Sydney The Rocks Guided Walking Tour

Badge of ExcellenceSydney, Australia

The Rocks Walking Tour the Original Guided Walking Tour of The Rocks

1 hour 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Explore our promoted experiences

Sydney, New South Wales

Blue Mountains Day Tour Including Parramatta River Cruise

1,191

from $70.68

Sydney, New South Wales

Private Full Day Sydney Highlights Tour

from $723.13

Per group

Sydney, New South Wales

Sydney's Razor Gang True Crime Tour

from $22.45

Viator earns higher commissions on experiences featured here

Overview

Uncover the secrets of Sydney’s heritage as you explore The Rocks on this guided walking tour of the historic precinct. Offering amazing views over the Sydney Harbour and the Campbells Cove Wharves, your guide will lead you along shady laneways and cobbled courtyards where you’ll discover some of Sydney’s earliest buildings, including Cadman’s Cottage, built in 1816 and the Garrison Church, which dates back to the 1840s.

Enjoy incredible views of the Sydney Opera House & Harbour Bridge
Go on an in-depth walking tour and discover places the locals don’t know
Learn about how Sydney’s foundations were built by convict labour
Visit the oldest surviving cottage in Sydney’s CBD

What's Included

90 minute guided walking tour
Specialist trained guide with expertise in & around The Rocks
Umbrella (if required)
Guide has amplification for ease in hearing commentary

Food and drinks
Hotel pickup and drop-off (provided for private bookings)
Transportation to/from attractions

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

The Rocks Walking Tours
Cnr Argyle & Harrington Streets Shop 5 - Clocktower Square, The Rocks NSW 2000, Australia
Departure Point: Shop 5 - Clocktower Square, 35 Harrington St Please check in at our office inside the Clocktower, 15 minutes prior to the start of the tour. Our office is located within The Rocks, is easily accessible for all, located close by to the Overseas Passenger Terminal

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Please arrive at our office to check in and meet your guide for the day, a minimum of 15 minutes prior to the start of the tour time
Children and Infants must be accompanied by an adult
Wheelchair accessible
A moderate amount of walking is involved covering approx. 1.2 miles (2km) at the pace of the group’s participants
Stroller accessible
Small groups (no more than 20 people)
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress to the predicted weather conditions appropriate for an outdoor activity

Comfortable walking shoes, hat and a bottle of water suggested
Tour encompasses uneven surfaces, cobblestones, worn sandstone flagging and steps; while these elements of the tour have never been considered to be strenuous by most people, for others this may be considered as an unsuitable activity.
Tour is wheelchair accessible however be prepared for uneven surfaces at the sites visited which may be difficult for those with walking disabilities or using a powered wheelchair/ scooter
Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Meeting point is easily accessible on foot for cruise arrivals/ shore excursions
Wheelchair (manual) and pram friendly route
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Toilet facilities accessible
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.0

1,152 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 1,152 reviews

Fascinating History Related By an Expert

Andrew_L, Apr 2024

When you purchase a tour of an historical area you want an expert guide to bring it alive with rich, contextual descriptions & fascinating stories of the places you visit & the characters who lived there. Our leader fully achieved this.

Such history.

Karen_G, Apr 2024

We wanted to learn more about The Rocks and this tour gave us that opportunity. It went into knoocks and crannies that otherwise we would not have known were there. Guide was knowledgeable and informative.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for your review and 5 stars Karen. Delighted you enjoyed your time witour guide discovering Sydney's oldest neighbourhood

Tour of the Rocks

CATHERINE_F, Apr 2024

John was very thorough and gave an Iinteresting account of the early history of Sydney. Took us behind the scenes to some courtyards behind the buildings to show us where the early city inhabitants lived. That and the stories about the early residents brought the Rocks to life.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thanks for taking the time to leave us such a great review. We love that you had such a good time on the tour with Jon exploring Sydney' oldest neighbourhood.

Outstanding tour

Malcolm_F, Apr 2024

We had an excellent Walking tour of The Rocks with Michael last Wednesday. He was a most knowledgeable guide who shared the history of The Rocks along with personal stories of the people who originally lived in the area. We walked down narrow lane ways, went into hidden courtyards as well as visiting historic buildings and houses. The tour was well paced, Michael used photos to help tell the story and his voice was excellent, easy to hear and follow. The tour is definitely ‘a must do’ when next in Sydney.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thanks for letting us know you had a fun time with Michael on your recent walking tour of The Rocks. He's a very passionate local and loves sharing his vast knowledge on all things Australia. We'll be sure to pass on your kind words.

Great tour of nice area

STEVEN_N, Apr 2024

Fun tour, lots of fun stories and could envision the old times. Nice that the area was saved from tear down. A nice area now

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thanks for posting a review after attending your tour with us. It's great to hear you enjoyed the way our guide delivers the tour.

Very Good Tour!

Noel_E, Apr 2024

The tour was as described and met our expectations. The guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and shepherded the group efficiently.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thanks for posting a review after attending your tour with us. It's great to hear you enjoyed exloring The Rocks and the way our guide delivered the tour.

Tour the Rocks, Learn some history!

Mary_L, Apr 2024

This was my first time in Australia and I admit that I knew very little about the history of the country. This walk was very informative. Our guide was super knowledgeable and interesting. The walk involved hills and stairs which would be challenging for people with mobility issues. But the pace was reasonable. I personally recommend this tour. Not only will you learn some history about the British settlers but the Rocks is a great part of town. Lots of great shops and restaurants.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for your review and 5 stars Mary. Delighted you enjoyed exploring Sydney's oldest neighbourhood. The Rocks is a fascinating area and is an integral part of Australia's colonial history.

Great overview

Jim_H, Mar 2024

Vickie did a great job in showing us the secrets and nuances of the Rocks area, and answering any questions the group had.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you so much for joining our tour, we are so glad that you did. Vickie is a fantastic guide and provides a wonderfully entertaining historical tour of the area.

Get to know the Rocks!

Naruhisa_O, Mar 2024

We had a fascinating tour of The Rocks, rich in history with memorable artifacts and buildings. Our tour guide, Anne, was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you so much for joining our tour, we are so glad that you did. Anne is a fantastic guide and provides a wonderfully entertaining historical tour of the area.

Rock Section of Sydney

Della_J, Mar 2024

I enjoyed the walk through the Rock section of Sydney. The guide was knowledgeable. I suggest each person has their own headset. She was very hard to hear because of traffic, etc

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for your review and feedback Della. Delighted you enjoyed the historial component of the tour. Sorry to hear you had difficulty hearing the guide. If you had alerted the guide to this, they would have ensured that this was not an issue throughout the tour.

Highly recommend

Carolyn_E, Mar 2024

They whole experience was great and very informative. The guide Annie was very knowledgeable and had a great style of delivery

Good time in the rocks.

Chris_W, Mar 2024

Guide knew the area and history very well. She even was able o keep my teen engaged. We would do it again

Excellent Orientation

Robin_J, Mar 2024

Very good orientation from Anne, covering the area origins through urban renewal programs. She also provided helpful tips on other neighborhood places to visit.

Great tour of the Rocks for history lovers

Mark_D, Mar 2024

Great tour of the Rocks for history lovers. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and entertaining. We learned so much we would not have found on our own.

History of Sydney

PerlaL_L, Mar 2024

Anne our tour guide has a broad knowledge about the history of Sydney on how it was discovered ,and progress trough the years!

Sydney's history explained

Sabina_J, Mar 2024

Anne was very knowledgeable plus told Sydney's beginning in a very interesting way. The places she showed were all connected to the early history of the city. Anne gave really detailed information to all of them and answered all our questions.

Great tour!

Suzanne_T, Mar 2024

This was a very interesting tour. Anne was very knowledgeable and always made sure we could hear her. Great experience!

Great way to explore The Rocks!

Carolyn_D, Mar 2024

A very informative and enjoyable walk with lots of history of the area. Did you know the ferry boats are the same length as the tall ships that brought the convicts here? Vickie was a wonderful tour guide.

Nice intro to Sydney colonial history.

David_O, Mar 2024

We had a nice small group tour by a person who live in the area and was passionate about its history.

Great tour of the rocks and the history behind the area

Wendy_B, Mar 2024

The tour was well organized and very informative. The guide told stories behind many of the buildings

...