Guide when you travel in Sydney Australia.

March 17, 2021 Moscow

Sydney is a cosmopolitan city surrounded by iconic beaches, world heritage sites, and acclaimed wine regions.

Besides being Australia’s largest city, Sydney is also its most visited. (And, contrary to popular belief, not the country’s capital!). Few people skip the city — and why would they?

With an incredible variety of attractions, beaches, restaurants, and sights to see, it’s easy to see why people come here and stay a while! There’s so much to do here. Try to stay at least a week if you can. I never, ever get tired of visit Sydney! It’s amazing. Be sure to also spend some time on the lesser visited North Shore beaches.

This Sydney travel guide will help you make sense of all the things to see, show you where to stay, and help you save money.

Visit the Rocks.

The Rocks is the oldest part of Sydney. With its narrow lanes, colonial buildings, sandstone churches, and Australia’s oldest pubs, this neighborhood is where Sydney started when the British first landed. It was almost torn down in the 1970s for modern high-rises, but, luckily, citizen action got it preserved instead. The Rocks’ weekend markets, art museums, street entertainment, delicious (and sometimes overpriced) restaurants, and beautiful views of the harbor, Opera House, and bridge make this is one of the coolest areas of the city. I love heading up to the Sydney Observatory Hill Park for a good view of the city, wandering the harbor promenade, and hitting the bars at night.

2. Botanic Gardens & Mrs. Macquarie Chair

You’ll find Australia’s first vegetable garden and a treasure trove of trees, ferns, flowers, and gardens at the Royal Botanic Gardens. On a sunny day, you’ll find locals sprawled out all over the lawns soaking up the sun. You can also see Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair, a seat carved into a stone cliff, where you can sit and gaze out at the harbor. There are also free one-hour volunteer-guided tours of the garden, too! Admission is free.

3. Ferry to Manly Beach

The ferry ride to Manly offers sweeping views of the harbor, Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the world-famous Opera House. It’s a picturesque 30-minute ride each way that puts you in one of the coolest parts of the north end of the city. Manly is famous for its wide beach, giant waves, surfing, and kick-ass nightlife. Ferry tickets are 9.90 AUD ($7.50 USD).

4.Take the Town Hall tour

Built in 1889, Sydney’s beautiful Town Hall is a picturesque Victorian building. They offer a detailed two-hour tour for only 10 AUD. It’s a great way to learn some extra history about the building and its place in the greater tapestry of Sydney’s history. Tours only available on weekdays.

5. Go to the Museums

Like most cities, Sydney has a wide variety of museums. And, luckily, thanks to Australia’s Commonwealth past, all the public museums in the city are free, making it a great and inexpensive activity in an otherwise expensive city. My favorite museum in Sydney is the Hyde Park Barracks. Set in the old convict barracks from the 18th century, it does an amazing and detailed job of chronicling colonial life in Sydney, using the stories of the early settlers, historical information, artifacts, and historical recreations. It’s well worth the 19.20 AUD entrance fee. It’s always the highlight of my trip. Few people visit, making it one of the best non-touristy things to do in the city!

Other museums in Sydney worth visiting are the Art Gallery of New South Wales (modern art), the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia at The Rocks (contemporary art), the Australian National Maritime Museum (maritime history), the White Rabbit Gallery (contemporary Chinese art; also has a teahouse), the Hyde Park Barracks Museum (local, criminal, and judicial history), and the Museum of Sydney (local history).

6. Learn to Surf

Sydney is often the place travelers bite the bullet and learn the art of Australia’s famous national pastime. There are many companies here that offer lessons. While Bondi is the most popular beach, Manly on the north shore of Sydney has better waves (though you can find good waves up and down the coast!). Surfboard rentals start at 12 AUD ($9 USD) per hour while two-hour group lessons cost around 75 AUD ($57 USD). Umina Beach, Collaroy Beach, and Corrimal Beach are good beaches for beginners.

Bondi Beach is arguably Australia’s most famous beach – and a great place to learn to surf. While the waves in the middle of Bondi Beach can get pretty wild, further up towards the northern corner provides protection thanks to the Ben Buckler headland, making it a great surfing spot.

7. Visit the Hunter Valley

North of town is one of Australia’s premier wine regions. The Hunter Valley is home to amazing wineries that produce luscious reds. While it’s not as easy on the budget, it is an excuse to get out of the city and see the countryside. Day tours are offered from Sydney but they are expensive (150-200 AUD/$115-152 USD) and you’ll spend a lot of time on a bus. It’s best to stay for at least a night out in the valley to get the full experience.

If you have a car, you can base yourself in Newcastle or Cessnock, but you’d have a more unique experience if you booked a secluded cabin or home on Airbnb as there are plenty in the area, including some that are also vineyards

8. The Tower Sky Walk

At 286m, the Sydney Tower Skywalk is as tall as the Eiffel Tower and twice as high as the Harbour Bridge. It offers amazing panoramic views of the city from its Skywalk at the top. I’m not a fan of heights but even I was impressed by the view! At 59.80 AUD ($45 USD), it’s cheaper and easier than climbing the bridge itself (and the views are actually better).

9. Do a coastal walk

There are a number of stunning coastal walks that allow you to take in the breathtaking natural beauty of Sydney Harbor. While tons of people follow the two-hour Coogee-to-Bondi walk (skip the weekends when it’s overly crowded), I found both the shorter walk in Watson’s Bay and the Split-to-Manly walk quieter and more breathtaking.

10. Attend a Cultural Event

Since Sydney has a complex about Melbourne being called the cultural capital of Australia, it tries to outdo its rival by hosting over tons of official festivals and events each year. It offers art gallery nights, concerts, festivals, and much more. It wants to be seen as more of a beach destination. No matter what time of the year you visit, you will find something going on in the city! Most of the events are free and a list of what’s going on soon can be found on the Sydney tourism website. It will give you dates, prices, times, and everything in between.

Sydney Travel Guide: Money-Saving Tips

Sydney is one of the most visited places in Australia and the prices are steep. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to save. Here are my favorite ways to save money while in the city:

Attend free local events – “What’s On Sydney” has a list of free and cheap current events. Check it out for the most up-to-date details.
Couch surf – Accommodation in Sydney is pricey. If you plan ahead, you can usually find really nice Couchsurfing hosts all throughout the country. This way, you not only have a place to stay, but you’ll have a local host that can tell you the best places to go and things to see.
Work for your room – Many hostels offer travelers the chance to work for their accommodation. In exchange for a few hours a day of cleaning, you get a free bed. Commitments vary but most hostels ask you to stay for at least a week.
Get an Opal card – This metro card is free – you just need to load it with money. It offers cheaper tickets as well as discounts and fare caps so you can save money as you explore.
Free walking tours – I Am Free runs a free daily tour of the city center and The Rocks, Sydney’s original settlement. Additionally, you can use Sydney Greeters (advanced booking required!), which is a free service that connects you with a local who will show you around their neighborhood!
Visit the markets – Sydney has many amazing markets to walk through. At Paddington Markets, the fish market, Bondi Farmers Market, the flower market, and a whole lot more seasonal markets, it’s really easy to spend a lot of time wandering and shopping. I love Paddington Markets and the farmers market the best!
Explore the free museums – Australia has a lot of expensive museums, but it also has a ton of free ones. Some free museums worth considering: The Mint (a small exhibit on how they used to make money), Australia Center for Photography, White Rabbit Gallery (beautiful art), Manly Art Museum, Sydney Observatory, and the Rocks Discovery Museum.
Drink goon (box wine) – Goon is infamous on the Australian backpacker hostel trail. This cheap box of wine is the best way to drink, get a buzz, and save a lot of money at the same time.
Cook often – The best way to reduce your costs is to cook as many meals as possible. ALDI is the cheapest supermarket in the country, followed by Coles and then Woolworths.
Save money on rideshares – Uber is way cheaper than taxis and is the best way to get around a city if you don’t want to wait for a bus or pay for a taxi.
Bring a reusable water bottle – The tap water in Sydney is safe to drink so bring a reusable water bottle with you to save money and lower your plastic use. LifeStraw makes a bottle with a built-in filter to ensure your water is always clean and safe.