Designed by one of Sydney’s best-known architects, Richard Johnson of Denton Corker Marshall, this modern museum sits on one of Australia's most important sites. Here Australia’s first Government House was built in 1788 as a home and office for the colony’s Governor, Arthur Phillip. The museum forecourt, known as First Government House Place, preserves the remaining foundations of the house below, while aboveground the extraordinary art installation Edge of the Trees marks the site of first contact between the British colonisers and the Gadigal people. The site of First Government House is on the National Heritage List.At the Museum of Sydney you will meet our city’s first people, inspect models of the First Fleet ships and peer at the archaeological remains of first Government House and the intriguing objects uncovered by a number of digs on the site. Fast forward through 200 years and you will learn about the distinctiveness of this great city, its harbour, transport, people and particular personality via a changing exhibitions program.

Circular Quay is the hub of Sydney Harbour, situated at a small inlet called Sydney Cove, the founding site for Sydney and Australia. It is a stepping-off point for most attractions based around the harbour and an exciting place to be on a warm summer's day. The quay is a vibrant, bustling place with ferries leaving every few minutes to different parts of the harbour, including Manly, Watsons Bay, Mosman and Taronga Park Zoo. Within 5 minutes walking distance from the hotel it is home to some of Sydney's most iconic attractions, including the Opera house. The Rocks Market – a lively weekend market in the heart of Sydney’s most historic suburb. Royal Botanic Gardens – A beautiful, historic garden curled around the foreshore of Sydney Harbour. View from the top of the AMP Centrepoint Tower a stunning panoramic view of this extraordinary scenic city.

The Art Gallery of NSW is one of Australia’s leading art museums. Over one million visitors a year enjoy the Gallery’s collection of Australian, Aboriginal, European, Asian and contemporary art. It is located within beautiful parklands overlooking Sydney Harbour and only 15 minutes walk from the city centre. One of the most popular art museums in Australia, visited by over 1.3 million people annually, the Gallery is far more than just a destination for looking at pictures. It’s also a place to enjoy lectures and symposia, films, music and performances, meet friends for a meal or coffee in the cafe or restaurant, or browse in the Gallery Shop. Our range of access programs is aimed at engaging diverse audiences with different needs. And more than 100 000 students visit each year to take part in our engaging and stimulating education programs. Modern and contemporary works are displayed in expansive, light-filled spaces, offering stunning views of Sydney and the harbour, while our splendid Grand Courts are home to a distinguished collection of colonial and 19th-century Australian works and European old masters. There are also dedicated galleries celebrating the arts of Asia and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art.

The Queen Victoria Building, or QVB, is a late nineteenth century building by the architect George McRae in the central business district of Sydney. The Romanesque Revival building is 30 metres wide by 190 metres long, and fills a city block, bounded by George, Market, York and Druitt Streets. Designed as a shopping centre, it was later used for a variety of other purposes until its restoration and return to its original use in the late twentieth century.

The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. The Sydney Opera House was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 28 June 2007. It is one of the 20th century's most distinctive buildings and one of the most famous performing arts centres in the world. The Sydney Opera House is situated on Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour, close to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It sits at the northeastern tip of the Sydney central business district (the CBD), surrounded on three sides by the harbour (Sydney Cove and Farm Cove) and neighboured by the Royal Botanic Gardens. Contrary to its name, the building houses multiple performance venues. As one of the busiest performing arts centres in the world, hosting over 1,500 performances each year attended by some 1.2 million people, the Sydney Opera House provides a venue for many performing arts companies including the four key resident companies Opera Australia, The Australian Ballet, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and presents a wide range of productions on its own account. It is also one of the most popular visitor attractions in Australia, with more than seven million people visiting the site each year, 300,000 of whom take a guided tour.

Darling Harbour is a large recreational and pedestrian precinct that is situated on western outskirts of the Sydney central business district. The locality extends northwards from Chinatown, along both sides of Cockle Bay to King Street Wharf on the east, and to the suburb of Pyrmont on the west. Darling Harbour is one of the world's great waterfront destinations. Encompassing many of Australia's key tourist attractions, all travellers should visit: Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre – Australia’s premier venue for major events and conferences. Sydney Aquarium - one of the largest in the world with over 11,500 all Australian aquatic animals. Australian National Maritime Museum – free entry to Australia’s most-visited maritime museum. Chinese Garden of Friendship – a cultural oasis in the heart of Sydney. IMAX Theatre – catch a movie on this giant screen, more than eight storeys high. Powerhouse Museum – home to Australian culture and history. Cockle Bay Wharf and King Street Wharf – two of Sydney's favourite dining and entertainment destinations. Harbourside Shopping Centre – offers a unique shopping, dining and leisure experience.

The Royal Botanic Gardens are the most central of the three major botanical gardens open to the public in Sydney. (the others are the Mount Annan Botanic Garden and the Mount Tomah Botanic Garden). See flora from around the world and the most unique Australian tree, the Wollemi Pine, which was only recently discovered. The Wollemi Pine is one of world's oldest and rarest plants dating back to the time of the dinosaurs and there are less than 100 adult trees known to exist in the wild. The setting for the Royal Botanic Gardens is exquisite, nestled between Macquarie Point and the Opera House. Beware gates are locked at sunset ! Sofitel is a sponsor of The Friends of the Gardens which supports our love of the Botanicals.

Hyde Park is the site of Sydney’s first horse racing track and is now given over to leafy parkland, cultural activities, gardens, water features, chess players, book readers and city sun bakers. The ANZAC War Memorial in Hyde Park is also a place of remembrance and reflection. There are often special events and markets in Hyde Park.