Book a Flight to Sydney from €1101

Sydney Opera House: The city’s symbolic landmark and the most immediately recognizable opera house in the world. This expressionistic construction in the port, enjoying UNESCO World Heritage status, resembles a giant boat, spreading its sails to head out on the Pacific Ocean. A tribute to the seafarers of Oceania, this emblematic architectural achievement of the 20th century opened its doors to the public in 1973 and has since been the setting for major performances in the world of theatre, opera, classical ballet, modern dance and musicals. There are guided tours of the various auditoriums and the backstage areas. Address: Bennelong Point, 0061 2 9250 7111, www.sydneyoperahouse.com

Harbour Bridge: Sydney’s second landmark structure, the Harbour Bridge is an impressive single-arch construction in steel, 134m at its highest point, joining the two sides of the harbour. One of the largest arched bridges in the world, construction of the Coat Hanger, as it is known to the locals, began in 1923 and took nine years to complete. If you’re the adventurous type and not afraid of heights, sign up for one of the organized ascents to the top of the bridge; special safety harnesses are provided. The panoramic views of the city and the ocean will take your breath away. Address: Sydney Harbour Bridge, 0061 2 9903 2159, www.bridgeclimb.com

Art Gallery of New South Wales: A superb example of classical architecture, housing important permanent collections and touring exhibitions of international stature. There are fine examples of Australian art from the colonial era to the present day, treasures from the Far East and masterpieces of European painting, including works by Van Gogh, Delacroix, Picasso, Cezanne, Rubens, Monet and many others. Address: Art Gallery Road, 0061 2 9225 1700, www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au

Royal Botanical Gardens: An oasis of 75 acres of green right in the heart of the city, the Royal Botanical Gardens were created in the early 19th century and are home to rare species of flora and fauna. There is a tropical centre with exotic plants and you can walk through fine arrangements of flowerbeds and ponds, with cacti, cocoa trees, ducks and bats. Address: Mrs Macquaries Road, 0061 2 9231 8111, www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au

Bondi Beach: The beach closest to Sydney is a vast expanse of golden sand, packed with suntanned Australians and tourists from northern Europe, escaping from the cold winter back home. Watch the surfers riding the huge waves, or just chill out and enjoy this cosmopolitan stretch of the Pacific coast.

Aquarium: A thrilling journey into the depths of the sea, and a chance to study the exotic and legendary marine creatures of Oceania. The aquarium is located on the eastern side of Darling Harbour and has a glass tunnel you walk through while above you the sharks circle in the water. There are also fish of every possible colour in the kingdom of Nemo, stingrays, corals from the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, and even a platypus, an amphibious survivor from the prehistoric era. Address: 1-5 Wheat Road, 0061 1800 199 657, www.sydneyaquarium.com.au/

Blue Mountains: This national park of rare natural beauty, located just 74km from Sydney, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Forests of eucalyptus cover the slopes of the mountain range, which takes its name from the bluish haze of the light permeated by vapour and eucalyptus oil. Steep cliffs and waterfalls make for a dramatic landscape, best known for the so-called Three Sisters, an impressive trio of monolithic sandstone rocks. Activities available here include riding, hiking, cycling and off-road touring with jeeps. There is also a cable car and a rail line with the steepest gradient anywhere in the world.
Address: Leave Sydney and follow the signs to Parramatta. The M4 motorway starts at Strathfield and takes you to the Blue Mountains via Lapstone. It’s about a fifty-minute drive. www.bluemts.com.au 

Sydney Coast Walk: A wonderful trek along the spiraling path which runs six kilometres between Bondi and Coogee Beaches. You walk with the ocean on one side and scrubland on the other, coming across little coves and natural pools carved out of the rocks.

Australia’s largest city is a vibrant metropolis, with everything a shopper could hope to find. Ultra-modern malls where you can find a personal shopper to guide you, atmospheric markets at Rocks and Haymarket where you can unearth all sorts of vintage treasures and souvenirs, or districts like Surry Hills where there are talented young designers selling prêt-a-porter fashion and design goods. You should explore Pitt Street, go into the Queen Victoria Building, constructed in the Roman style, full of elegant boutiques, and then continue along Elizabeth, King and George Streets, full of famous fashion names. Explore Oxford Street too, the hip district of Paddington with funky but tasteful shops. Whatever time of year you visit Sydney you should shop for woollen pullovers and scarves, because Australian wool is the best in the world. Other attractions include opal jewellery, boomerangs, koala, kangaroo and Nemo fish soft toys, and the cult Australian akubra hats, as worn in the Crocodile Dundee films.

Sydney is a city with high gastronomic standards; the local restaurants offer an impressive fusion of tastes and textures, worthy of the city’s multicultural identity. The main ingredients are fresh fish and seafood, lobsters, shrimp and prawns, crab and eels – all bought at auction at the Sydney fish market before ending up in the seaside restaurants looking out over the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. You can take a tour of the biggest fish market in the southern hemisphere, at the junction of Bank Street and Pyrmont Bridge Road. One of the best-loved local specialties is barramundi, an Australian fish rich in healthy Omega 3 fatty acids. There is also the meat of the emu, which is very low in cholesterol. You can also try fish and chips, the local people’s favourite street food. The shopping centres all have fruit and soup bars – a sign of the locals’ dedication to healthy eating. Why not join a gourmet safari, and discover Greek and Italian delicacies, authentic oriental cuisine in Chinatown or Thai dishes in Thai Town on Campbell Street – just some of the 140 ethnic cuisines making up the city’s multicultural gastronomic landscape. There is a vibrant nightlife in the bars and clubs of King’s Cross, with live appearances and Australian and international hits. Try out the bars in Darling Harbour and the hotspots of Rocks, and don’t miss the beach parties on Manly Beach.

Events in Sydney are veritable blockbuster productions, set against the emblematic landmarks of the city.

• Sculpture by the sea: This is the world’s biggest exhibition of seaside sculpture, held at the end of each October, transforming the beaches of Bondi and Tamarama into open-air galleries. Explore the world of art in your swimming trunks or bikini! • Sydney Live: A spectacular sound and light show, held over 18 nights in May/June, transforming the city’s buildings into a canvas for creative expression. The white ‘sails’ of the Opera House, dyed a rainbow of colours by projected rays of light, and the impressively illuminated Harbour Bridge, resemble gigantic works of pop art.
• Film Festival: One of the city’s oldest cultural events, now in its sixth decade, the film festival is staged each year in June. Film lovers can enjoy 250 screenings of new and classic films, both international and Australian, documentaries, shorts and animated films. In the competition that forms part of the festival, twelve films from the last year’s batch compete for a cash prize.
• Chinese New Year – Dragon Boat Races: Held every year at the end of February, this is the biggest race of its kind in Australia, with three thousand rowers competing to the beating of the drums to secure first place in the race, staged in Darling Harbour.
• Sydney Comedy Festival: The top talents in the international comedy scene, as well as new up-and-coming stand-up comedians and satirists, appear at the Opera House and various other venues around Sydney every April, filling the city with laughter.

Transport from the airport

Aegean Airlines flights land at Sydney Airport, 8km from the city centre. At this state-of-the-art airport you will find numerous duty free shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, banks, ATMs, bureaus de change, a post office, showers, a chapel, free Internet kiosks and WiFi, and TTY phones for the hard of hearing. The quickest way into the city from the airport is to take the suburban train, Line T2 (Airport, Inner West & South Line) from the airport rail station to the city centre (City Circle). It’s a 13-minute ride, with trains every ten minutes. There are also taxis, or the bus Route 400.