Sydney is graced with scenery in and outdoors. If you are like me, you are not planning to sit in your room and catch up on the latest season of The Tourist. You’ve come to see Sydney, now see it.

Pro-tip- Do not try to see any major city in one trip. My career has taken me around the world, and I enjoy the experience of newness, by slowing down. We have evolved to adapt quickly to new information. We skip right past the experience and start learning.

Our brains process new patterns and assimilate the information behind the scenes of our consciousness. I tell you this because I want you to slow down and process new areas, sights, and experiences. Allow your brain time to paint a better picture, and for you to be present, not looking for transportation to the next site.

Some professionals can guide you around Sydney, through local areas and sights, by various modes of transit. You can hire a private guide and hit specific points of interest. Want to see all of Sydney with breathtaking angles in one day? Book a helicopter ride and create a memory of a lifetime. You won’t need pictures to remember a trip like that, but you will fill your SD card. 

On another trip to Sydney, you can plan a whale-watching trip. Feel powerful nature from the ocean and ocean life like never before. While diving in Thailand, I was humbled by the gentle size and presence of Whalesharks. I couldn’t imagine a Humpback in Sydney.

Your next trip, because I know you’ll want more, is a few days in Manly Beach. If you can, jump on a board and paddle out. Maybe a kayak for a tour around the coastal beauty is more your speed, or a towel on the sand and some sun-therapy. 

Our country is blessed with heaps of natural beauty. Take a tour of Sydney Harbour National Park, the Blue Mountains, Royal National, or Ku-ring-gai Chase National Parks.

In July there will be a Love Your Nature Exhibition in the city. The temperature can be fresh.  Wear layers to adapt as the day changes. Don’t forget to stop for a beverage to keep warm at the World Square Firepit Garden. Toast up some marshmallows and sip on a cocoa. 

Check out the musical and theatre performance schedules in Sydney. Each time you visit Sydney experience cultural classics, Broadway revivals, Shakespeare, and more in any of the 20+ venues.

Do not waste meal times on less-than-excellent cuisine. Sydney’s culinary scene is world-renowned and you should arrive hungry. Are you ready for fresh seafood? Head to the biggest market in the southern hemisphere for a fresh-catch cook-up. Sydney Fish Market is open 7a-4p every day other than Christmas.

Local breweries, wineries, gastropubs, fine dining, whiskey dens, and sake restaurants abound in the area. The best views of Sydney are accessible to everyone from a host of rooftop venues. Stunning lounges with plush accommodations, elegant rooftop gardens, vibrant clubs, and peaceful nooks are up to you to enjoy.

If you can’t find something to eat or drink, you are not hungry or thirsty. If you can’t find something exciting to do in Sydney, open your eyes.