A day in Sydney CBD with the kids

Do you find yourself in Sydney with restless kids to entertain?! Don't worry we have an itinerary that won't leave any time for boredom.

Photo by Gabriel Tan

The Highlights

• Pancakes On The Rocks

• Circular Quay

• Sydney Opera House

• Botanic Gardens

• The Australian Museum

• Darling Harbour and Tumbalong Playground.

Breakfast:

Start the day with a walk back in time through the historic Rocks, under the shadow to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. If you find yourself here on a weekend make sure to check out the Saturday and Sunday markets which add a festive vibe to the neighbourhood.

There are many gorgeous cafes to visit for breakfast, however when in Rome, do as the Romans do and head to Pancakes On The Rocks, although I'd say most Sydney siders have visited Pancakes on the Rocks after a night out rather than for Breakfast as it is open to 2am.

Morning Activity:

Time to walk off breakfast with one of the most picturesque strolls in the world! From the Rocks heads down to Circular Quay and around to the Sydney Opera House. There are many beautiful spots to take some iconic photos from and you can continue walking through to the Botanic Gardens which feels like a lush oasis after the bustle of Circular Quay. If the kid's legs are failing there is also a cute miniature train that takes you through the gardens.

From the Opera House it's a 2.5km walk through the Botanic Gardens to the museum, it takes you past the Art Gallery of NSW and Saint Mary's Cathedral, however little legs might prefer a 5 minute bus trip from Circular Quay up to Hyde Park on the 333 bus.

Hop of at Hyde Park and walk across the park to The Australian Museum. This is a totally free museum (excluding special exabits) and has an amazing collection of taxidermized animals and dinosaur bones. There is a large interactive area for big and little kids upstairs right next to the cafe. This is one of Australia's best museums and I highly recommend a visit!

Lunch:

If you haven't had lunch yet, I'm sure everyone is starving! The museum has some food as does the cafes in Hyde Park but if you can make it back across Hyde Park and back into the city you will find literally anything you can want, pubs, cafes, family favorites like Grill'd and Subway are around a 10 minute walk from the Muesum.

Afternoon Activity:

If your staying in the CBD, I'd highly recommend a siesta! If you can't have a cat nap, the Pool of Reflection in Hyde Park offers a peaceful place to recover from the morning.

Once everyone is ready, make your way down to Darling Harbour, a 10-minuet downhill walk from Hyde Park. Here you will find an awesome play ground the Tumbalong Park and splash park! It's honestly so good! Big and small kids will easily spend well over an hour here and the best part is that it is lined on one side with restaurants, cafes and most importantly a place for a well deserved drink (whether it be cocktail or mocktail, beer or wine) after a long day!

Evening:

I'd highly recommend staying for dinner in Darling Harbour, there are heaps of options from fast-food like McDonalds and Betty's Burgers to Brazilian BBQ and a mix of Asian fusion options. Chinatown is also just a 5 minuet walk from Tumbalong Playground which boasts some fantastic restaurants.

Soaking up the vibe of Darling Harbour is a perfect way to end the day.

....and if you happened to be in Darling Harbour on a Saturday night, once a month they put on a free fireworks display at 830pm (check the dates here).