Sydney travel guide

Sydney is easy to get around if you start at Circular Quay and give the harbour and the beaches a day each.

The 1-hour Sydney Opera House Tour costs 50 Australian dollars for adults booked online or 55 on the day, rising to 52 and 57 from 1 April 2027. Airport stations add a station access fee of 18.61 Australian dollars on top of the train fare. A one-way Manly ferry from Circular Quay costs 9.20 Australian dollars.

Eligible passport holders apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) for stays of up to 3 months through the official Australian ETA app (service charge AUD 20); others need a visa. Tours involve many steps, so wear comfortable shoes.

Visa and entry requirements for Australia

Whether you need a visa, how long you can stay and which pre-arrival forms apply all depend on your nationality and the purpose of your trip. Check the official source below, and your own government's travel advice, before you book.

• Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601) (Australian Government Department of Home Affairs)
• Visa Finder (Australian Government Department of Home Affairs)

The Sydney Opera House Tour is a 1-hour guided tour held daily. Adults pay 50 Australian dollars booked in advance or 55 on the day; children pay 30 in advance or 35 on the day. Under-5s are listed as free. From 1 April 2027, adult prices rise to 52 in advance and 57 on the day.

The tour covers up to 2.5 km of walking and about 300 steps. There are no lifts or escalators, so it isn't suitable for wheelchairs or walkers; a separate access tour is available. Arrive at the visitor centre 15 minutes before the start; if you're more than 5 minutes late, your booking is cancelled without refund. There are no tours on 25 and 31 December 2026.

Based on Sydney Opera House official information. Prices and times may change.

With 2 nights: on day one, walk from Circular Quay to the Opera House and fit in the tour; on day two, take the Manly ferry from Circular Quay and walk the beach. The Opera House is listed as a 7 to 10-minute walk from Circular Quay.

With 4 nights: walk the Harbour Bridge and the Royal Botanic Garden on day two, go to Manly on day three and Bondi Beach on day four. The Royal Botanic Garden is right beside the Opera House, so it suits a walk before or after the tour. There are no tours on 25 and 31 December, so plan around those dates.

Sydney Airport's stations (Domestic and International) charge a station access fee on top of the train fare: 18.61 Australian dollars for adults, making 22.94 in total to Circular Quay at weekday peak times. The fee doesn't count towards Opal's regular daily cap.

Use an Opal card or a contactless card on trains and ferries. The ferry from Circular Quay to Manly costs 9.20 Australian dollars one way; to go from the airport to Manly, add the train and ferry fares together.

Spread your meals in Sydney across meat pies, fish and chips, lamingtons and flat whites. A meat pie makes a light snack; fish and chips suit the beach; lamingtons are cakes coated in chocolate and coconut; a flat white is espresso with milk. We don't pick shops or prices here.

If your passport is ETA-eligible, apply for the ETA only through the official Australian ETA app (AUD 20 service charge, stays of up to 3 months at a time); you can't apply while in Australia. Other nationalities need a visa. Opera House tours are 5 Australian dollars cheaper booked in advance and don't run on 25 and 31 December. The emergency number in Australia is 000.