The Best Plane Spotting Places Near Sydney Airport

Sydney Airport, nestled against the picturesque backdrop of Australia’s most vibrant city, offers an unparalleled playground for aviation enthusiasts and casual observers alike. From the roar of engines to the graceful dance of aircraft against the azure sky, plane spotting at Sydney Airport is an experience that ignites passion and curiosity in equal measure. Sydney Airport is the only International Airport in Sydney that welcomes many international and domestic flights daily. Over the past couple of years, Sydney Airport has seen a rapid change in infrastructure from growing passenger traffic in and around the Airport. With this comes new and classic plane spotting areas around Sydney Airport.  

1. Shep’s Mound 

Shep’s Mound has been newly renovated and is a plane spotters dream with two elevated areas for the ultimate plane spotting. Free 3-hour parking is available and is open 24/7, however, Sydney Airport does have a curfew before 6am and after 11pm. Apart from the two elevated areas, the lookout also has grass areas for people to sit and a walkway (or a bike/scooter track for kids wink!). If you are looking to get up close, there is a small grass area that puts you meters away from the runway. My honest opinion about this lookout is that it is amazing in the daytime, however, it has limited light fixtures at night. 

How To Get Here

Shep’s Mound is located on Ross Smith Avenue, Mascot – take the first left when you see BP/ McDonalds from General Holmes Drive if driving from Southern Suburbs. If you are coming from the North of the Airport, turn right onto Ross Smith Avenue from Joyce Drive, then take the first left and keep heading straight.

2. Nigel Love Bridge – Runway 16R Lookout

A newly opened walking track in Tempe has granted plane spotters to set their sites on the skies whilst enjoying a relaxing walk on Alexandra Canal. If you want to get majorly up close to international planes then the Runway 16R Lookout is the place for you. The newly renovated walking track connects Tempe to Alexandria, with a new addition which connects the track to the Domestic Airport, which is set to open at the end of 2024/early 2025. The track also has designated viewing spots and two seating areas to comfortably watch planes arrive and depart Sydney. The newly designed bridge also gives plane spotters an elevated viewing platform to capture planes in their element. The best time to visit is 6am – 11am for International planes departing or leaving the city. However, there is always plane traffic during hours of operation from this lookout spot as it looks upon Qantas maintenance. I personally would not visit after sunset as there are barely any lights on the walking track and it can get pretty dark depending on which way you are walking from.  

How To Get Here

There are two options to get here. Head Towards Tempe Recreation Reserve to park your car and enter the walking track from there. The walking track is to left of the Billy’s Bridge – the walking track that takes you to Airport Drive. The other option would be to enter the walking path through Coward Street Mascot.

3. New Link Road

New Link Road has also been newly renovated and opened as a part of the transformation on Airport Drive. Although it isn’t a designated lookout or plane spotting area, parking your car on New Link Road (just after the roundabout) and viewing planes on the footpath gets you really close to runway 16R and gives viewers an elevated platform to snap amazing pictures or enjoy watching different aircraft from this runway. It’s also a bonus that this road is directly on top of the Tempe walking track listed above. However, there is no available path or stairs that can take you below to the walking track as of yet.

How To Get Here

To get to New Link Road, turn left or right from Airport Drive (depending on coming from North/South of Sydney) at the traffic lights. Continue straight on the Roundabout and park on the opposite side of the street. You may have to drive down towards Dnata/Qantas Freight and complete a U-turn to come back around to the other side.

4. “The Beach” Plane Spotting

Now this is probably the most convenient place to spot planes, especially in the summer if you want to enjoy a swim or chill on the beach. Even though most of Kyeemagh, NSW is technically a place where you can plane spot, the closest beach to the runway makes the best plane spotting. Catch an amazing view of planes departing or arriving at Sydney Airport whilst sitting in your car or walking down to the sand. This car park opens at 6am and closes at 7pm.

How To Get Here

This plane spotting area is located just before Kyeemagh Beach. If coming from the southern suburbs of Sydney (near Brighton), drive down General Holmes Drive and take a left turn for the loop road down Kyeemagh Avenue. Once you have taken the loop, turn right into the parking lot which is located near the old control tower. If coming from north of the Airport (Mascot etc.) Continue onto General Holmes Drive (or exit the m5 via General Holmes Drive) and take the first left onto Kyeemagh Avenue (Cooks River Airport View) and turn left into the parking lot (Gate 20) just before the loop.

5. International P7 Rooftop (Closed as of Sep 2024)

The P7 parking is honestly one of the best to capture the entire airport runways for domestic and international flights leaving or arriving in Sydney. Plane spotters can capture the entire runway from level 12 of P7 parking. This is the only paid option out of the list but don’t let that turn you off visiting. It is one of those places that can take your breath away. Parking rates start at $10.60 for 30 minutes and can climb up to $62.00 for over 3 hours of parking time. If you do want to plan ahead, booking online is your best option as parking can be limited during peak periods. You could save even more $$ when you pre-book your parking online. The parking lot is open 24 hours a day and the lights from the Airport illuminate the runway during the evening periods.

As of September 2024, P7 Rooftop is now closed for plane spotting due to safety concerns.

How To Get Here

Enter through the P7 entrance in the airport and make your way up to level 12. Depending on which entrance you have come through, level 8 can be the last level, however, you can park in the undercover area of level 8 and take the lift up to level 12 for the best view. Turn right once you leave the lift and be delighted by the views from both angles.

6. Runway 25 Sydney Airport Plane Spotting

This is another hidden plane-spotting gem and that’s Runway 25! Located on Ross Smith Avenue, just before the main intersection and Fast Food shops lies a small plane spotting area that allows visitors to sit in their car or head outside for a closer view of the planes. Domestic planes are more likely to use this runway, however, International flights have also been captured here. This plane spotting area is best for viewing planes departing or arriving at Sydney Airport (depending on the Airport traffic), or planes taxiing before arriving at the gate or departing the gate. This plane spotting area is open 24/7 as it is a small car park on the side of the road. However, the Airport does have a curfew before 6am and after 11pm. To catch the best international flights, it’s best to go in the morning before midday and in the evening after 5:30 pm to catch larger aircraft. 

Sydney Airport has some amazing lookout and plane spotting areas for plane enthusiasts and casual observers! Know any more amazing plane spotting areas? Leave a comment below!

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