A Summer Christmas in Sydney
Christmas trees in the summer heat, from Martin Place to St Mary's Cathedral.
Take the trip in PinPoint World
Find the trip under Plan in the app, and stamp each stop when you are there. Free, and you can start without an account.
In Sydney December is high summer, and Christmas comes with trees, choirs and lights in the heat. The big tree on Martin Place stands in front of the old General Post Office, with light shows in the evenings. In the Queen Victoria Building an indoor Christmas tree rises through several floors, and the facade of St Mary's Cathedral becomes a screen for light projections before Christmas. Many people spend Christmas Day on the beach, at Bondi for example. Walk in the afternoon and finish at the cathedral as darkness falls.
The stops
- 1
Martin Place
The city's big Christmas tree in front of the old General Post Office, with choirs and light shows in the evenings.
- 2
Pitt Street Mall
The pedestrian street in the heart of the shopping district, decorated for Christmas.
- 3
Queen Victoria Building
A Victorian shopping arcade from 1898 with a big Christmas tree beneath the dome.
- 4
Sydney Town Hall
The 19th-century town hall, decorated with a Christmas tree and lights.
- 5
St Mary's Cathedral
The Catholic cathedral, whose facade becomes a screen for light projections in the days before Christmas.
- Tip
The Domain
The park where Carols in the Domain, a big carol concert, is held on the Saturday before Christmas.
- Tip
Bondi Beach
The beach where many people spend Christmas Day. Take a bus from the centre.
About the trip
- Where
- Sydney
- Getting around
- On foot
- Time
- 2 h
- Distance
- 1.7 km
- Stops
- 5
- Season
- November–January
- Themes
- Family, Views
Practical
- Start
- Martin Place, by Martin Place station.
- Finish
- St Mary's Cathedral, by St James and Museum stations.
- Toilets
- In the Queen Victoria Building, at Town Hall station and in the shopping centres along Pitt Street.
- Accessibility
- A mostly flat route. Bring sunscreen and water.