The 9 best stargazing spots near Sydney

It may not be the darkest sky given you’re right in the city, but it's got powerful and historic equipment, including the oldest working telescope in Australia. Head up to the hill for a starry experience unlike any other in the centre of Sydney. 

Sydney Royal National Park is only a 54-minute drive south of Sydney CBD, and travel experts ranked it as the very best place for stargazing in all of Australia – partly due to its low levels of air and light pollution.

Drive for an hour and a half and you're well out of the concrete jungle. Because the Blue Mountains are just out of the way from the big city, there is barely any light pollution, providing for jaw-dropping night-sky vantage points. There are even tour operators that specialise in stargazing tours so you can revel, and learn at the same time. 

Airports tend to be isolated and have minimal lights on at night, so they're great places for checking out the stars. The best spots are the areas of the airport where golf courses come up to the boundary fence. 

Mangrove Mountain is a great spot to check out the stars if you aren't looking to travel too far out of the city itself. It’s an hour and a half from the CBD, inland from the Central Coast near Peats Ridge, with the viewing benefits of altitude.

Located 45 minutes north of the CBD, this is one of the closest stargazing spots to the city you’re going to find. The football oval on the edge of the national park is a great place to start. You’ll have no problem spotting Orion, which will help lead you to other constellations. 

Viewing nights take place here through the Northern Sydney Astronomical Society, usually on the Saturdays before and after the new moon. Visitors are invited to at least one viewing night every month. 

Set on the fringes of Wollemi National Park in the Blue Mountains, this dark sky sanctuary is the pride and joy of the Astronomical Society of NSW. They usually hold several stargazing sessions on suitable weekends throughout the year. If you're interested in joining their starry crew, you can learn more by clicking right here. 

Palm Beach Headland, where Barrenjoey Lighthouse lives, has been officially recognised as Australia’s – and the whole Southern Hemisphere’s – first “Urban Night Sky Place” (UNSP). The 62-hectare designated area is at the northern end of Palm Beach, incorporating Barrenjoey Headland, which is part of the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park – as well as Governor Phillip Park (which, hot tip, is probably a safer place to be after dark than the headland and its rocky walking tracks). Be careful where you step, or keep an eye out for guided tours with National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS).