It’s big, it’s brash, it’s beautiful… it’s Sydney!
Established in 1788, this city is not only home to two of Australia’s most iconic landmarks — the Harbour Bridge and Opera House — it’s also surrounded by some beautiful National Parks, and boasts an impressive stretch of coastline. What’s not to love?
Regularly voted one of the top ten cities to live, the capital of New South Wales is as schizophrenic as Fight Club’s Tyler Durden; whatever mood you’re in, Sydney will match it.
Sydney is one of the best cities in the world. Fact.
There’s a lot to do, all set in pretty stunning surroundings. People living in and around Sydney, in Australia in general in fact, enjoy a largely ‘outdoorsey’ life style and that’s visible across every inch of Sydney.
Here’s a my city guide to Sydney include top tips for places to stay, what to do and most importantly how to save money.
Getting There
As Australia’s busiest airport, you have a huge number of options when it comes to travelling to Sydney. You can fly with top airlines including the likes of Virgin, Qantas, Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Air China giving you a wealth of stopover options on the way there too.
Building in a stopover on your ways to Australia is an awesome way to take a holiday within a holiday, as delaying your onward flight a few days (or even weeks if you have the time to spare) often costs very little, or nothing at all!
Spend a few days in Dubai, Singapore, Thailand, India, Malaysia, China to name just a few, and really maximise your time away.
If you are planning an Australia road trip and arriving from other locations in the country, you could rent a car, take a tour or travel by train from other major towns and cities. Internal flights can also be caught with low cost airlines.
Weather & Best Time to Visit
When it comes to Sydney seasons, think about things as being back to front. So Summer is our winter. Their spring is our Autumn and vice versa.
The hottest time to be in Sydney is from December, January and Feb where temperatures, on average, hover at around 28-30 degrees, although heatwaves are common.
In the winter, temperatures can fall to around 8-10 degrees and rain regular. It never really reaches the same chill as winter in the UK but it definitely gets cold around June, July, August.
For a magical experience, consider a trip to see the world famous firework display on New Years Eve. Although not the cheapest experience, it is something to tick off your bucket list.
Where to Stay
There are accommodation options for all budgets but prices can be really expensive, expect to pay $100+ per night for a basic hotel room.
Sydney is home to some of the best hostels in the world, some of my favourites include Wake Up Hostel central Sydney and Nomads.
If I was to recommend just one places to stay it would be Noah’s Backpackers in Bondi Beach.
Maybe because it was the first hostel I stayed in Sydney, or for the location overlooking the stretch of sand, but I loved the vibe within.
Expect decent sized common area full of nationalities, noisy to the right level, and although there weren`t any house activities offered at the time, I enjoyed every bit of my time spent there. No limits to the length of the stay, and a spontaneous party almost every night. There was a dive bar inside, but the real fun happened in the lounge area.
The surf was only steps away, and the main road of Bondi, where the hostel was located, offered bars, clubs, food, and crazy interesting people willing to amuse the passerby. Going to sleep every night with a different adventure in mind for the following day seemed to be the norm, and feeling free never felt so easy.
If you have a camper van and are passing through Sydney as part of a longer overland trip the Lane Cover River National Park is a great place to park up. It’s good value and only short train ride from the city centre.
How to Get from Sydney Airport
Sydney airport is located 8 km south of the city. You can grab a train from the airport to the Sydney Central Station which only takes 13 minutes, or jump one of the coaches departing every 20-30 minutes. A taxi will cost around $50 to city and the journey takes around half an hour.
Public Transportation & Getting Around
If you find yourself being a tourist in Sydney, or even living here on a working holiday visa, you’re going to need to find a way to get around the city and that’s where public transportation comes in. Fortunately, Sydney has a good transportation network including buses, trains, ferries, light rail, taxis, and even a monorail so that folks without cars can still get around fairly easily.
There are plenty of passes that are cheaper than buying point-to-point tickets each time you need to travel. Passes are available for ferry, bus or train travel or you can get a combined pass that includes all three. Daily, weekly and monthly passes are some of the options and more information on both passes and routes can be found at the Transport Infoline website.
Bus
Buses operate all over Sydney but the main terminals are located at Circular Quay, Wynard, Town Hall and Central Station. They are a great compliment to the train network and take passengers to most places around the city and outlying suburbs.
Some buses are pre-pay only which means you have to buy tickets in advance and have them verified on the bus – no cash allowed. Everything you need to know including bus routes and hours of operation can be found on the Sydney Buses website.
Train
Train services within Sydney are run by CityRail with a variety of train lines that will take you all over the city, to far-reaching suburbs, and even further a field to the South Coast. All of the information you will need including fare information, route maps, and a journey planner can be found at the CityRail website.
Ferry
Ferry is a great way to get around Sydney and it is essential if you are living in Manly. There are several options available including single or return tickets, packs of ten tickets, or travel passes for unlimited journeys over various lengths of time. Information on Sydney’s ferry services can be found at the Sydney Ferries website.
Light Rail
The Metro Light Rail is the most recent addition to Sydney’s transportation system. It is a small train system that runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week servicing Central Sydney, Chinatown, Darling Harbour, Star City Casino, Sydney Fish Markets, and Wentworth Park and out to Glebe, Jubilee Park, Rozelle and Lilyfield. For more information on routes and fares check the Sydney by Light Rail website.
Monorail
The Sydney monorail is more of a tourist attraction than a practical way to get around the city but it is handy for routes within the Central Business District. The monorail leaves every 3 to 5 minutes and takes only 15 minutes to complete the entire circuit with stops in Chinatown, Darling Harbour, Harbourside, Paddy’s Markets, and the city center. It operates every day of the year except for Christmas and runs from 7am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and from 8am to 10pm on Sunday. For more information including fares check out the Sydney by Monorail website.
Taxi
Taxis can be found all over Sydney and you are able to hail them from the street. If you are in an area without a lot of traffic then it makes more sense to call a cab to meet you at your destination. As in most cities, taxis are much more expensive that other forms of transportation.
When the trains and buses stop operating though, sometimes it’s the only option. Cabs aren’t horrendously expensive, and there are plenty of taxi ranks round the city. You’ll be looking at approximately $2.80 to start, then $1.62 per km (plus an additional 20% from 10pm to 6am).
Districts
The central of Sydney is where you will find most of the action, and this area is split into six different districts. There is the city centre which is home to all of the government and finance buildings as well as some great restaurants, however this can get very busy during the weekends.
The Rocks is the northern most district of central Sydney and is home to one of the biggest draws of the city, the Sydney Harbour Bridge. There is also the site of the first colonial village in the country, where the first immigrants landed and set up the beginnings of the city.
Darling Harbour is largely where you will find most of the entertainment part of the city. From restaurants and boardwalks to aquariums, wildlife and museums, there is plenty for you to fill up your evenings and day trips with.
One of the best things about the Darling Harbour district is that everything is easily reachable by foot, meaning you can get round everything at your own pace. City South, East and West make up the other three districts and there you will find Chinatown, fish markets and casinos amongst other attractions.
Best Things to See and Do in Sydney
I hope you’ve got a lot of time in Sydney – because you’re going to need it!
Of course, Sydney is famous for the Sydney Opera House and it is easy to take a cruise around the harbour for great views of the Opera House and the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge. Stop off for food and drinks at the popular Rocks area of the city.
There are more places to be thrilled by along this spectacular Pacific Ocean vista. Travel to Bondi where you can take a dip in the Bondi Icebergs rock pool and catch the thrilling waves at Tamarama.
Take the ferry to Tongariro Zoo, learn to surf on Bondi Beach (one of the best surf beaches in Australia), Climb the Harbour Bridge, Enjoy a paddle board lesson, and take a thrilling Thunder Jet Boat ride around the harbour.
If you’re looking for things that cost little, or nothing at all, the costal walk from Bondi to Coogee is amazing, also the Chinese Gardens of Friendship at Darling Harbour are beautiful or take a picnic to the Botanical Gardens on a sunny day to chill out in the backdrop of the Opera house and Harbour Bridge.
Of course the Sydney nightlife is a thriving colourful affair. Cinemas, all night cafes and bookstores, sit alongside fabulous restaurants and pubs full of friendly staff and great entertainment on a regular basis.
If you like your sport, then you can watch cricket, Rugby League, Australian Rules football and tennis, which are all popular here. You may also see some of the most famous sporting events, such as the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.
This is just a sample of the amazing time you can have in Sydney, sometimes its best just to get lost of discover hidden gems and places off the beaten track for a local and authentic experience.
Sydney’s Most Beautiful Beaches
Where to start with the beaches of Sydney…. there are loads! Lots and lots of amazing, golden sandy, gloriously sun kissed, beautiful beaches – each one different to the next.
My own favourite; Coogee. This South Eastern suburb has long been a favourite of young Aussies and is fast becoming the place to be for expats and backpackers too. Coogee beach is the new Bondi and is often busy.
Talking of Bondi, while Coogee is coming forward as the new place to be in Sydney, there’s no denying at, that the moment, it’s all still all about Bondi.
This long stretch of beach is as much of an iconic part of Sydney as the Opera House or Harbour Bridge, it’s a big traveller hub so if you want to mingle with other backpackers and meet new friends this is a great place to be during the day and to party at night. If you fancy a working holiday in Australia this is a great area to stay.
Catch the ferry to busy Manly for a more family friendly atmosphere and a host of shops and cafes along the length of the sand or Bronte Beach a couple of kms down south of Bondi for a quieter, but just as beautiful, beach experience.
Shopping
Sydney is one of the best cities in the world for shopping and has an enormous selection of stores and outlets to choose from as well as local markets and independent and vintage stores.
There are lots of markets to explore, especially on Saturday. Oxford Street and Woollahra are packed with art galleries and displays, charming boutiques and antique shops. There are even authentically restored terraces from the Victorian era at the Victoria Barracks Army base.
For souvenirs, check out Paddy’s Markets, more something a bit cheaper and alternative Bondi Market is open on Sunday with lots of choice, then there’s the pretty and ornate Strand Arcade, and Westfield shopping centre in town.
Eating & Drinking
It’s no coincidence that thousands of young travellers flock to Sydney every year. You can pretty much guarantee yourself a perfect lifestyle here and that includes an almost unlimited number of places to eat and drink.
Iceberg bar, Bondi has amazing views over Bondi beach, enjoy a drink with a view at the Australia Hotel bar near Harbour Bridge, and you need to order a cocktail in the legendary Opera Bar. Nuzzled neatly just below the Opera House, this bar boasts what is quite possibly one of the best, if not the best, bar views in the world.
Head to The Spot in Randwick for the best Thai food you’ll eat outside of Bangkok at Blue Monkey Thai or to Beach Burrito in Coogee for amazing Mexican.
Day Trips & Places to See Nearby
Take a tour up to the Blue Mountains, which are spectacular. Combine that with breakfast with the local kangaroos and you have an enchanting encounter to remember.
Also in the Blue Mountains National Park are a cableway, scenic railway and the wonderful Three Sisters rock formation. This natural feature is just breathtaking from any angle.
Plan Your Trip to Sydney
Sydney is without a doubt one of the world best, most exciting and most liveable cities. If you’re going, lucky you, enjoy every second, if you’re not going, this is your chance to remedy that quick sharp. View more of my Australia travel tips.