Traveling is expensive, as we all know, but sometimes it doesn’t have to be that expensive. Many cities offer plenty of free ways to explore the area or the city just like Sydney.

Sydney is a city where there is plenty to do in the great outdoors, from numerous beaches to breathtaking coastal walks and museums that are free to enter. Here are 15 things to do in Australia’s most popular city to get to know the city better without paying a single dollar:

Make a Picnic with a nice view

Right under the Harbour Bridge overlooking the Opera House, listening to the waves on the beach or sitting on the lawn overlooking the CBD in the Royal Botanic Garden. Sydney has many wonderful places to settle down with friends and enjoy a cozy picnic with great views.

Walk the Harbour Bridge

While the Bridge Climb is very expensive, walking over the Harbour Bridge is free. And no one should have left Sydney and not have crossed Sydney’s world-famous Harbour Bridge at least once. From here you can enjoy breath-taking views of Sydney’s Opera House, Harbour and CBD. It takes 30 minutes to cross the bridge from one side to the other, but the time is worth it.

Climb up to the Palm Beach Lighthouse

The suburb Palm Beach and the Beach are just a few miles outside from Sydney. The easiest way to get there is by bus. There you can either lie on the beach and relax, try the delicious food in one of the restaurants or walk up the path to Palm Beach Lighthouse. From the Palm Beach Lighthouse you can enjoy views of the water and nature of the suburb.

Visit the Queen Victoria Building

The Queen Victoria Building, located in the heart of Sydney at Town Hall Station, is a magnificent Victorian building. In the Victorian shopping mall you will find mostly designer shops. But anyway you should have seen the magnificent building from the inside.

Relax at the Beach

Sydney has a lot of great beaches to enjoy the day and the sun. Some of the most popular beaches are Bondi Beach, Manly Beach, Cronulla Beach, Coogee Beach, Bronte Beach and many more. You should definitely spend a day in Sydney on at least one of these beaches. The nice thing is that the suburbs close to the beaches have many cafés and restaurants to offer. You also have the opportunity to learn how to surf here by the sea.

Visit the Grounds of Alexandria

The Grounds of Alexandria are located in the Alexandria district. In the small garden with the sweet market you can admire many colourful flowers.

Watch a sunset over Sydney

Sydney has plenty of places to watch the sunset over the city. The sunset on Watsons Bay beach above the CBD is particularly well watched. You can also enjoy the view when you get on the ferry in Watsons Bay or elsewhere and head back to Circula Quay.
In Watsons Bay you can spend a whole day without getting bored. From large picnic meadows and coastwalkes to breathtaking views over the ocean, there is plenty to see and do here.

Make a daytrip into the Blue Mountains

About 60 kilometres from Sydney are the Blue Mountains. In the quiet mountains, where you can watch the view in the distance over the vastness of nature and explore the various waterfalls, you can try out many hiking trails while listening to the sounds of nature. A trip to the Blue Mountains is definitely worth it if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city for a day.

Visit a Museum

Sydney, like many other major cities, has a wealth of museums. And the best thing is that most museums in Sydney do not charge admission. Right in the centre of the city on Circula Quay, for example, is the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Explore the Royal Botanic Garden

The entrance to one of the most beautiful botanical gardens in Australia is right next to the Opera House and of course its free. Between the colourful flowers and plants, you can enjoy views of the CBD, Harbour Bridge and Opera House from Mrs Macquarie’s Chair. You can also explore the garden and discover the giant koala carved out of a bush.

Hike a Coastal Walk

Sydney offers several coastal walks from which you can enjoy views of the water during the hike. There you can escape the hustle and bustle of the city for a few hours and listen to the sounds of nature or the waves. The Coastal Walks that Sydney offers are the Spit to Manly Walk, the Bondi to Coogee Walk or the Rose Bay to Watsons Bay Walk.
Since the Bondi to Coogee Walk is well known, you will meet many other people here. So if you want more peace and quiet, the Spit to Manly Walk is highly recommended.

Stroll through the Hyde Park

A short trip to Australia’s oldest public park, right in the middle of the city of Sydney, is definitely worth it. Especially on a sunny day you can sit there on a bench or on the meadow for a picnic or just to relax. The Hyde Park is relatively small. So if you don’t have much time, a small detour through the park is enough and you have already seen a lot.

Let yourself be enchanted by the Diamond Bay Reserve

A little bit outside of Sydney by the sea is the Secret Spot Diamond Bay Reserve. For me this is one of the most beautiful spots in Sydney. This place is called “Diamond” for a reason because here you can enjoy the view over crystal blue water. Since this place is a little bit outside the city and is not known to many people, you will have this place for yourself.

Have a view over the Gap

In Watsons Bay, outside the city, you will find the ocean cliffs “The Gap”. Similar to Diamond Bay Reserve, you can enjoy views of blue water and take a walk over the cliffs. Compared to the Diamond Bay Reserve, The Gap is much more visited by tourists.

Visit one of Sydneys Markets

You don’t have to buy anything at the many markets in Sydney. You can just stroll from one stand to another and look at the pictures, souvenirs or jewellery on offer.
Worth seeing in Sydney are The Rocks Markets right under the Harbour Bridge, the Glebe Markets, which open every Saturday, or the Paddys Markets. So if you’re still looking for a souvenir for your friends or family at home, you’ll definitely find it at one of Sydney’s markets.

If you want to know what else to do in Sydney, you should also read my blog post 12 Top Things to do in Sydney.