Rocks. What a wonderful way to spend part of a lovely Sunday afternoon in Sydney, learning the history and secrets of the old city as we walked through the nooks and crannies. Thank you, Judith!

    Since we had done a few different tours around Sydney, we weren't sure how much more we would learn…read morefrom The Rocks Walking Tour, but Leisa surprised us! This tour is full of fun and obscure facts with lots of architectural sites. It also familiarized us with how the rocks were almost demolished, then saved in the 70s. Beautiful water and architecture views with lots of fun (sometimes scandalous) colonial stories. Leisa was very kind and knowledgeable, and as another reviewer mentioned, gave us so much extra info that we went over the allotted time. She was very warm and funny. The walk also introduced us to the rocks market and street foods section, which we would have never found otherwise! This tour takes you down many back alleyways. Some stairs, but overall, this this tour was not overly strenuous. Numbers can vary--today we had eight total. Leisa said the day prior, she had 24. Just another way to view Sydney and it's vast history, and I would recommend this tour.

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    The Rocks Walking Tours - Timeline of mural in The Rocks

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    Timeline of mural in The Rocks

    Darling Harbour - localflavor - Updated May 2026

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