Situated on a stunning (Sorry, Ant) emerald-blue harbor, Sydney is a city filled with buzzing street side cafes, eclectic museums and galleries celebrating Aboriginal culture, great outdoor activities, and excellent bars, pubs, and restaurants.
Sydney is a cosmopolitan city that is great for a foodie, a city-breaker, a beach bum, a backpacker, and if done right – a budget traveler. It’s far from the cheapest city in Australia, however there are plenty of free things to do to occupy your time. If you’re in Sydney on a quick 24 hour visit as I was, these are some travel ideas for your visit to Australia’s largest and most historic city.
Take in the Sydney Harbour
Much of Sydney is built around this epic harbour lined with beaches and hidden coves and dotted with islands. Stretching 20 kms from the sea to the mouth of the Parramatta River, ferries, sailboats, and multi-million dollar yachts cross the harbour throughout the day.
Simply take in the Sydney Harbour from various spots around the city, or consider hopping on a ferry for a ride to one of Sydney’s neighboring world-class surf beaches.
Check out the Sydney Opera House
Arguably one of Australasia’s most iconic sites, the Sydney Opera House will certainly stand out on your visit to Sydney. Designed by Danish architect Jorn Utzen and finished over 10 years late in 1973, this architectural masterpiece is undoubtedly the centerpiece of many Sydney photos and postcards.
Inside you’ll find six auditoriums showing various dance, opera, and theater performances throughout the year. If you’d like to get inside and take a tour, you’ll have to shell out a relatively steep $35 for the one hour guided tour. Save yourself $7 by booking a day in advance online.
Walk Across the Sydney Harbour Bridge
If there is one thing that Sydney’s residents love more than their Harbour or their Opera House, it’s the Harbour Bridge. The “Old Coathanger” crosses the harbour at its narrowest point and is a photographer’s dream. Stretching 502 meters across the harbor and made with an astonishing 53,000 tons of steel, this Australian icon connects the Central Business District with North Sydney.
Similar to the Opera House, you can appreciate its grandeur by simply viewing it from around the harbour or walking across the pedestrianized side of the bridge.
If you have some dollars burning a hole in your pocket, consider the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb. With a group of 14 people and a guide, you’ll walk up the bridge and be greeted with what must be an epic view of the Sydney. This isn’t for those with a fear of heights (or those on a strict budget), as you’ll pay $198 for the privilege of checking out Sydney from 134 meters above the harbour.
Where to stay?
If you only have a short time to visit Sydney, consider staying at the Sydney Harbour YHA. It’s centrally located in the historic The Rocks neighborhood which is home to excellent weekend markets and Sydney’s oldest pubs. Spend some time wandering the narrow alleyways of Sydney’s oldest neighborhood. Come nightfall, check out the Glenmore Hotel. Built in 1920, it predates the Sydney Harbour Bridge and offers up a terrific rooftop terrace where you can get some twilight views of Sydney’s Opera House and skyline.
I didn’t have long in Sydney and know there was heaps more I should have experienced. It was a lovely city where I could easily have spent a week or more.
Have you traveled to Sydney? Leave your budget travel tips in the comments section below.
This post has been sponsored by HotelClub.com.
Backpacking Matt 
Great tips, Matt! I, like you, only had about 24 hours in Sydney when I visited Australia (sad, I know, but I had no idea I would love the city so much!).
Your recommendation for checking out the harbor and staying downtown are spot-on. The harbor was my favorite place.
I also walked around the Royal Botanic Gardens (free), and purchased a day pass for the buses/trains/ferries. It was called a “Day Tripper” pass a couple of years ago, but I think since has been renamed. It was about $20, and got me unlimited rides on any of Sydney’s transportation.
I took the ferry over to Manly (a popular suburb with a great surf beach and shops), caught trains/buses out to Bondi Beach, and also took the ferry over to nearby Darling Harbour. Simply seeing all these places didn’t cost a cent!
@Amanda – Thanks for the comment, and especially the additional tips! I walked around the Botanical Gardens too – really enjoyed it, hoped to see the massive Bats @Brookschooeman talked about! I really hoped to get out to Manly or Bondi but spent my first half day recovering from a night spent sleeping in the CHC Airport!
Some good tips here, Matt! I would also highly suggest the Royal Botanical Gardens. It’s walking distance from the Opera house, and it’s free admission. They have hundreds of flying foxes in the trees that are great photo subjects!
@Christy Thanks! Where in the world were these flying foxes? I had a wander through the gardens and somehow didn’t see any!
I didn’t see them, either, Matt! I didn’t even know about them beforehand, so I suppose at the time I didn’t realize I was missing out.
Sydney has got to be one of my favourite cities in the world despite it being in Australia the country I keep trying to avoid going back to! I’ve spend many a weekend or a day trip in Sydney just chilling around the harbour, It’s such a beautiful area. One of my biggest budget tips is checking out China town on a friday night for the night market, there is a huge array of amazing and more importantly cheap street food from all over Asia. Also for all the girls out there, there is cheap clothes and accessories! 😛
@Sasha Thanks for the tip, will definitely be checking out the night market the next time I’m in Sydney.
Nice article. As a Sydney local, I love hearing other people’s perspectives on our great harbour.
Local brokepack’er protip: there are scenic parks on both sides of the harbour bridge. $10 box of takeaway + travel buddy + sunset = best restaurant in Sydney.
Cheers,
Andrew
@Andrew Thanks for the tip – glad you enjoyed the post.
Love this post! Australia is a continent I would love to visit next, and being a classical music junkie, I’d definitely love to attend a few performances at Sydney Opera House. Nice photos too, Matt.
As a temporary Sydneysider, I can’t recommend highly enough taking the ferry out to any of the South Head suburbs. With its hills, you get the sea cliffs and the endless Pacific horizon on one side and the Harbour and stunning CBD skyline views on the other. Visit Dudley Page Reserve, a hidden gem, for an absolutely breathtaking sunset as the sun falls behind the city skyline.