Heading to Australia soon? Well Sydney has to be on your to do list, and our Sydney Backpacker Guide is quick and easy way to discover the best places to stay and what to do in Sydney!

Often mistaken as the capital of Australia (that’s Canberra if you didn’t already know!) Sydney is easily the most famous city in Oz and to be honest I don’t think I really need to sell you on visiting it!

Sydney is also many travellers first tastes of Australia as it’s busy international airport caters for flights worldwide and as a result it’s full of fresh travellers beginning their East Coast Adventure, so it’s the perfect place to meet heaps of new backpacker buddies to explore with.

It’s home to some of the countries most iconic sights too – with the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge topping the list, you can’t travel to Australia and not get a selfie in front of them!

But you knew that already hey?!

Sydney is much more than just those two structures though, as you’d expect from Australias biggest city there are plenty of things to keep you busy.

Whether you’re mingling with Wildlife at Toronga Zoo or Sydney Wildlife Park (the latter is my personal choice between the two) chilling over at Manly or taking a day trip to the gorgeous Blue Mountains as far as cities go Sydney isn’t half bad!

The Sydney Backpacker Guide – Where To Stay & What To Do

State = New South Wales

2638km from Cairns

Recommended Stay – At Least 4 nights

Xmas And New Year In Sydney

And of course it’s also a hugely popular destination for travellers putting together their xmas and new year plans too – with a beach BBQ on Bondi for xmas day and the world famous Sydney Harbour firework display on new years eve.

Just keep in mind if you are descending on Sydney for this period of the year it totally pays to book early, with many hostels booking out up to 6 months in advance – so don’t leave it too late!

Also if you’re heading up the coast after new year be aware that a flood of travellers will be doing the same so bus departures and the next couple of stops up the coast (most notably Byron Bay) tend to book out quickly too as a result, so plan ahead!

Best Things To Do In Sydney

• Grab a photo of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge
• New Year at the world famous Harbour firework display
• Chill on Bondi Beach (bonus points for a xmas BBQ here!)
• Complete the Coogee to Bondi coastal walk
• Meet the locals at Sydney Wildlife Park
• Or head across the water to Toronga Zoo
• Grab a sunset and amazing views at the Sydney Sky Tower
• Learn more about this iconic city on the Sydney Hop on, Hop Off Tour Bus
• Enjoy a cocktail at Darling Harbour
• Take a day trip to the Blue Mountains

Check out our epic range of Sydney tour here

Best Sydney Backpackers Accomodation

• WakeUp! Sydney Central
• Sydney Harbour YHA
• Sydney Central YHA
• Base Backpackers
• WakeUp! Bondi

Top Bars/Clubs

• Opera Bar (right by the Opera House, one of the best beer gardens in the world!)
• Side Bar (underneath Wakeup Hostel)
• World Bar (some of the cheapest drinks deals in town)
• Beachroad Hotel (Bondi)

Are you heading to Sydney soon?

What’s on your list of things to do?