A guide to Sydney
Sydney is Australia’s largest city, and it is also the gateway to numerous worthwhile daytrips and natural wonders, the most famous one being the Blue Mountains. Sydney is packed full of national treasures and world-famous landmarks, such as Bondi beach, the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney harbor bridge. This guide will help you figure out what to see, where to go, what it may cost you and how you can save money when backpacking Sydney.
Transportation
Sydney is huge, and seeing all the sights through walking is not realistic. The best way to get around is through the connecting metro and buses with an opal card. Be aware that the fares change during the time of day.
Money
The currency is Australian dollars, and you can pretty much pay with card everywhere. If not, there are ATMs located all around town.
Best time to visit
From September to November and from March to May would be my suggestion. You miss out on Sydney’s lowest and hottest temperatures, and you’re left with comfortable temperatures and lesser tourist-crowds.
Top things to see and do while backpacking Sydney
Bondi beach
Bondi beach is the most visited beach in the whole world. Therefore, it can be quite packed when you go there, but it is still a very nice beach. Be sure to check out the Icebergs pool, which is conveniently located on top of the hill looking down on Bondi beach. You can also grab lunch here, as there are numerous restaurants and cafes that are located nearby the beach. This activity is completely free of charge to do.
Ferry to manly beach
Yes, Bondi is a good beach, but in my opinion the best beach is actually manly beach. It is less crowded than Bondi, and it is world-renowned for how good of a surfing spot it is. To get there you need to take a ferry from the city, but it is worth the trip.
Take a coastal walk
Sydney has a fair few coastal walks that is worth a look. The most famous one being a two-hour Coogee-to-Bondi walk. Also be sure to check out Spit to Manly, also known as the Manly Scenic Walkway and Figure 8 Pools, which is a walk that leads you to, you guessed it, a figure 8 pool. Pretty cool. This activity is completely free of charge to do.
Visit the Opera house
No trip to Sydney would ever be complete without at least taking a look at the Sydney Opera House. I is an architectural masterpiece and a delight to look at. Be sure to get here at sunset to look at the boats that cruise by and are basking in the last rays of the sun, which give the building that extra kind of magic. This activity is completely free of charge to do, but you can pay for guided tours to get an extra insight into how they built it and all the hard effort it took.
Sydney harbor bridge and bridge-climb
Just seeing the harbor bridge can be enough for a lot of people, but for those that have that extra adrenaline-urge, you can take a bridge-climb on top of the bridge. The prices start at $174 for adults and $146 for kids.
The blue mountains
The Blue Mountains is a world-heritage region known for exceptional natural scenery such as the three sisters and the Jenolan caves. The park is completely free to enter and you can take a train from Sydney, but there are also numerous guided tours to choose from if you’d like.
Observatory walk
Take a walk up to the Observatory Hill, which overlooks the harbor. It will provide you with some stunning views. I took the walk up in the evening, and it left me with a panoramic view of the city lights, and it was definitely a moment to remember. This activity is completely free of charge to do.
Typical cost and suggested budget when backpacking Sydney
The cost of visiting Sydney doesn’t have to be extremely expensive. Since it is a big city, it will have plenty of options when it comes to accommodation and food. You can sort of make it as cheap as you yourself want it to be. In addition to this, most of the top things to do in Sydney are completely free to do, unless you want to do activities such as the bridge climb. Most of the “top things” are places to just visit and look at, which is free of charge. What may cost you, however, is the transportation to get to and from places. The metro and bus-system isn’t particularly cheap, and if you want to see places like the Blue Mountains it can cost you more because it is a fair bit out of the city. Here are my estimated prices when it comes to accommodation and food when backpacking Sydney:
Accommodation:
On average a hostel costs about 20-30 AUD. I would estimate that a private room in a hostel would be somewhere between 50-80 AUD, while a room in a standard hotel would be somewhere between 80-120 AUD. Larger hotels, or finer rooms will come at somewhere between 200 and 300 AUD.
Food:
Eating out is expensive, and Sydney is no exception. Expect to pay anywhere between 15-25 AUD for entrees in a sit-down restaurant, and 30-35 AUD for more exquisite dining. Quick meals, salads, take-away and sandwiches for grab and go will be somewhere between 6-10 AUD.
Suggested daily BUDGET for Backpacking Sydney:
Type | Accommodation | Food | Transportation | Daily Sum |
Budget | 10-30 AUD | 15-21 AUD | 15 AUD | 30-80 AUD |
Mid range | 80-200 AUD | 30-50 AUD | 20 AUD | 180-300 AUD |
Luxury | 300+ AUD | 70+ AUD | 30+ AUD | 470+ AUD |
Money saving tips
- Cook your own food! This is by far the easiest way to skimp on your money. All the hostels accommodate this, because all backpackers end up cooking their own food. The hostels have kitchen and fridges. Cooking yourself means you can spend 15-21 AUD every day on food, instead of a whopping 50-70 AUD.
- Take advantage of deals and offers! Australia knows that it is expensive, and thus tries to help you out. A number of hostels/restaurants/travel companies have daily deals of food, drinks and tours. Try to look out for them and use them when you can. Ask the reception in your hostel of the deals this week, and take advantage of these. It can save you a lot of money.
- Skimp on the drinking! Drinking in Australia can really be a kill to your budget. It’s not cheap to drink here. I know the news of this might disappoint you, especially seeing as Australia is a bit of a party-country for backpackers. But if you want to drink, try and look out for happy-hour offers, coupons given out at hostels, and learn to love goon; the cheapest bag-wine in the country.
- Work for accommodation! This is a pretty good deal that most hostels will offer. If you are staying somewhere for a while, offer to work in order to get your hostel bed for free. Usually it’s a couple of hours cleaning every day, and a great way of cutting down those accommodation-costs.
