The $9 ferry that beats Sydney's $90 harbour cruises

The trip from Circular Quay to Manly is what people actually mean when they say to do the harbour in Sydney. It's a thirty-minute ferry past the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, and out the heads of Sydney Harbour. Adult Opal fare is $9.20 one-way. Sightseeing cruises charging $90 for the same view do not really know how to charge.

Here's how to do Manly without wasting it.

The ferry itself is the experience. Sit on the top deck, port side coming back. The view of the city skyline as you ferry in at sunset is the best photo of your trip and you didn't pay extra for it.

Manly Beach. Wider, calmer, and less crowded than Bondi. Bring a towel, swim, walk the Corso (the pedestrian street that connects the beach to the wharf).

Shelly Beach walk. Twenty minutes around the headland from Manly Beach to Shelly. The water at Shelly is calm enough for snorkelling and clear enough that you can actually see fish. Free.

North Head. If you have a half-day, walk or bus to North Head. The cliffs at the southern point of Manly look back across the entire harbour to the city. Quiet, dramatic, and most travellers never make it.

Cheap eats. Skip the seafront restaurants. For under $20, look at the food shacks around the wharf or the bakery on the Corso.

The weekend-cap trick. If you tap on with an Opal card or contactless card on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or public holiday, your daily fares are capped at $9.65 total. A round-trip ferry plus a bus to North Head and back, all under that cap.

If you happen to be at our Pyrmont property, Circular Quay is about a twenty-minute walk along the harbour. From our Potts Point spot it's a short bus or train. Whichever ferry you catch, sit on the top deck.