Why You Should Do a Tour of the Sydney Opera House

Your first stop when visiting Sydney, Australia is without a doubt the iconic Sydney Opera House. And why wouldn’t it be? It’s a stellar photo op, whether you’re posing outside the front of it, witnessing it in the background as you sip on a cold beverage, or cruising beside it via the ferry to Manly (or if you’re a baller, a private yacht).

Almost everyone snaps an Instagram photo of the outside of the structure, but does anyone ever explore the inside of the building? The truth is, a lot of people don’t bother. They probably have a million and one photos with it at every angle, but if someone were to ask them what the actual use of it is, what the inside looks like, etc., they’d probably have zero clue.

Which, in my opinion, is a mistake. One of the absolutely must-do activities during your time in this city should be to take the one-hour walking tour of this World Heritage-listed site. I mean, you may well be flying a few thousand miles to reach this epic city, so really it would be rude not to. The tour is only AU$30 and there’s an option to add on a delicious meal at the infamous Opera Bar afterwards.

A guide will take you through the spaces where thousands of performances have taken place since the opening in 1973 (they hold 1,500 a year!), with about a million and one photo ops from vantage points that are normally off-limits to the general public. Think about those selfie angles you could get.

Your guide will also entertain you with insider stories, including the opera house’s controversial construction, performance history, and architecture design. Did you know the outside of the building is made up of ‘shell’ tiles? How Australian of them.

Point blank, you should make this excursion your top priority whilst visiting Sydney’s most iconic monument. It’s truly a once and a lifetime opportunity to experience the opera house in all its glory.

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