Paying. Tap on and off with a contactless bank card, a phone or an Opal card; adult fares and caps are identical. Adults pay at most A$19.30 a day Monday to Thursday, A$9.65 on Fridays, weekends and public holidays, and A$50 a week. The old cheap Sunday cap is gone; the lower rate now starts on Friday. Off-peak trains, metro, buses and light rail are 30 percent cheaper; ferries have no off-peak price.
Ferries as sightseeing. The F1 to Manly is the ride: about 30 minutes from Circular Quay past the Opera House and across the Heads, a little under A$10 and inside the cap. The F9 to Watsons Bay follows the eastern shore, the F3 runs up the Parramatta River past Cockatoo Island, and the F2 is a short hop to Taronga Zoo. Once you have hit the cap, the night crossing with the bridge lit costs nothing.
The Opera House. The one-hour tour is A$50 online and A$55 on the day (A$52 and A$57 from April 1, 2027), runs daily and is the only way into the halls without a performance. A performance ticket gets you in for the evening, and the cheaper seats at some concerts cost little more than the tour.
Bondi to Coogee. Six kilometers of cliff path past Tamarama, Bronte, Clovelly and Gordons Bay; two to three hours with a swim, with stairs, so no prams. Start by 7 a.m. in summer, because the sun is the hard part and the ocean pools are quietest early. The Icebergs pool at the Bondi end makes the better finish.
Sun and surf. The UV index reaches extreme by late morning from October to March, under cloud too: hat, sunglasses, SPF 50 and shade at midday. Swim only between the red and yellow flags, which the lifeguards set where the rips are not; a beach with no flags is unpatrolled. In a rip, float and raise an arm rather than swim against it.
Free museums. The Art Gallery of New South Wales (10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, Wednesdays until 10 p.m.) and the Australian Museum (10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily) are free apart from the big ticketed shows. The Maritime Museum’s indoor galleries are free with a ticket from the desk; the ships cost A$35. The Museum of Contemporary Art stopped being free in January 2025, charges A$20 and closes Tuesdays.
Cap days. Tap the same card at every gate and gangway, keep a hat in the bag, and put the expensive rides on a Friday or weekend when the cap halves. Waystop’s hours check will flag the MCA if it lands on a Tuesday.