The Rocks & Circular Quay

A look around

What you’ll be living next to. Swipe through.

1/6

Where it sits

The circle is The Rocks & Circular Quay and roughly a 10-minute walk around it.

How far is everything?

From the middle of this area to the city's headline sights — pick your own on the city page and these become your list.

• A harbour ferry2 min walk191 m
• Darling Harbour20 min walk1.7 km
• A flat white & brunch8 min taxi2.8 km
• Surry Hills bars & dining9 min taxi2.8 km
• The Bondi to Coogee walk20 min taxi6.5 km
• Bondi Icebergs pool21 min taxi7.0 km
• Bondi & the Eastern Beaches (beach)22 min taxi7.2 km
• Bondi Beach22 min taxi7.2 km
• Manly Beach30 min taxi10.1 km

On your doorstep

What you’re living next to if you stay here.

• 1.The Sydney Opera House — The most recognisable building of the 20th century — Jørn Utzon's shimmering white sails rising from a promontory on the harbour, one of the world's true architectural icons. See it from the water, walk around its base at sunset, take a tour, or best of all catch a performance inside; unforgettable from every angle.
• 2.The Harbour Bridge — The mighty steel arch Sydneysiders call 'the Coathanger' — walk across it for free for stunning harbour views, climb the pylon lookout, or, for a bucket-list thrill, do the BridgeClimb right over the top. The classic pairing with the Opera House, and the beating heart of the harbour.
• 6.The Rocks — Sydney's oldest quarter, right by the Bridge — cobbled lanes of colonial sandstone buildings, historic pubs, a weekend market and museums telling the story of the convict colony that started here. Wander the alleys, pull up at one of Australia's oldest pubs, and feel the city's beginnings.
• 7.Botanic Garden & Mrs Macquarie's Chair — The lush Royal Botanic Garden sweeps around the harbour's edge from the Opera House to Mrs Macquarie's Point — a carved sandstone bench with the postcard-perfect view of the Opera House and Bridge together. A gorgeous, free waterfront stroll with flying foxes in the trees; the classic photo spot.
• 8.Taronga Zoo — A superb zoo on a harbour hillside, reached by a scenic ferry — meet koalas, kangaroos, platypus and Tasmanian devils, with the animals framed against a jaw-dropping view of the city skyline across the water. A brilliant family day, and the ferry-and-view combo makes it special even for grown-ups.
• 13.Art Gallery of NSW — The state's superb art gallery on the edge of the Domain parkland — Australian and Aboriginal art, European masters and a striking new wing, all free to enter. A cool, cultured couple of hours a short walk from the Opera House; the Aboriginal art collection alone is worth the visit.