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Ultimate Travel Secrets

The Sydney Bridge Climb: One of our most favorite things we did in Australia!

To be honest, I really wasn’t expecting to love the Sydney Bridge Climb as much as we did.  And if you do it, you’ll see why!

My Sydney Bridge Climb Bragging Shirt:)

Some Interesting Sydney Bridge Facts

  • The Bridge took 9 years to complete. (1923-1932)
  • The Bridge “opened” on January 19, 1932 when a steam locomotive test train crossed over successfully.
  • The Bridge weighs 52,800 tons!
  • The arch alone weighs 39,000 tons!
  • There are 6 million rivets in the Bridge.
  • More than 4 million people have climbed the Bridge since 1998 when it opened.
  • There are only 2 other Bridge Climbs in the world: The Story Bridge in Brisbane and the Auckland Harbour Bridge Climb but the Sydney Bridge Climb is the most famous!

Is the bridge climb worth it?

When people found out we were going to visit Sydney, one of the most asked questions was, “Are you going to do the Bridge Climb?”

Quite honestly, I really hadn’t thought that much about whether we would do it or not. But the more people asked, the more curious I became.

And so the research began.  I thought I knew about everything there was to know about the Bridge Climb before we went.  There were also a few surprises during the experience that you’ll want to know about before going.

Is the Bridge Climb dangerous?

No.  A county fair ride is probably more dangerous than this.

They have very strict rules they must adhere to for insurance purposes.  There were so many rules and precautions followed, I felt completely secure.

They have you in their suit, fit you in a full body harness with a rope climbing clip which is attached to a rope.  At the very beginning of the climb you are “threaded” onto an inch wide metal cable which is attached to the bridge.  You can see the full get up in the photo below!

Honestly, I couldn’t find any way that you could do anything but walk up or down the steps and breezeways. But there is enough length in the cable that you don’t feel too restricted.

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One of my fave Sydney Bridge Climb pics!

I guess the only way you could injure yourself would be if you tripped or fell on a step. And you could do that walking anywhere!

Is the Bridge Climb hard?

I would say it is for beginner to intermediate fitness level.  There are a lot of steps, but I would say 80% of them are wide and short steps.  The other 20% are more like ladder steps can be pretty narrow. (See the background in the pic above)

Which Sydney Bridge Climb is the Best?

There are several Bridge Climb Experiences available.  So my next question was, “Which one is the the best?”

Here are the choices:

  1. The Bridge Climb
  2. The Sampler Climb
  3. The Express Climb

I actually did a Which Sydney BridgeClimb is the Best? post that goes into all of the details on this subject.

It depends on how much time you want to spend.  For me, I wanted the maximum experience (as always!) so I chose the Original Bridge Climb.  The Express Climb is just a slightly shorter version of the tour.  It takes about 2.25 hours and the full Bridge Climb takes about 3.5 hours.  It kind of sounds like a long time but it absolutely flies by.

If you have the opportunity, I would definitely recommend doing the longer one because you get more time to take in the gorgeous views, hear more stories about the bridge, its history and ask questions making it an all around experience.

What Time of Day Should I Go?

The next question I get asked most often is what time of day to go if you have never been.   There are early morning climbs, throughout the day climbs, sunset climbs and night climbs available.  I chose the mid day climb because I wanted full access to all of the gorgeous views.

If I go back, I will probably do the sunset climb or night climb.  But I would recommend the day climb if it’s your first time.

They also have something only offered on an occasional Sunday.  It’s a Sunset Bridge Climb and they have a band at the top playing music when you get there.  So you can watch the sunset to live music.  It’s a pretty cool concept.  I would have done that one but sadly it didn’t fit into our schedule.

How Much is the Sydney Bridge Climb?

The price of the Sydney Bridge Climb varies.  It depends on which climb you choose from the list above, what day you go on and what time you choose to go.  The price ranges from $180-$240 AUS (approx $140-$200 US) per person.  Right now, the US dollar is quite strong against the Aussie dollar so that definitely helps if you are from the United States!

When I initially was thinking about how much the bridge climb would be, I was thinking about $100 US per person in my head. I was actually kind of shocked to see how much it was to do the Bridge Climb.

I did manage to find a way to minimize our out of pocket cash and still do the Bridge Climb that we wanted to do. If you want to know more about how to do that, I’ll be writing that post up in the next week, so be on the look out for it!

How high is the Sydney Bridge Climb?

The Sydney Bridge is 134m (440 feet) high and 1149m (3,770 feet) long.

What should I wear?

Comfortable shoes are a must of course.  I wore a long sleeve Under Armour shirt, jeans and tennis shoes. My hubby wore a short sleeved polo shirt, jeans and tennis shoes.  They give you a full body jump suit to put on over your clothes.  It protects you from a lot of the wind.  But like I said, we were there on a decently warm day and began our climb at 11:30AM.

Can I take my own photos?

The answer is no.

You can take pictures all the way through the checking in process and getting your suit.  Once you change into that, you are required to put ALL personal belongings into a secured locker.  This includes any phones or even Go Pros…even if you have a chest harness for your Go Pro, they won’t let you take it.  They are serious to the the point of patting you down (whoops-see my pic below!) and asking you again if you have emptied all of your pockets.

My “Sent Back to my Locker” picture because they found something in my pocket on the pat down!

They do take group photos and individual photos along the way on your climb.  Your group photo is included in your admission price.  If you want any individual pics, there is an extra charge.

I’ve read how some people are shocked at this and I’m not sure why.  A ton of tourist attractions around the world do the exact same thing (charge for admission, take your picture and then pitch you on your photos at the end) so there really is nothing to surprised about.  It’s part of the price of having unforgettable experiences.

And you don’t have to buy the pictures. We actually bought the 10 pack which I thought was quite a deal at $35AUS.  (at current exchange rates at the end of 2019, that’s about $20US)

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The Classic Sydney Bridge photo with the Iconic Opera House in the background

Where can i get some cool pics with my own camera?

Tickets to the Southeast Pylon Lookout at the southeast end of the bridge are included with your Bridge Climb tickets.  There are only 200 steps to the top and there are some pretty spectacular views of the Sydney Opera House and in all directions of the Harbour.

If you decide you don’t want to do the Bridge Climb for whatever reason, you can always just buy a ticket to the Pylon Lookout where you can take photos to your hearts content.  Tickets for admission as of October 2019 are $19 AUS for adults, $12.50 AUS for seniors & students and $9.50AUS for children 5-12.  Children under 5 are free.

Can I bring any personal items?

You can bring your sunglasses (they have sunglasses holders that go around your neck and attach to your suit) and they have an assortment of hats and gloves you can use during the climb.  They all attach securely to your suit.  There are also jackets available to use while climbing if you think you need it.  We were there in July and had an absolutely stunning 70 degree (20 degrees centigrade)  day so we declined on the jacket but it does get pretty windy up there so use your discretion on those items to keep you warm.

Getting Ready to Go!

Be sure to wait until after your bridge Climb to drink any alcohol.  They give you a breathalyzer test in the room where you get your suit.  SURPRISE!  Luckily, I declined mimosas at breakfast at the Intercontinental Lounge so I passed the test with flying colors!!

A Post Bridge Climb Cider with a View!

To sum it up, the Sydney Bridge Climb is a blast!  If you are into unique and memorable experiences, jump in and do it!

So. Much. Fun!

Here is the link if you want to book your Bridge Climb now.

Cheers to more adventure in your life!

When are you visiting Sydney and are you going to do the Sydney Bridge Climb? Comment below!

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