The urban area of the Sydney conurbation is immense, so choosing the place where to stay in Sydney to be close to what you are looking for or want to see is a smart decision.The city has two of the monuments with which Australia is recognized around the world, the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.
This city is an example of the integration of Australian cultures, but also one of the most expensive cities in the world.
It is an extraordinarily extended city on its territory by the sea, at the edge of the Pacific, in the southeast of the country, in New South Wales.Its urban orography is very varied, covered with hills, making it somewhat complicated for those who prefer to see it on foot or by bicycle.
The climate around the city is temperate and the best time for to visit it is between October and February , in the Australian summer.
The best places to stay in Sydney
Hotels are expensive in Sydney.The price of the night is usually not below four stars in Spain in the low season, so sleeping in Sydney, for example in The Rocks, can be discouraging if you want to save money.
The Rocks is the best area to stay in Sydney It is an exclusive area and the historical centre of the city.
By contrast, the Newton and Surry Hills area is the choice of those travelling to Sydney on a adjusted It is a 20 minute walk from the centre.It is only a 20 minute walk from the city centre and is full of low cost hotels and apartments in different formulas. Ideal for backpackers
Darling Harbour , is a tourist district .
In the areas of Darlinghurst and Potts Point , the accommodation to stay in Sydney is cheap , in general, and its nightlife is very lively .
Other areas such as Chinatown, Paddington or King Cross offer small hotels and apartments with reasonable prices , especially in the low season which, being a country in the southern hemisphere, takes the step changed in the calendar.
A selection of Sydney’s neighbourhoods and districts chosen for their heritage values, and according to what is most interesting, include in a travel route the areas of The Rocks, Darling Harbour, Surry Hills and Newtown, Kings Cross, Paddington, Chinatown, Darlinghurts and Potts Point and Bondi Beach.
1.The Rocks
A traveler’s dive in Sydney can start with a visit to the centre, by getting to know the area of The Rocks.The Rocks is the historic centre of Sydney .The Rocks refers to the rock formation that forms the base of this district of the southern centre of the city.
The area is markedly cosmopolitan and at the same time traditional, in a curious combination.It is also a very safe area at any time .
The neighborhood invites you to walk around the port area, to have a drink in its bars, pubs and restaurants or to take a walk through the markets that are set up in its streets every weekend.
An experience is also to visit the The Rocks Discovery Museum (in Kendall Line) that takes the traveller to know how the territory was occupied in the first moments of the British colonisation and how the city of Sydney was formed.
Another recommended activity is to walk through the cobbled streets of old Sydney and, if you want more, enter the exhibitions at Savannah’s Place and Cadman’s cottage that will help you understand more about that first southern colony.
A walk around the harbour area and the marina in Sydney and not take away a picture of the famous bridge is unforgivable.
About the weekend markets , say that they are an institution in the city and something very typical.There are over two hundred different stalls, ranging from textiles, beauty products and original photographs, to crafts, jewellery and art items sold by their own authors. open Saturdays and Sundays, reference Argyle and George streets.
For those who want to look very high, the Sydney Astronomical Observatory offers observation activities in its 3D projection room.It is located on a hill, in Observatory Hill. The gardens of the complex are an extra that must be appreciated in the same visit. Open during the day and at night. Children enter for free.
The famous bridge over Sydney Bay can be visited, you can cross it and, with it, you can also open a jar of essences to enjoy a more than beautiful view of the city.They say that the Sydney Bridge is , the most beautiful harbour in the world , to get to the bridge, address 3 Cumberland Street
To move around the city, a recommendation, the Opal Card , a smart card to take advantage of the offer of combined transport ferry and bus Transit Systems bus combinations with all districts of the city and ferry links nearby to cross the bay.Also available is a subway station to go across the bay or to go to the southern neighborhoods.
On accommodation, The Rocks is not a particularly cheap place and you have to look hard to find reasonably priced accommodation within walking distance of the historic city center. Accommodation is especially expensive at .Still, if you can afford it, it is definitely the best area to stay in Sydney.
– Accommodation in The Rocks
2.Darling Harbour
The Darling Harbour area is also part of downtown Sydney in the inner bay area east of The Rocks district.The Chinese Garden of Friendship is a place of nature, a haven of peace in the bustling centre of Sydney, a well-balanced mix of exotic trees linked by paths and separated by ponds of water.
The Garden offers free guided tours that introduce you to the values of this unique green space and its history. The Garden is located on Pier Street.
A touch of local history. Australian National Maritime Museum A permanent exhibition that traces Australia’s maritime history.Three ships, a replica of the HM Bark Endeavor, the HMAS Vampire destroyer and the HMAS Onslow submarine, are on display on , but you can’t board them.The museum is located at 2 Murray Street.
More Darling Quarter Playground The Darling Quarter is a children’s amusement park with a water play area, a climbing net and, best of all, a popular 21-metre flying fox.For parents, there is a café, restaurant and kiosk nearby.
The park is free and can be enjoyed any day of the year and is enjoyed by both locals and visitors alike and can be an ideal way to interact with the locals.Address: 1-25 Harbour Street
A great place to shop in the area, the Harbourside Shopping Centre Fashion, restaurants, gift items and much more to discover is located on the seafront and is accessible from the city centre via the Pyrmont Bridge.
More to see in the area Sea LIFE Sydney Aquarium and Sydney Zoo Sea LIFE Sydney Aquarium is a large city aquarium, the highlight of the aquarium is a transparent tunnel that allows you to walk as if submerged among sharks, rays and fish that swim freely in small schools.
It’s easy to take great pictures, with penguins, dugongs, sharks and an incredible number of tropical fish in all colours.
The aquarium is close to the LIFE Sydney Zoo and the combined visit to the two enclosures is almost obligatory.
You can enter the enclosure of the kangaroos and the wallabys and, best of all, feed them with your own hands.
Finally, one more attraction, the Darling Harbour Carousel is the typical old carousel that is still in operation since it was placed in the place in 1892.It has a range of accommodation, as does The Rocks, which is somewhat expensive. A fact about transport that may be interesting, bus 555 is free and runs in the center , in the area of St George.it is a circular line.
– Accommodation in Darling Harbour
3.Surry Hills and Newtown
Surry Hills, is a district located inland, just west of Paddington.In Surry Hills, for those who prefer to rest with a green background doing routes around Sydney, there is a recommendable park, the Harmony Park for walking, eating something on the grass and walking the family dog, it is located next to the Sydney Police Headquarters
Surrey Hills is a district full of temples of different confessions that can be joined in an itinerary to form a peculiar route.13 The Belvoir Theatre , at number 25 of the same street, is a small theatre that offers performances of contemporary plays in a simple atmosphere.
MoreAt 104 Riley Street, in what is now a large mansion, lived the owner of a large brothel in the area, named Kate Leigh , who became a drug and alcohol trafficker in the 1920s and 1930s, Leigh was the leader of one of the street gangs, the Razor Gangs of Sydney
An adventure. The Railway Central Station , Sydney’s Central Railway Station, is located in the area, in Haymarket.so this is a perfect location for those who want to be connected with other Australian cities for a journey through the geography of the country.
Long distance trains connect Sydney to all major cities in the country, CountryLink connects Brisbane to Sydney every day, while the Indian Pacific service connects it to Perth, and in the station area to Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport.
The Newton area is located southwest of Sydney’s historic centre, about four kilometres from the centre.The name is taken from a grocery store opened on the site at that time, the New Town Store.
An interesting activity in the area is to discover the styles of the many theme bars that are in the district.Newton is also a historic pub area .One of them, perhaps the most famous, El Trocadero, was restored in its original modernist style in 2007.
Newton is also known for its musical events , the Feastability, a massive gastronomic event, the Sydney Fringe, alternative art, or the Newton Festival, famous for its live music.
In the Newton area, the Transit Systems bus lines 422, 426 and 428 operate, which are the heirs to the tram numbers that used to circulate in the area and which today allow passengers to connect with other neighbourhoods and with the centre of Sydney.
Surry Hills and Newton are ideal districts for accommodation in Sydney in case you travel with the fair money .
– Accommodation in Surry Hills and Newton
4.Kings Cross
The neighborhood of Kings Cross is southeast of The Rocks, further inland, but of course with good views of the bay .It is a neighborhood mainly commercial .
The place is known colloquially as The Cross, but is also popular for being a district with much nightlife .In the early decades of the 20th century, the district was home to a large group of Australian artists.
In Kings Cross, the iconic Alamein Fountain , for the fallen Australians in that battle of the Second World War; the Jewish Museum of Sydney ; the historic train and underground station, the local fire station built in 1912 and the Les Girls building, today a hotel, where Carlotta, a famous drag queen, offered her more than alternative show between 1963 and 1993.
For the devotees of the strange, at 91 Riley Street you can find a Australian Museum of the Magical Arts .
In this neighbourhood you can find a range of hotels of low budget and very fair qualities. has good connections with the Transit Systems bus lines, if you don’t have a big budget this can be a district to consider for to stay in Sydney
– Accommodation in Kings Cross
5.Paddington
Paddington is located next to Kings Cross , a little further east and about four kilometres from The Rocks. In Paddington, there are two churches, Oxford Street Unified, completed in neo-Gothic style, and St Francis of Assisi Catholic, on the same street.
The former is reminiscent of British Victorian temples from the late 19th century, while the latter is a brick church with a large rose window on its façade.
The choice of hotels and apartments for to stay in Sydney in the area is very variable and you have to look hard to find prices and locations with added value.
– Accommodation in Paddington
6.Chinatown
Chinatown is the neighbourhood where the Chinese community in Sydney took up residence, it is immediately south of Darling Harbour in Haymarket, between Central Station and Darling Harbour It is a very commercial area.
The current neighbourhood is not the original one of the community, which moved to this location in the 1920’s. In Chinatown, there is now a modern shopping centre with a restaurant, The Eight Modern Chinese Restaurant , which has 800 seats, but there are also boutiques and souvenir shops that should not be missed.
The Haymarket Paddy’s Markets is a well known market in the city that should not be left behind either.Two activities not to be forgotten in Chinatown, the celebration of the Chinese New Year and the night markets, an alternative to the traditional shops.
A perfect place to be surprised.in the area, there are cheap second level hotels to sleep in Sydney, for the Sydney canons, but with the right qualities.
– Accommodation in Chinatown
If you are travelling around Australia and are going to visit other destinations besides this article about where to stay in Sydney you might be interested in: Where to stay in Melbourne, where to stay in Brisbane, where to stay in Gold Coast
7.Darlinghurst and Potts Point
The Darlinghurst area is also to the east of Sydney’s city centre and is a business and commercial district of the capital and an urban environment with the youngest population in Australia It is densely populated by Sydney’s standards and was the subject of an urban reform in the 1980s.
The areas of Victoria Street, Stanley Street (with its Little Italy) and Crown Street (with its retro shops) are well known for their cultural importance and are also reference areas for finding bars, cafes and trendy boutiques.
However, it is Oxford Street the main avenue of Darlinghurst.the southern part of the neighborhood is an important reference center for the international LGTB community that mobilizes every year to organize a very popular Mardi Gras parade.
As local monuments of interest that can be visited you have to include in a roadmap for the area the old penitentiary, the fire station, and the courthouse.
Some apartment towers that are part of the renovated skyline of the district also stand out: buildings of the Horizon Apartments, the Kurrajong, the Mont Clair, the Royal Court, the Rutland, the Hillcrest, the Savoy, the Claridge, the Ballina and the Protree.
– Darlinghurst Accommodation
8.Potts Point
Potts Point is located about two kilometres from Sydney’s historic centre East of Woolloomooloo and slightly west of Elizabeth Bay and Rushcutters Bay, but in the northern part of Darlinghurst district.
In the area, the terraced houses of Victoria Street attract attention. , in a historicist style, some large houses and housing complexes with a Spanish mission style or in art deco like those of Tusculum Street.
The plane trees of Lebanon, very resistant trees so frequent in the European cities of the south, are part of the recognizable urban iconography of Potts Point.
– Lodging in Potts Point
9.Bondi Beach
Bondi Beach is one of Sydney’s best known international beaches It is about eight kilometres from the city centre and the surrounding sandy beach is a very popular residential area .
The place is on the east on the open coast of the Pacific Ocean and not on the bay. Bondi Beach is a preferred place for surfing It is a swimming area with waves at certain times of the year.
In any case, the safest area is the northern end of the beach, where a shark net is deployed in the summer months and has proven to be extremely effective.It’s not hard to see Blue Penguins swimming near the shore.
For those who prefer to swim in warmer areas, there’s a rosary of coves around Bondi Beach that meets this requirement, namely Bronte Beach, Tamarama Beach or Coogee Beach.
To do shopping and have a drink in the area, the Westfield Junction Shopping Center.A Bondi Beach, the city bus and train do not arrive.
What is the best area to stay in Sydney?
The best area to stay in Sydney , to be close to the attractions and the whole transport network including the ferries that cross the bay, is the area near and adjacent to Circular Quay and The Rocks, the most tourist areas of Sydney.
Circular Quay is the area adjacent to the central part of Sydney Harbour, an inlet that is called Sydney Cove and which was the origin of the city of Sydney and, by extension, all of Australia.The Quay is a vibrant and bustling place from where ferries depart every few days for different parts of the harbour such as Manly, Watsons Bay, Mosman and Taronga Park Zoo.A good area to stay in Sydney
The Rocks is the area next to Circular Quay on the west side and is the oldest and most attractive neighbourhood in Sydney.Other attractions in The Rocks include the Museum of Contemporary Art, Hill Observatory (with magnificent views of the harbour) and Cadam’s Cottage, Sydney’s oldest house.
If you’re interested in finding out where to stay in Sydney , you may also be interested in finding out where to stay in Melbourne, where to stay in Perth, where to stay in Brisbane and where to stay in Auckland.
Circular Quay and The Rocks
Located in Sydney Cove, Circular Quay is Australia’s premier tourist attraction, with Sydney Harbour, many parks to stroll through and a wide range of restaurants to suit all tastes.
As well as having many bus stops and a train station, most ferries leave from Circular Quay to different parts of the harbour, such as Manly, one of the city’s most popular beaches.
South of the port area is a path that leads to the Sydney Opera House and the Royal Botanic Gardens. The famous Opera House, named a World Heritage Site in 2007, is an imposing monument of expressionist style and world prestige that houses five theatres, five rehearsal studios, two main halls, four restaurants, six bars and numerous souvenir shops.Its original and innovative shape, consisting of a series of large prefabricated shells that form the roofs of the structure, makes it a unique building that captures the flashes of all visitors.
Located next to the Opera House and covering 30 hectares, the Royal Botanic Garden, founded in 1816, is the oldest scientific institution in Australia and plays a key role in the acclimatization of plants from other regions.In addition to its scientific function and educational aspect (learning about plants and horticulture), this immense space, which can be visited every day for free (except for the Tropical Centre inside, which is paid for), is a place where Sydney’s typical flora and fauna converge (as is the spectacular bat colony that inhabits it).
Situated in a prime location, between the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, The Rocks is Sydney’s oldest and most picturesque neighbourhood, with cobbled streets lined with hotels and former worker’s cottages, including Cadman’s Cottage, Sydney’s oldest house, which now houses the Nature Parks Information Centre and the Wildlife Service.Also worth a visit are the Museum of Contemporary Art and Observatory Hill, from where you can see the spectacular harbour.
And, as we’ve already said, it’s a must to cross the Sidney Harbour Bridge, the superb bridge that crosses Sydney Bay and connects the city’s financial centre with the north coast.opened in 1932 after more than eight years of construction, this bridge supports 8 lanes of cars, 2 railway lines and a bicycle path.
Other neighbourhoods to sleep in Sydney
In addition to Circular Quay and The Rocks, the city that hosted the 2000 Olympic Games has other areas close to the centre where you can find accommodation to suit your needs:
Chinatown
Chinatown, a neighbourhood located south of Sydney’s city centre, is one of them.
Kings Cross
Another good option is Kings Cross, located east of Circular Quay, where the nightlife is guaranteed.
Paddington
South of Kings Cross are the steep streets of Paddington, lined with beautiful country houses and terraced houses with balconies.It’s also home to Sydney’s best pubs with a local atmosphere and Oxford Street, the main street, is home to the latest in fashion and there’s no shortage of craft markets, which are set up once a week and display local goods and clothing.
Potts Point
For those looking for a quiet, stylish area away from the noise and the party atmosphere, Potts Point is a luxury neighbourhood with Art Deco apartments and luxury shops lined with trees, as well as sophisticated cafes and bars.
It’s not surprising that Greece is among the most important tourist destinations in Europe, known for its many ancient ruins, whitewashed villages, sunny beaches, tasty cuisine and pleasant atmosphere, but the reason why tourism exists in the first place is that it is so beautiful here.Each offers its own share of breathtaking landscapes, historical sites, nightlife scenes and cultural delights.
