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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 09 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: Mark Chipperfield

It’s noisy, crowded and usually smelly, but the Fish Market is a much-loved part of the Sydney culinary scene. The site is home to a retail and wholesale fish market, plus a small working port and excellent seafood cooking school.

Drop in for a plate of sushi, some fresh oysters or piping hot fish n chips. It’s worth the trip just to wander around the kaleidoscopic displays of shellfish, giant tuna and lobsters. These are the dying days of the market – a brand spanking new facility is under construction across the water in Blackwattle Bay; due to open in 2023.

Price: Free
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

Pyrmont is about 15-minutes by cab from the city, but it’s easier to catch the Metro Light Rail from Central Station, Haymarket or Darling Harbour. The Fish Market stop is opposite the main entrance. Train services run every 15 minutes.

Do it alone, or better still book in advance online for a fascinating 1.5-hour behind-the-scenes tour, run Tuesday to Friday. It’s an early start (6.40am), but well worth it; an expert guide will take you around all facets of the market and its operations, including the auction floor, and crab and lobster pen. Book them directly on the official website.

When to do it

Retailers open all year round, seven days a week. Behind-the-scenes tours run 6.40am-8.30am.

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A glamorous boutique for the sexy and stylish crowd, conveniently located in the heart of the city, close to a lot of the major sights and attractions.

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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

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The Rocks – the birthplace of European settlement in Australia – is atmospheric, quaint, vibrant and packed with great things to taste, see, buy and explore.

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