Customs House
Customs House
4
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Central Business District
The Sydney Central Business District is abuzz with energy. Power brokers run to and from high rise buildings and after-work drink places, high-end shoppers tour venues like the QVB, and fine diners frequent the many celebrity chef restaurants. For a dose of culture, walk to the NSW Art Gallery, or visit the Sydney Museum. To escape the hustle and bustle, reconnect with nature at the Sydney Botanical Gardens or picnic lunch at High Park. No matter your interest, be sure to check the full calendar of events hosted by the city, from the Sydney Festival in January to October’s Good Food Month at Hyde Park.
How to get there
- Circular Quay • 1 min walk
- Wynyard • 9 min walk
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Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
5,361 within 5 kms
Attractions
1,060 within 10 kms
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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
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4.0
215 reviews
Excellent
66
Very good
104
Average
39
Poor
4
Terrible
2
mrdom
8,413 contributions
Jan 2024 • Solo
It's mostly a library and the cool diorama of Sydney but has some rolling exhibits. There's now some photos in the library section of lost buildings of Sydney, which is good but there aren't many of them and the library is so dang loud from the cafe pumping out music at a ridiculous volume. Absolutely useless as a library. Plus there are homeless living on the front porch.
Written 23 January 2024
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.
Mark A
Ottawa, Canada89 contributions
Sept 2022
I would say meals were uneven. First night we had some of the best roasted chicken I have ever had. My wife had schnitzel which she liked. Second night I had a pizza that was just plain horrible. So food was uneven. Service was like most pubs, you go to bar to order get your drinks and your food shows up. Service was good, people pleasant. Place seems to be very popular with drinking crowd as the place was always packed after offices closed.
Written 24 October 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.
RonWamberal
Sydney, Australia11,991 contributions
Jan 2020
A building of history, charm and integrity right at the entrance to Sydney, i.e Circular Quay. Dominates the landscape as you wander around the Quay, so much more interesting than the new buildings surrounding it. Lots to like inside including the newspapers, history murals, library etc. but best of all is the miniature Sydney under the glass - absolutely fascinating.
Written 20 March 2020
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.
AllanJGJ
Wellington, New Zealand4,209 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
A handsome Georgian building with a range of facilities inside including the Tourist Office but what particularly appealed to us was the vegetation in the forecourt which included wheat and vegetables & herbs as well as a range of flowers. Really innovative and very cheery.
Written 19 October 2023
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.
Sofi NS
Athens, Greece23,109 contributions
Dec 2019
You can enter the basement and see a model depiction of the Sydney city under a glass floor which really gives you a nice perspective of the scale of the buildings and harbors of the city. Free entrance.
Written 20 December 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.
jesperostergaard
Copenhagen Region, Denmark16 contributions
Nov 2019
We were a group (business) that went out for dinner. Staff very service minded and friendly all evening. Greats food and atmosphere, but the most impressive was the view - sitting in the top of the building - half outdoor with the most fantastic view of Sydney harbour - Sydney Harbour bridge just in front of us :-)
Written 10 November 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.
Orator11
Singapore, Singapore7,572 contributions
Aug 2012 • Couples
This is a great place to check on tourism matters, or just to rest for a while or to have a drink at the ground floor cafe. If you prefer to read newspapers, there are tons from the Pacific Rim, including from New Zealand and Tasmania. If you get a chance, you should also check out Cafe Sydney upstairs for a quick meal - try to get one of the outside tables so that you have a great harbor view. (Reservations are recommended, especially at the weekend) Do also check out the model of Sydney which can be viewed through the ground floor glass panels.
Written 22 August 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.
baileysteel
Sydney, Australia68 contributions
It was more interesting than expected, it was so inforative and well organised.
Written 31 January 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.
Newo
Sydney, Australia1,523 contributions
Dec 2011
This is a great historical building.
Fantastic 3D model of Sydney under the glass floor.
Very good selection of local and overseas newspapers.
Many magazines available. A number of seating areas for reading.
Fee & Free internet available.
Library reading and research room on the 2nd floor.
A number of restaurants and "cafes" in the building.
Photographic displays and different exhibitions held from time to time.
Well worth visiting on a regular basis.
http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/customshouse/
Fantastic 3D model of Sydney under the glass floor.
Very good selection of local and overseas newspapers.
Many magazines available. A number of seating areas for reading.
Fee & Free internet available.
Library reading and research room on the 2nd floor.
A number of restaurants and "cafes" in the building.
Photographic displays and different exhibitions held from time to time.
Well worth visiting on a regular basis.
http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/customshouse/
Written 29 December 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.
tammyBaltimore_Md
Baltimore, MD4,218 contributions
Apr 2024 • Solo
This old building with a beautiful depiction of Sydney under plexiglass once you walk in, tourist information counter & free wifi, mainly a library on the upper 2 floors, but nice to check out
Written 1 April 2024
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.
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*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.
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