Sydney is a city of such vast and varied treasures that it's hard to choose what to see and do especially if you're on a whirlwind visit. Fortunately Sydney's a compact place and getting around is easy so you can pack a lot into a quick visit. Here's a look at how to get the most out of Sydney when you're short on time.

First, for orientation and delightful eye candy, is a harbour trip. Much of the city's magnificence derives from its harbour location and a boat over the deep blue waters studded with white sails is a treat for the senses.

Start at Circular Quay in the business district, Sydney's transport hub and a major city terminal for buses, trains and ferries. You can get to anywhere in Sydney from here. You have the option of a wide range of excellent organised tours or you can just take the regular ferry

Other than showing you Sydney's prime location as a harbour city, this trip will offer stunning view of the whole city.

Get off the ferry to gaze at the Opera House and then take a stroll through the nearby Royal Botanic Gardens. These expansive gardens are a favourite leisure and picnicking spot for Sydneysiders.

The gardens date back to the foundation of the city when the new colony's first vegetable patch was established here. Now the gardens house an abundance of flora from the South Pacific and glasshouses contain climbers and trailers from rainforests around the world. The Pyramid contains such Australian native plants as monsoonal and tropical rainforest plants. There's also a fernery, cactus plots and rose garden. Fauna includes flying foxes cockatoos and ducks quack in the ponds.

After lunch you can sample the sedate artistic ambiance of the Art Gallery of New South Wales then head off for some sun and sand on one of Sydney's many beaches. To get the pulse of Sydney's beach culture, you have to visit the daddy of them all, Bondi Beach. After sporting on the sands, savour a drink or meal at one of the beachfront cafes. Then head back into the city as dusk falls and transforms the harbour.

After the raw pleasures of the beach, you have a wide range of options for the evening. You can sample the sophistication of the Opera House, dine at the chic dining spots at Circular Quay, or if you still can't get enough of the harbour, you can take a sunset walk onto the Harbour Bridge and drink in the lights of the city over the water.
There's much more to Sydney than this but this quick introduction will set you up for further exploration when time permits. It's also a unique experience in itself and a great way to get to know this beguiling city on the bay. It might even make you extend your stay. If so, an abundance of Sydney City hotels are available to suit all tastes and pockets.

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Richard Greaves has over 20 years experience in the travel industry and writes for Cheaper than Hotels. Cheaper Than Hotels offers Sydney City hotels as Great Southern Hotel Sydney and Citigate Central Sydney.