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Sydney

They say there is no place in the world like Sydney. Sydney is a cosmopolitan city surrounded by the iconic beaches, world heritage sites, and close to acclaimed wine regions. Besides being Australia’s largest city, Sydney is also its most visited. (and, contrary to popular belief, it is not the country’s capital!) Sydney has an incredible variety of attractions and sights to see and, while Sydney can be pricey, its great outdoors, stunning scenery, and a few attractions are free. Sydney is large place so plan to spend some time here. Don’t rush it or you’ll miss a lot of activities.

Costs in Sydney

• Hostel Prices: Hostels range from $27-34 AUD for a dorm room while private rooms cost around $80 AUD per night.
• Budget Hotel Prices: Hotel prices vary greatly in the city. If you want to stay in the center, you are better off getting a private room at a hostel. Most budget hotels begin around $70 AUD and get more expensive the closer you get downtown.
• Average Cost of Food: Cheap meals can be found for under $10 AUD. Most restaurants meals will cost between $20 and 30. If you cook you own food, you can spend between $50-80 per week for your meals.
• Cost of Internet: Internet is $5 AUD per hour. McDonald’s has free wi-fi.
• Transportation Costs: Sydney’s transport system is made up of trains, buses, and ferries. Bus fares depend on the number of zones you travel. Roughly, adult fares begin at A$1.20 and go up to A$2.50. Water taxis are also a great way to see the city. The fare depends on the time of day and the number of passengers. Taxi’s are fairly easy to flag down and inexpensive. There are taxi ranks at major points throughout the city.

Things to Do in Sydney

• The Rocks - The Rocks is the most historic part of Sydney with many narrow lane-ways, fine colonial buildings, maritime past, sandstone churches and Australia’s oldest pubs. With weekend markets and street entertainment, The Rocks is a good place to see.
• The Beaches - Go surfing, swimming, paddling, walking, or simply laze in the sun. From Palm Beach in the north, through the famous Bondi to Cronulla in the south, Sydney is jeweled in white sandy beaches. Discover your favorite, whether energetic and crowded or tucked away almost unseen- there is a beach for all moods and people.
• Royal Botanic Gardens and Mrs. Macquarie Chair – One of Sydney’s finest walks leaves from lively Circular Quay (where the ferries come in). Walk towards the Opera House with its telltale white sails and into the Royal Botanic Gardens, Australia’s first vegetable garden and now a treasure trove of trees, ferns, flowers and lawn. On a sunny day, you’ll find locals sprawled out all over the gardens.
• Ferry to Manly Beach – More like a seaside town than Sydney itself, Manly is one of the better known beaches in Sydney. Walk the pedestrian Corso to the main beach area where you can swim, sun bake, eat ice-cream, and simply people watch. There is a superb walk along the coastline to tiny and protected Shelly Beach, with cute marine sculptures and a tidal pool. The ferry ride back offers great views of the Harbor Bridge and Opera House. Plan your journey around sunset.
• Sydney Harbor Bridge – The bridge was built in 1932 as a government employment project during the great depression. While tours to climb the bridge are expensive, it is free to walk across the bridge giving great views of The Sydney Opera House and panoramas across the harbor. The best time for pictures is the early morning for the sunrise or the late afternoon when the sun is behind.
• Sydney Opera House – Just as iconic as the harbor bridge, the opera house is famous for its white shelled roof. It was an architectural feet and the tours through the opera house give you a whole new appreciation for just how challenging this building was to create. Tickets for show in the opera house aren’t that expensive either so try to take in a show while you are here.
• The Blue Mountains - Over the millennia, the ancient sandstone of this national park area has been weathered into gorges lined by steep cliffs and separated by narrow ridges. Some activities in this area include seeing the magnificent rock formation of the Three Sisters (particularly stunning at sunset and under evening floodlight) or hiking along paths offering excellent views of the valley, sheer rock walls, tumbling waterfalls and magnificent forests. The park is free to visit.
• The Museums – Like most cities, Sydney has a wide variety of museums. There’s free entry to the Art Gallery of New South Wales (including lots of aboriginal art), the Museum of Contemporary Art at The Rocks, Nicholson Museum in Sydney University and the National Maritime Museum at Darling Harbor. The historic ships are major attractions including various military vessels and a seaworthy replica of Captain James Cook’s Endeavour, used to discover Australia in 1770.
• Learn to Surf – The beaches of Sydney are great for surfing. There are a lot of companies here that will teach you and you can learn from any one of the beaches. While Bondi is the most popular beach, the surfing up in Manly on the north shore of Sydney is better.
• Visit the Hunter Valley – North of Sydney is one of Australia’s premier wine regions. The Hunter Valley has some amazing wineries and produces great red wine. It is not a budget activity but it provides an excuse to get out of the city and see the country. If you don’t want to drive, there are good bike tours here too. Day tours are offered from Sydney but it’s best to come up here for a night.
• Sydney Tower Sky Walk – As tall as the Eiffel Tower, and twice as high as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the skywalk offers amazing panoramic views of Sydney. It is cheaper and easier than the bridge and the views are far greater. Also included with your purchase of a skywalk ticket, is access to the OzTrek–a 3D cinema experience.
• Take the Trike way – Another fun way to explore the Northern beaches is by renting a motorized trike. Roar along the coast and stop at any number of places along the way–it is all beautiful and it feels like an endless paradise. This day long trip can go beyond Palm Beach, the furthest point on the peninsula, into the Ku-ring-gai National Park, past Church point to Akuna Bay.
• Sydney Wildlife World – One of the newest additions to Darling Harbor, the Wildlife World is set up with highly detailed, ‘natural’ environments, for birds, wallabies, reptiles, and more. There are various guided tours and animal feedings all day.

Budget Tips for Sydney

• Check the Tourist Office: They often have deals on tourist attractions or special festivities going on in the area. They will also often have discount coupons to some of the most visited places in the city.
• Free Local Events: “What’s On Sydney” has a list of free and cheap events. Click here to see what’s happening now.
• Walk the Bridge: Taking a Bridgeclimb is $150 AUD but you can walk across this icon for free.
• Take the Bus:  Other than walking, buses are the cheapest way to get around Sydney. Moreover, unlike the train, they service the north shore.

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