Travel Itinerary for Families

Vibe Hotels - Family Itineraries

A Big Day Out for Kids Big & Small

Parents are pleasantly surprised to find that Sydney is family-friendly and loaded with cool things for kids.

Because children’s staying power varies according to age, mood, and nap times, here’s a bucket list.

Harbour jaunts on historic Sydney ferries

Ferries are the most fun way to play on the world’s most beautiful harbour. They’re also a cheap and an easy way to get to the best places.

They’re robust working boats, no one’s going to give you a hard time when your little darling leaps onto his/her seat and yodels when a whale goes by.
Head to Circular Quay to take your pick of destinations. There are some great spots, but we reckon the best ones are:

  • MILSON’S POINT
    Just a 15-minute trip but it crams in awesome Harbour Bridge and Opera House views. When you get to the other side:
  1. North Sydney Olympic Pool’s fantastic all-year-round water playgrounds and heated pools. Delicious on a hot day, magic during winter.
  2. Luna Park! Entry is free and the rides are good value. All the classics are here – a Ferris wheel, dodgems, carousel, et al.
  • MANLY
    The Manly Ferry is the classic Sydney adventure. You can swim bayside or at the surf beach, followed by fish ‘n’ chips and an ice cream. Bliss.
  • COCKATOO ISLAND
    18 hectares of weird, rusty and wonderful relics from Sydney’s shipbuilding past. Today it’s landscaped, with walkways and artworks. It’s a top spot to watch boats on the Harbour.
  • DARLING HARBOUR
    Be whisked under the Harbour Bridge to action-packed Darling Harbour. It’s heaven on a stick for kids of all sizes.

(Alternatively, you can walk to Darling Harbour from Vibe Hotel Sydney. It takes around 30 minutes.)

  1. Sydney Aquarium. One of the largest in the world and guaranteed to have the kids’ eyes out on stalks like a crab.
  2. Wild Life Sydney. Here, right in the middle of the city, live koalas, kangaroos, crocodiles, and emus. Amazing!
  3. IMAX Theatre. An excellent way to get the adrenalin pumping.
  4. Chinese Gardens. A beautiful place to sit and relax, while the kids go nuts at …
  5. Darling Harbour Free Playground. The most thrilling in the country, it will keep them enthralled for hours.

Sydney can be exxy, stuff your daypacks with:

  • Snacks, lunch and water bottles that can be refilled
  • Packet of wipes
  • Sunblock and hats
  • Travel towels and cossies
  • Cotton sarongs for sitting on, shade, and changing
  • Jumper in case the weather changes