Must See: Sydney's Harbour Bridge and Opera House

The Harbour Bridge and Opera House make the Sydney skyline one of the most recognizable in the world. In 1957, the government of New South Wales conducted an international competition for the design of its new opera house, selecting the now famous entry of Danish architect Jørn Utzon. In 1973, the performing arts complex, conceptualized by Utzon like “a Gothic church,” was finally completed.

Photo Credit: The Harbour Bridge and Opera House (Australian Tourism Commission)

Blue Mountains: Sydney's Outdoors Hotbed

Just outside the coastal allure of Sydney await the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains. The 2,400,000-acre stretch of rocky escarpments, gorges, and temperate eucalyptus offers a speedy retreat from the Big Smoke of one of Australia's most hectic cities, and remains a hotbed for canyoneering, hiking, mountain biking, and rappelling.

Photo Credit: Australia's Blue Mountains (Nathan Borchelt)

Top 4 Affordable International Trips

Taking a trip to another continent isn’t cheap, but you can save money with these ideas:

Paris
Visit between November and April for the best rates on accommodations and airfare. For free or low-cost fun, plan on doing a lot of sightseeing in the historic public areas and parks. Don’t worry about tipping, as gratuities are often added to your price automatically. But definitely splurge on the world-famous food.