This is the Around the Harbour chapter from Lonely Planet’s Sydney guide-book.

Sure, it’s a stretch to call this large, disparate area a ‘neighbourhood’, but the harbour is such an integral part of the Sydney experience that we felt it was worth highlighting in this way.

• catch a ferry to Watsons Bay and spend an afternoon exploring South Head and lying around Camp Cove before claiming a spot at the pub as the sun sinks over the city
• maps
• paddle around secluded corners of the harbourside national park on a tour with Sydney Harbour Kayaks
• transport
• sneak down to the secluded Shark Beach and Nielsen Park, for a picnic and a swim
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

This is the Bondi, Coogee & the Eastern Beaches chapter from Lonely Planet’s Sydney guidebook.

Improbably good-looking arcs of sand framed by jagged cliffs, the eastern beaches are a big part of the Sydney experience. Most famous of all is the broad sweep of Bondi Beach, with its distracting scenery and constant procession of beautiful bods .

• while away the day on the golden sands of Bondi Beach, periodically cooling off in the surf and cruising the promenade
• maps
• revel in the spectacular coastal scenery of the enjoyable Bondi to Coogee walk, which takes in five classic beaches
• transport
• take a dip in the iconic Bondi Icebergs Pool at the beach’s southern end, braving the odd breaker on a rough day
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

This is the Circular Quay & the Rocks chapter from Lonely Planet’s Sydney guidebook.

At some stage you’ll end up at Circular Quay and the Rocks; you haven’t really been to Syd-ney if you don’t. Set aside a day to see the sights and a night to down a beverage in a historic pub or catch a show.

• come face to face with the number-one visual symbol of the city, the Sydney Opera House – on a sunny day, it’s postcard-perfect, its curves and points a pinnacle of architectural expression
• maps
• stroll the idyllic grounds of the Royal Botanic Garden, with the harbour sparkling below
• transport
• discover inspiring artistic installations at the landmark Museum of Contemporary Art
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

This is the City Centre & Haymarket chapter from Lonely Planet’s Sydney guide-book.

Sydney’s towering central business district (CBD) encapsulates the city’s cavalier spirit, with skyscrapers unashamedly overshadowing historic sandstone buildings and churches. Make sure to dedicate a little time to strolling Hyde Park and the array of historic buildings along Macquarie St.

• be transported into Victorian parlours, Buddhist temples, postwar streets, the heart of the outback and the imaginations of generations of artists at the Art Gallery of NSW
• maps
• shop and eat your way through the vibrant streets of Chinatown, and take in the restau-rants of nearby Koreatown and Thaitown, too
• transport
• promenade through the city centre’s green corridor, Hyde Park – a well-loved public space with statues, a fountain and a war memorial
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

This is the Darling Harbour & Pyrmont chapter from Lonely Planet’s Sydney guidebook.

Sydney’s purpose-built tourist hub (opened for the bicentennial in 1988) has some high-profile attractions; every other inch of this former dockland is given over to leisure. Firework displays occur with alarming frequency; most Saturday nights go off with a bang.

• escape the hustle and bustle of the city on the tranquil paths of the Chinese Garden of Friendship
• maps
• face your fears in the tunnels through the shark tanks at Sydney Sea Life Aquarium
• transport
• meet the stars of the Australian bush in the heart of the city at Wild Life Sydney Zoo
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

This is the Day Trips from Sydney chapter from Lonely Planet’s Sydney guide-book.

Want to escape the city? This chapter includes the very best excursions from Sydney and they can each be completed in a day. Must-sees include Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and Northern Beaches.

• right on Sydney’s northern fringes, spectacular Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park exempli-fies this part of the state’s natural beauty
• wilder and more distant than Sydney’s eastern strands, the Northern Beaches are a must-see, especially for surfers. Although you’ll most likely approach them as a day trip, they’re very much part of the city.
• with stunning natural beauty, the Blue Mountains have huge eucalypts that form a dense canopy across the landscape of deep, often inaccessible, valleys and chiselled sand-stone outcrops

Coverage includes: Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Northern Beaches, Blue Mountains, Parramatta, Royal National Park.

This is the Kings Cross & Potts Point chapter from Lonely Planet’s Sydney guidebook.

Start around the Cross itself; explore Darlinghurst Road – where tacky tourist shops and backpacker hostels outnumber the dwindling strip-club scene – and the bohemian backstreets on either side. The villagey, inclusive vibe vanishes as you descend to exclusive Elizabeth Bay, where the historic house of the same name is well worth investigation.

• soak up the sights, sounds and smells of much-changed but still edgy Darlinghurst Rd, then popping in to Kings Cross Hotel for a balcony drink
• maps
• duck in to Room 10 on Llankelly Place for a coffee and a view of the passing parade of Kings Cross characters
• transport
• admire the Georgian grace of Elizabeth Bay House, a reminder of grand days gone by
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment.

This is the Manly chapter from Lonely Planet’s Sydney guidebook.

Laid-back Manly clings to a narrow isthmus between ocean and harbour beaches abutting North Head, Sydney Harbour’s northern gatepost. With its shaggy surfers and relaxed locals, it makes for a refreshing change from the stuffier harbour suburbs nearby.

• splash about on the long, lovely strand of Manly Beach, Sydney’s second most famous stretch of golden sand, and fully embrace the local lifestyle by learning to surf
• maps
• hop between headlands and beaches along beautiful Manly Scenic Walkway along the harbour shoreline
• transport
• explore the wild, rugged surrounds of North Head and gasp at the glorious views of the mouth of the harbour
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

This is the Newtown & the Inner West chapter from Lonely Planet’s Sydney guidebook.

The Inner West is a sociological stew of students, urban hippies, lifestyle-focused profes-sional couples, artists and more. At its beginning is Sydney University, a bastion of old-world ar-chitecture dominating the tiny suburbs of Camperdown, Darlington and Chippendale.

• graze your way around the farmers market, scratch your head at conceptual art or be mysti-fied by an avant-garde performance within capacious Carriageworks
• maps
• admire the fine antiquities and excellent Lego in Sydney University’s fascinating archaeo-logical museum, the Nicholson Museum, to be incorporated in 2020 into the Chau Chak Wing Museum
• transport
• challenge your cultural stereotypes and expand your mind at White Rabbit, Sydney’s best contemporary art gallery
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

This is the Paddington & Centennial Park chapter from Lonely Planet’s Sydney guidebook.

‘Paddo’ is an elegant, expensive area of beautifully restored terrace houses and steep leafy streets where fashionable folks drift between designer shops, chic restaurants, art galleries and bookshops. The best time to visit is on Saturday, when the markets are at their most efferves-cent.

• start a weekend shopping trip at Paddington Markets before delving into the fashionable boutiques in this suburb
• maps
• explore the vast open space within the gated grounds of Centennial Park on two feet, two wheels or horseback
• transport
• watch summer cricket at lovely Sydney Cricket Ground, barrack for the Swans in the AFL, or scream yourself hoarse at a Roosters rugby league game at the adjacent Sydney Foot-ball Stadium
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

This chapter contains the Welcome to Sydney, Sydney’s Top 10, What’s New, Need to Know, Top Itineraries, If You Like..., Month by Month, With Kids, Like a Local, For Free, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities, LGBTQ+ Sydney, and Beaches chap-ters from Lonely Planet’s Sydney guidebook.

Your journey to Sydney starts here. You’ll find the tools to plan your adventure: where to go and when, how much to budget, plus in-depth info on beaches to suit every taste.

• tailor-made itineraries, arranged by region, themes and events
• list of highlights and best experiences
• everything you need to know about shopping in Australia’s glamour capital
• user-friendly country overview ensures you won’t miss a thing

Coverage includes: Welcome to Sydney, Sydney’s Top 10, What’s New, Need to Know, Top Itineraries, If You Like: National Parks, Art, Free Stuff, Historic Buildings, Mu-seums, Parks & Gardens, Views, Zoos & Aquariums, Industrial Remnants, Religious Buildings, Month by Month, With Kids, Like a Local, For Free, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities, LGBTQ+ Sydney, and Beaches.

This is the Surry Hills & Darlinghurst chapter from Lonely Planet’s Sydney guidebook.

Today Surry Hills bears little resemblance to its former working-class, Depression-era self. The rows of Victorian terrace houses remain, but they’re now home to a mishmash of inner-city hipsters, foodies and LGBTQI folk who keep the many excellent neighbourhood restaurants and bars in business.

• learn about Indigenous rights and admire the dinosaurs at the venerable Australian Mu-seum
• maps
• dazzle your eyes with the bright, quirky colours at the Brett Whiteley Studio
• transport
• eat your way around Sydney’s gastronomic heartland – starting with the slow-cooked meat at Porteño
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping.

This chapter contains the Understand Sydney, Sydney Today, History, The Arts, Architecture, Transport, and Directory A–Z chapters from Lonely Planet’s Sydney guidebook.

All the info you need on everything from history architecture and sports to flights, public transport, climate, money, the internet... you name it. Get tips for women travellers, gay and les-bian travellers, travellers with disabilities, and travellers with kids. And get the most out of your conversations with a handy language guide and glossary.

• a rundown on the city’s colourful history
• key info on who to cheer for in sports-mad Sydney
• full coverage of the city’s vibrant arts scene and iconic architecture
• details on Sydney’s foodie scene, complete with celebrity chefs

Coverage includes: Understand Sydney, Sydney Today, History, The Arts, Architecture, Transport, and Directory A–Z.