Sydney Opera House: history, tickets and best photo spot

The Sydney Opera House is Australia's most photographed building, but a good part of visitors don't know the history behind the white sails — or that you can visit the inside, not just look from outside. This guide covers both: the background and how to actually plan the visit.

It's part of the Sydney itinerary — if you haven't planned the rest of your trip yet, start there.

The history behind the white sails

The design won an international competition in 1957, submitted by Danish architect Jørn Utzon. Construction began in 1959 and was supposed to take a few years — it ended up taking until 1973, complete with a budget blowout (from an estimated AU$7 million to more than AU$100 million) and a controversy that led Utzon to resign from the project in 1966, never seeing the finished building.

In 2007, the Opera House was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site — Utzon became one of the few people in history to see their work receive that title while still alive.

Inside the sails: what holds up the design

The roof is covered by more than 1 million Swedish ceramic tiles, in two subtly different shades (glossy white and matte cream) — the chevron pattern that shows up in close-up photos is exactly that contrast between the two, designed to catch the light differently as the day changes. The tiles are self-cleaning, which helps keep the white after decades exposed to the harbour's weather.

Inside, the Concert Hall is the largest space in the complex, seating 2,679, and houses the world's largest mechanical organ — more than 10,000 pipes. In total, the building hosts more than 1,500 performances a year across its various theatres, and more than 10 million visitors pass through the harbourside complex annually (most just to see it from outside and take a photo, not necessarily to attend a show).

How to visit

You can see the building from outside for free, walking around Circular Quay — that's what most people do. But there are two ways to go in:

• Standard guided tour — about 1h, shows the theatres inside and tells the story of the construction. Tickets run around AU$50 pre-booked (AU$55 on the day, adult).
• Backstage Tour with breakfast — a fuller experience, behind-the-scenes access the regular tour doesn't show. Costs around AU$199 — worth it more for those who've already visited Sydney before or have a genuine interest in theatre/architecture, not the standard first-timer visit.

If you want to see a show (opera, concert, theatre), tickets sell fast — worth booking ahead through the official website. Pickup is at the Box Office, generally up to 20 minutes before the show time.

Where to get the best photo

The most classic angle — Opera House and Harbour Bridge in the same shot — isn't from inside the complex, it's from Mrs Macquarie's Chair, a lookout inside the Royal Botanic Garden about a 20-minute walk from the Opera House. It's especially popular at sunset, when the sun sets almost directly behind the building.

How much it costs and how to get there

It's located at Circular Quay, the same point where the ferries and trains leave from — details on how to get there and get around Sydney are in the city guide.