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Sydney Tower Skywalk Review: 268m Above the City

Now that Australians aren’t allowed to leave the country and international visitors aren’t allowed in, it’s the perfect time to play tourist in our own backyard.

Apart from not having the option to go anywhere else, our most popular tourist attractions have a whole lot more availability and some are offering discounts too, including the one I’m going to share with you right now.

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The Sydney Tower Skywalk opened in 2005 but for some reason I can’t quite explain it’s taken me 15 years to step out onto that platform and experience it for myself. I’ve been up the tower plenty of times over the years but have always stayed behind the glass so when I was invited to give the Skywalk a try I said a big yes.

Sydney Tower from below

When I asked my friend Sep if she’d like to join me I slipped back into the (very) old habit of calling it Centrepoint. Fun fact, the tower was never officially called Centrepoint at all. But that was the name of the shopping centre below so most of us got a little confused and thought it was the tower’s name too.

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The Sydney Tower Skywalk took four years to design and two months to build and cost $3.75 million to get it all ready for guests to walk around with the city below their feet.

Walking around Sydney Tower Eye Skywalk
Glass viewing platform Sydney Tower Eye Skywalk

In the past guides have taken groups of up to 15 people at a time around the Skywalk, but in these Covid safety times they only take a maximum of four people, so you feel like you’re getting the VIP experience. And it’s cheaper too. At the time of writing it’s $59.90 down from $82 per person at the start of the year, and if you’re a Merlin annual pass holder you can go Skywalking for just $25.

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The experience starts with the long elevator ride up to the Observation Deck where you can spend time before and after your walk taking in the view. Then it’s time to get kitted out with your jumpsuit and safety harness and head on out.

There are only two of us on our Skywalk and as we’re getting ready our guide, Danny, asks if we’re scared of heights and we both say no. As we first step out onto the platform I’m not scared at all, and am far too busy being excited about that view with the fresh air on my face.

But then we come to the first of two glass platforms and it turns out I’m not all that brave at 268m (879ft) in the air after all.

I know that it’s safe but I still hold onto that guardrail pretty tightly and don’t look down as I move my way across and back to the steel platform. The whole standing right out on the edge and looking down through the glass at my feet is definitely not on my To Do Today list, which is why we now have a photo of Danny’s shoes rather than my own…

But while the glass bottom bit may have got the pulse racing, I wasn’t scared at all as we walked around the main platform. It felt really beautiful and peaceful, and as it was a nice clear day we could see right out to the Blue Mountains 80km away.

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As the tallest building in Sydney, the top of Sydney Tower is the first place to see the sunrise and sunset, and by the end of our Skywalk the light was changing as the sun was starting to go down and I could see why the sunset walks are such a special one to do.

Sunset at Sydney Tower Eye Skywalk, image Sydney Tower Eye

Before I did a lap of the top of the tower, I must admit I didn’t really know where the Skywalk was, beyond ‘up there somewhere’.

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Now whenever I look at the Westfield sign I’ll know exactly where people are standing after I reached up to touch the huge letters that are such a familiar part of our city skyline.

The Skywalk experience takes 60 minutes, including 45 minutes out there in the fresh air, and while I’m still not ready to be one of those people who jump up and down on the glass for a photo (are you people crazy?!) by the time we reach the photo spot on the second glass platform I’m not as big a scaredy cat as I was before.

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Sure, Sep and I aren’t casually hanging out on the very edge looking at the view like the people in the photo below, but when we get into position for our souvenir snap on the glass I’m not gripping tightly with both hands anymore. Look, one hand!

Sydney Tower Eye Skywalk glass platform from above, image Sydney Tower Eye
Photo time at Sydney Tower Eye Skywalk

If you’re tempted to get up there for the first time, or if you’ve already been up there but love the idea of doing it in a smaller group next time around, you can buy your Sydney Tower Skywalk tickets here.

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And if you’re scared of heights, think about some of the other things you’d like to do in your own city that would usually be full of international tourists, and make the most of this strange rare time.

Amanda Woods walked high above the city as a guest of Sydney Tower Eye but as always all opinions remain her own.

Eye Love Sydney sign at Sydney Tower Eye

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