A Design Lovers Travel Guide To Sydney In A Day

Sydney is without a doubt one of the most naturally beautiful cities in the world. It’s also a great place to visit if you’re a design lover, thanks to its creative community, stunning architecture and beautiful art.

Sydney Opera House

Start your day by marvelling at the most well known design in Australia, the Sydney Opera House. Walk around the outside, up the stairs and inside its stunning theatre spaces to really appreciate the genius that is architect Jorn Utzon. This stunning piece of architecture has become the pinnacle of the country’s design culture.

Harbour walk

From the Opera House, walk to the water’s edge, head towards the Harbour Bridge and wrap around the footpath towards Millers Point where the old industrial wharves have been transformed into restaurants and funky offices. Drop by Pier 8 for a coffee and admire the incredible transformation of the lobby, which pays homage to the history of the building with a modern twist. From there continue towards Barangaroo where you will find the stunning office buildings, the three International Towers, in Sydney’s new financial district.

Central Park, Sydney

Make sure you’re wearing your walking shoes so that you can walk past the amazing engineering feat that is Central Park tower in Sydney’s inner city neighbourhood, Chippendale. Here you will see the impressive award-winning glass building, with a huge cantilevered balcony jutting into the sky, and greenery hanging from the façade.

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Australian Design Centre

Continue your walk to the uber-trendy suburb of Darlinghurst and make your way to the Australian Design Centre. Here you will find many designs, products and exhibitions from some of the country’s best makers, thinkers and innovators.

Koskela

This huge warehouse has been converted into a design lover’s dream. Designers Russell Koskela and Sasha Titchkosky display their large range of furniture but also stock plenty of homewares too. Koskela has everything from bespoke bed linen, kitchen utensils, vintage rugs, colourful pillows and popping prints. You can happily spend an hour or two here wandering around the different areas, taking notes for your dream home.

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Koskela Kitchen

Stop by next door to refuel for your design-filled day. Part of Koskela’s warehouse has been reserved for the bustling café slash open eatery, Koskela Kitchen. It will come as no surprise that the place is decked out with décor from its neighbour.

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Commune

End your day with a visit to Commune. The store is located in Bondi Beach, which is fitting because it looks like your dream beach house would, with whitewashed walls, plenty of plants and rustic homewares. The store is full of Australian design brands which are all ethically sourced and handmade. Products include items from the local neighbourhood and artist hubs like Byron Bay. You will find everything from wicker day beds to handwoven rugs to hanging baskets here.

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Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.