Brash and beautiful, Sydney sits nestled in the sandstone cliffs overlooking Sydney Harbor, basking in its role as a gateway for travelers, a mecca of culture and a playground for tourists and its 5 million residents alike. Host to the 2000 Summer Olympic Games, the city is feverishly sprucing up, renovating its infrastructure and repairing its image as a rough-and-tumble town.

Sydney Opera House Bennelong Point, Circular Quay (02) 9250-7111 Australia's most instantly recognized and enduring symbol, the Sydney Opera House appears to sail the harbor on billowing white wings. A world-class cultural center, the Opera House also hosts the city's symphony orchestra, ballet, dance and drama, and offers free concerts most Sunday afternoons along the outer walk. Hour-long walking tours are available on the half-hour, starting at 9 a.m. and ending at 4 p.m.

Royal Botanical Gardens The Domain (02) 9231-8125 Cost: Free except for special exhibits Hours: Daily 7 a.m. to sunset Originally established as a farm by convicts transported to Australia by the First Fleet, the Royal Botanical Gardens is a lush grove of botanical wonders situated beside picturesque Sydney Harbor. A Tropical Center features the exploits of the Venus flytrap and other intriguing tropical plants that live in the glass-house environment (A$5 adults, A$2 children, A$12 family). Pungent plantings populate the Herb Garden.

Bondi Beach Campbell Parade, Bondi Cost: Free Pronounced bon-die, this magnificent stretch of sand is Sydney's most famous beach, the place to see and be seen either from the sand or from one of the many hip cafes across the street. Prepare for a carnival atmosphere as tourists and locals alike flock to Bondi for an anything-goes frolic in the sun.

Art Gallery of New South Wales Art Gallery Road, The Domain (02) 9225-1744 Cost: Free, except for special exhibits Hours: Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Featuring some of the finest Australian works, the museum is particularly proud of its display of Aboriginal art. The permanent collection also includes European, Asian and contemporary art and photography, as well as ever-changing special exhibits.

The Australian Museum 6 College Street (02) 9320-6000 Admission charged. Hours: Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This natural history museum traces Australia's rich culture over tens of thousands of years. Its Aboriginal section explores the impact of white society on the first Australians. Other exhibits feature the flora and fauna of Papua New Guinea, native insects and fossils.

The Australian National Maritime Museum Darling Harbor (west) (02) 9552-7777 Admission charged. Hours: Daily 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Australia's history is vitally linked to the sea, and the museum explores those connections with its exhibits of antique racing yachts, WWII destroyers and an America's Cup champion.

The Powerhouse Museum 500 Harris Street (02) 9217-0111 Admission charged. Hours: Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Housed in the shell of an enormous, abandoned power station, the museum presents more than two dozen exhibits themed around applied art, science and technology. Here, find a whole floor dedicated to steam engines, airplanes, computers and decorative arts. The museum also includes a NASA space station and a 1930s cinema exhibit.

Sydney Harbor Bridge (02) 9247-3408 Admission charged for Pylon Tower Hours: Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Completed in 1932, this bridge remains an engineering feat even today. At 1,650 feet, the bridge is the city's most-revered landmark after the Sydney Opera House. Affectionately called "The Coat Hanger," the bridge contains 8 vehicle lanes, 2 railroad tracks, a cycleway and a walkway. The southeast column of the bridge contains a museum that documents the bridge's construction; walk 200 steps up the Pylon Tower for a magnificent view of the harbor and cityscape beyond.

The Sydney Aquarium Darling Harbor Admission charged. Hours: Daily 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Home to the most extensive collection of Australian marine life, the Aquarium features crocodiles, seals, fairy penguins and platypuses, as well as an enormous collection of sharks that lurk in its Open Ocean exhibit.

Taronga Park Zoo Bradley's Head Road (02) 9969-2777 Hours: Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission charged. One of the world's great zoos, Taronga lets its guests visit nearly nose-to-nose with some of Australia's most spectacular and exotic creatures - native koalas, of course, but also kangaroos, dingoes, Tasmanian devils and wombats. Scary creatures crawl through their Reptile House habitat. A Zoo Pass includes unlimited passages on the scenic gondola that meanders the 75-acre compound.

Centennial Park Oxford Street, Paddington (02) 9331-5056 Cost: Free Hours: Daily, but hours change seasonally A prime spot for athletes and nature-lovers alike, Centennial Park's 550 acres boast a wealth of wildlife that coexists beside miles of walking, cycling and horse trails. Visitors can picnic while they watch classic films shown at the amphitheater during summer months.

Luna Park Milson's Point (02) 9922-6644 Hours: Rides open weekends and school holidays; call for seasonal hours Admission charged. Built in 1935, modeled after Coney Island's Luna Park and set against the backdrop of Sydney Harbour, this is a loud, brash, in-your-face amusement park that features a variety of classic rides. Visitors enter beneath the ghastly, grinning face of a painted clown, who has evolved alongside the park's collection of attractions.