Sydney Tower

Sydney Tower visits are hard to pass up, especially if you are interested in enjoying stunning views of the city. This second tallest tower in the Southern Hemisphere stands more than 900 feet tall, and should you ascend to the top, you can enjoy scintillating city views. The Sydney Tower view also allows glimpses of the suburbs in the near distance, not to mention the Blue Mountains, which rise up to the west. The views atop the Sydney Tower are definitely rewarding, and if you want to get the full experience, stepping out onto the open-air Sydney Tower Skywalk is the way to go.

A visit to Sydney Australia would arguably be incomplete without a trip to the top of its tallest tower. The Sydney Tower view includes the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House, and a host of otherattractions, and special binoculars are in place at the 820-foot high Observation Deck if you want to get a closer look at what lies below. For visitors who want to take the view at the Sydney Tower to the next level, the outdoor Skywalk tops out at 880 feet and offers a more thrilling viewing experience. The Skywalk tours last about an hour, and should you be afraid of heights, the fact that you are strapped to a safety rail should prove to be reassuring. On a Skywalk tour, visitors who find themselves especially nervous can get some extra help making it around from one of the friendly and funny guides. Nobody younger than ten years old is permitted on the Skywalk.

Taking in the awesome views isn't the only option for things to do at the Sydney Tower. If you're up for some entertainment on the side, there's the OzTrek theater. This interactive theater features moving chairs, and during the fifteen-minute show, audience members take a simulated trip through the city before they venture on a more wide-scale Australian journey. The simulated ascent to the top of Ayers Rock is among the OzTrek highlights. You can find the OzTrek theater on the Sydney Tower's Podium Level, and you'll be happy to know that admission to this side attraction is included in the general ticket price. The Oztrek theater shows are for visitors ages three and up.

After taking in the stunning views and watching a thrilling show at the OzTrek theater, Sydney Tower visitors can do some dining at one of the restaurants or enjoy a little shopping. The main Sydney Tower restaurant offers an enticing a la carte menu, as well as a bar. Complementing this restaurant is a buffet restaurant, and visitors can also consider dining at one of the other eateries that are found at the attached Centrepoint shopping center. When you're not shopping and dining at the Sydney Tower and the attached Centrepoint shopping center, you might venture over to the Pitt Street Mall. Also found in the CBD (Central Business District), this pedestrian mall offers access to the Sydney Tower and boasts more than 600 specialty shops to go with its flagship chain stores.

The Sydney Tower, or the Centrepoint Tower, as it is also known, is located at 100 Market Street. This puts it between Castlereagh Street and Pitt Street. Not far to the east unfolds Hyde Park, so you might include both attractions on the itinerary when in the area. The visiting hours for the tower are 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sunday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Saturdays.

Sydney Tower tickets aren't exactly cheap, though they are reasonably priced when you consider the remarkable views and the OzTrek shows. For those who are interested, special ticket packages that include admission to some of the other top area attractions are available. The other area attractions that are included on the Explore 4 Pass are theSydney Aquarium, Sydney Wildlife World, and Oceanworld in Manly.