Convicts and The Rocks: Sydney's Walking Tour Led by Historian | 2 hours 30 minutes

286 Reviews | Sydney
Likely To Sell Out
From $32.77 per person Lowest Price Guarantee
Select Date and Travelers
You can select up to 14 travelers in total.
Adult (16-80) Minimum: 1, Maximum: 14
2
Free Cancellation For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Convicts and The Rocks: Sydney's Walking History Tour
2 Adults x $33.21
$66.42
Approx Total
$66.42

Inclusions / Exclusions

  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English
  • 2.5 hour walking tour covering approximately 20 historic sites and stories
  • Tour finishes in the heart of The Rocks beside historic pubs and cafes with local recommendations
  • A visual folder with historic imagery, maps and portraits of the area presented by your guide
  • A visit inside Customs House to discover scale model of Sydney from above
  • A local Sydney crime historian as your tour guide
  • Food is not included on this tour, but your tour guide will have fantastic local recommendations
  • Gratuities

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 in the heart of The Rocks surrounded by heritage pubs, cafes, boutique shopping, art galleries & the local market on Saturdays. Welcome aboard!

Meeting points

This tour meets in front of CUSTOMS HOUSE (31 Alfred Street Circular Quay). Your guide will be located outside the building on right hand-side if facing the entrance. Your guide will have a white tour folder that says CONVICT HISTORY TOUR and will check you in.

End point

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Itinerary

  • Journey Walks

    Meet you guide at our Journey Walks starting point in front of Customs House at Circular Quay for an introduction. Your guide will be located on right hand side of the building if facing the entrance with a CONVICT HISTORY tour folder.

    10 minutes

  • Customs House

    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.

    10 minutes

  • Macquarie Place Park

    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.

    20 minutes

  • Tank Stream Fountain

    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

    10 minutes

  • The Rocks

    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.

    1 hour 20 minutes

  • The Argyle

    Finish your tour in the heart of The Rocks nearby the Argyle Stores surrounded by historic pubs, converted storehouses, shops, cafes, and beer gardens

    10 minutes

Sample Menu

Additional Info

  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • We continue our tours in all weather conditions so please dress accordingly. Umbrella's are a good idea if wet weather seems likely.
  • Due to the layout of The Rocks, some stairs are unavoidable at certain points along the way, but majority of the route follows flat terrain.
  • Anyone requiring special assistance is kindly asked to make contact with your local operator in advance.
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are advised that this tour may include the names and images of people who are now deceased.
  • Your guide is a native English speaker and will carry tour folder with A3 size images to help illustrate the area's past
  • Groups are kept small (10 person maximum) and we encourage questions and interaction.
  • Your guide will ensure that Covid-safe social distancing measures and a contact free policy is in place throughout the tour

Free Cancellation

January 15100% refund
January 16No refund

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

286 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
  • 5 stars
    281
  • 4 stars
    3
  • 3 stars
    2
  • 2 stars
    0
  • 1 star
    0

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 281 reviews with 5 stars

Excellent historical tour

Published on Feb, 2025

Very interesting tour Lots of history filled with stories about people. Excellent tour. Choose this with confidence.

Amazing tour, value for money , exceptional guide .

Published on Feb, 2025

This tour was org aside for my parents as a Christmas gift . The following is the feedback they gave me. My parents have lived in Sydney the best part of 50+ years . They were so pleased with the experience . Max who ran the tour group was knowledgeable beyond his years , he told the stories , showed different locations of where and when events had happened during settlement , places my parents who have visited for years didn’t know held the history they did . The tour ran for 2.5hrs so when broken down it is exceptional value for money and well worth it . My parents left wanting more and had spoken to Max about some of the other tours , this time we will be booking as a family with brothers and grandchildren so that our kids learn a lot about the city they live in that would t be taught in school.

A masterclass on Sydney history

Published on Jan, 2025

A true masterclass on Sydney’s early history and the history of The Rocks. It shows what a great difference it makes to employ a real historian as your guide. I just wished we had done the tour on the first day of our stay in Sydney - it would have made my whole experience of the city even more enjoyable. My only advice would be for them to change the name of the tour: the convicts tour does not give the dimensions of how good it actually is. It is a tour about convicts, but it is more than that — it really intertwines personal stories of convicts with the wider history of Sydney and Australia.

Brilliant tour must do

Published on Dec, 2024

Amazing guide she was brilliant patient and full of information. I would highly recommend taking this tour earlier in stay to appreciate the historic sites. My 15 and 18 year old sons LOVED IT !

Fun and informative tour.

Published on Dec, 2024

Really enjoyed this walking tour with Beck. She was very knowledgeable and interesting. A great way to start exploring Sydney!

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