Fun Family Things to Do in Sydney: Picks by Age

Fun family things to do in Sydney are easier to choose when you sort them by age, because a two-year-old and a ten-year-old rarely want the same day. This list starts with the zoo that fits most ages and then moves from toddlers to teens. Prices below are for adults and children as the operators or GetYourGuide state them on 25 October 2026.

Things to Do in Sydney's count of GetYourGuide listings on 25 October 2026 found 39 of 298 that mention a zoo, wildlife or koala, with a median rating of 4.8 among those with reviews.

1. Taronga Zoo: the best pick for most ages

Taronga Zoo is the best all-round family day in Sydney, because it works for toddlers and for ten-year-olds. Adults pay A$57 at the gate and children aged 4 to 15 pay A$33, and children under 4 enter free, according to the zoo's ticket page. Online prices start from A$51.30 for an adult and A$29.70 for a child.

The zoo opens at 9:30 am every day, and the ferry from Circular Quay Wharf 4 takes about 12 minutes. Taronga Zoo tickets on GetYourGuide start from €35.76 per person. They are rated 4.61 from 1,764 reviews and run by Taronga Zoo itself. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before. The ticket gives full-day entry and keeper talks, and the listing names a Kids' Trail among nine trails. It does not include transport, food or parking. The listing's meeting point is the zoo itself at Bradleys Head Rd, Mosman, so enter at the zoo gate after the ferry. It states no duration or group size, because it is an entry ticket for you to use on your own.

Families who want to compare the other animal parks can read our guide to sydney zoo tickets.

Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 25 October 2026.

Key Takeaway Taronga's family day ticket for two adults and two children costs from A$144 online, which is A$18 less than four separate online tickets.

2. Pirates cruise: a harbour show for younger kids

A theatrical pirates cruise suits younger children who like stories and dress-up. The theatrical pirates cruise on the harbour lasts 1.5 hours on a tall ship built in the style of the 1850s, and kids can help hoist the sails and steer. It starts from €40.78 per person.

Sydney Harbour Tall Ships runs the cruise, and it leaves from Campbell's Cove Jetty in The Rocks. Groups have up to 15 people, and free cancellation applies. Its 4.78 rating comes from only 15 reviews, so it is thin, and the free cancellation is the safer part of the booking. Wheelchair users are listed as not suited, and the mast climb and drinks are not included. The price is per person and the ticket is for selected dates only.

Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 25 October 2026.

3. Featherdale and Sydney Zoo: calm wildlife days for toddlers

Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park and Sydney Zoo are two smaller animal days away from the harbour crowds. Featherdale in Doonside is open from 8 am to 5 pm every day. Entry is A$49 for an adult and A$29 for a child aged 3 to 15, and children aged 2 and under are free. Bus route 729 from the station is named on the park's visit page.

Sydney Zoo at Eastern Creek is open 9 am to 5 pm every day, and its site lists a family bundle of two adults and two kids for A$110. Both need a longer trip out of the centre, so plan the whole day around one of them.

4. Darling Harbour: easy for toddlers and short legs

Darling Harbour is the easiest area for toddlers, because the aquarium, the WILD LIFE zoo and the playground sit close together. SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium lists adult tickets from A$39 online on a weekday, and WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo lists general entry from A$39 online. The precinct's official page for the Darling Harbour Playground puts it at 1-25 Harbour Street in Darling Quarter and lists it as open 24 hours. It names water fountains, water pumps, streams and jets, plus water scoopers, screws and dams, so this is the water playground, and a newer area has ramps and a climbing tower for older children. The page does not state opening times for the water features or a cost, so check the precinct's official site on your day and bring spare clothes.

The paths are flat and good for prams. A combined pass can help if you want two attractions within 60 days, and the section on saving money below explains how.

Pro Tip Go to the aquarium right at opening, then eat lunch near the playground, so a tired toddler can nap in the pram after lunch.

5. Junior tree ropes course: an active pick for ages 3 to 7

A junior ropes course is the best active pick for children aged 3 to 7. The junior tree ropes course in Pennant Hills starts from €24.47 per person and lasts 2.5 hours. It is run by Treetops Adventure The Hills in Cumberland State Forest, and groups have up to 10 people.

Staff supply a helmet, safety gear and training, and the junior levels are supervised. Children under 3 cannot join, and parents must stay on site. Wear closed shoes and arrive 15 minutes early. The rating is 5.0, but only 7 people have reviewed it, so treat the rating as an early sign. Free cancellation applies. The ticket gives a helmet, safety gear and training, access to the supervised junior levels, and it does not include transport or meals. It meets in Cumberland State Forest at 95 Castle Hill Rd, West Pennant Hills, and the price is per person.

Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 25 October 2026.

6. Stage show and Opera House tour: for ages 6 and up

A big show is the best answer for a bored ten-year-old on a wet day, and Sydney has two good ones. THE LION KING at the Capitol Theatre starts from €89.59 per person and runs 2.5 hours, including a 20-minute interval. It is rated 4.88 from 160 reviews, and Foundation Theatres runs it. Ages 6 and over are recommended, and infants under 2 may enter free if they do not take a seat. The show has smoke, fog and strobe lighting. Tickets cannot be cancelled, so this is the one pick here that is not flexible. The meeting point is the Capitol Theatre, 13 Campbell St, Haymarket, and the box office opens 2 hours before the show to swap your voucher for a ticket. Food and drinks are sold at the theatre but not included, and late arrivals are locked out until a break.

Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 25 October 2026.

The Sydney Opera House runs its own main tour, which lasts about 60 minutes. A family ticket for two adults and two children costs A$130 when booked ahead and A$145 on the day, according to the Opera House's tour page. The tour has about 300 stairs and no lift, and children under 5 enter free. It meets at the Welcome Centre on the Lower Concourse, and the page asks you to arrive 15 minutes early. On a wet day these two are the indoor picks in this list, so choose one of them if rain is forecast. The Opera House page says nothing about rain, and the zoo, the pirates cruise and the ropes course are outdoors.

Kids remember the day they were allowed to do something, not the day they were taken somewhere.

How to choose fun family things to do in Sydney for your kids

The right family day is the one that fits your youngest child, because older kids can usually cope with a gentler day but small ones cannot cope with a long one. Use the table to match your kids to a pick: toddlers suit the zoo and the Darling Harbour playground, ages 3 to 7 suit the ropes course and the pirates cruise, ages 8 to 12 suit the Opera House tour and Taronga, and teens suit a stage show. Every pick is a ticket you can use on your own, so a guided tour is not needed for any of them.

One honest limit applies to this list. Every pick needs a ticket, and none of them are free. If your budget is tight, the Royal Botanic Garden is free to enter, and Sydney.com lists the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk as free, too.

Where to stay in Sydney with kids

The best place to stay with kids is next to the sights you will visit most, so that walks stay short. Our guide to accommodation darling harbour sydney nsw compares the main areas. On a first family trip, Darling Harbour is the simple choice, the city centre suits families who want trains close by, and Bondi suits a beach week.

Meriton Suites Sussex Street is an apartment hotel with an indoor heated pool, 400 metres from the aquarium. Adina Apartment Hotel Sydney Town Hall is in the city centre with an indoor heated pool. If you want a beach week, Adina Apartment Hotel Bondi Beach has a pool at Bondi.

Hotel prices change by date, so none are listed here. To keep the bill low, compare the same dates across all three and look at rooms with extra space for the whole family. Parents of toddlers should pick a spot close to a train station, because children aged three and under travel free on Opal.

How to save money on a family day out

The biggest savings come from family tickets, online booking and the child Opal fare. At Taronga, the family day ticket for two adults and two children costs from A$144 online. Four separate online tickets cost A$162. At the Opera House, the family tour ticket costs A$130 booked ahead, against A$160 for four separate tickets. Sydney Zoo's family bundle is A$110.

Children aged 4 to 15 pay child fares on Opal, and children aged three and under travel free, according to Transport for NSW. The daily cap for a child is A$9.65 from Monday to Thursday and A$4.80 on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays. Our getting around Sydney guide explains how the adult caps work.

If you plan several animal visits, read about sydney madame tussauds tickets and the other combined passes. WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo lists multi-attraction passes that last up to 60 days and need a booked time slot. No official page lists one family pass for all Sydney attractions, and WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo does not publish the passes' prices in the pages used here, so ask that operator for the pass price on your date. A pass only pays off if you would visit two or more of its attractions anyway, so add up your own picks against the family tickets above and buy the pass only if its total is lower.

When you are ready to book, start with the biggest day. A taronga zoo ticket with a family option is the best place to begin.