Sydney Travel Guide
Stay in Sydney
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Best Sydney Hotels for New Years Eve Fireworks – Hotels with Harbour Views
The best Sydney hotels for New Years Eve fireworks are hotels with harbour views. A hotel room with harbour vistas is your best bet for watching the Sydney New Years…
Best Sydney Boutique Hotels in the City Centre and Inner City for a Sydney Staycation
The best Sydney boutique hotels in the Sydney city centre and inner city for a Sydney staycation have loads of personality and ooze history, from glamorous QT Sydney in the…
Accomodation
Insurance
Eat in Sydney
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Spicy Potato Wedges Recipe With Sweet Chilli Sauce and Sour Cream
Our spicy potato wedges recipe takes the classic Australian café, pub and bar snack of potato wedges with sweet chilli sauce and sour cream and gives it a spicy Asian…
Best Sydney Restaurants – The Tables You Need to Book Before Your Next Trip
The best Sydney restaurants include everything from chef Peter Gilmore’s Quay, undoubtedly Sydney’s most exciting gastronomic experience, and Bennelong in the iconic Sydney Opera House to Neil Perry’s Rockpool Bar…
Drink in Sydney
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Christmas Cocktail Recipes and Tips From Sydney’s Best Bars
When we spent Christmas in Australia last year we shared some Christmas cooking and gift tips from Australia’s finest chefs. As we recently left Sydney, where we’d been researching Sydney’s small bar scene,…
A Local Guide to the Sydney Small Bar Scene
One of the things we love about our favourite city in Australia is the Sydney small bar scene. The abundance of small bars that have flourished since new liquor licensing…
Explore Sydney
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Our Guide to the Best Inner City Sydney Suburbs to Experience
Like most great cities in the world, the most interesting inner city suburbs of Sydney each have their own distinct identity. Sydney, like Paris, New York and London, is a…
24 Hours in Orange for Food and Wine Lovers – A Taste of Orange, New South Wales
Our 24 hours in Orange for food and wine lovers itinerary provides a delicious taste of Orange, a rural town in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales. This fabulous food and wine…
Experience Sydney
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Our Guide to the Best Harbour and Ocean Swimming Pools in Sydney
The best harbour and ocean swimming pools in Sydney should be high on your summer to-do list. Australia’s most beautiful city is not only blessed with Australia’s most breathtaking beaches, it…
Monday Memories: Coasting Over Sydney
When most people think of Sydney they probably imagine the photographic landmarks of this bright, sun-friendly city, based around Sydney Harbour. Sure these kinds of icons – and yes, I’m…
Book Sydney Tours
Absorb Sydney
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Absorbing Australian Art at Art Gallery of NSW With the Curator
Last week the winners of Australia’s most important and most talked-about annual art contest, the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes, were announced and the exhibition of finalists opened at the…
A Local Guide to Sydney Architecture by Local Architect Eoghan Lewis
The Sydney Opera House is Sydney’s most recognisable asset and a cornerstone of Sydney architecture. Every time we return to Sydney and we see it, we’re home. The story behind…
Shop Sydney
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Cooking Quality Australian Produce Home Delivered By Hudson Meats
We love to cook when we settle into places longer than a week, which is why we prefer to use apartment rentals when we travel. There’s something comforting about making your own meals…
Price Check: a Sydney Shopping List
After posting our guide to experiencing Sydney on a Budget and our apartment reviews, it seemed like a good time to do our Price Check: a Sydney Shopping List for…
Sydney Festivals & Events
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Vivid Sydney 2022 Guide – What to See and Do and Where to Stay During Sydney’s Dazzling Winter Festival
Our Vivid Sydney 2022 guide to Sydney’s luminous festival covers everything you need to know from what to see and do at Vivid Sydney to where to stay in Sydney…
Best Sydney Hotels for New Years Eve Fireworks – Hotels with Harbour Views
The best Sydney hotels for New Years Eve fireworks are hotels with harbour views. A hotel room with harbour vistas is your best bet for watching the Sydney New Years…
Sydney Local Knowledge
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Local Knowledge: Richard Graham from Sydney
Richard Graham is the kind of traveller we identify with. Since the age of five, Richard has travelled to at least one new country every year. Every year. Before starting…
A Local Guide to Eating and Drinking in Sydney by Restaurateur John Fink
This local guide to eating and drinking in Sydney comes from John Fink, a Sydney restaurateur and director of some of Australia’s best restaurants, including Quay, Bennelong, Otto. We first…
Sydney Resources
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How to Help Koalas Hurt and Homeless from Australian Bushfires
How to help koalas hurt and homeless from Australia’s bushfires is a question we’ve been asked by readers in recent days. There are a handful of options for helping Australia’s…
Sydney on a Budget – Our Guide to How to Experience Sydney on a Budget
Sydney on a budget is indeed possible. While Australia can be a costly destination to visit, due to its robust economy and value of the Aussie dollar, like Melbourne it is…
Sydney Essentials
WHEN TO GO
Dec-Feb Mid-Dec to the beginning Feb are the busiest months with summer school holidays. Beaches are packed and the water is warm.
Mar-May Autumn has the best walking weather, getting crisper as winter approaches and whale watching season begins. Note Vivid Festival may start in May.
Jun-Aug Wet and cold (for Sydney), this is low season for tourism, but the ski season gets fully underway in July.
Sep-Nov Weather warms up but without the humidity of summer, making it a great time to visit.
HEALTH
Sydney has a very good healthcare system, but of course always buy comprehensive insurance. Despite Australia’s reputation for dangerous creatures, you won’t find many of these in urban areas, but if you’re planning to hit the beach (and you should) pay attention to the lifesavers flags and wear sunscreen. Recommended Vaccinations
VISAS
Only New Zealanders do not need a visa for Australia. There are myriad classes of visas, but if you’re coming for a holiday (depending which passport you have) and you are staying for less than three months, apply for an ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) with a cost of UAD$20. For other visas visit the visa finder page of the Australian Government.
LOCAL TIME
Time in Sydney:Sydney’s Time Zone is (GMT+11) Sydney’s daylight saving (one hour forward) generally starts in October and finishes in April.
WEATHER
CURRENT SYDNEY WEATHER
TRANSPORTATION
AIR/LAND/SEA
Sydney’s main airport (SYD), might be just 8km from the Sydney CBD, but it can be a frustrating journey. There’s a train, however it’s not a dedicated airport line. Take an Uber or a Taxi (about US$35) to the CBD. To get around it’s best to buy an Opal Card which works for Sydney’s embarrasingly ragtag selection of train, bus, ferry and light rail services.
Sydney Daily Costs
BUDGET
Daily Budget Up To:
US$150
- Hostel dorm bed: US$25–60
- Fast food, pizzas, meat pies: US$5-17
- Short bus/tram/train ride: US$3
MID RANGE
Daily Budget From:
US$200–350
- Double room in a Motel/Hotel: US$120–250
- Good cafe lunch: US$20+
- Greyhound Bus (Bris-Syd): US$100
LUXURY
Daily Budget From:
US$350+
- Boutique hotel or resort: US$250+
- Negroni Cocktail: US$20+
- Domestic Flight (Bris-Syd): US$100+
