Things to do in Sydney with kids

Sydney with kids works best when you pick one patch of the city and stay in it. Darling Harbour has a koala zoo, an aquarium, a wax museum and a game room at the same address, Taronga Zoo comes with a ferry ride, and the Maritime Museum has real ships to climb aboard. This page groups the options by what the kids will be doing, so you can plan a day rather than a list.

Animal days: Taronga Zoo, WILD LIFE and Sydney Zoo

Taronga Zoo general admission puts giraffes, lions, tigers, koalas and kangaroos on a hillside facing Sydney Harbour, and keepers run the Free Flight Birds and Seals for the Wild presentations. The Taronga Zoo entry and return ferry combo gets you there from Circular Quay or Darling Harbour on a rocket catamaran, which counts as a ride in its own right.

WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo in Darling Harbour covers the Aussie Big 5 of koala, kangaroo, platypus, crocodile and wombat, with a Daintree Rainforest walkthrough past a cassowary. Breakfast with the Koalas starts at 7:15am on the Koala Rooftop, before the zoo fills up.

Sydney Zoo at Bungarribee in the west has no hills or steps and includes free parking, which keeps the day easy with a pram or tired legs. Symbio Wildlife Park at Helensburgh lets you feed kangaroos, meet koalas and visit the farmyard Barn, and it has a splash park for the warmer months. More choices sit on the Sydney zoos and aquariums page.

Aquarium, wax figures and a game room in Darling Harbour

SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium has a Penguin Expedition boat ride past king and gentoo penguins, Shark Valley with giant rays overhead, and Dugong Island, where a dugong called Pig lives. Madame Tussauds Sydney spreads wax figures across six themed zones, from Steve Irwin to Taylor Swift.

Immersive Gamebox Sydney is a room for two to six players where you wear a visor and your body is the controller. Games include Floor Is Lava and PAW Patrol, and a 30 minute session suits shorter attention spans. Wear flat shoes or trainers and one layer, because it gets warm.

On the harbour: jet boats, ferries and ships

The Sydney Harbour Jet Boat Ride is 30 minutes in the red Shark Boat from the Eastern Pontoon at Circular Quay, with 270 degree spins, power-brake stops and fishtails past the Opera House, Fort Denison and the Harbour Bridge.

The Australian National Maritime Museum lets you board HMB Endeavour, a replica of Captain Cook's ship, the destroyer HMAS Vampire and the submarine HMAS Onslow when it's open. You can also climb the Cape Bowling Green Lighthouse, built in 1874. A kids activity trail runs during school holidays, and our Sydney school holidays page has more to fill the break.

Passes that cover several attractions

The Sydney Attractions Pass with four attractions covers WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Tower Eye and Madame Tussauds, with express mobile entry and 60 days from your first visit to use them all. The Ultimate Sydney Attractions Pass adds the Sydney Tower SKYWALK, and the Sydney Flexi Pass lets you choose your own attractions from a longer list, activated through the Smartvisit app.

Frequently asked questions

Which Sydney attractions for kids are in the same place?

WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, Madame Tussauds Sydney and Immersive Gamebox Sydney all list 1-5 Wheat Rd in Darling Harbour as their address, so they work as a single day without crossing the city.

Is there a Sydney zoo with no hills?

Yes. Sydney Zoo at Bungarribee is described on its product page as having no hills or steps, and the ticket includes free parking and daily keeper talks.

How do you get to Taronga Zoo with kids?

By ferry from Circular Quay or Darling Harbour. The Taronga Zoo entry and return ferry combo includes zoo entry and the return ferry, and the crossing passes the Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

What do the Sydney Attractions Passes include?

The four attraction Sydney Attractions Pass covers WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Tower Eye and Madame Tussauds Sydney, and it stays valid for 60 days from your first visit.

Local tip: Start with Breakfast with the Koalas at 7.15am, when the koalas are most active and the zoo is quieter, then spend the rest of the day at the neighbouring Darling Harbour attractions.

Pick your animal day, harbour ride or museum trip and get the tickets sorted. A Taronga ferry crossing or a koala breakfast makes a good first stop, and family fun is just a click away.