Sydney being a harbour city means heaps of different cruise options if you’d like to explore Sydney by water. Visiting the harbour and having a walk around to see all the different bars, restaurants, museums and galleries, and of course, the classic landmarks is pretty much a given if you’re going out to Circular Quay, so why not try something a little different and take a harbour cruise to see the sights of Sydney’s coast from a new angle?
Ferries are a popular mode of transport for visiting Sydney’s northern beaches or even crossing the harbour to Taronga Zoo. Cruise to Manly, Garden Island, Cockatoo Island or Fort Denison for panoramic harbour views, or better yet, some history to discover, like World Heritage convict sites, naval museums and former military facilities. There’s a convenient hop-on, hop-off ferry service to make the most of your day on the water. Purchase a day or two-day pass and reboard as you please, visiting stops like Shark Island, Watson’s Bay and the Darling Harbour.
Ferries are just one vessel you can cruise the harbour on, and there a few quirky options if you’re interested in a one-of-a-kind experience. You can sail on an authentic historic tall ship, where you can even climb the mast for one of the best Sydney Harbour views money can buy, or board a paddlewheeler with Sydney Showboats for a cabaret show accompanied by the night lights of the harbour.
As there are cultural tours by land, there are cultural tours to take by sea, also. Tribal Warrior Cultural Cruises is Indigenous owned and operated, and has toured the harbour for almost 30 years. These cruises introduce their patrons to the Aboriginal names, meanings, and stories behind iconic Sydney landmarks, along with traditional fishing and food-gathering techniques, to come away with a better understanding of the harbour’s landscape.
Outdoor lovers would benefit from a cultural tour, but further the popular whale-watching cruises. From May to November, cruises travel from Darling Harbour, Circular Quay and Manly through to The Heads, where you’ll spot humpback whales in unmatched close quarters.
Sydney being a major harbour city also lends itself to being a landing point for national and international cruises. Massive cruise liners travel frequently from Sydney to South East Asia, the Pacific Islands, and even the US. To explore Australia’s landscape in-depth, without the hours of plane travel, take a cruise from Sydney to Perth—that way, you’ll explore pretty much the entire coast, whichever direction you travel. We wouldn’t pass up a Sydney to Perth cruise following the coast north, the Princess Cruises ‘Northern Explorer,’ where you’ll travel through the Port Douglas in North Queensland, and follow through to Darwin, the Kimberley, and down WA’s Coral Coast to land finally in Perth after 17 days at sea.