Sydney Trip Overview
Expect fascinating history, delivered with energy and insight on a walking exploration of Sydney’s colonial birthplace: The Rocks. Together your group will uncover the scallywag stories of convicts, soldiers, sailors, rum & rebellions. This tour is led by vibrant historians who share their passion for the past through great storytelling, visual imagery and extensive research.
Before reaching the narrow alleyways & hidden ruins of The Rocks district, you’ll enter inside Sydney’s historical Customs House & discover the colonial relics at Macquarie Place.
In The Rocks your guide will bring to life the convicts, craftsmen & cut-throats littered throughout its early history. You’ll also venture below street level to discover a sandstone cellar connected to Sydney’s gold-rush era.
After getting lost in the area’s rich history this tour finishes at an historic local Pub. This is a unique opportunity to soak in the stories you’ve shared over a refreshing drink with your guide and group.
Additional Info
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
Starts: Sydney, Australia
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Historical & Heritage Tours
Explore Sydney Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Expect fascinating history, delivered with energy and insight on a walking exploration of Sydney’s colonial birthplace: The Rocks. Together your group will uncover the scallywag stories of convicts, soldiers, sailors, rum & rebellions. This tour is led by vibrant historians who share their passion for the past through great storytelling, visual imagery and extensive research.
Before reaching the narrow alleyways & hidden ruins of The Rocks district, you’ll enter inside Sydney’s historical Customs House & discover the colonial relics at Macquarie Place.
In The Rocks your guide will bring to life the convicts, craftsmen & cut-throats littered throughout its early history. You’ll also venture below street level to discover a sandstone cellar connected to Sydney’s gold-rush era.
After getting lost in the area’s rich history this tour finishes at an historic local Pub. This is a unique opportunity to soak in the stories you’ve shared over a refreshing drink with your guide and group.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Journey Walks, Sydney Customs House 31 Alfred St, Sydney, New South Wales 2000 Australia
Meet you guide at our Journey Walks’ starting point Quay Bar — an outdoor venue with coffee and bathrooms where you can take a seat and enjoy being transported back in time as your guide introduces the age of British penal colonies and the story you are about to undertake on foot.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Sydney Customs House 31 Alfred St Circular Quay, Sydney, New South Wales 2000 Australia
Begin your journey by unraveling the elaborate sandstone facade of Sydney Customs House — the gateway for people and goods arriving by ship into Sydney through the 19th & 20th Century.
Then enter inside Customs House see a unique model of the entire city including Circular Quay and The Rocks in miniature (scale 1:500) below your feet as your guide illustrates the forming of the natural harbour and the urban settlement of Sydney.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Macquarie Place Park, Bridge Street, Sydney, New South Wales Australia
Discover the hidden and forgotten relics found in Macquarie Place including the underground Edwardian lavatory, the First Fleet anchor and the Obelisk of distances — Sydney’s first public monument designed and built by convicts for the Governor of NSW.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Tank Stream Fountain, 5010 Herald Square, Sydney, New South Wales 2000 Australia
Uncover the secrets of Sydney’s original fresh water source, now hidden below your feet. The Tank stream not only helped Sydney’s convict colony survive but it was one of the main reasons this cove was chosen as the site of Australia’s first penal settlement
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: The Rocks, Sydney, New South Wales 2000 Australia
In The Rocks you’ll find yourself wandering though back alleys and along cobbled lanes, passing some of the oldest pubs and houses in Sydney and getting lost in the stories of convicts, sailors and street gangs who occupied and worked in the area. Your guide will lead you to hidden sandstone ruins, old slums and underground cellars turned speak easy bars. The Rocks area is full of character, quirks and surprises.
Duration: 1 hour 20 minutes
Stop At: The Argyle, 18 Argyle Street The Rocks, Sydney, New South Wales 2000 Australia
A hidden courtyard in the heart of The Rocks with an ancient sandstone storehouse once filled with barrels of spirits and tobacco that now functions as a beer garden and club.
Duration: 10 minutes
