While Sydney has a reputation for being one of the most expensive cities in the world, some of the best attractions in the city are free – and we’re not just talking about the views.
Art Gallery of New South Wales
This art gallery is worth visiting for the location alone. Situated on a hill overlooking the harbour at Woolloomooloo, you can see the eastern suburbs ranged out behind the gallery, as well as the city gleaming in front.
While you have to pay to visit some of the exhibitions, including the famous Archibald Prize, the gallery’s permanent collection is always free to visit. This collection has a fantastic selection of Australian art, including work by the renowned Heidelberg School.
On Wednesdays the gallery also hosts free Art After Hours events, which can be anything from artist talks to movie screenings to performance art.
Bondi to Coogee Walk
Get million-dollar views for free while walking along the ridge of Sydney’s coast from Bondi to Coogee.
It’s a famous stretch of coastline, and deservedly so, revealing not only the more famous beaches, such as Bondi, but also enchantingly small beaches, like the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Tamarama (‘Glamarama’ to the locals).
And of course, there are the views. There’s nothing quite like Sydney’s merge of ocean and sky, which is expansively beautiful. On a clear day it almost feels as if you could see all the way to New Zealand. The walk also passes through Waverley Cemetery, which has to have the best view of any cemetery in the world.
Walking across the Sydney Harbour Bridge
There’s no better way to appreciate the natural and built beauty of Sydney than by walking across the Harbour Bridge. On one side of the bridge you can see the Sydney Opera House jutting out over the harbour, with the Royal Botanic Gardens and the city rising behind.
The walkway on the other side of the bridge might not offer you a glimpse of anything as iconic, but you’ll see the grand sight of the waterways winding and twinkling their way through the inner suburbs. There’s also the structure of the Harbour Bridge itself. Surprisingly graceful from a distance, from close up the bridge reveals itself as an imposing steel construction.
This free bus travels the loop between Central Station and finishes at Circular Quay. Using this service as a hop on/hop off bus, you’ll find yourself in easy walking distance of the best attractions in the CBD, including Darling Harbour, Hyde Park, Queen Victoria Building, the historic buildings along Macquarie Street, and of course, Circular Quay.
Hyde Park and St Mary’s Cathedral
This central park is also one of Sydney’s most enchanting. While it might not be as big as its namesake in London, our Hyde Park certainly holds up in the beauty stakes.
Bookended by a fanciful fountain at one end and the ANZAC Memorial at the other, Hyde Park’s central artery is a graceful walkway lined with old trees and benches where you can sit and admire the park.
Once you’ve taken your photo next to the fountain, you can challenge regulars to a game at the giant chess set or pay your respects to the unknown soldier at the memorial.
St Mary’s Cathedral is just across the street from Hyde Park. Built with local sandstone, the Gothic structure of the cathedral lights up with a golden glow when hit by the sun. You can go in and take a look around, or even sit in silent contemplation.
The cathedral lets down its stately hair every now and again, with light shows projected on the facade during the Vivid Festival and other events.
The Rocks tour and Museum of Contemporary Arts
The Rocks is one of the oldest European settlements in Australia so history pops up even where you least expect it in this part of town – there’s an archaeological dig on display underneath the Sydney Harbour YHA.
One of the best spots in the Rocks is Foundation Park, which is hidden behind Playfair Terrace. It’s tricky to find, but it’s worth persisting until you stumble upon it. Not only does the park offer great views over the Rocks, but you can also clamber around the ruins of some terrace houses from the 1840s. Once you’ve finished getting up close and personal with history at the park, make your way onto the Gloucester Walk to continue your exploration of this fascinating part of Sydney.
Had enough history? Cross the street and enter the starkly modern Museum of Contemporary Art, which has recently reopened after an extensive renovation. The permanent exhibition is free, and the building is worth visiting to gawk at the architecture alone.
Royal Botanic Gardens and Government House
Unlike the other historic houses on this list, you don’t have to pay to enter Government House, although you can only enter the house on a tour. But it’s well worth getting an expert’s guide to this ornate structure.
Although the building itself is impressive, it’s the building’s location in the middle of the Royal Botanic Gardens that makes it truly spectacular. The gardens are a beautiful display of native Australian plants leading down to the harbour.
Take in the view of the harbour from Mrs Macquarie’s Chair – you’ll be astounded by the panoramic majesty of Sydney from this spot.
Inner harbour beaches
Whichever side of the harbour you’re on, there are treasure troves of inner harbour beaches if you just know where to look. One of our favourites has to be Nielson Park, which is only a hop, skip and a jump away from Vaucluse House in the exclusive suburb Vaucluse. Luckily, you can enjoy this beach for free.
Being an inner-harbour beach, there aren’t many waves, and the swimming area is enclosed by a shark net. There’s also a pretty kiosk right on the beach where you can get a snack after your swim.
Further along the coast towards the city from Nielson Park is the delightful Milk Beach, which is at the bottom of the grounds surrounding the historic building of Strickland House.
On the other side of the harbour you’ll find beaches including Balmoral Beach, which is particularly good if you’d like to eat fish and chips with a view.
Walking around Parramatta Park and Elizabeth Farm
Bustling Parramatta is the heartbeat of the booming western suburbs. But before it was a thriving mini-metropolis, Parramatta was one of Sydney’s original settlements, and the site of Old Government House. While you can’t enter the building itself for free (unless you are a member of the National Trust), you can wander around the outside of the house and peak in the windows.
Old Government House is surrounded by the idyllic Parramatta Park, and together they are part of the Australian Convict Sites on the World Heritage list.
You’ll also find the historic site of Elizabeth Farm in Parramatta. While you have to pay the enter the building, you can walk around the grounds for free. The house was built for the Macarthur family, the first wool dynasty in Australia, and is well worth a visit to experience a part of Sydney’s history.
Visit the Nicholson Museum and University of Sydney Main Quadrangle
You wouldn’t expect to find one of Sydney’s best museums in the corner of a university quadrangle, but that’s just where the Nicholson Museum makes its home. Of course, this isn’t just any quadrangle. Sydney University is the oldest university in Australia, and the graceful sandstone quadrangle with its view over the inner west is one of the best places to have a picnic in Sydney, as the thousands of students who have passed through its arches well know.
What makes the Nicholson Museum worth visiting – apart from being accessibly free – is its significant collection of antiquities, which the museum claims is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. But more than a fascinating glimpse at the lives of the ancients, the museum brings a sense of fun to history. One of the featured attractions in July will be a model of the Acropolis made out of Lego.
