Sydney Tower Eye – A view of sydney from Above
After spending a wonderful 36 or so hours in Cairns, we took an early morning flight back to Sydney. Not wanting to waste any time, we checked into our hotel and headed straight for the highest point in the city, the Sydney Tower Eye.
But first, did you know that the Australian version of Burger King is called Hungry Jacks? AND they have grilled cheese? We had an early flight out of Cairns and were hungry. I could have gone with the typical breakfast sandwich, but I couldn’t resist.
Anyway, some sights from the plane. As I mentioned it was the early hours of the morning when we took off. As we wanted to make the most of the day ahead of us, we slept the rest of the way. Super excited to be in Sydney, we took the train from the airport to downtown. Thankfully our stop was only about two blocks from our hotel. I’m super excited to be in Sydney, Matt is already getting sick of my picture taking.
The Sydney Tower Eye
The Sydney Tower is located in the Westfield Shopping Center in the heart of the Sydney Central Business District. The exact address is 108 Market Street, Sydney, NSW 2000. It is easily accessible by car, bus, rail, or on foot. If traveling by the convenient rail system in Sydney, the closest stops to the tower are St. James Station and QVB. For all travel options like parking lots or bus lines this page will help you.
Construction on the Sydney Tower Eye started in the 1970s, with the tower opening to the public in 1981. It is ranked as one of the safest buildings in the world. From the bottom of the tower to the tip of the spire measures 309 meters or 1,013 feet. The design of the tower makes it capable of withstanding extreme wind conditions and earthquakes. It has an automated window cleaning system that start to finish takes 2 days to clean all of the windows.
Entry
The best way to guarantee entry to the Sydney Tower Eye is to reserve tickets online prior to your visit. There are a variety of tickets and experiences available with the most basic, general admission, starting at $24.50*, up to the VIP experience at $150* per adult.
Other experiences include the Lego Exhibition plus General Admission at $49.50* per person. The Ultimate Sydney pass, normally priced at $214* per adult is now just $99* when booked online. This pass gives you admission to Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, Wild Life Sydney Zoo, Madame Tussauds Sydney, Sydney Tower Eye Observation Deck & SKYWALK 60 minute experience.
*Prices are as of post update of January 2022.
Traveling with kids? They must be at least 8 years old to experience the SKYWALK. Just a note.
Up to the Observation Deck
Since capacity is limited and lines are boring, the access to one of the elevators to the observation deck winds through a plethora of information. We happened to arrive on a less busy day, and so as to not hold up those behind us, we skimmed through the information, and in that, I forgot to take any photos. Matt took one. He was excited that the Tower is as old as he is.
But of course, we purchased the touristy keepsake photos.
Three double deck elevators (or lifts) take you up to the observation deck through the center of the tower. We were let off in a gift shop/bar area with others waiting in line to head back down. We weren’t there on the brightest/sunniest day, but keep in mind we were there in April, as Australia was heading into Winter.
In addition to the large windows are binoculars, for lack of a better term, facing towards different parts of the city to see up close. Some windows also had areas circled to note famous landmarks and locations.
The views from the Sydney Tower Eye Observation Deck were extraordinary. I’ve labeled them in the estimated direction of where we were looking.
Northern View
Looking north from the Observation Deck you can see Circular Quay (pronounced in American English as Key). Looking past the MLC Building, you can see the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the World Famous Sydney Opera House.
Eastern View
East of the Sydney Tower Eye are Hyde Park, the Hyde Park Barracks, Saint Mary’s Cathedral and Saint James Church. Just a tip East of these are the small amazingly named city of Wooloomooloo. Say it, out loud. It’s fun.
Southern View
Southeast of the Observation deck you’ll see the Sydney Cricket Ground, Football Stadium, and Fox Studios. Fox is the largest film and television studio in Australia. Moulin Rouge, Mission Impossible 2, The Matrix Trilogy, Star Wars, Superman Returns, Australia, Farscape, and Wolverine were all filmed there. Animal Logic, creator of Happy Feet, is an animation company which calls Fox Studios home.
South of the Sydney Tower Eye you’ll find the Sydney Town Hall, the Sydney Airport, and Saint Andrew’s Cathedral.
Western View
Lastly, to the West you’ll see Darling Harbour, home of the Australian National Maritime Museum, Wild Life Sydney Zoo, Aquarium Darling Harbour, and Madame Tussauds.
After the Tower, we went back to our room to unpack and relax. Later that evening we stopped by the Lord Nelson Brewery (Sydney’s oldest hotel), walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and ended with dinner at Vapiano.
Sydney tower Eye – final thoughts & review
We went with the General Admission ticket, mostly due to time constraints. Knowing that we only had so many days in Sydney and wanted to see so much, this seemed like the best option.
WHEN we return to Australia (not if), I definitely think the VIP experience would be best suited to us. In saying that, if you have more than 4 days in the city, go for the VIP experience, OR one of the multi attraction tickets like the Ultimate Sydney Pass.
What do you think of these above the city Observation Towers? A perfect way to see the city or tourist trap? Let us know what you think in the comments.
