Paddington Reservoir Gardens
Paddington Reservoir Gardens
4.5
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience Paddington Reservoir Gardens and nearby attractions
The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Inner East
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
5,664 within 5 kms
Attractions
1,025 within 10 kms
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
98 reviews
Excellent
50
Very good
32
Average
12
Poor
2
Terrible
2
solotraveller
Glasgow, UK228 contributions
Dec 2022 • Solo
A hidden gem, small, quiet and secluded. Will hardly take you 10 minutes to tour. Right next to Town Hall, Bondi. Not sure if it's worth travelling in from Sydney. But if you're in Bondi then it's worth it. I went around 9 and I didn't see a soul.
Written 28 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anthony S
Coombabah, Australia1,172 contributions
Apr 2021
What a great little hidden gem. So close to the city, but also a world away when you enter Free to enter. Great place to chill for minutes or longer. Bus stop outside
Written 12 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
blue_or
Ramat Gan, Israel549 contributions
July 2011 • Friends
Being in Sydney for quite some time I have come to realize that here in Sydney History is well respected and people are doing as much as they can to preserve it for future generation to come
One such place is the Paddington Reservoir Gardens
You don’t see it from the bus crossing by and if you really want to enjoy this small wonder you have to look for it for the Gardens are below ground level so take your take the time, climb down the stairs and get closer . you can bring your family or a nice book ou can enjoy the small fishing pool or just meditate for a while. It's quite and sunny
For the history lovers
The Paddington Reservoir used to provide water to the city of Sydney between 1866 and 1899 In 2006 it was converted to a sunken garden and a park.
One such place is the Paddington Reservoir Gardens
You don’t see it from the bus crossing by and if you really want to enjoy this small wonder you have to look for it for the Gardens are below ground level so take your take the time, climb down the stairs and get closer . you can bring your family or a nice book ou can enjoy the small fishing pool or just meditate for a while. It's quite and sunny
For the history lovers
The Paddington Reservoir used to provide water to the city of Sydney between 1866 and 1899 In 2006 it was converted to a sunken garden and a park.
Written 5 August 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
img712@yahoo.com
Ocean Grove, NJ216 contributions
Dec 2013 • Couples
After reading the reviews on the Paddington reserve gardens I expected a lot more. It is surely a very quiet place in the city. I do like that they have chairs that you can borrow and sit anywhere you'd like. This is a great place for quiet contemplation in a very noisy busy city. I am not sure that I would make a special trip here unless I was in the area
Written 18 January 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nasonh
Sydney, Australia42 contributions
Aug 2013 • Family
The old drinking water reservoir has been emptied and turned into a sunken garden and art space. Wheelchair / pram access to the lower level is good, via a lift. Plenty of seating that you can move around, and some deck chairs as well.
Lovely lawn above and below is great for a picnic, and kids love the 3D space with walkways, ramps and stairs - great for some hide and seek.
Not quite as lush as I was expecting, as I had heard descriptions of 'Hanging Gardens'. Not quite, but still very pleasant. Also quite busy on weekends.
Note that one chamber is not always open and is used for specific purposes like art installations. You can peek in though.
Great place for photographers as there many old architectural features, modern touches, and great light and shadows.
NOTE! There are no public toilets nearby (that I could find) so if you have the need, you might need to go to the pub across the road.
Definitely worth a visit with a picnic or some takeaway from Oxford St.
Lovely lawn above and below is great for a picnic, and kids love the 3D space with walkways, ramps and stairs - great for some hide and seek.
Not quite as lush as I was expecting, as I had heard descriptions of 'Hanging Gardens'. Not quite, but still very pleasant. Also quite busy on weekends.
Note that one chamber is not always open and is used for specific purposes like art installations. You can peek in though.
Great place for photographers as there many old architectural features, modern touches, and great light and shadows.
NOTE! There are no public toilets nearby (that I could find) so if you have the need, you might need to go to the pub across the road.
Definitely worth a visit with a picnic or some takeaway from Oxford St.
Written 4 September 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fiver75
Melbourne, Australia12,060 contributions
June 2012 • Solo
The unusual gardens located on the corner of Oxford and Oatley Streets are a great little oasis. Sunken on a level below the road, steps lead down to a funky garden created from the remnants of old buildings. The place is very unique and worth a look just for that, but it is also a nice place to relax. Recommended.
Written 5 July 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
yowimp
Carleton Place, Canada923 contributions
Jan 2014 • Couples
We had been walking for a few hours and chanced on these gardens. They have canvas lounge chairs that you can rest on. What a relief. And far enough from busy Oxford St to eliminate some of the street noise. I almost had a nap. Great spot.
Written 10 January 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RonWamberal
Sydney, Australia11,990 contributions
Dec 2012 • Friends
Had been past here hundreds, perhaps thousands of times, without even thinking of what was here.
There is something special about Paddington whether it be the old style terraces and cottages, narrow streets and laneways, myriad of shops, hotels but this is a little treasure. Not a huge garden but a change from the bustle of the city and a lovely place to relax with a contrast to the lifestyle of Paddington. I love Paddington from an architectural and historlcal perspective - this gives another perspective of that history.
There is something special about Paddington whether it be the old style terraces and cottages, narrow streets and laneways, myriad of shops, hotels but this is a little treasure. Not a huge garden but a change from the bustle of the city and a lovely place to relax with a contrast to the lifestyle of Paddington. I love Paddington from an architectural and historlcal perspective - this gives another perspective of that history.
Written 10 February 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
culturaltransit
Sydney, Australia1 contribution
Oct 2012 • Couples
What a joy to discover this unique part of Sydney's history transformed into a delightful sunken garden! Impressive 19th century brick archways, once standing hidden in the first water reservoir in Sydney, has been lovingly restored and revealed in the creation of this boutique park. A world away from the Paddington shops and busy Oxford St above, you descend into the gardens, with its exotic ferns and water features, to find a tranquil, idyllic and surprisingly restful retreat. Perfect for lazy in the afternoon sun, reading or enjoying a coffee from a nearby cafe.
Written 13 October 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jlsdrbaks
Auckland Central, New Zealand80 contributions
Sept 2019
Went here with my son (who studies landscape architecture) on a weekend in Sydney. The gardens are small but really beautiful and a very clever use of the former reservoir buildings. Really tranquil on a sunny Sunday morning.
Written 6 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Can you advise how difficult access is to the two levels of the gardens. Is there a ramp or elevator so that someone who has difficulty with stairs can access it.reasonnably easily.
Written 2 May 2022
There is really only one level of garden - a sunken landscaped area, well below street level. It can be easily accessed via a lift which is at the back of the Gardens. If you are at street level looking down over the garden where the front gates and information boards are, then the lift will be to your right, around the corner and towards the back. I hope this helps.
Written 2 May 2022
Hi Ali,
No it's free entry into the reservoir
Written 8 July 2017
are u open all day tomorrow - Friday?
Written 4 January 2017
Showing results 1-6 of 6
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing