You’ll simply never run out of incredible things to do in Australia. Whether you’re into gallery-hopping and museum-exploring, beach-lazing and bar-hopping, or hiking and even hurling yourself out of a plane, this country’s got it all. But picking the absolute best thing to do? That’s the hard part. Personally, I’d vote for cycling around Rottnest Island and swimming with whale sharks off the Ningaloo. Meanwhile, my mates reckon nothing beats ferrying from Sydney Harbour to Manly and hiking the Great Ocean Walk. However, if you’re looking for the most universally loved attractions, Tripadvisor’s annual Travellers’ Choice Awards are a great place to start.
Already this year, Tripadvisor has revealed the highly-anticipated winners for the world’s best beaches, hotels and destinations. And now, they’ve just unveiled the Top Attractions for 2025, which celebrate tourism operators that have achieved the highest volume of above-and-beyond reviews over the past 12 months. With more than 8 million listings across their site, landing a spot in the top ten is a pretty epic achievement.
In a twisted turn of events, the Hobart Penitentiary – one of Australia’s most significant convict-era sites – has been named as the best attraction in the country for 2025. Built in 1821 as a prison barracks, this heritage-listed complex processed more than 75,000 convicts before sending them off to toil across the island. Over the next century, it served as a chapel, execution site and even a Supreme Court – today standing as a chilling time capsule of Tasmania’s grim convict past.
The Hobart Penitentiary boasts an impressive 4.7-star rating from more than 1,650 reviews on Tripadvisor, with travellers raving about the immersive guided tours. Led by passionate volunteers, these spine-chilling tours take you inside the historic courtrooms, subterranean tunnels, solitary confinement cells and the original gallows, where echoes of the past still linger.
Last year’s winner, Kings Park and Botanic Garden in Perth, came second this time around, boasting a stellar 4.8-star rating from more than 12,500 Tripadvisor reviews. While that’s a touch higher than the Hobart Penitentiary, the convict site received more top-rated reviews over the past 12 months. It wasn’t the only nature reserve to make the cut too, with Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria taking out fourth place.
Iconic landmarks like the Sydney Opera House (third), Sydney Harbour Bridge (sixth), Uluru (eighth) and Sydney Harbour itself (ninth) also cracked the top ten. Meanwhile, other significant historic sites like Fremantle Prison (fifth), the Australian War Memorial (seventh) and the Qantas Founders Museum (tenth) rounded out the rankings.
These are the 10 best attractions in Australia
- Hobart Penitentiary, TAS
- Kings Park and Botanic Garden, WA
- Sydney Opera House, NSW
- Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, VIC
- Fremantle Prison, WA
- Sydney Harbour Bridge, NSW
- Australian War Memorial, ACT
- Uluru, NT
- Sydney Harbour, NSW
- Qantas Founders Museum, QLD