Ultimate Travel Guide to Sydney (2023)

I have been blessed to be living in this beautiful city ‘Sydney’ and to call it my second home. Having lived in three different cities in Australia, Sydney is the one city that convinced me to stay back in this amazing country. It is a city that won my heart and I cannot imagine settling anywhere else in Australia. In this post, I will provide you with all the details you need for an extravagant holiday in Sydney, especially when you do a solo trip to Sydney.

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About Sydney

Sydney is the capital of New South Wales (NSW) state and is one of the largest cities in Australia. It is famous for its Opera House and the harbour. The city is also the ICT capital of Australia and there are many reasons why I love this amazingly beautiful city.

Interesting facts about Sydney

Some of the interesting facts about Sydney and its landmarks are:

1. The Sydney Harbour Bridge is adorably known as The Coat Hanger by its locals due to the shape and design of the bridge.
2. The cost of building the Sydney Opera House was around AUD 102 million.
3. Rugby League is the most famous sport in Sydney.
4. Sydney is the 12th most expensive city in the World.
5. The Sydney fish market is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and is the 3rd largest in the World.

To know more about other interesting facts, read an article on SBS – 20 interesting facts about Sydney.

How to travel to Sydney?

• International Flights – There are international flights from anywhere in the world to Sydney. AirAsia and Scoot are the budgeted airlines from South East Asia. The best and luxurious airline is Qantas. Note Qantas now has direct flights from Bangalore (India) to Sydney.
• Domestic Flights – Sydney is connected to most cities and towns in Australia. Jetstar and Tigerair are the budgeted airlines to travel within Australia.

Best time to visit

The best time to visit Australia is during Spring (September to November) and Autumn (March to May) seasons. These are the times when it is not too hot or too cold.

Season	Months	Average Temperature (Range)
Summer	December to February	18 to 26 degrees centigrade (occasionally there could be days that are hotter than 26 degrees centigrade)
Autumn	March to May	14 to 22 degrees centigrade
Winter	June to August	5 to 15 degrees centigrade
Spring	September to November	11 to 23 degrees centigrade

Are you in Sydney during the winter season? Then read my post things to do in Sydney winters to find all the cool things you can do in this beautiful city.

Mobile apps that you need while traveling in Sydney

• Transport for NSW – The official app for Transport for New South Wales (NSW). This is very useful in knowing everything about public transport (trains, metros, buses, and ferries). The timings, the disruptions, and the fare are displayed.
• TripView – To get up-to-date information about public transport, then this app is your friend. The app suggests all the modes of public transportation between two places. It is easy to use. TripView Lite is the free version.
• Opal – The app displays the history of when the card was used, the remaining balance, and also helps in recharging the card. You can manually or auto recharge.
• Meetup – A great app to build a network and to meet the locals.
• Google maps – For directions between places, then Google maps is your friend.
• UberEats or Deliveroo – For home delivery of food, UberEats or Deliveroo are good apps.
• Ola, Uber or DiDi – For local taxi transportation, Ola, Uber or DiDi are your go-to apps.

Local transportation in Sydney

Buy an Opal transportation card as soon as you come out of the airport. This is the card that you can use to travel around public transport. Opal card must be tapped in when boarding and tapped out when offboarding the transport.

Note: You can also use our credit or debit cards to tap in and out of the public transport. However, Opal cards generally get discounts after certain number of trips.

Transportation from / to Sydney Airport

One of the most common questions I get asked when fellow travellers travel to Sydney is the mode of transport from the airport to the city.

Sydney has two airports – one for domestic and the other for international flights. The airports are around 7 kilometres from Central train station, which is the main train station in Sydney. Taxis are the fastest way to get to airports undoubtedly, but both these airports are accessible through public transport.

There are two modes of public transports from the airports:

• Trains – The most popular and quickest way to travel from and to Sydney airport is by train. There are plenty and very frequent trains (T8 airport train) between the Central station and the airport stations. Note: The two airports are two different train stations. It takes about 10 minutes from the Central station. Opal card is the best way to travel on trains in Sydney and around. The cost for one way travel is around AUD 18.70.
• Buses – Route 400 travels frequently between Sydney airports and Bondi junction or Burwood stations. The cost for one way ticket is around AUD 5.80.

Tip: One of my friends suggested that the best way to get to airport and to avoid AUD 18.70 is by taking a train till Mascot train station and then taking the bus (400/420) from Mascot to the airport. This costs around AUD 3.5.

More up-to-date information about the timings, routes and the cost can be found on the Transport NSW website.

Transportation within Sydney

There are four modes of transportation in Sydney city:

• Trains
• Buses
• Ferries
• Light Rails

The main train station is Central train station.

Where to stay in Sydney?

Being an avid traveler, I have learned to opt for staying at hostels and hotels that are in the city. Sydney has accommodation options varying from hostels to the most luxurious hotels. There are 5 star hotels near Circular Quay, like Four Seasons, Shangri-La, Hyatt Regency and Park Hyatt that provide rooms with spectacular views of Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Staying at Central Business District (CBD), Town Hall, Central Station, and Circular Quay, would be my most preferred suburbs.

For budgeted stay, I always go to YHA Australia. The hostel and the rooms are clean and very well maintained. I generally have a pleasant stay with them. Sydney has not one but two YHA hostels. One of them is at Circular Quay and is called Sydney Harbour YHA and the other one is opposite to Central station and is called Sydney Central YHA.

Visitor and Information Centres

In Australia, there are visitor and information centres in every city and town. They are a great place to get information on what to do and where to eat in a place. There are visitor centres in the Rocks and Customs House and if ever you get lost about what to do in Sydney, visit the Visitor Centre.

The staff are usually very friendly and nice. I would like to specifically mention about the lady at the Customs House visitor centre who was extremely friendly and ready to help.

What to eat in Sydney?

It was really hard for me when I had initially shifted to Sydney, as I was not aware of all the restaurants and cafes. But over the years, I realised that there are so many options for food in Sydney and now I love and cherish Sydney food.

Coffee

We, Aussies, are coffee snobs. We love our coffee here and I would recommend trying out the coffee at different cafes. In the city, the Grounds is really good for a coffee.

Restaurants

Note: All my recommendations are either vegetarian or contain chicken.

For a list of restaurants and cafes I want to visit in Sydney, refer Restaurants bucket list (Sydney).

Australian

Must eat Australian-made food are:

• Fish and chips – The fish and chips are a must. Some of the places, especially the coastal towns made really good fish and chips.
• Lamington is a famous Australian cake. It is a sponge cake dipped in chocolate and coated with grated coconut.

One of the must-eats while in Australia is Lamington. Lamington is Australia’s very own dessert. It is definitely a piece of heaven on Earth. A common variation also has cream in between two lamingtons.

At Woolworths, a pack of 18 slices of Lamington costs just AUD 2.5. And did you know that in 2006, 21st July was declared as National Lamington Day?

• Vegemite – I did not like this but one must definitely try. It is a dark coloured paste made from different veggies, yeast extract, and spice additives.
• Tim Tams – These biscuits are the best thing made in human history.

To experience a luxurious and elite dinner, head to the 360 Dining restaurant at Sydney Tower.

• Website: https://www.360dining.com.au/

Thai

Below are some of the Thai cuisine restaurants that I recommend:

Tips for Solo Trip to Sydney

Here are some of the tips for a solo trip to Sydney:

• Buy an Opal transportation card at the airport.
• Use public transport if you can as the public transportation in Sydney is awesome and very safe.
• Be vigilant at night.
• Stay closer to CBD (Circular Quay, Darling Harbour, Town Hall or Central).
• Protect your valuables such as passport and cash.
• Sydney Police is very friendly, so any issues just approach them and seek help.
• Keep your embassy’s numbers handy.
• Try various cuisines in Sydney. The food is delicious and authentic.

Things to do in Sydney

I wouldn’t lie if I said that Sydney is much more than the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House. There are plenty of things to do and see in this spectacular city. The following sections lists all the places and things to do.

Sight seeing places

There are many things just in the Sydney Central Business District (CBD) and one can spend days exploring the hidden gems spread across the CBD.

• Circular Quay and The Rocks – There are many things to do around Circular Quay and the Rocks but I have listed the top 5 things to do in Circular Quay. If you are into adventurous activities, then definitely check out the 3 adventurous activities that you can do in Circular Quay.

• Darling Harbour – Do not miss these 10 things to do in Darling Harbour. It is another place to hang out and spend time.
• Sydney Opera House – It does not matter if you loved the movie Dil Chahta Hai or not, ensure to see a play or listen to a concert at the Sydney Opera House. There is also an audio tour that is conducted which gives an insight into the history and architecture behind this marvel.
  • Website: https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/

• Visit the islands in Sydney Harbour – Yes, you read it right! Sydney Harbour hosts some amazing and beautiful islands with mind blowing views of the harbour. And these islands can be explored. Read 4 islands in Sydney Harbour post for all the details on visiting these islands.
  • Cockatoo Island hosts art installations and sculptures during the annual art festivals.
• Enjoy the beaches – There are so many beautiful beaches in Sydney that are worth visiting. Manly and Bondi are the most popular beaches. If you love to go for a swim, then Bondi Icebergs must be on your list of places to swim in Sydney.
• Visiting the museums – There are plenty of museums around the city that cater to everyone’s interests.
  • Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) is a great place to unleash the artist’s imagination and mind power. Read Art is where work meets love to see the pictures from the museum.
    • Website: https://www.mca.com.au/
  • Powerhouse Museum – This museum hosts really interesting exhibitions. At one time they had displayed the mummies from Egypt.
    • Website: https://maas.museum/powerhouse-museum/
  • Australian National Maritime Museum – This is a place where one can step into a submarine.
    • Website: https://www.sea.museum/

• See the famous art piece – There is a famous art piece in Sydney Central Business District (CBD) and it is called the ‘Forgotten Songs‘. This is a must-see in Sydney.
• Floating forest – There is an interesting place where one can see a floating forest at Sydney Olympic Park. The forest is on a 102 year old abandoned ship, which has fully grown mangrove trees. As part of Canon collective, I visited the the forest to take some pictures. The ship is the SS Ayrfield and is about 1140 tonnes. It now has fully grown mangrove trees.
• Street Art – Enjoy the street art at Newtown or Bondi beach.
• The Comic Walk – A fun thing to do in the Milsons Point is to do the comic walk which is a tribute to the Australian comic characters.

Adventure activities

Seasonal

• Jacarandas season – Sydney turns purple every spring. The spring starts in October and ends by December. Some of the places where Jacarandas can be viewed are in the Best places to find Jacarandas in Sydney.
• Cherry blossom – A Japanese garden in Auburn has a Cherry blossom festival every year. Refer Hanami flowers viewing for pictures.

Animals and wildlife

• Taronga Zoo – I loved this zoo. It has so many collections of animals and reptiles. And most importantly these animals and reptiles are treated very well.
  • Cuddle a koala and Seeing kangaroos – Cuddling and interacting with a koala must be on every traveler’s bucket list. And how can you miss out on the kangaroos or wallabies.
  • Website: https://taronga.org.au/sydney-zoo
• Featherdale Wildlife Park – Another place to see kangaroos in Sydney is at Featherdale Wildlife Park. At Featherdale, you can really get up close to Australia’s unique wildlife.
• Whale watching – Humpback whales migrate every year from South to North. The migrating season is from May till October. It is pretty amazing to see them up close. There are whale watching tours that are conducted where one is taken on a boat to see these gentle giants. Read Whale watching in Sydney for more information and pictures.

Religious sites

• Visit Helensburgh Temple – There is a famous Hindu temple with all the Hindu Gods and Goddesses in Helensburgh. It’s definitely worth a visit to pay respect to the Gods/Goddesses. Read Visit Helensburgh Temple for more details.
• St Mary’s Cathedral – One of the prominent landmarks in the city is the St Mary’s Cathedral and is around 180 years old.

Shopping

The most popular and the sasta (cheap) place to find souvenirs, clothes, bags, and other random things in Sydney is the Paddy’s Market in Haymarket. It is a great place to find a lot of stuff for a very cheap price. The place is open from 10 AM till 6 PM every day.

• Address: 9-13, Hay Street, Haymarket, Sydney 2000.
• Closest train station: Central station.
• Food: The market is right beside the Chinatown that has plenty of options to eat. And there is also a food court right above the market.

Nurses Walk in the Circular Quay is a great place for shopping. It is a perfect combination of shopping with history.

Free things to do in Sydney

There are plenty of things that can be done in Sydney for free.

• You can enjoy spectacular views of the harbour for free near Milsons Point (near Luna Park) and Balmain wharf.
• During the Sydney Vivid festival, you can enjoy the light projections on important landmarks in CBD for free.

• Darling harbour has fireworks on every Saturday night, you can enjoy those fireworks for free.
• Sydney has many coastal walks and you can enjoy these walks with breathtaking views for free.
• Enjoy the peaceful Royal Botanical Garden and learn about many species of trees and plants.

One day trips from Sydney

• Blue Mountains – Trip to Sydney is incomplete without visiting the Blue Mountains. The Blue Mountains is the range of mountains in the West of Sydney. Even though ‘Three sisters’ are very famous among the tourists, I love the other walks in the Blue Mountains.
  • Mt Wilson in the Blue Mountains is a great place to visit during the autumn season. It is famous for the beautiful gardens.
• Wollongong – Wollongong is definitely my favourite hangout as a day trip from Sydney. The coastal city is absolutely worth visiting and there are plenty of things to do. As it is only 80 kilometres from Sydney, it makes it a perfect one-day getaway.
• Kiama – The coastal town Kiama is around 120 kilometres from Sydney. This is a great one day trip from Sydney. The Kiama blowhole, lighthouse, and the Bombo beach are must-see places.
• Newcastle – Newcastle is a harbour city in New South Wales (NSW) state of Australia. Known for its beautiful beaches, this city is definitely one of my favourite cities to visit in NSW.
• Hunter Valley – The Hunter Region, also known as Hunter Valley, is one of the major wine regions in Australia. Known for its many wineries and shiraz wines, the Hunter Valley is in the state of New South Wales (NSW).
• Port Stephens – Port Stephens is a great place to witness the sand dunes. One can experience sand boarding here.
• Berry – A chilled out relaxing town is Berry. I love to visit this town for a relaxed one day trip.
• Sea Cliff Bridge – The Sea Cliff Bridge is the highlight on the Grand Pacific Drive.
• National Parks – There are really good national parks in and around Sydney. These national parks are great for picnics and walks. Refer the official website of NSW National Parks for all the details.
  • Royal National Park – Just about 1-hour drive from Sydney is this pretty national park. It is definitely the crown of all national parks. Refer Hikes/walks in Royal National Park for more details.
  • Bouddi National Park – 45 kilometres from Sydney, this national park has some renowned walks/hikes. Refer Hikes/walks in Bouddi National Park for more details.
  • Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park – This national park is the second oldest national park in Australia. It is just about 20 to 30 kilometres from Sydney. Refer Hikes/walks in Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park for more details.
  • Muogamarra Nature Reserve – Only open for 6 weekends in a year, this reserve is around 40 kilometres from Sydney. Refer Hikes/walks in Muogamarra Nature Reserve for more details.

There are plenty of places around Sydney that are great for weekend romantic getaways, for more information read romantic places around Sydney for couples.

Annual events and festivals

The city has annual events and festivals that showcase from colorful lights on the famous landmarks around the city to the indigenous culture. Read What’s on Sydney for information on what and when these events are conducted.

Hikes and Walks in Sydney

Sydney is blessed with amazing national parks and coastline. And this leads to abundant walks and hikes. Refer to my section – Hikes and Walks in Sydney for all the up-to-date information.

Itineraries

The biggest hurdle and time consuming thing while traveling is planning an itinerary. I understand that! So stress not, I have listed few itineraries one can follow and cover the important places.

• 10 days in Sydney – This itinerary is the most famous and searched on Google. It is ideal to spend 10 to 14 days in Sydney to enjoy and soak into this lively city.
• 24 hours in Sydney – Sometimes we do visit a city for a day, so this itinerary caters to those who have really short period of time but still want to see a few places.
• Top 5 things to do in Sydney – I also get it when we travelers have to prioritise the top few things to do or see in a city.
• 10 Insta worthy spots – There are plenty of landmarks and sites in Sydney that are worth taking lots of pictures and are definitely worth posting on Instagram.

If you are visiting Sydney for 4 days, then refer the 4 days itinerary in Sydney.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Sydney

Q: Where is Sydney located?

Sydney is the capital city of New South Wales (NSW) state on the east coast of Australia.

Q: What is Sydney famous for?

Sydney is famous for plenty of things, including the Sydney Opera House, and Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Q: Is Sydney Australia’s capital city?

No, Sydney is not the capital city of Australia. The capital city is Canberra which is around 3 hours drive from Sydney.

Q: Is Sydney cheap to visit and travel?

No, unfortunately Sydney is not a cheap city to visit and travel.

Q: Which is Australia’s oldest city?

Sydney is the oldest city of Australia.

Q: How do I get to Sydney?

The best way to get to Sydney is by flight. Sydney has two airport terminals, one for domestic and the other for international. Many airline providers operate through these airports. Jetstar is one of the affordable airlines.

Q: Where do I stay in Sydney?

Sydney has a wide variety of stay options. The accommodations cater for everyone, ranging from luxury to affordable options. Best places to stay are near Circular Quay, Darling Harbour, Town Hall, Wynyard and Central.

Q: Where can I see Kangaroos and Koalas in Sydney?

Traveling to Australia is incomplete without seeing the unique wildlife it has to offer. You can see Kangaroos and Koalas at Taronga Zoo (Sydney CBD) and Featherdale Wildlife Park.

Q: Which is better Taronga Zoo or Featherdale Wildlife Park?

Taronga Zoo is the most famous zoo in Sydney and has many animals and birds. But Featherdale is better as you can get up close to the animals as it is a small wildlife park.

Q: What are the best beaches I have to visit in Sydney?

Sydney has more than 100 beaches and each one of them is as beautiful as other. Some of the beaches that you have to visit are Bondi, Manly, Coogee and many more beaches.

Q: What are the adventurous things to do in Sydney?

Sydney is perfect for adventurous travelers too. You can climb the Harbour bridge, take a Jetboat, kayak around Sydney Opera House, zipline, learn to surf, scuba dive, Shark dive extreme at SeaLife Sydney and many more.

Q: Where can I get best views of Sydney Opera house and Harbour bridge?

There are many viewpoints where you can get amazing views of the city. Some of them are:

• Mrs Macquarie’s Chair.
• Balls Head Reserve in Waverton.
• Coastal walks such as Watsons Bay to Coogee beach, The Wulugul Walk, Hermitage Foreshore walk, and Harbour Foreshore Walk.

Q: How can I learn about aboriginal history and culture?

Led by Aboriginal guides, you can take a paid Barangaroo Aboriginal Cultural Tour that is held at Barangaroo. You can also see some of the aboriginal art at Grotto Point on the Spit Bridge to Manly coastal walk.

Q: What are the other heritage walks I can do in Sydney?

Sydney CBD has many heritage walks. You can do the Colonial Walks (Part 1 and Part 2), and Nurses walk.

Q: What are the islands that I can visit in Sydney Harbour?

Sydney is home to many islands and there are 4 islands that are open to public. You can also camp at Cockatoo island.

Q: What are the museums I can visit in Sydney?

Sydney has many interesting museums. Some of them that you can consider visiting are Powerhouse museum, Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), and Maritime museum.

Safety for Solo female travelers

There are no questions about the safety for solo female travelers in Sydney. It is an absolutely safe city and I have never faced any issues or problems as such in the past 10 years. I completely recommend traveling here solo without any inhibitions or doubts.

However, I would still take precautions like any other city in the World when I am traveling alone. Avoid lonely places and be cautious while traveling alone at night.

Closing Notes

Sydney is multicultural and caters to all kinds of travelers. It has so much to offer. The city must be on everyone’s list of places to see and travel to. As I mentioned at the beginning of my post, I love this city. It is a city that has its own character and charm. And I strongly feel that every traveler should definitely visit this amazing city at least once in their lifetime.

If you think I have missed out on some sightseeing places or have other recommendations, please feel free to comment on this post or write to me at Solopassport@gmail.com.

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