Sydney Attractions Combo Pass for 2 3 or 4 Attractions

SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, Darling Harbour

Your combo pass starts at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium on Aquarium Pier, the long building on the eastern side of Darling Harbour. It is among the largest aquariums in Australia and is laid out as a walk through the country's water habitats, from rivers and mangroves to the Southern Ocean and the Great Barrier Reef. The most popular areas are the Penguin Expedition, a small boat ride past king and gentoo penguins, the underwater tunnels of the Shark Valley oceanarium, and the enormous reef tank with rays, turtles and reef fish.

Look out for the dugongs in the Dugong Island habitat, one of the few places in the world where this gentle sea cow can be seen, and for the Day and Night on the Reef display. Allow about 1 to 2 hours; weekday mornings are quietest. Because the pass must be activated here first, make the aquarium your opening stop and plan the other attractions around it, all of which are next door or a short walk away.

WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo

Right next to the aquarium on the same pier, WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo is a compact indoor zoo devoted entirely to Australian animals, which makes it the easiest place in the city to see the native species in one hour. The walk-through route moves from the Butterfly Tropics and the nocturnal house into open kangaroo and wallaby enclosures, a koala rooftop where the animals doze in the gum trees, and the habitat of a large saltwater crocodile that is one of the biggest on display in the country.

There is also a platypus, Tasmanian devils, wombats, cassowaries, echidnas and a reptile section with some of Australia's most notorious snakes and spiders, all explained with clear signs and regular keeper talks. For families searching for WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo tickets, the combo pass is the natural way to add it to the aquarium, since the two entrances are a few steps apart. Plan around 1 hour; the koala encounter photo sessions are a separate paid extra.

Sydney Tower Eye observation deck

The Sydney Tower Eye is the observation deck in the golden turret of Sydney Tower, the tallest structure in the city, reached by lift from level 5 of the shopping centre at 100 Market Street. The deck sits at about 250 metres, and on a clear day the view reaches from the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House to the Heads, Botany Bay and the Blue Mountains on the western horizon. Fixed binoculars, floor-to-ceiling windows and a short 4D cinema show explain what you are looking at.

The tower is about a 15-minute walk from Darling Harbour through the city centre, or two stops on the light rail from the Convention Centre to Town Hall, so it slots easily into the same day as the pier attractions or into a separate afternoon. Most visitors spend 45 minutes to an hour at the top. Late afternoon is a favourite time to visit the Sydney Tower Eye, when the city shifts from daylight to lights.

Madame Tussauds Sydney

Madame Tussauds Sydney shares Aquarium Pier with the aquarium and the zoo, so the third entrance on the pier completes the Darling Harbour trio. Inside, themed zones present life-size wax figures of international and Australian sports champions, musicians, screen stars, world leaders and historic figures, all arranged for photos rather than behind barriers. You can sit on a throne, stand on a stage, pose at a press conference or join a surf line-up, and the interactive sets change regularly.

The attraction is popular with teenagers and with anyone who enjoys a light-hearted hour between the more educational aquarium and zoo visits. Expect to spend 45 minutes to 1 hour, and bring a fully charged phone because the whole experience is built around pictures. Madame Tussauds Sydney tickets are included in the four-attraction pass and are one of the choices on the two- and three-attraction passes.

Darling Harbour: the hub that links it all

Darling Harbour is the waterfront leisure district on the western edge of the Sydney city centre, a ten-minute walk from Town Hall and connected to the central business district by the Pyrmont Bridge, a historic swing bridge that is now reserved for pedestrians. Besides the three attractions on Aquarium Pier, the precinct holds the Australian National Maritime Museum, the Chinese Garden of Friendship, a children's playground, restaurants along Cockle Bay and regular weekend fireworks.

Getting to Darling Harbour attractions is easy: the light rail stops at Convention and Pyrmont Bay, ferries call at Barangaroo nearby, and Town Hall and Wynyard train stations are both within a short walk. For a one-day plan, start at the aquarium at opening time, continue into the zoo and the wax museum, have lunch on the waterfront and then walk up to the Sydney Tower Eye for the late afternoon view.