A popular experience for tourists visiting Sydney, Australia is to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The company doing this is called BridgeClimb Sydney and prices start at AU$268, which is US$180 or €165 for a 2.5 hour experience.
People on a budget will find these prices quite expensive, however you do walk right to the top of the arch for magnificent views. There is another way to do this which is far cheaper for those trying to limit their spending.
Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylon Lookout
At each end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge are decorative pylons and you can go inside and to the top of one of them. The Pylon Lookout is inexpensive at just AU$19.00 for adults and the views are almost as good.
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- The height of the pylon is still excellent for views
You access the pylon from the footpath that runs across the bridge. Inside, you climb stairs and along the way are various historical displays about the story of the bridge.
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- Sydney Opera House
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- Sydney CBD
At the top is a viewing area which runs right around the outside. You get excellent views of the Sydney Opera House and the central business district among others.
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- Pretty in pink!
Unlike the bridge climb itself, where people may worry about the height, the pylon is not only a cheaper option, but will cater for those wanting to feel a little safer.
Overall Thoughts
The Pylon Lookout at Sydney Harbour Bridge is definitely the least expensive way to climb the bridge. After you’ve been up the top, you stop in a cinema along the way down to see a short video about building the bridge, which is very interesting.
Since you’re already on the bridge at traffic level when you arrive and depart, walking across the bridge to the other side takes less than 20 minutes. It is also worth doing to say you’ve walked the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Have you ever visited the Pylon Lookout or indeed done the more expensive Bridge Climb? What was it like? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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Featured image by Kolamil via Wikimedia Commons.
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We were in Sydney in October, a trip for my 70th birthday (this past summer) and we did the Bridge Climb. I always thought I was afraid of heights, but I did not find this the least bit unnerving – I even looked down through the girders, and had no issues. Since we were there in early spring, I had read not to book in advance in case the weather was not favorable (they go in all kinds of weather except lightning). Our first 2 days the weather was a bit windy and cloudy, but our 3rd day was sunny.… Read more »
That’s really good to hear your experience. I must pass that on to my parents, who believe it’s too scary and high for them to do. Really good to know it all went well. I figured they would take pictures, but I wasn’t aware all cameras were banned. I suppose part of the reason is to stop you dropping them onto people below, as you could kill someone if a phone hit a car or person, but I guess the other part is that it’s part of their business model. Happy to hear you enjoyed it and and thanks for… Read more »
I’ve done the BridgeClimb! It was one of the highlights of the trip to Australia. I am not afraid of heights but I was wary about how it would feel like to “climb a bridge”. I’ve not done anything like it before. The Bridgeclimb is quite safe and it’s not half as scary as it sounds. I wanted to do it since I didn’t know if I would ever had the chance to visit again. Best $ I’ve ever spent. I still remembered it after all these years.
Oh I know, I’ve seen people do it and I don’t think it looks scary at all. My parents, on the other hand, think it looks scary as hell. I’m glad you’ve done it and really enjoyed it!! It’s still on my list of things to do, but since I’m from Sydney it’s not a particular priority! 🙂
Oh, I never knew you’re from Sydney. For some strange reasons, I thought you’re from Ireland! Syndey is such a great travel destination. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, but BridgeClimb was surprisingly safe. They call it a “bridgeclimb” but it’s really just a lot of good exercise/walking, only …over a bridge. You do need to feel comfortable with climbing up and down and ladder (can be steep), though they make everyone go through that exercise before the actual ‘walk/climb’. Not scary at all unless you’re afraid of heights. There was a guy in our group who… Read more »
Oh, I am Australian born and bred – I moved to Ireland almost 15 years ago, “for one year”. I’ve certainly seen that it’s basically climbing steps along the arch of the bridge. My friend used to be one of the people who took people up, so I’m very familiar with how it all works, even if I haven’t done it myself. The pylon lookout is fine, I did it for the first time recently and it had lovely views. The main thing was that it was cheap. And I agree, I think BridgeClimb is really a once only thing,… Read more »