The Couple’s Guide to Sydney

A big city like Sydney has something for every type of couple. On a romantic long weekend or a week-long trip to Australia’s biggest city, you and your date could swim in the ocean, clink cocktails at the Opera House, cruise on the harbour, and chase nostalgic fun at Luna Park – and that’s just the beginning.  

Read on to discover almost a dozen ideas on how to spend your time and make memories together in this metropolitan oasis. Use our couple’s guide to Sydney to plan the ultimate mini-break for just the two of you.

Get out on the water

Life in Sydney revolves around the water, from the expansive harbour to the crashing waves at Bondi Beach. If you take your significant other for a romantic cruise, time it to enjoy the sunset as you move from landmark to landmark, getting to know the city from the water while enjoying a wine and each other’s company. Better yet, lock in a boat with dinner service and make it a night to remember. If you’re travelling on a budget, take the ferry to Manly and back instead.

Conquer BridgeClimb Sydney together

There’s no better way to deepen your bond than with an activity that scares you a little. Build trust and share the reward of summiting the world’s largest steel arch. 

When the two of you tackle the BridgeClimb Sydney you’ll soak up incredible 360-degree views over the city and the water, hearing facts and stories about the iconic landmark and its fascinating history. Make the coathanger climb all the more romantic by opting for a sunset summit.

Soak up culture at the gallery

Big cities mean big culture, and Sydney is home to the Art Gallery of NSW, a huge cultural institution that sees more than 40 exhibitions pass through its two buildings and art garden each year. 

Take your sweetheart for a sophisticated date and explore collections of Australian, European and Asian art. Better yet, on Wednesdays you can explore after dark until 10pm.

A night at the opera (house)

Speaking of creativity and culture, there’s no more iconic Australian architectural masterpiece than the Sydney Opera House. Invite your date to dress up and take them for a night at the opera. 

If opera isn’t your thing, look at the schedule to find a variety of shows, performances, and concerts going on within the famed Opera House halls, designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon.

Before your show, make time for a drink at the open-air Opera Bar, set right on the waterfront. Here you can soak up views of both the bridge and opera house sails.

Eat breakfast with koalas

Join Blinky Bill and his mates for breakfast at Wild Life Sydney Zoo. This date with a difference will see the two of you enjoying a tasty buffet breakfast with these furry grey marsupials before wandering the zoo on a private tour ahead of opening hours. 

Explore the best bits of the zoo, sans crowds, and enjoy peace and quiet as you make friends with the resident kangaroos, wallabies and quokkas.

Embrace Sydney’s world-class food scene

If you’re a foodie (or just a big MasterChef fan), Sydney is your chance to dine at top spots helmed by big-name chefs and rising stars. Whether your idea of a romantic dinner date is a top shelf tasting menu with matched wines, or a more casual modern Asian meal of shared dishes and BYO wine, Sydney has it all. 

Book ahead if you want to claim a table at Neil Perry’s Margaret, the three-hatted Quay, or chef Josh Niland’s Saint Peter. One of our favourites is Restaurant Hubert, an underground diner draped in red velvet and romantic jazz vibes that serves up a French menu.

Walk off all that dining and drinking

Sydney’s fantastic food scene makes it easy to indulge – or overindulge – with your date. The antidote? Exercise, of course. 

You’re on holiday, so keep it scenic when you lace up your sneakers and head to the coast. The Bondi to Coogee coastal walk offers sunshine, sea breezes and ocean swims. Sweat it out along all or part of the paved oceanfront trail, stopping for a dip at famous Bondi Beach or for a good flat white or green juice. Don’t forget to slip, slop, slap.

Plan a special picnic, just for two

It’s easy to escape the concrete jungle in Sydney. Between the beautiful parks, hidden harbourside beaches, and coastal coves, there is always somewhere fairly quiet to enjoy with your shoes off and your feet in the sand or grass. 

Pick up gourmet goodies at the Saturday Carriageworks Farmers Market, or order takeaway and plan a low-cost casual picnic. In the heart of the city, the Royal Botanic Gardens offers 30 hectares of gardens that roll down to the harbour. The views? Excellent. 

While here, you can join a bush tucker or Aboriginal heritage tour with a First Nations guide, too.

Find old-fashioned fun at Luna Park

Set right on the harbourfront, Sydney’s retro Luna Park is the place to take a date for some old-fashioned fun. 

Enter through the amusement park’s famous smile and make tracks for the ferris wheel. As you circle up above the city, hold hands and enjoy views over Sydney and the water. Next up, grab some fairyfloss and play a carnival game to win your date a silly stuffed toy.

Take a thrill-seeking jet boat ride

Take your romantic weekend up a notch with a thrilling jet boat ride. A fun date on the Thunder Jet will set hearts racing as your high-speed vessel charges through the centre of Sydney’s Darling Harbour and Circular Quay. 

Expect to do 360-degree spins, water drifts and other crazy stunts at rapid speeds while you both feel like movie stunt doubles.

Hire bikes and catch a movie at Centennial Park

Put your teamwork to the test when you hire a tandem bike and explore almost 4km of cycle paths through Centennial Park. 

Bring a picnic lunch to celebrate your trials and triumphs, or book a movie screening at the open-air Moonlight Cinemas. This outdoor cinema pops up in the beautiful park each summer and autumn.

There’s so much more to see and do in spectacular Sydney. Book your Sydney stay with Oaks and choose from our four hotels in the Emerald City.