Article mis à jour le 4 Feb 2025

What to do in Sydney: my complete guide to the city and its surroundings

Hello everyone! Before I tell you all about my little adventures and give you my opinion, my advice and make you dream about the magnificent city that is Sydney, let me introduce myself a little so you know who you’re dealing with! My name is Sacha, I’m 21 years old, I’m a geology master’s student, a firefighter and a photographer. I have two dreams in life: to travel around the world and to make a living from photography. So I was able to mix these two passions to give you a travel guide on what to do in Sydney, while enclosing some shots that I hope will thrill you as much as I do. So I leave you to discover, reflect and dream about your next trip to Australia with me!

Are you planning a vacation in Sydney but don’t know much about the city? Stay tuned as I tell you everything you need to know to leave with the best possible memories. You’ll need information on activities, accommodation, food and drink, transport, as well as handy tips on how to organize your stay. And even if you’re the kind of person who likes to improvise once you’re there, you can simply read on and get inspired for your adventure.

Happy reading!

Visiting Sydney: Contents

• Sydney’s most beautiful beaches on the East Coast
• Other beautiful beaches to discover
• Must-sees: what to do in Sydney?
• Things to do
• Walks and hikes
• What to do in downtown Sydney
• What to do in Sydney when it rains
• What to do in the evening Where to party?
• Visit the Blue Mountains
• Where to stay in Sydney
• Where to eat? My good addresses
• Getting around
• Other practical information

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Sydney’s most beautiful beaches on the East Coast

Where to swim?

As I’m sure sand-lovers already know, Sydney is home to many beaches, particularly on its east coast. We’ll focus on these first, as they’re the ones I know best and where you’ll find the most.

Let’s start with the most famous, Sydney’s must-see beaches.

🏖️ Bondi Beach

Bondi Beach is undoubtedly a must-have on your list. This beach is perfect for alternating sunbathing, shopping and lunch/dining. In fact, as you stroll along, you’ll find a grid of streets filled with the kind of attractive restaurants and souvenir stores we love.

You can also take surfing lessons if the weather’s on your side. I did it once, and I highly recommend it: you’ll rarely get the chance to ride in such beautiful conditions. For those more reluctant to face the waves and the beasts that lurk in the water, two seawater pools are accessible via the Bondi Icebergs club ($8 for adults and $5.50 for children and senior citizens).

From dawn to dusk, any time of day is an ideal time to take a dip (as are most of Sydney’s beaches). Surprisingly, I found Bondi Beach quite quiet compared with its world-famous reputation, which makes it a good address even for those who like space, like me.

🏖️ Coogee Beach

Coogee Beach, a little further south, may be less well-known than its neighbor, but it’s just as worth a visit. It is sheltered from the waves by a small island called Wedding Cake Island, which breaks the swell, making it easily accessible for children. Like Bondi, there are natural swimming pools, including one reserved for women (Mclver’s ladies baths).

There are also markets here on certain days. I went to the Saturday market, where you can find vendors selling clothes, local food and souvenirs – in short, a paradise for tourists and locals alike.

🏖️ Bronte Beach

If you’re looking for a friendlier spot, I recommend Bronte Beach. It’s the ideal place to book in one of the roadside cafés, soak up the sun or play ball on the surrounding lawns. Watch out for the chicken bins, who won’t hesitate to steal every crumb of food you leave at your feet! With its natural swimming pool, this is one of my favorite beaches in Sydney.

🏖️ Clovelly Beach, a beautiful cove in Sydney

Heading down the coast, you’ll come to Clovelly Beach, a quiet little cove. It’s particularly interesting for parents with young children because of the absence of swell and the large swimming pool.

🏖️ Maroubra Beach

Maroubra Beach is one of the most popular surfing spots in the world, with gigantic waves designed for seasoned surfers. It’s also an ideal spot for sunset lovers. Mix that with a good picnic, a few beers and you’re all set!

For swimmers, be careful as the swell is often considerable.

🏖️ My favorite swimming spot in Sydney

For me, Gordons Bay is one of Sydney’s best swimming spots. Bordered by rocks on which you can sit, it’s perfect for fishing, snorkelling, sunbathing, swimming and more. The water is turquoise even on bad weather days! It’s a popular spot for young people, and places to land can be a little tricky if you want to get away from it all.

For lovers of white sand, this beach is unfortunately not for you. In fact, the small sandy part of the beach is often covered in seaweed.

What to do in Sydney: other beautiful beaches to discover

☀️ Head north to Watson Bay, with Camp Cove beach offering a splendid view of the city when the sky is clear. It’s a friendly place, surrounded by beautiful walks like the one to Hornby Lighthouse, where you’ll pass Lady Bay beach. The latter is very quiet and untouched by tourism, no doubt due to its size and accessibility. Cafés and restaurants are a plus, but still expensive. To give you an example, we paid $52 for fish and chips. So pack a picnic if you’re on a budget.

🏖️ Manly beach

Far too underrated for my taste, the most beautiful beaches are to be found in Sydney’s northern suburbs. Much wilder, they are especially popular with locals.

Manly Beach is the best known, with its two kilometers of white sand, which I encourage you to walk or cycle along. It’s the beach where I felt the most free, as everything is huge, high and far away compared to the other southern beaches. I’m not a big fan of beaches, but I really felt at home here. In the same style of wild beach to the north of Sydney, you’ll find South Curl Curl Beach and Long Reef Beach. You’ll also find several natural swimming pools, which are rarely visited!

⚠️ Please note that most beaches are supervised, so I strongly advise against swimming when signs forbid it or when supervision has ended. Don’t forget to wear sun cream (factor 50). The UV index is much higher than in France.

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Must-sees: what to do in Sydney?

The things to do in Sydney are almost endless. To make sure you never get bored, here are a few must-dos, rain or shine.

What’s better than having your nose outside when the sun’s out? What I find great about Sydney is that, as well as having all the qualities required of a big city (buildings, restaurants, activities, transport, etc.), it’s also very green. There are trees, flowers, parks and gardens everywhere. Sometimes you even wonder if you’re still in Sydney.

Sydney’s parks

The best-known park is the Royal Botanic Garden, right next to the Opera House. It’s a huge park with a wide variety of exhibits (I recommend the Rain Forest exhibit if it’s still available). It’s the perfect place to stroll among the flowers, picnic or read in the shade. It’s a green oasis in the middle of the CBD.

The city’s largest park is Centennial Park. You can tour it by bike or test out some fun vehicles (rental company present in the park), on rollerblades or on foot to stroll off the tarmac paths (the rhymes were unintentional).

In Sydney, dogs are king, so there are parks and facilities for them everywhere: special taps at their height, bags to collect their poo, etc. All this is to say that if you’re planning to visit Sydney, you’ll want to take advantage of the park’s many facilities. All in all, if you’re planning to bring your pooch, he’ll be delighted.

Another must-see is the Chinese Garden of Frienship. You feel like you’re stepping into China when you enter. There is an entrance fee (€7), but it’s well worth it. You’ll see the country’s architecture, colorful vegetation and animals.

Taronga Zoo

For animal lovers, Taronga Zoo is one of the most beautiful zoos I’ve visited in any country. The infrastructure is incredible, and the animals are well cared for and easy to see. I wouldn’t recommend going on a weekend when the weather’s fine, as it’s likely to be crowded. It’s better to go on a weekday or on a grey day – it won’t lose any of its charm, I promise! If you want to see it all, you can plan to spend a whole day there, as you won’t be able to do it in two hours. It’s also very pleasant to go there even just for a stroll, as there’s vegetation everywhere.

There’s everything you need to eat and water fountains to quench your thirst. You can also watch a variety of shows, including birds, seals, penguins, giraffes and more. You can even take part in a feeding experience if you book in advance. Personally, I took part in the penguin feeding, so I was able to get up close to the animals and ask the groomers lots of questions.

I recommend that you book your tickets in advance. You can even take the package with the return ferry trip.

Things to do in Sydney

🏄‍♀️ Surfing

Another activity I’ve tried and approved of is, of course, surfing. It’s the coast’s flagship sport, and it’s easy to see why when you see Australian surfers at work. Most of the time, the instructors are pretty baba-cool and go out of their way to make sure you get the most out of it. There are plenty of surf schools along almost every beach, but you can also rent your board directly if you’re experienced or just a person with a lot of ego. Check out GetYourGuide to find a top-rated course!

🌊 Scuba diving

I had the opportunity during this trip to try my hand at a brand new activity: scuba diving. There are many diving schools in Sydney, and I personally did my training with ProDive, with fantastic and patient instructors. As a result, I was able to obtain my Open Water diploma, which allows me to dive independently to a depth of 20 m. I completed the course in 3 days, starting with theory, followed by pool dives and finally ocean dives. The sensation of floating in the water is insane once you’ve mastered the equipment, and the seabed around Sydney’s beaches is beautiful. I particularly enjoyed diving at Shelly Beach, where I spotted huge Blue Groper, different types of sharks and other superb fish. You can also book a snorkeling trip.

Hikes and walks in Sydney

If there’s one thing you can do everywhere and all the time in Sydney without ever getting bored, it’s walking. There are endless possibilities for wonderful walks and hikes in and around the city.

➡️ Coastal walks

Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach

These are incredible, with cliffs, ocean and numerous whales to be seen depending on the season. I’m thinking in particular of the Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach walk, which gives you a glimpse of most of the beautiful beaches along the coast. Don’t forget to visit Waverley Cemetery, which is well worth the detour, with its impressive white buildings that make you feel like you’re floating. Hundreds of graves surrounded by flowers facing the ocean make for a very calm and soothing place. If you’ve got the energy, you can go all the way to Maroubra Beach.

📍Count about 2h between Bondi and Coogee and extend to 3h to reach Maroubra. These are average times, but you can do it faster with a good pace, or just take your time admiring the scenery.

Manly Beach to South Curl Curl Beach

Another great coastal walk is the one between Manly beach and South curl curl beach. The area is much wilder and the beaches are just as beautiful. The finish is at North Curl Rockpool, which is natural and can harbor bugs, so be careful where you step. You can always stop in downtown Manly on the way back for a drink or to buy souvenirs. The other advantage of this walk is that you can take the ferry to get there quickly if you’re staying in the southern part of Sydney. If you look carefully, you’ll recognize the view that inspired a certain must-see Disney (clue with a clown fish that starts with Né and ends with Mo).

Short-lived events

There are a huge number of events scheduled throughout the year, and they change regularly, so it’s a good idea to find out in advance what’s going on during your trip. There are, however, a few that recur every year, such as Sculptures by the Sea. This is an open-air exhibition of around 100 sculptures between Tamarama Beach and Bondi Beach. The exhibition takes place around October/November. I think it’s great fun to stroll along the ocean and look at works of art, especially as some of them are really impressive and thought-provoking.

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What to do in downtown Sydney?

Sydney’s city center is obviously not to be missed. The CBD is just magnificent, with its buildings and the inevitable Opera House to stroll around. For around €200, you can also climb to the top of the Harbour Bridge and admire Sydney from a height of 134 m (beware of vertigo). It’s really an activity not to be missed, and one you should book in advance!

Other districts

• As you walk along the coast to the Harbour Bridge, you’ll come across a district I really like, the Rocks. It’s a historic district full of bars, cafés and pretty houses. It’s got a bit of a vintage, Peaky Blinders vibe, which I love.
• The area around Cockle bay is brand new and super cool, very modern.
• Of course, I also went to Chinatown, which feels like a different country. It’s a really nice area with lots of typical Chinese things, food of course, stores and markets. It’s quite small, so you can get around it quickly. That said, I really recommend you try out the different restaurants.

📌 Unusual hike

I also did a little hike in the Harold Reid Reserve and you’d think you were in the middle of the bush and not a stone’s throw from a big city. Unfortunately, you can’t swim along the coast, but it’s still a beautiful place. It’s also a great place to go wildlife-watching. But don’t forget to stay on the path to avoid encountering dangerous animals!

Markets in Sydney

There are a huge number of markets scattered all over the city, changing according to the season or the day. I’ve been to a few, and they’re all very nice.

• Kirribilli Market is the first one I did, it’s quite big but most of the stalls are poor quality clothes, not ideal for backpackers…
• The market just behind Coogee beach is a little more diversified and ideal for buying small gifts. The food is also very good.
• The third market I went to was Glebe Market, which has a similar mood to Coogee, with food, clothing stalls and vintage and handicraft stalls.
• And finally, the Rocks Market. The district itself is already beautiful, but the weekend market is even nicer. Full of original stalls, the only downside is that everything is a bit pricey…

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What to do in Sydney when it’s raining?

Is it raining and you don’t feel like stepping outside? Don’t panic, there are just as many things to do in Sydney indoors as outdoors.

Museums to visit

Let’s talk about museums, a classic but very interesting activity that can appeal to everyone. There’s something for everyone, from art to history to science. For art museums, the best known is the Art Gallery of NSW, located in the Botanical Gardens. There are plenty of art forms on display, and exhibitions change regularly. It’s a free museum, which makes it all the more attractive 🙂 Inside are exhibits by artists from all over the world, including Aboriginal art. The museum is huge and I personally didn’t have the courage to visit it all (I stopped after 3h anyway).

📍 Museum of Contemporary Art

A second well-known art museum is the Museum of Contemporary Art. So beware sensitive souls, this museum presents some pretty original and sometimes quite offbeat exhibitions. Personally, I really enjoyed them, and found the works to be truly original, but not to everyone’s taste. The museum is also free, so you’ve got nothing to lose by going.

📍 Museum of Natural History

For those who aren’t too into Art, the Natural History Museum is an absolute must-see. It was recently redone and is very interesting. Even if you don’t read all the information (there’s a lot), just looking at all the animals is enough to take a tour.

📍 Two other museum tips

Due to lack of time I didn’t do the Madame Tussauds museum, where you can find characters made in life-size wax, but there’s nothing to stop you from taking a tour. I’m sure you’ve seen these creations on the networks. You can get your tickets in advance.

The National Maritime Museum is a must-see. You can climb into boats and visit old Australian army warships, as well as a submarine! It’s a truly incredible experience (to be avoided if you’re claustrophobic). As well as visiting the ships, there’s an area dedicated to the history of Australia’s colonization, with regularly changing exhibits. Entrance to the museum with access to the boats costs $25, i.e. around €15, but it’s well worth the price.

The Sydney Opera House: a must-see

A classic to visit is the Sydney Opera House. You can hire guides to explain its history and architecture. I didn’t do it, but I think it’s a very interesting visit. Count $45 per person for a visit. I decided to talk about this icon of the city in this rainy part for its visit, but it’s obvious that going to see it on an orange sunny day at the end of the day is something to do in your life! You can pick up your ticket for the guided tour.

Sydney Aquarium

If you prefer living things, head for the recently refurbished Sydney Aquarium. You can take a pass that includes admission to the aquarium, the Wildlife Zoo and Madame Tussauds. It really is THE pass to take in Sydney. But you can also buy a single entry pass. The aquarium is often packed, and not for nothing. You’ll see plenty of unusual species, including Pig, one of only two captive Dugongs in the world. It’s a soothing place, with fish wandering all around you. Right next to the aquarium, you can access the Wildlife Sydney Zoo, which is sheltered, so you can visit it even in the rain. Despite its small size, it features most of Australia’s iconic species. I enjoyed it just as much as its big brother, because you’re up close to the animals.

What to do in Sydney Other activities when it rains

➡️ For sports enthusiasts

For the more amateur, there are many gyms everywhere, but the prices are quite high ($70 per week). Personally, I’ve mostly been to climbing gyms, where people are very friendly and open to discussion. The routes are suitable for all levels. I went to 9 degrees, which has several gyms in the city, and I don’t regret my choice – I was able to progress very quickly! As far as prices are concerned, you get a whole week unlimited (slippers not included -> 7€ for each session except the first) for 17€. Then I paid 49€ again for two weeks.

➡️ For artists

For those of you with an artistic bent, I’ve discovered a really cool idea for couples, friends or family: ceramic painting. You pay the price of the object you wish to paint (between $25 and $150) and you have full access to paint and all kinds of accessories that will enable you to create a real work of art. Please note that this activity is reserved for those who have the space to take their work home, and who stay long enough to collect it after firing (which takes between 2 and 3 weeks).

➡️ Where to shop in Sydney?

What could be better than shopping when the weather’s not so good? There are plenty of shopping centers to choose from. Bondi Junction is easily accessible and contains all kinds of clothing stores, restaurants, supermarkets, bazaars, pharmacies and more.

The Town Hall shopping center is also well worth a visit, combined with the Queen Victoria Building. I highly recommend a visit here, as you can lose yourself in the floors of these absolutely phenomenal buildings for shopping or just wandering around.

The Queen Victoria Building is a little fancier. Take a look just to admire its architecture, decoration and luxury boutiques.

Also worth a visit is Eastgardens shopping center, with its wide variety of stores. In addition to shopping malls, thrift stores are also very well developed in Sydney. Vinnies is a second-hand clothing chain, but there are many others.

➡️ Bookshops in Sydney

If you love books and are looking for a new story, there are plenty of bookshops. Most have international sections, where you can find French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese and other books. My favorites are Abbey’s and Kinokuniya, on the Town Hall level. You can also relax with a good book at the State Library of NSW, which is (almost) worthy of the Harry Potter library.

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🥳 What to do at night in Sydney?

Where to party?

Sydney has a great nightlife. For party-goers, there are concerts (free or paying), bars and nightclubs. Don’t forget to take your ID with you, as bouncers are very strict about this and don’t accept digital versions.

A very nice area to visit at night is Oxford Street, where there are lots of clubs, bars (gay or not) and dragshows. I also had a karaoke night there, but don’t be afraid of the ridiculous if you want to venture out!

Cabarets

I had the incredible opportunity to attend a burlesque cabaret show at the Sydney Opera House. If you get the chance to see a show there don’t miss it, it’s a magical experience. Apart from the show, it gives you a glimpse inside the Opera House. You can then dress up and enjoy a drink on the waterfront terrace to round off the evening.

Luna Park

Another not-to-be-missed attraction is Luna Park. With its giant clown head at the entrance, it’s a permanent funfair and the ideal place for thrill-seekers.

The fireworks

For fireworks fans, you have of course the New Year’s Eve fireworks in Sydney which is one of the most beautiful in the world in my humble opinion. Prepare to be in the middle of the crowd, some go there in the morning to have a place.

Not to mention New Year’s Day, there are also regular fireworks, including the summer fireworks that take place between November and February at Cockle Bay. It’s a great idea for an evening, especially since you can go and have a drink in the many bars that border the bay, like the Cargo Bar which is one of the most famous.

(c) Tom Hill Photo Credit

The Halloween Party

For Halloween, there are many events that are organized and the houses are mostly decorated for this theme. Australians, much like the Americans, are very invested for the various parties and decorations are often very distracting. There is a festival that takes place especially for the occasion, the Ghostfestival, where there are bars, concerts or movies (horror of course) broadcast outdoors.

The music festivals

There are of course music festivals quite regularly, which change according to the seasons. In summer, you can find the greatest rock or metal stars at the Good things festival. In winter, you can attend Vivid Sydney, a festival that brings together international artists but also the rising stars of the moment. I don’t present all the existing festivals, it would be very long!

So here is my small (big) list of activities to do in all weather, all seasons and night as day!

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😍 Bonus to do around Sydney: the Blue Mountains

In addition to the city of Sydney itself and all the facets it offers, you also have the option of travelling to the Blue Mountains by train, renting a car or booking the tour with transport and lunch. It’s only an hour drive and it’s really exotic. I didn’t expect anything when I went there and I was anything but disappointed with the trip.

There are many hikes to do in the middle of the bush, with waterfalls and rivers. There are many activities like canyoning or climbing. You can also visit the small villages around. I advise you to go to the point of view of the Three Sisters to stay a good time on the landscape. Go there early in the morning to avoid the world. If you have a drone like me, it’s heaven.

Where to stay in the Blue Mountains?

Personally, I stayed at the YHA hostel in Katoomba and the experience was really beneficial to meet new people. It is a village that is the starting point of many walks and from which you can access a lot of activities. There are also some art galleries that you can visit on a rainy day. If you want more sensations, you have the possibility of camping, but ask well because it is a protected territory.

For a little more comfort, I can recommend this hotel, a 4.5 star hotel at a reasonable price.

Where to stay in Sydney?

You know where to swim and what to do in Sydney, now it would be nice to know where to sleep.  I won’t hide the fact that staying in Sydney is quite complicated and expensive, but far from impossible.

For a holiday in Sydney

Where you want to live depends on the type of trip you want to take. You don’t necessarily need to be in the city centre to be at the heart of the activities. In addition, the city is very well served by transport, as you will see later.

You need to know which type of accommodation is best for you. If you are alone or with friends, go to a youth hostel , it promotes meetings! There are very good hostels everywhere in Sydney. The prices are between 20€ and 40€ per person per night, depending on the location and if you choose dorm or private room. For my part, I lived a few days in a youth hostel during a stay in the Blue Mountains and it was a really cool experience! There are common areas to meet other travelers with games rooms, a large kitchen, gardens, sofas, etc.

➡️ Recommended hostels in Sydney

• Nate’s place Sydney: located in the district of Darlinghurst, a few bus stops from the hyper center, this hostel offers a rooftop canon! From $20 per night per person.
• The Pod Sydney: Located in a business district, 10 minutes from the train station, this hostel has a good reputation. Prices start at $40 per person per night.

➡️ Recommendations of hotels and apartments in Sydney

If you want a little more privacy and quiet, I recommend hotel, apartment or Airbnb.  There are many housing opportunities, with very variable prices but that remain generally quite high, especially near the beaches or CBD.

• Ace hotel Sydney: it is clearly the 5* hotel to book for pleasure. It is ideally located with a beautiful decoration. A gym is available and loaners can be borrowed. You can find overnight stays for less than $200 per night!
• YEHS Hotel Sydney CBD: best value in the city centre. The Opera House, Harbour Bridge, The Rocks and Circular Quay are all within 10 minutes by public transport.
• Meriton Suites Campbell Street: great for savings, because you can make yourself a meal. The Meriton Suites are well-known. It is equipped with an indoor pool, a gym and a sauna!

Where to stay in Sydney?

For long stays, it is better to prefer apartment rental. The searches may seem long so hang on! The game is worth it.  You can find apartments for rent on Booking or other similar platforms like Flatmates, but the best is to register in Facebook groups. People leaving their place in a dwelling send a message and it is to the one who will respond the fastest.

For shared flats, you’ll find between 180€ and 370€ per week (and yes, everything is paid per week in Sydney). For solo apartments, you can count a little more.  The most popular areas are the neighborhoods near the beaches (Bronte, Clovelly, Bondi Beach). For me these are the best due to their good location, close to beaches but also not far from the CBD by transport.

Another good area to stay in Sydney is Manly, where you can enjoy another more local and wild aspect of the city. The only downside is that it’s located far from downtown and the beaches of the South, but you have Manly Beach!

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Where to eat in Sydney?

☕️ My favourite cafes in Sydney

I must first tell you about the cafes in Sydney!

You can find them really everywhere in the city and they are, in my opinion, much better than in France and cheaper. Be careful not to be dependent on it as I am! I drank between 2 and 3 a day and felt a lack of juice when I was deprived. These coffees are mostly very good atmosphere. You can take it to go, as you sit on the spot while talking with other customers.

You will realize for yourself that these places are very busy, especially early in the day because the Australians are very early and love to have a coffee after their sport. I really suggest you to get up early one morning to admire the sunrise, run if you want and enjoy a good coffee on the beach!

Before I take away the gluttons that are there, I must inform you that it is not really time to eat here. If in France you have breakfast at 8 am, lunch at 12 pm and dinner at 8 pm, here it is unexpected! You want to get up at 11:00 and eat at 16:00, lots of people do that. Or get up at 6:00 and eat at 10:30, we don’t care! I must say that at first it was strange, but with time we get used to it and I like this rhythm very much. Anyway, let’s go to the solid.

There are no bad places to eat in Sydney. What will determine your next address to fill your belly will be your desire for the moment and your budget.

🍤 Where to eat Asian in Sydney?

If you like Asian food like me, run to the Chinatown area where you can eat all kinds of dishes like gyozas, ramens, hotpots and many more. You will also find sushi, but I did not notice any significant difference with other areas where you can eat it as easily. At the level of prices, you can eat with a small budget (between 5 and 15 € for a meal depending on your hunger and the restaurant).

In addition to this fabulous cuisine, the Chinatown district will offer you a number of activities to do and really nice walks in the typical alleys.

➡️ My addresses in the CBD

If you are looking for gastronomy, it is easy to guess that you should head to the CBD (not hemp as I thought at first, but the Central Business District… the city center what). In addition to being able to eat all kinds of cuisines, you will often have a great view of the port, even the Opera and the Harbour Bridge.

I recommend the bars and restaurants between Circular Quay and the Opera, it is a bit expensive but worth it for the atmosphere and the view.

I also ate in a very good Indian restaurant (The Spice Room), but be careful if you do not like the spicy food. I ate a basic unspiced dish and almost cried 🤣.

You will also find in the CBD of cheap fast food, and that is more than enough.

❤️ Where to eat in Darling Harbour?

Darling Harbour is one of my favourite neighbourhoods, high on the podium because of its diversity of restaurants and bars, but also with the atmosphere that is found there. It is a perfect mix of modernity, beautiful buildings and vegetation. You can admire this beautiful area from a variety of restaurants around the port: gastronomy, brasserie, sandwiches, fast food and… SUSHI TRAIN! Then I must tell you about this gift of the gods.

You’ll find them everywhere in Sydney and it’s both heaven and hell. You eat unlimited by catching on a treadmill of beautiful sushi and other Asian dishes that you can also order à la carte. The cooks are usually right in front of you, which makes it even more appetizing. However, you pay the price of the color of the plate: a blue plate for example will cost little (2 or 3 $ or less than 2 €) and will be composed of sushi «classic» in a set of 6 usually, while a gold plate with sashimis, tuna, shrimp will cost up to 7 or 8 €. Count on an average of 20 to 30€ per person if you are hungry.

➡️ Where to eat in East Sydney?

To finish with my food recommendations, I must tell you about the neighborhood where I lived during these 3 months and where I ate a good number of times: Eastern Suburbs, or the East Districts of Sydney. This includes the area between Watson Bay and Maroubra.

Catering will usually be cheaper and close to the beaches. I highly recommend this place to find quickly and easily a place to eat. The Bondi Junction area is just perfect for cheap meals and you will find a huge shopping center for everyone.

To get back to the beaches, Bondi Beach, Coogee Beach and Bronte Beach are the best choices because of the many cafes where you can have breakfast, lunch or just a coffee. I highly recommend two places that are the Birichina Café (run by frenchies) and Bells Hot Chicken in Bondi Beach and Lazy Frog in Bronte. Coogee Beach is perhaps the most «gastro» in my opinion.

These beaches will therefore offer you a great variety of food combined with fabulous sunrises.

💰 My tips for eating in Sydney according to your budget

Now that we’ve seen where, we need to know what to eat. As everywhere, you will find fast food style (Burger King, MacDonald, Betty’s Burger, etc.) for small budgets or if you are limited in terms of time. Small preference for Betty’s Burger on my side. 😉 The prices are rather equivalent to France, may be slightly cheaper.

In the same budget range you will find some small simple restaurants, but they are usually the cafes I was talking about earlier. Small practical tip for sushi fans, to avoid ruining yourself at the Sushi Train, go to the level of the stands of sushi in shopping centers at the end of the day, prices are generally halved because of unsold, but it’s still very good and cheap (less than 10€ for several sushi, ramens, bowls…)

For a slightly more generous budget (20-40€ per person), you have… the SUSHI TRAIN, more complete dishes in cafes and restaurants of higher quality.  You can also indulge in the very good restaurants, often hidden in the streets or on top of the tallest towers of the city, such as the Sydney Tower Dining. This address is not for everyone, but if you are looking for a luxury experience with a breathtaking view of Sydney while enjoying gourmet dishes, climb up there!

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Getting around in Sydney

Despite the city’s huge size, getting from point A to point B is fast thanks to all the transport available: bus, metro, train, tram, ferry, electric bike, taxi, Uber, etc.

🚌 Public transport in Sydney

Already, the difference between train, metro and tram, do not try to understand: even I have given up. 😂 Basically, it seems to me that trains are for the longest distances and often connect the suburbs and suburban area to the CBD (for example between Bondi Junction and Martin Place). The tram is comparable to what we have in France, for small distances in the CBD. And finally the subway, it’s like trains in smaller and faster…

In short, it’s a bazaar so do not worry about names, just put your destination on Google Maps or Plans and follow the recommended transport.

Buses run really everywhere in the city, so this is the most used mode of transport. Also, public transport is much more pleasant in general because people are extremely respectful! I noticed it mostly on the buses. For example, it is very common to see strangers talking and laughing together, or joining conversations by chance. There are also a large number of priority places for disabled people, pregnant women or the elderly. And you can be sure that if people are sitting on these seats and a priority person gets on the bus, everyone gets up and offers their seat, which is unfortunately very rare in France.

You will also find the most fun to take to navigate in the Australian metropolis: the ferry! It’s already much cheaper than paying for a boat trip and it’s just as good. I have taken the ferry sometimes just to take a boat trip and honestly it is really worth it. I recommend the Circular Quay to Manly route, which will offer you a high trip in landscapes, sensation if there is a little swell, and a destination not to be missed. The ferry network is very developed and has stops in most points of interest (opera, zoo, amusement parks, beaches…).

Public transport rates

For the prices, despite what you can see on the internet, it’s cheap! You are already capped at 16$ (10€) per day, so once this amount is reached, you do not pay anymore when you move. Also, when you do multiple trips in a short time, you pay less.

As an example, between Waverley and Bondi Junction, I pay $ 1.24 or 0.76 € (for 10 min bus). To go by train from Bondi Junction – Martin Place (CBD) it’s less than 5$ (less than 3€). You can pay either with your phone in contactless (Apple Pay, Google Pay…) or you can get a OPAL card, on which you can credit money and set up an automatic renewal.

A really cool detail too, you can take trains for long distances from Centrale to go to Newcastle for example and it is really cheap (- 10$) for 3h train. Small parenthesis on this city to visit if you have time!

So overall public transport in Sydney is cheap, fast and fun!

🚗 The VTC

You will also find the classic taxis like Uber that we all know. To return from parties this can be convenient, but more expensive (about the same price as in France). so Pfavor so transport if you have time and want to save money. Personally I ordered twice: once for an evening return because I was tired and the transport took almost 1 hour, and once because the Harbour Bridge was blocked due to an accident.

Another application that I highly recommend because of its much lower price than Uber: DIDI. It’s much cheaper (often half as much as Uber) while remaining just as efficient. It is available in all major cities and even in most less touristy areas. The only negative point I found there is sometimes the time searching for a driver. Sometimes I had to cancel the search because of a driver who did not arrive or a long waiting time. I was reimbursed each time so nothing dramatic. Generally if you are really in a hurry take Uber, and if you have time try with DIDI.

🚲 Bicycles

Sydney is a bike-friendly hell. So for electric bikes it is still passable because you can ride on the road with care, but for «normal» bicycles, you must alternate between sidewalk, road, the few bike paths and wait very long minutes at each traffic light or pedestrian crossing! I used a bike for a round trip from Waverley to Alexandria, the estimated time on Maps was 45 minutes, I took almost 1h15. So you can rent electric bikes or scooters, but forget about the old bike.

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What to do in Sydney during your trip to Australia: other practical information

In writing this guide, I am also here to give you feedback and advice based on MY experience in Sydney. So I had to do a little bit about the things that can make a difference in your comfort and wallet. A very good advice that I can give you in order to find good plans whether for housing or to do activities: talk with people! Australians are incredibly kind, open-minded, patient and friendly. Even if I give you good advice, the best plans will often come out of the mouths of locals.

☀️ When to go to Sydney?

For example you may wonder what is the best time to come here on holiday?

There is not really a big gap between the seasons unlike in France. They have more 2 seasons than 4, even if theoretically we can talk about spring, summer, autumn and winter. There is a cooler season during which temperatures vary between 10 and 20 degrees (between March and August), and a warmer season between 20 and 35 degrees (between September and February). Yes, the seasons are reversed here!

During their summer, the locals go on vacation but the western tourists arrive, so it comes to the same thing.  So I can’t really advise you not to come at a certain time, although bathing in warm weather is more enjoyable. If you are looking for a job, the recruitment takes place around December, but I will detail this aspect of work in another article.

Where to book your flight ticket?

When you travel, it is important to manage your expenses well and I am here to save you from paying 2,000€ a round trip to Sydney!

I strongly recommend the Skyscanner app to search for your flights. For having spent hundreds of hours on price comparison, this is really the best. Be careful however on one point: once your search is done, you will be offered several sites to buy your ticket and many are very cheap but very poorly rated when looking at the returns. I’m not saying these sites are scams but I prefer to avoid them for safety. At your own risk if you want to book on!

I always went through Booking (thanks to Skyscanner) because I already found flights that were not directly on the Booking application but which I had access to discounted prices through the comparator (I do not know if it is a bug but it is convenient). I also contacted a flight booking professional who gave me positive feedback from Trip.com so you can use this site as well. Booking remains for me the safest and despite the opinion of many people, the cheapest very often if we look well!

For my part, I paid a one way ticket to Sydney from Paris with a stop at 16h in Xiamen for less than 500€ (on Booking with Skyscanner). This price included my checked baggage and insurance at 50€. I booked the flight about 8 months in advance. I advise you to go through applications or to put yourself in private browsing to avoid that the sites inflate the prices after your multiple passages on their internet pages!

📱 Which SIM card to buy in Australia?

Who says other country, also says new SIM card. You will see comparisons between several operators such as Telstra, Optus, Vodafone or Aldi Mobile. I have only one simple tip for you: go buy a prepaid card at any Coles or Woolworths style supermarket. I bought mine at Woolworths and paid 30$ or less than 20€ for 70 GB of internet with unlimited calls and SMS. It’s much easier than ordering a package on the internet or going to a store. You just need to put the SIM card in your phone, activate it with a link and that’s it. You can set up an automatic renewal.

And also practical, at Optus with Amaysim in any case, every month when your data is updated, the 70gb are added to your data of the previous month if you have any left! This is not reset to 0.

Which travel insurance to choose?

If you are planning, you must have thought about taking out travel insurance. I personally use Chapka which covers all medical expenses and even flight related concerns. I paid 150€ for 3 months. Fortunately I will not be able to give you a real return because I did not need it.

However, I know that friends of mine have used it and that it has always been effective and cheap.

Dangerous animals in Sydney

Ha yes and last thing! You will not die eaten by snakes or spiders! Already in Sydney there are very few or no very dangerous species. And in all cases, current medicine can treat almost any case of bites or stings. So you have nothing to fear unless you run naked in the jungle or desert, alone, 300 km from the nearest town.

To tell you all I have not met any snake during these 3 months while I did several excursions, even in the forest at night. I just saw the same species of harmless spider in the house several times, that’s all!

I’m not saying it’s completely risk-free but from my 3 month experience in Sydney I’ve never been confronted with a dangerous species. And I would like to reassure people that there is an army of bloodthirsty magpies waiting for them at the airport, because yes, your worst enemy will be… Attention you are not ready… FLY! I imagine you think she will lay eggs in your eyelids but no, they just follow you and land on you for no reason until her tiny brain finds interest elsewhere. 😂

In any case, believe me, your eyes will be so busy with all the other wonderful animals that live here that you will quickly forget your apprehensions.

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I sincerely hope that this little guide has been able to pique your curiosity about the wonderful country of Australia or that it will have helped you plan your next trip to Sydney. I would recommend this country to all profiles of people, from the large family who loves the rhythm dodo – cocktails – beach, to the lone adventurer wanting to go on a trip in the mountains or by motorcycle, or even to the student couple who are tired of law studies and would like to take a year in van to the other side of the world! So stop dreaming and get your ticket!

See you soon 😉,

Sachka Photographer