Sydney on a budget: x travel hacks to save on your trip
Heading to Sydney on a budget is easier than you might think. There are many things that you can see and enjoy in Sydney without breaking the bank. Saving money on your hotel room, your flight, or your food can help you to be able to enjoy all the major sights and sounds of the city without worries. From contemporary art gallery exhibits to visits to Manly Beach, there is no shortage of fun stuff to do in this amazing city.
If you have to save money while you travel to Sydney on a budget, you will want to be sure that you take the time to store your unneeded bags at a Bounce luggage storage facility in Sydney. We will keep your things safe and secure while you have fun in the city. Having peace of mind that your things are safe will ensure that you can make the most of your time in this part of the world.
Cheap places to stay in Sydney
One of the best ways to save money when you head to Sydney on a budget is to make sure that your hotel room is affordable. These are the best places to stay in Sydney on a budget, and you won't feel like you are compromising with regard to comfort when you choose from these hotels. If you are not sure about which of the neighborhoods you want to stay in during your stay, check out our guide to the best neighborhoods in Sydney before you commit to a hotel or hostel.
Cambridge Lodge
This cool and hip hostel is just $46 a night, and you can pick and choose from the various room arrangements for your time here. Coming to Sydney on a budget is easy when you choose a hostel as your home base. There are plenty of cheap eats nearby, and you can head out to various free walking tour meeting points from here as well. You are just 8km from Darling Harbour here and right by a few different train stations.
YHA Sydney Harbour - The Rocks
Another hostel, this cool place, rents you rooms for about $100. You will be right in the heart of the best part of the city here, and you can enjoy access to Darling Harbour, lots of art gallery locations, and places that Sydney locals frequent. This is a fun place to stay if you like to mingle, and the lounge makes for a great place to unwind with an affordable cocktail at the end of each day. This is one of the best places to stay in the city center, and you will not regret picking this cool spot.
The Grand Hotel
Staying right by the Sydney Opera House is easy to afford when you choose this lovely spot for your accommodation. You will need about $80 a night for a quality room here. You can easily access The Rocks discovery museum from here, as well as the Royal Botanic Gardens. Being able to walk to some of the famous landmarks that dot the city skyline is easy when you choose The Grand Hotel. This spot has a restaurant and bar on-site, a pool, and free wi-fi as well.
Cheap things to do in Sydney
There are so many great beach locations to enjoy in Sydney on a budget. Bondi Beach is one of the best-known, but there are places like Manly Beach and even Sydney Harbour that can offer you access to fun in the sun. You might also have written off attractions like Wild Life Sydney Zoo, but you might be surprised at how affordable some of these attractions really are.
Manly Beach
Manly Beach is one of the most famous surfing beaches in Sydney, and you can head here to enjoy the sun and have a great time watching the action on the waves. You might also want to try your own hand at surfing at this famous beach in New South Wales, and you can find options for group packages that offer you a guided lesson. While not a free tour, this is a great way to spend an afternoon and make memories that aren't available in the heart of the city at places like Sydney Harbour.
Sydney Opera House
No trip to Sydney on a budget would be complete without a visit to the Sydney Opera House. This beautiful location is truly iconic, and you will be treated to contemporary art exhibitions inside the Sydney Opera House as well as the beauty of the place itself. The Sydney Opera House also offers you access to an incredible view of the water and the Sydney Harbour that is tough to get from any other location in the city. The tickets for this location are $25, but you can spend most of the afternoon at the Sydney Opera House, making this a good value.
Ride the Ferry
The ferries that take people all around Sydney Harbour are actually a really fun way to spend a few hours and see a lot of the sights in Sydney Harbour. The tickets ate about $10, and you will be treated to amazing views of the Sydney Opera House, as well as the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Heading to Sydney on a budget requires being creative with your options when it comes to seeing the sights, which makes the ferry a great choice to get to see a variety of sights all in one place.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is almost as iconic as the opera house, and you can choose to ride the ferry and then go walk over the bridge and see the nearby gardens that are connected with the Harbour Bridge itself. This whole area is a great option for those in Sydney on a budget, and you should make sure that getting a view of the opera house and the Sydney Harbour Bridge during a fun ferry ride is at the top of your list.
Cheap places to eat in Sydney
Although Sydney has an excellent street food scene, you can also dine in restaurants while saving cash. Try these out:
Chinese Noodle House
If you love Chinese food and you're heading to Chinatown anyway, you need to put this delicious restaurant on your list of things to do. You might have a free walking tour planned for Chinatown, but you can easily head here to sit down for a delightful meal with great service. The menu offers a wide array of dishes and drinks, and you will get a ton of food for $15 or less. There are cheap beers on the menu here as well.
Harry's Café de Wheels - Woolloomooloo
This tiny hole-in-the-wall location is well-known in the city, and there are two locations that you can choose to visit. Come here for traditional veggie and meat pies, as well as mash, or get a classic sausage roll. The people running the stores are really friendly and are probably members of the owner's family, making the experience of eating here even more fun. You can get a really filling meal here for about $10.
Mary's Circular Quay
There is something for everyone here, from vegan burgers to traditional sloppy meat burgers and more. Order some fries to go with your burger, or get a cheap beer that will really hit the spot after a day of wandering around. The portions are huge, and you will get a lot of food for under $15. If you decide to splurge and get one of the bigger meals, you will just need about $20, and you will probably have leftovers when you are done.
Cheap bars in Sydney
Scruffy Murphy's Bar
This fun Irish pub is loud and boisterous, but you can count on $5 beers and cocktail specials every night of the week. Come here to watch sports, mingle, and drink for an affordable price. This is also a great part of the city to be in to enjoy other nightlife functions and attractions.
The Scary Canary
This lively spot tries to tick all the boxes and gets the job done. You can drink and dance at this nightclub, but you can also get a $5 beer and some really good pub food. There is something for everyone here, and the memorable name will help make this spot really easy to get to when you are looking for stuff to do on a night out.
Slims Rooftop
While this spot is a restaurant, it also offers you the chance to enjoy delicious cocktails, wine, or tapas during a night out. You will spend a little bit more sitting down and having a fun time here, but the quality of the experience is well worth it. You will also still be treated to a variety of food and drinks on special. Make sure to get a reservation before you show up because this Hyde Park spot is really popular and stays quite busy most nights of the week. This location could easily be your dinner plans as well as the place where you spend your night out on the town.
Bonus budget tips for Sydney
Walking or biking is the way to go
If you don't mind getting some exercise, you can wander all over Sydney and see the sights for free. Many free walking tours cover all of the best parts of the city, and some of them will take you around to places like the Sydney Harbour Bridge as well as the downtown area.
One of the best ways to get around Sydney on a budget is to rent a bike. The more days that you rent your bike, the better, and you might be able to get a package deal for a couple of bikes that is about $40. Many places in Sydney are much easier to access when you are not in a car, and a bike rental will make your Sydney on-a-budget goals easy to achieve.
Plan your attractions strategically
Since this is a city that is passionate about the ocean, you might want to plan to spend the $40 for a day pass to the Sydney Sea Life Aquarium. This is a very memorable experience and one that kids and adults will both fall in love with. This is also a great way to get in out of the sun when you are in Sydney while also getting the chance to learn more about what Sydney is all about.
If you are looking for some historical fun, head to the historic Rocks District. This is a really cool part of the city and one of the more memorable places in town. You will be charmed by the old buildings, the good food and shopping, and the fun atmosphere in this area. This is a great place to head to if you are in Sydney on a budget, and you should put this stop at the top of your list for one day of your time in this New South Wales city.
Conclusion
If you have the time for more fun but your budget is too tight to allow you to pay for more activities, you need to check out our guide to the best free things to do in Sydney. There are plenty of really cool things to do in Sydney Harbour, as well as around the rest of Sydney, that you should have no trouble filling up your days without spending too much. These tips can be a great way to save money if you are traveling with kids or if you have a big group of people to keep busy.
Rest assured that you will be able to find plenty to do in Sydney that you can afford, and you will not feel like you are missing out on the best parts of what the city can offer you. Heading to Sydney can be more affordable than you ever imagined, and you can plan the perfect trip even on a tight budget. Just do a little planning first.