Today I am sharing how to spend Sydney Christmas on budget. If you are a traveller on a budget, Sydney can be a very expensive place to visit. However, that experience definitely helps build a true character with an abundance of perks along the way.
Below I’ve listed 7 budget-friendly things to do in Sydney during Christmas.
Check out the Master Travel Guide to Sydney– everything from visa, wifi, food and all are covered.
Sydney Christmas on budget
Contents
- Sydney Christmas on budget
- Get an Opal card
- 1. Have a picnic in the Royal Botanic Gardens
- 2. Watch the sunrise or sunsets from a Sydney Beach
- 3. Visit the Royal National Park
- 4. Go to Newtown
- 5. Mountains are calling
- 6. Checkout Sydney attractions such as Taronga Zoo, SeaLife Aquarium, and Wildlife Sydney Zoo
- 7. Visit Churches
- What I used to take these photos:
- Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II Digital Camera
- Accessories For Canon GX7 Mark ||
- GoPro HERO4 Silver
- Accessories For Go Pro Hero 4
- SanDisk 64 GB Memory Cards
- All-in-One Memory Card Reader
- Let me know in the comments if you –
Get an Opal card
Because if you are on a budget, opal is your best friend. Getting around Sydney is expensive but journeys on a Sunday are capped at $2.50 which eases the hassle of getting around without the usual costs involved. You can visit places below as affordable as a short ride across the CBD. Grab your Opal Card from any city train station or news agency and load a fee to access a world of adventure by train, bus, and ferry.
1. Have a picnic in the Royal Botanic Gardens
If you would like a nice view of the Sydney Opera house with some water view and harbour bridge on budget. This is it! Head to the supermarket (Coles, Woolworths, IGA) on Christmas Eve just before they close and put together a bargain Christmas picnic. Supermarkets will not be open on Christmas day. With its waterfront setting, 55 sculptures and 3,964 trees Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens are worth a couple of hours exploration. There are free tours daily at 10.30 am and 1 pm Mon-Friday or just pack a picnic and enjoy the view.
2. Watch the sunrise or sunsets from a Sydney Beach
If you are from the Northern Hemisphere, you might enjoy the summery Christmas day at the beach. Bondi is usually busy on Christmas Day, and everyone is happy to share the Christmas spirit. If you are after places to watch awesome sunrise – my favourite spots are Bondi of course, Mahon Pool near Maroubra or Turimetta Beach near Narrabeen on the Northern Beaches. Sydney also does great sunsets – I recommend Mrs Macquiere Chair behind Opera House. You can also ride the ferry to Cremorne and take a swim with a view of the beautiful and free Maccallum Pool or if you are in the east try Wylie’s Baths in Coogee.
3. Visit the Royal National Park
The roads will be less busy than usual and the buses are operating on Sunday timetable on Christmas day. You can view Bundeena and indigenous rock art. Take the train to Cronulla and then the little Bundeena ferry across the bay to the beach and the rock art walk.
4. Go to Newtown
Newtown usually crowded and busy but during Christmas, it will be much quieter than usual. The window shopping and street art will be waiting for you to discover, and you are bound to find somewhere to eat along King Street or Enmore Road.
5. Mountains are calling
This is my personal favourite. Jump on the 8.54 am train up to Katoomba and explore the Blue Mountains in relative peace as many tour operators do not run on Christmas day.
6. Checkout Sydney attractions such as Taronga Zoo, SeaLife Aquarium, and Wildlife Sydney Zoo
Say Merry Christmas to the beautiful animals there! They would love your presence, and a bonus is the crowds are usually a little smaller on Christmas Day. These places also offer joint tickets that reduce the cost a little.
7. Visit Churches
You can attend mass at St Marys Cathedral or St Andrews Cathedral in Sydney. Hope you have a Merry Christmas!
Christmas lights in one of the malls in Sydney.
Hope this Sydney Christmas on a budget helps you have a relaxing and inexpensive Christmas!
What I used to take these photos:
Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II Digital Camera
This has been my favourite Camera so far. I love how my pictures come out crisp and colourful. It also has a screen which is useful when vblogging. You can check out what I meant on my Instagram which is here.
Accessories For Canon GX7 Mark ||
Check it out here
GoPro HERO4 Silver
This is the good old Go pro that I take with me everywhere. I recommend it because it is small, lightweight and waterproof. I have had made many memories with this trusted item and looking forward to more.
Accessories For Go Pro Hero 4
Check it out here
SanDisk 64 GB Memory Cards
I have been using SanDisk since my first camera which was back in 2009. They build quality memory cards. I recommend getting at least two, just in case something happens to one of them.
All-in-One Memory Card Reader
Do you think it’s a hassle of plugging your camera into your computer? This memory card reader will fit cards of all sizes and make an easy transfer to your computer. The reader supports all popular SD memory card formats, including SD™/SDHC™/SDXC™ memory cards, UHS-I SDHC/SDXC memory cards, and microSDHC™/microSDXC™ memory cards. It is also compatible with the latest UDMA 7-enabled CompactFlash cards.
Let me know in the comments if you –
- have any other questions about Sydney Christmas on budget.
- 99% of readers found must see on the east coast of Australia helpful.
- Check out the Master Travel Guide to Sydney– everything from visa, wifi, food and all are covered.
- Check out how you can explore Adelaide South Australia the best way.
- Heading to iconic Alice Springs for that unique Uluru trip?
- Here I share must do in Darwin, Australia.
- Solo travel guide to Brisbane (Insta worthy places included!)
- Heading to Melbourne next, check out Melbourne travel guide for first timers.
- Heading to Perth, read things to do in Perth
- Going to Vietnam after Australia? Check out the 7 days Hanoi travel guide.
- If you need to book accommodations for your next travels, get $76 discount with Airbnb here.
- Alternatively, you can check hotel prices and book it through trusted Agoda, or Booking.com
- Read the most wanted travel resource here.
If you like this article, follow my adventures on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Pinterest, but most importantly sign up to my e-mail list to keep up with updates and travel posts!
Oh wow! The churches look amazing ✨✨✨
Really cool pictures! And the nice compilation of things to do in Sydney 🙂
Also, I’m very impressed by the size of the mall :O
It is one of the low-key but beautiful mall. Glad you enjoyed the post Pauline 🙂
I’ve always wanted to visit Australia and I️ always visit church’s in other countries! Beautiful list and great variety and inspiration!
You took some great photos! I’m checking out the camera right now because I need a really good one. And now I want to visit Sydney during Christmas. Another thing added to my bucket list!
I’ve never been to Sydney, but this guide is really perfect. Budget travel is my preferred mode for just about anywhere, and having a good guide to get me started is so helpful.
Thanks Anna for sharing this quick list without all the BS like many other blogs. I am saving this for when i get there next year.
Have a great day.
Khadija
Always wanted to visit Sydney! Thanks for the suggestions <3
Sydney has always been on my bucket list! Thank you for this, so maybe one day if I get a chance to go there, I could always refer back to your list here. 🙂
Anyway, I love how you have listed everything that you used to take all the pictures. I’m not a professional photographer, neither I have a professional camera. Any chance you can post something with attached pictures using regular pocket camera? Just an idea. Cheers! 😀
Hi Marya,
I can write a post dedicated to cameras but FYI, the cameras I use are not necessarily professional cameras but it could be if you learn how to use them properly. Please clarify what you exactly want to know more and I can do my best to help out.
Thanks
Oh my days! You are making me want to jump into a plane to Sydney right now. Thank you so much for sharing such an insightful post. I enjoyed reading it.
Beautiful! Australia, especially Sydney have been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember! Someday I’ll make it down under to finally meet my relatives and hope to see all these beautiful places in person!
Very nice ideas, I hope I can visit Sydney one day
XOXO, Dorie
Aw, what a lovely Christmas it will be in Sydney! I bet those grand churches host an amazing Christmas mass!
Ahh, a Christmas on a beach, a dream come true! 😀
I’m saving this post. I can’t wait to see Sydney some day!
I’d love to travel to Sydney. Someday, hopefully. Great article to show what can be done on a budget for sure!
I’ve never been but it’s at the top of my list! These photos are stunning and I’ll totally refer to this post when I’m planning my trip.
I would absolutely love to visit Sydney! It looks so beautiful and amazing! You take absolutely stunning pictures. Thank you for sharing!
Sydney is one of my very favorite places! We’ve been a handful of times over the last 10 years and it is beautiful! We’ll have to go at Christmas next time!
Having grown up in Montreal, where in some neighbourhoods you can’t walk more than 10 minutes without coming to a church, I would love to visit Sydney’s churches.
Sydney is such a beautiful place to visit. I’ve been there last year and it’s pretty amazing because of it’s beautiful scenery. I would love to revisit Sydney this 2018 with my twins.
Looked like a dream for me. I wish I had the budget to do travelling and experience everything as such. Photos are very inviting and welcoming, beautiful read!
Great photos and recommendations. I love zoos and since I am Catholic, I always enjoy visiting churches whenever I visit new places. Thank you for mentioning what camera you used! I’ve actually been looking for a new one! !
I am planning to visit Sydney early next month, I hope they still have Christmas decorations by then and your guide is really helpful as I am travelling on a budget. Bookmarking this post. Sydney is so beautiful, love all the pictures.
This is a fun time on Christmas day with or without the bulging pocket. I love the photos as they truly depict a fun time. Thanks for sharing.
Sidney is actually on my bucket list! Your tips are quite interesting as well, especially because I am indeed in a tight budget…
I would so love to watch the sunrise there. Having a picnic in the botanical gardens sounds so divine. What an amazing experience that would be.
Sydney is an unforgettable experience on Christmas and New Year. Your post made me smile while recalling my days in Sydney.
These are some great tips!!! looks like you had an amazing time
Such beautiful pictures! I’ve always wanted to go to Australia, I bet it is so magical at Christmas time. I think I’d prefer the warmer evenings too!!
Sydney is one of my favourite places but I haven’t been in 11 years. I would love to go back so some of these things will definitely be going on my to do list.
Even non-religious travellers can appreciate the beauty of this church. Looks so grand! And the parks and malls. How’s the safety?
Loving your photos and posts about Sydney. We have never been there but hope to some day.
It’s a dream of mine to visit Australia one day, and your photos have reminded me of that dream. I love how beauty is present both in nature and in the man-made world. And wow, even the mall looks great!
These are some great tips to make the visit less expensive. I’ve always wanted to go here, one day I will and it looks like I need to visit around Christmas time as it looks beautiful! I would love to watch a sunrise or sunset on that beach.
One of my dream country is Sydney Australia. I have heard a lot of beautiful places here and I hope I can come here so soon.
Wow, that church looks very complicated yet beautiful. I can say it would be one of the best architectural beasts..:D
You always have the best guides indeed! I hope I will visit Sydney one day!