We recently spent a week in Sydney and although that seems like a fair amount of time, there’s so much to do in Sydney it’s impossible to do it all in one week (we’ll just have to go back…!). Here’s our top 5 favourite things to in Sydney that won’t break the bank.

1. Get a ferry to Manly?

I’d highly recommend getting one of the ferries that leave from the Harbour. It’s great to have a different viewpoint of the landmarks in the area and the boat to Manly steers right around the Opera House. Manly beach is in my opinion more relaxed and pretty than Bondi and the sand is a beautiful golden colour. Getting the ferry back at Sunset is such a magical view.

Cost: $19 each way 

2. Visit the Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains are a huge tourist attraction but it’s easy to see why. The vastness of the park and the blue haze is really stunning. You can take a train to Katoomba from Central Station for around $6 but it is the busiest place in the area. Wentworth falls is on the same line and is much quieter, although it’s a fair half an hour walk to the falls from the town (there’s a bus too but it’s not very frequent). If you have a car I’d recommend going to some of the less touristy places in the national park – this is a great read for this.

Cost: $6 each way on the train

3. Chill in the Botanic Gardens

If you’re not into nature it may sound boring but there’s actually so much more to these gardens. Head to Mrs Macquarie’s chair to get the best view back to the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. There’s also a great cafe hidden in the forest of beautiful trees.

Cost: Free!

4. Walk along Sydney Harbour Bridge

I’m not talking about the high up bridge walk that costs a fortune, there’s a footpath alongside the road that gives amazing views back to the city and the Opera House! Unfortunately, it’s not that obvious to find. The best way is to get a ferry to Milson’s Point and then follow the steps up to the bridge and walk back across it to towards the city.

Cost: Free!
(although you can pay $15 to walk up the steps to the viewpoint if you want some extra epic views!)

5. Get healthy vegan ice cream on Bondi Beach

Chachas do the best vegan ice cream in Sydney (I’ve been told – and it does have 5* reviews on Facebook and TripAdvisor so…. ) it was so so good. They also claim it to be refined sugar-free and HEALTHY! We may have tried almost every flavour until I finally settled on a mixture of Banana Caramel and Mango. YUM!

Cost: $6 for a small cup

This is just the beginning – Sydney has so many things to do I think we could spend a month here and still not get ’round them all. We stayed at Wake Up Sydney, a buzzing hostel right across the street from Central Station which means that with an opal card we could get anywhere in the city for really cheap! Big love to Wake Up for inviting us to stay for the week, if you’re looking for a lively hostel with the opportunity to meet some good people, this is the one!

Sydney has such a great friendly vibe for such a huge city and the beaches are some of the best we’ve ever experienced! It’s official we love it here and we will be back very soon!

About Jess Dixon

Jess, a blogger/photographer living a sustainable lifestyle and passionate about making the world a better place. Follow her journey @naturallynomadic_