Ultimate Sydney Walking Tour (Small-Group, Drink Included)
Description
Discover the story of Sydney on this expert-led small-group tour (max. 12 guests), while hitting all of the city’s main attractions. Perfect for those who have just arrived, as well as locals and those who want to go deeper in learning about Australian history, culture, society and First Nations people. Starting from Customs House, you’ll hear about Sydney’s colonisation by the British - and how their arrival impacted the original inhabitants. Your guide will provide you with a range of perspectives on Sydney’s development, introducing Aboriginal leaders, British governors, convicts and entrepreneurs, as well as more recent arrivals. You’ll finish with a beer at a popular brewery with views of the Bridge, the Opera House and Sydney Harbour. Over a drink, your host will give you further recommendations to make your time in Sydney special – stuff you won’t find in a guidebook! Walk the streets in a small group so you’re not fighting to see & hear your guide or stay on the footpath.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We start at Customs House where you'll see a scale model of all of Sydney and where we will walk (approx 4km / 2.5 miles). You'll also learn some Aboriginal place names for parts of Sydney and explore the new precinct immediately behind Customs House.
We walk past the "Rum Hospital", which now consists of NSW Parliament, the Sydney Hospital and the Mint.
We will stop outside Hyde Park Barracks as you hear the story of its construction and infamous architect. We do not enter the Barracks.
We will briefly enter the Royal Botanic Gardens to see the location of the former Garden Palace and Governor Phillip Fountain.
We will briefly enter the Queen Victoria Building, but mainly just to see it and for any guests to use the bathrooms.
We stop in Hyde Park where you will get a great view of St Mary's Cathedral. We do not enter the cathedral or go up close to it (approximately 50 metres from the building).
We will stop in Martin Place and Pitt St to look at the General Post Office and hear the story of its controversial construction and design.
We will stop in Martin Place to hear about the ANZAC Cenotaph and Australia's involvement in World War 1.
We will walk through part of The Rocks towards the end of the tour, visiting the Nurses Walk, Jack Mundey Place and lower George St.
We will see the Opera House from where we finish the tour and at Campbell's Cove. We do not enter the Opera House but you will hear the story of its construction.
We will see the Sydney Harbour Bridge from where the tour finishes. We do not get up on the bridge as part of the tour, but it is a short walk from the end point.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Must be able to comfortably walk 4 km over 3 hours
- Tour not recommended for children under 12 years of age as it involves 3 hours of stories and significant walking (4 km)
- Not recommended for guests uncomfortable walking 4 km over 3 hours
Reviews(613)
Matt was a fantastic tour guide who was very knowledgeable in the local history and was also very personable. I highly recommend this tour for a good time in the city.
I happened to be the only person on the tour, but it was an informative tour. Justin was my guide, and he did a wonderful job! He provided a lot of historical information about Sydney and the founding of Australia. We covered a lot of the city, and I enjoyed learning about the different parts we visited. I would recommend this tour!
Excellent guide (Matt), very informative and fun. Also kindly accommodating to our baby!
Booked a walking tour and surprisingly i am the only participant indeed. A private tour indeed The walking tour started early and Matt has been very enthusiastic in sharing the history of SYD as well as sharing stories of details that could be easily missed I appreciate the tour being very interactive and informative. When booking this tour, Matt is the one Highly recommended ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Amazing, great pace and information. Our guide Matt was very fun and great to hang out with for a few hours. Would absolutely recommend.
Michael was our tour guide and he was great, super informative. I booked it because I needed a filler activity after having landed in the morning. This is a walking tour so be prepared to be showered with historical facts and being on your feet for 3.5 hours. Unfortunately, he was running a bit behind and I had to leave at exactly 1:30 when the tour was supposed to end so I missed the drink and the last 30 or so mins of the tour. If you like history and learning about the city, you’d like this tour.
Amazing experience, guide was so knowledgable and fun ! A great itinerary ! A must for your visit to Sydney . Thank you
Jake was super knowledgeable and the tour was so fascinating!
Great local tour. Our guide, Tom, is clearly passionate about Australia history which was fantastic. As Australian from SA, it was really interesting to hear about Brisbane’s settlement. Tom pointed out lots of great spots to eat and drink also. Great tour. We did a similar one in Sydney and loved it so booked with the same company when we came to Brisbane for the first time. 10/10 recommend!
Hi Kath, thanks for the lovely review. So glad you enjoyed the tour with Tom and thanks for joining us in another city! Looks like this review has ended up on our Sydney Trip Advisor page but I'll see if we can get it moved across to our Brisbane one. By the way, next time, make sure to book us directly, where you could have got our return guest discount, and we wouldn't be giving 25% to a multinational like GetYourGuide ;) Cheers, Justin
Our guide, Steve, was hilarious, well informed, and very pleasant to be with. He has worked as a guide in six cities around the world. He's very good.
