Fort Denison Tours and Tickets

Fort Denison, a rocky island in Sydney Harbor, was used to punish convicts. Later, it was used for defense from foreign nations, with two guns, 12 cannons, a garrison of 24 soldiers, and one officer. It's named after the then-governor of New South Wales.

Yes, tourists can visit Fort Denison when it is not under construction for renovations. However, it will be closed until late 2025. When it’s open, visitors can use a free audio guide to explore the island and visit the Fort Denison Museum. There is an entrance fee for Martello tower.

In modern times, Fort Denison has been a tourist attraction and hosted wedding receptions and corporate events. It’s also popular for watching New Year’s Eve fireworks over the Sydney Harbour. When the island is open, ferries arrive from Circular Quay. The fort is closed for renovations.

Yes, some tours pass by Fort Denison. Speedboat tours cruise along the harbor past the fort, or you can charter a private boat to take you to the top attractions in the harbor. Use the free audio guide to explore Fort Denison, which is closed for renovations.

Yes, Pinchgut is the same as Fort Denison. It is colloquially called Pinchgut, which refers to the prisoners who spent time on the island with very meager rations. Convicts sentenced there initially were forced to live on small amounts of bread and water.

The British built Martello towers (inspired by a round fortress at Corsica's Mortella Point) to defend the empire in the 19th century, and you can see them worldwide. Fort Denison, which was used as a defense facility when the British invaded aboriginal land, has one. Aboriginals call Fort Denison Mudddawahnyuh.