Cavernous, thousand-stall Paddy’s is a covered market of mostly low-quality mass-produced tat, including stall after stall flogging cheap souvenirs – great if you've got an extensive list of friends wanting clinging koalas or novelty T-shirts. There's also a mediocre fruit and vegetable section and a selection of outlet shops in the upstairs shopping centre, Market City.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby City Centre & Haymarket attractions

1. Golden Water Mouth

0.08 MILES

On Chinatown's Hay St, the surreal Golden Water Mouth sculpture drips with gilt and water. Formed from a eucalyptus trunk from Condobolin, the destination…

2. Chinatown

0.11 MILES

Dixon St is the heart of Chinatown: a narrow, shady pedestrian mall with a string of restaurants and insistent spruikers. The ornate dragon gates (paifang…

3. Dr Chau Chak Wing Building

0.14 MILES

Opened in 2015, this university business school was donated by the father of an alumnus and designed by Frank Gehry. It's a striking sight, all windows…

4. Christ Church St Laurence

0.15 MILES

Step off Sydney’s main drag into this calming 1845 sandstone church. The rather charming neo-Gothic interior is atmospheric, with dark wooden fittings and…

5. Chinese Garden of Friendship

0.24 MILES

Built according to Taoist principles, the Chinese Garden of Friendship is usually an oasis of tranquillity – although one increasingly dwarfed by…

6. Powerhouse Museum

0.24 MILES

A short walk from Darling Harbour, this cavernous science and design museum whirs away inside the former power station for Sydney’s defunct, original tram…

7. Central Station

0.25 MILES

Sydney’s main railway station was built in 1906 on top of an old convent and cemetery (watch out for ghosts). The 75m Gothic clock tower was added 15…

8. Tumbalong Park

0.31 MILES

Flanked by the modern Darling Walk development, this grassy circle on Darling Harbour’s southern rump is set up for family fun. Sunbakers and frisbee…